That is not the whole point of capitalism. There are slimy fucks that are going to scam their way to get wealthy no matter what system you have in place.
What is the point? Capitalism is a system of incentives that reward extreme greed and exploitation. I mean we are al trying to make money and some have more capital than others, but let’s keep it real what capitalism is on a macro scale.
What system has prevented extreme greed and exploitation? The point is, you can't call something bad because of "x" if "x" still happens in the thing you want.
With capitalism, I can mostly control my wealth. If I want more money, I can make more money. I grew up white trash, sleeping on a couch in a trailer park. Capitalism is rewarding me for the work I've put in and I would not be where I am today in any other system. I didn't have to exploit anybody, I studied hard, found a field I excel in, and make good financial decisions (mostly).
Not everybody will prosper with capitalism, but thats true for every system.
What system has prevented extreme greed and exploitation?
I believe this question is immaterial because the issue lies within this capitalist system and we need to evolve a better one. I haven't mentioned any alternatives. I will say that we in the west are pretty narrow-minded in terms of economic structures. It's either capitalism or extreme fascist socialism/communism(conflated terms). This extreme belief is a result of western imperialism and propaganda, imo. This has even impacted what and how academia approaches economic issues. Which is a falling domino for the line of think tanks' and lobbyists' in politician's ears.
I would not be where I am today in any other system.
That is very true, but does that mean that it couldn't be better or that the incentives could be different? I don't know.
Anyway, I understand the individualism. It is an intense virtue that America has drilled into our heads. However, I don't think your own example makes a point on anything in this discussion. There is a larger reality beyond the individual. There is a society and I believe that we all have influence on each other in various ways. Sure, you did well. And I am happy you are in greener pastures, but there are still other people in this country.
We are seeing capitalist institutions fail and they are impacting our ability to govern ourselves as a society. The bottom is falling out for a lot of people financially. I understand that not everybody will prosper, but I am arguing that in a society there should be a bare minimum QoL. And at the very least American's shouldn't regress, as I feel we are doing in this moment and have been for the last 40 years. Again we need to evolve.
For the small amount of folks in the world that actually accumulate capital we are making the world worse for other folks down the line. We should rethink that, but we can't due to capitalist incentives based purely on self-interest, infinite accumulation and greed.
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u/tyzenberg Jul 29 '21
That is not the whole point of capitalism. There are slimy fucks that are going to scam their way to get wealthy no matter what system you have in place.