Exactly. Just like Communist China as compared to Communist North Korea. Of course, somebody forgot to tell China that they need to forfiet the gulags, the misery and poverty....
Oops....doen't look like a free market (or, in China's case, a "free-er" market) guarentees an end to these things, does it????
Think you best double-think those "communist" labels you enjoy throwing around there Toddster, and take a long, hard look at reality. A pure "free-market" economy can be just as bad--if not worse--than communism in terms of it's effects on a population. Either you're being oppressed by the political class, or being oppressed by the robber-barrons. When you're on the short-end of the stick, it doesn't matter how you label the system.
The Chinese people today are struggling with having to use code words to discuss democracy on their Yahoo blogs. It's not really a free society yet, but personal liberty has increased with economic liberty there. The two go hand in hand, just as limiting economic freedom means limiting personal freedom. The state of liberty in China today doesn't even compare to that in North Korea or what it was 50 years ago. Your argument is asinine.
I continue to be utterly astonished at the statists crawling out of the woodwork. How can you actually say life in a "pure" free market is worse than under communism? That is ridiculous.
Are you saying Marx's theories did not lead to Gulags, misery and poverty in China and North Korea?
Oops....doen't look like a free market (or, in China's case, a "free-er" market) guarentees an end to these things, does it????
You really need to reread my post: We see the logical consequences of the free market have been much higher standards of living in those countries which have freer markets as compared to those that have less free markets. I didn't say freer markets guaranteed an end to those things. Are you denying that the freer market activities in China have increased the standard of living?
Think you best double-think those "communist" labels you enjoy throwing around there Toddster, and take a long, hard look at reality.
You first. I was calling A. Pole, who grew up under Communism and who still seems to think it is somehow superior to capitalism, a communist. Wouldn't you call someone who believes in the superiority of communism a communist? If not, what would you call him?
. A pure "free-market" economy can be just as bad--if not worse--than communism in terms of it's effects on a population.
A laughable assertion, but let's examine it. How many millions were put into camps and killed by the robber barons?
Either you're being oppressed by the political class, or being oppressed by the robber-barrons.
Again, laughable. The Chinese communists killed what, 50 million? The Russians another 20 million. The Cambodians, a million or two. How many millions did the robber barons in the US kill again?