capitalism is a Government Program

ABC This Week | 1/13/2002 | George Will

[tonyinv]

George Will just uttered the most absurd statement I've ever heard. He said (paraphrasing)

"Rebpublicans need to understand that capitalism is complex web of laws and regulations" and further "that capitalism is a government program"

I knew George Will wasn't exactly a conservative, but this is unbelievable.

[Ronaldus Magnus]

I can't believe that the veracity of Will's outrageous and ignorant statement is even being debated here on Free Republic. This is a sad day...

[Libertarian_4_eva]

"Rebpublicans need to understand that capitalism is complex web of laws and regulations" and further "that capitalism is a government program"

The idea of getting more out of X to make Y (A surplus) has existed longer then government in any of the forms we currently have now in this world includeing tribal forms of government. Just look at the whole drug market. It exists without any government giveaways although government does affect the market like any other.

[weikel]

I'd have to read the whole article I can't bring myself to believe without reading it tha Will is a communist.

[tonyinv]

It was not a heated discussion. I have evaluated Will on what I have seen of him, and I see in him what other see in Bill Kristol and other Republicans in New York and Washington.

[tpaine]

George Will said (paraphrasing):

"Republicans need to understand that capitalism is complex web of laws and regulations" and further "that capitalism is a government program".

-------------------------------------

'Capitalism [as we currently practice it] is a government program',
--- would probably be a more accurate inference, if the paraphased lead qualifying statement is accurate.

[Ronaldus Magnus]

Yes but even if you do buisness in unsafe unstable portions of the world you still need a relatively safe & stable base of operations.

I respectfully disagree. I do admit that it's nice to have a safe and stable base of operations, but it is not a necessity. It certainly isn't a definitional requirement for capitalism.

[LaBelleDameSansMerci]

Hee, hee, hee. A conservative "spokesman" accidentally slipped up and spoke the truth about our beloved system--for which we would all, of course, die.

"Sigh." If only comrade Stalin had had the sense to spin it conservativly he might have his very own monument on the Mall today.

This thread promises to be one of my favorites of all time: "What kind of shower is this? What's that stuff coming out of those holes in the wall..........ssssss..."

Bravefart (with dying breath): "FREEEEEEEEE FLOW OF CAPITAL AT CAREFULLY CALIBRATED MARKET PRICES!!!!!"

[NotQuiteCricket]

If the discussion was heated, it was heated in that they were all falling overthemselves to agree with eachother.

[LaBelleDameSansMerci]

"...If the discussion was heated, it was heated in that they were all falling overthemselves to agree with eachother...."

Tut, tut, tut. The partisans are not yet ready to be told that the earth is round......

[weikel]

Perhaps not but its very difficult to maintain trade if noone has a safe and stable base of operations.

[monday]

"? Didn't the principles of capitalism and free markets exist before government?"

You are joking right? I don't know when the concept of Capitalism and free markets began, Possibly with Locke? But Government has always been the principal obstacle to actual free trade and Capitalism. They still are, even our government. But yes you are right in the since that they did exist before the US government. Remember that government is essentially a gang that the rest of us pay protection money to. In this since government has existed as long as there have been people.

[mindprism.com]

I submit that with the degree of fascism and super-capitalism we have in America that the stock market is essentially 'licensed socialist microcosms'.

Exhibit A: Enron.

[LaBelleDameSansMerci]

.....They await, steely-eyed in the forests, to be directed to a Free Market for liberation.....

[weikel]

Are you dissing capitalism too on a conservative forum?

[Askel5]

Heil Weikel! Top o'the morning to you.

Capitalism is not the "most moral" system. It is more just than socialism and, indeed, incorporates many moral aspects: private property, private wealth, a free market.

To be truly moral, however, it must be tempered by a moral society unwilling to allow the purely materialistic capitalist system either to inform (or stunt) their consciences and values to the purely materialist OR to let capitalism's two fatal flaws -- rabid individualism and centralization -- run amok.

We have failed on all counts.

Given that we are now perhaps irredeemably stunted into confusing capitalism with freedom/demokracy and boxed into the purely material, it's quite doubtful we've the ammo or the spine to break the shackles now being fitted by formidable combination that is Banker & Proletariat.

[weikel]

People are greedy naturally it is not capitalism that makes them so most people are evil by nature.

[PatrioticAmerican]

With out 33% taxation scheme, our capitalism is actually a bit of communism. In communism, the government owns the corporations and takes the profits to redistribute. In our country, the government controls the corporations and takes 33% of their profits to redistibute. So, what is the difference?

[LaBelleDameSansMerci]

Hark!! The ear of capitalism twitches towards my soft, fluffy self.

I shall report to the re-education showers toot sweet comrade. I ask only to be allowed to purchase one more slinky before I go.....

[Askel5]

LOL! I love your posts.

If only comrade Stalin had had the sense to spin it conservativly he might have his very own monument on the Mall today.

There will always be some things I'll never understand about Stalin.

Lenin's NEP is back in full swing, though.

[weikel]

I want the income tax both personal and corporate abolished and replaced with a much smaller national retail sales tax.