I take exception to capitalism in unregulated form is good. The US has the most unregulated capitalism in the world and the wealth inequality is unbelievable. I am also offended that anyone who disagrees with your viewpoint is the pejorative, "woke". I suggest for your readers to get another view on the state of affairs;
read Heather Cox Richardson, Adam Kinzinger, Richard Wolf, & Democracy Now!
Capitalism by its nature must be minimally regulated to succeed. The idea that wealth inequality is an indication that capitalism is a failed system is naive, founded on the false notion that the wealth of the rich somehow limits the wealth of the poor or that money is finite and being hoarded by the rich. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Instead of focusing on the wealthy it is more instructive to compare the living standards of Americans overall. The poor in this country are better off than in any other country. America is the first country the world wants to migrate to because of economic opportunity afforded by CAPITALISM. The anti capitalists or socialists present a compelling argument grounded in the language of utopian fantasy where everyone is equal or famously expressed in the Marxist propaganda slogan " from each according to his ability to each according to his need". In reality such experiments do successfully result in equality but in equalith of poverty. Instead of reading crybaby Kinzinger or Maexist Wolf you would be well served by reading Sowell, William's or Friedman.
I'd disagree that the poor are better off in the US than anywhere else. 30 years ago I was living in Vancouver and a friend from the US came for a visit. I asked what he wanted to see first and he said "show me the slums." He explained that working in property management, he could evaluate a city best by its slums. So I did. His response was "these aren't slums, where is the real poverty?" The real poverty in the US tends to be in the inner cities, but also in blighted rural areas that are left out of the general prosperity. And, of course, has a racial slant to it as well.
That said, I'm not an anti-capitalist, but without regulation pure Randian capitalism becomes a race to the bottom in terms of quality of service and a race to the top in terms of centralization of power and monopolies. If communism is based on a fantasy of equality for all, free market capitalism is based on a fantasy of opportunity for all. Both founder on the actual messiness of human nature. The commissars will crush others to fit their ideology while feathering their own nest, the Randian Titans will crush all opposition, perhaps more honestly, to built their own fortunes--the guy who comes along with a better idea won't become wealthy too, he'll be shut out. The end products for both are Brave New World or 1984.
"The poor in this country are better off than in any other country. America is the first country the world wants to migrate to because of economic opportunity afforded by CAPITALISM."
Wayne, our country was founded on the principle of equal opportunity, not equal outcomes. If you think out capitalism is unregulated at all, you must not know any business owners, including the thousands that fled to other states. Other states don't have Prop. 65, PAGA lawsuits, CEQA, the highest taxes, worst schools and failing infrastructure that we have among many other things. Capitalism that is less regulated in other states is the magnet that has drawn over 2 million people to leave CA in the last six years along with thousands of companies.
With the wealth inequality, the opportunities are not equal -- The wealthy write the rules that favor them. Hence, labor unions to protect the workers.
You lost me by recommending Ayn Rand, a lousy philospher and worse economist. I'm guessing that you favour paying workers the minimal wages possible with zero safety standards and no holidays so the rich can become wealthier and so create more innovations. A straw man characterization to balance yours. There always needs to be a balance.
If you can't see the capital flight she predicted, then you are blind. The main point of the book is that when government takes so much away from producers, they will cease to produce. Prop 40 is already working to that end and most of the people who left our state left because they couldn't succeed here.
When I was offered the "opportunity" to lead the negotiating team for the Administration of the Courts (AOC) for California the existing team shared their frustrations at having no leverage to bargain with since the unions knew that the courts can't close or move out of state or do anything except pay whatever the union demanded. That is the problem that arose with the unionization of public employees.
Teachers Unions aupport little to none of the local schools. The rest goes to Randy W and they use those monies to support Democrat and Socialist policies. Such as it's Ok for schools to hide the Gender of students from their parents and or pushing transitioning on children in schools.
Carpinteria can't afford to fix their roads which:would cost $24 million.
Instead the City is proposing A sales Tax increase of.25 % bring the Sales Tax to 9.25% The proposed increase would bring in revenue of only $700k a year. The City has a reserve of $10.4 million and they haven't touched it in decades. They are saving it for an emergency financial situation. Wouldnt this be a time to use those funds when their revenue is outpacing their expenses and they can't even afford to fix their roadsThey have 43 employee all receiving Pensions and benefits, paying pensions on employees long ago when the City had their own police force.
California has pushed out the private sector and encouraged growth in the government sector. Which we are now paying for pensions of those employees. The elder generation now is much larger than the younger generation in the US putting a strain on State budgets in order to pay for government benefits and pensions.
Labor unions gave us 8 hour days instead of 10 -12 hour days, a 5 day work week instead of 6 days, child labor laws, safety rules and livable wages. If that's socialism, sign me up.
I take exception to capitalism in unregulated form is good. The US has the most unregulated capitalism in the world and the wealth inequality is unbelievable. I am also offended that anyone who disagrees with your viewpoint is the pejorative, "woke". I suggest for your readers to get another view on the state of affairs;
read Heather Cox Richardson, Adam Kinzinger, Richard Wolf, & Democracy Now!
