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The Forum > Article Comments > Is there an alternative to capitalism? > Comments

Is there an alternative to capitalism? : Comments

By Sam Ben-Meir, published 12/10/2017

One would think that perhaps we would keep an open mind regarding alternatives; instead of buying the tired old argument that anything else must either lead to totalitarianism, or be incurably utopian.

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Workers make decisions; read slush fund supported Union Heavies taking all the cream for them and their "Mates".
Posted by McCackie, Thursday, 12 October 2017 9:30:00 AM
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Educated, erudite and well researched!

Both extreme capitalism and communism have failed, as has thoroughly disgraced trickle down economics/economic rationalism!

The fact that this ideological dogma always always fails, never ever prevents its devotees from regurgitating like the zealots they all too clearly are, with highly misplaced fervent respect!

And out of self delusion or worse? Moribund self serving vested interest!

Trump, six times bankrupt, is not someone I would trust to run a candy store, let alone a multi trillion dollar economy.

What cannot be argued, is the unprecedented period of post war prosperity, created by keynesian economics.

What can be argued is that we can't do better with much lower taxes?

Always providing they're universally applied! And as a single stand alone impost everyone pays as an expenditure tax or fixed percentage of their income as PAYE or PAYG! And completely unavoidable for all!

Pensions and benefits adjusted upward to make sure we just don't create post code poverty traps and systematic inequity, nor harm essential discretionary spending that keeps the domestic economy healthy!

Education and health spending limited to a means tested education and health endowment that the recipient can direct, rather than bank.

Then allow competition and outcomes decide which service provider attracts the most clientele.

This would remove the entirely unnecessary levels of obstructive and costly, control freak administration, except where it was actually needed!

Much much lower energy costs, pivotal and an absolute essential!

In conclusion let me add, co-ops were the only private enterprise, free market business model, that mostly survived the Great Depression largely intact!

And exclude predatory capitalism and parasitic unions alike! Neither of which, nor their counterproductive interference are in any way needed inside a cooperative capitalism model!

And consequently rejected by both! And on the basis of some of the most diabolically disingenuous, risible, asinine arguments ever invented
Alan B.
Posted by Alan B., Thursday, 12 October 2017 10:15:28 AM
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Of course there is “no alternative to capitalism”. How many ages do we have to pass through to know that nothing else works! Globalism is a rotten thing, but that has nothing to do with capitalism per se, or its practice in sovereign nations. 'Inequality'? Capitalism is the only cure for that. “Stagnant wages”? Blame high mass immigration for that.

Trump? Is there no end to the list of that man's influence? He is not the only capitalist in the world, and what the hell has he to do with Australia? If Sam Ben-Meir wants to influence Australians, he should get off the Trump-hating band wagon and address other jurisdictions. Australia is not
America. People must be sick and tired of hearing about Trump's imagined sins.

This article has sweet nothing to do with us. It is backward, totally ignoring history.
Posted by ttbn, Thursday, 12 October 2017 10:41:21 AM
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Some born to rule advocates, don't want a bar of cooperative capitalism, despite its vastly superior reputation as a practical enduring business model!

Because it rules them and all their predatory practices out!

Or ought with fair competition rules enacted!

Thus Woolies would never have been allowed to elbow its way into Maleny to try and purloin a market, that cooperative capitalism had built, in that rather special town!

Where neither union nor parasitical business practices are particularly welcome, except by the unwary or ill informed?

Cooperative capitalism and lower taxes are almost made for each other, given cooperative enterprise allow the community's money to stay in the community far longer! And where one dollar does the work of seven or more before exhausting!

And given an expenditure tax is applied a say just 5%? still collects sufficient revenue for service provision/public amenity!

Cooperative models often include overrepresented working bees by local volunteers, to get this or that project built and up and running. And inculcated as the accepted norm, by a created from the ground up, inclusive community spirit!

Cooperative capitalism best served by regional autonomy and unpaid volunteer boards, to run public amenity/hospital/education/water boards etc? And usually attract public spirited, retired or semi retired professionals!

Cooperative capitalism needs to be accepted by all levels of fully informed inclusive society! And assisted by completely internalized social credit, plus self terminating thirty year bonds, to facilitate/finance and underpin it!

And essential to prevent sabotage by recalcitrant idealogues with a born to rule agenda!

Just as you can't be half pregnant! You can't be a half cooperative capitalistic society! But rather, one in all in!
Alan B.
Posted by Alan B., Thursday, 12 October 2017 10:59:25 AM
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The Capitalist horror machine:

War on the Middle Class:- The current attack of capitalism, is against the middle class. The rules for the “war on the poor” are well established.

The new and more ferocious war, is against the middle class. The central theme is wedge politics at its best.

Competition:- The competition for jobs sufficiently rewarded enough to maintain a middle class existence, are globalised free-for-alls.
Short term contracting of once stable middle class occupations, removed security and reduced incomes.

Marxism's march for equality, (sick joke), is securely harnessed by capitalists. This “stupid” not only does not lift people from inequality, but negatively lifts them into the strata of competition, as fodder to the system.

For example, equality for women, in the true sense of equality, would give women a “choice” to become involved in the competition for scarce resources of work, but it doesn't.
Women actually lose choice, by having a Capitalist version of equality forced upon them!

Education: this is another horror story which not only does NOT educate the subject, but grooms the subject to become immune to inequality in the true sense! Education is a “wedge tool” of Capitalism!

Thankfully, the carrot that it is, now glows more brightly. Free thinking is actually discouraged by the institutional Capitalist tool of education. Chances of the educated forging a new way for society, are nil to none here: a very suitable outcome for no-change to the status quo.

The War Machine:- where all challenge to Capitalism is paid for in blood.

The Chinese: the Chinese with two bob each way; Communist iron-fist control of the proletariat, and a quasi Capitalism; which, as in the West, supports a corrupt bureaucracy, through distancing Government from responsibility, by outsourcing and sale of its essential elements, into the Capitalist market system, followed by deregulating controls, in the name of competition: A sure-fire method of reducing the usefulness of essential services to the public. (EG the current power supply debacle).
Posted by diver dan, Thursday, 12 October 2017 2:35:38 PM
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Yet another academic twit actually lamenting the fact that under capitalism academics aren't as close to the centre of the action as under communism. Of course he tries to descise this with a lot of verbiage, & tears for the poor. The whole piece is just envy dresses up as a lament for the poor.

It is true "anything else must [not necessarily] either lead to totalitarianism, or be incurably utopian". However it does necessarily lead to starvation, proven by the failure of Russia & China to feed themselves under communism, now food exporters with the yoke of collectivism lifted.

I personally don't give a damn how much some may have, I don't need a few Ferraris or mansions to be happy. I only require a roof, food & good health care. The rest I am most happy to work for, & provide for my self.

If you want to be taken seriously with this bulldust Sam, try leading with a statement of what percentage of your personal income you give to the poor. Your interest in being generous with other peoples income doesn't cut much ice around here, particularly when your own income comes from the real work of others.
Posted by Hasbeen, Thursday, 12 October 2017 2:57:07 PM
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