Capitalism by its nature must be minimally regulated to succeed. The idea that wealth inequality is an indication that capitalism is a failed system is naive, founded on the false notion that the wealth of the rich somehow limits the wealth of the poor or that money is finite and being hoarded by the rich. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Instead of focusing on the wealthy it is more instructive to compare the living standards of Americans overall. The poor in this country are better off than in any other country. America is the first country the world wants to migrate to because of economic opportunity afforded by CAPITALISM. The anti capitalists or socialists present a compelling argument grounded in the language of utopian fantasy where everyone is equal or famously expressed in the Marxist propaganda slogan " from each according to his ability to each according to his need". In reality such experiments do successfully result in equality but in equalith of poverty. Instead of reading crybaby Kinzinger or Maexist Wolf you would be well served by reading Sowell, William's or Friedman.
I'd disagree that the poor are better off in the US than anywhere else. 30 years ago I was living in Vancouver and a friend from the US came for a visit. I asked what he wanted to see first and he said "show me the slums." He explained that working in property management, he could evaluate a city best by its slums. So I did. His response was "these aren't slums, where is the real poverty?" The real poverty in the US tends to be in the inner cities, but also in blighted rural areas that are left out of the general prosperity. And, of course, has a racial slant to it as well.
That said, I'm not an anti-capitalist, but without regulation pure Randian capitalism becomes a race to the bottom in terms of quality of service and a race to the top in terms of centralization of power and monopolies. If communism is based on a fantasy of equality for all, free market capitalism is based on a fantasy of opportunity for all. Both founder on the actual messiness of human nature. The commissars will crush others to fit their ideology while feathering their own nest, the Randian Titans will crush all opposition, perhaps more honestly, to built their own fortunes--the guy who comes along with a better idea won't become wealthy too, he'll be shut out. The end products for both are Brave New World or 1984.
"The poor in this country are better off than in any other country. America is the first country the world wants to migrate to because of economic opportunity afforded by CAPITALISM."
Do you have a reference for this? The bottom 50% of the US population owns 2.5% of the American wealth. https://usafacts.org/articles/who-owns-american-wealth/ The US ranks 31st in quality of life per https://www.worlddata.info/quality-of-life.php .
I am familiar with Sowell and Freidman (Milton and you should read Thomas Friedman) and I'll check into Walter Williams.
I still strongly encourage readers to be open to other points of view.
How can you call Adam Kinzinger a crybaby? He's more patriotic than anyone in the White House or any Republican in the current Congress!
Wayne, our country was founded on the principle of equal opportunity, not equal outcomes. If you think out capitalism is unregulated at all, you must not know any business owners, including the thousands that fled to other states. Other states don't have Prop. 65, PAGA lawsuits, CEQA, the highest taxes, worst schools and failing infrastructure that we have among many other things. Capitalism that is less regulated in other states is the magnet that has drawn over 2 million people to leave CA in the last six years along with thousands of companies.
With the wealth inequality, the opportunities are not equal -- The wealthy write the rules that favor them. Hence, labor unions to protect the workers.
You lost me by recommending Ayn Rand, a lousy philospher and worse economist. I'm guessing that you favour paying workers the minimal wages possible with zero safety standards and no holidays so the rich can become wealthier and so create more innovations. A straw man characterization to balance yours. There always needs to be a balance.
If you can't see the capital flight she predicted, then you are blind. The main point of the book is that when government takes so much away from producers, they will cease to produce. Prop 40 is already working to that end and most of the people who left our state left because they couldn't succeed here.
Yep, its a race to the bottom.
When I was offered the "opportunity" to lead the negotiating team for the Administration of the Courts (AOC) for California the existing team shared their frustrations at having no leverage to bargain with since the unions knew that the courts can't close or move out of state or do anything except pay whatever the union demanded. That is the problem that arose with the unionization of public employees.
Take back our state and country we must begin with the abolishment of the teachers unions! Great points Andy
Teachers Unions aupport little to none of the local schools. The rest goes to Randy W and they use those monies to support Democrat and Socialist policies. Such as it's Ok for schools to hide the Gender of students from their parents and or pushing transitioning on children in schools.
Thank you Andy for your article.
Carpinteria can't afford to fix their roads which:would cost $24 million.
Instead the City is proposing A sales Tax increase of.25 % bring the Sales Tax to 9.25% The proposed increase would bring in revenue of only $700k a year. The City has a reserve of $10.4 million and they haven't touched it in decades. They are saving it for an emergency financial situation. Wouldnt this be a time to use those funds when their revenue is outpacing their expenses and they can't even afford to fix their roadsThey have 43 employee all receiving Pensions and benefits, paying pensions on employees long ago when the City had their own police force.
California has pushed out the private sector and encouraged growth in the government sector. Which we are now paying for pensions of those employees. The elder generation now is much larger than the younger generation in the US putting a strain on State budgets in order to pay for government benefits and pensions.
Labor unions gave us 8 hour days instead of 10 -12 hour days, a 5 day work week instead of 6 days, child labor laws, safety rules and livable wages. If that's socialism, sign me up.