Is this the state of capitalism in America? Are we still free or controled by the corporations?
607582
We are controled by the Corporations...\n\nLets fact it, Congress is paid off, by the Corporations!!\n\nThey call it bribes if you and I take the money, but for them, its PAC Money!  Why do you think they fight so hard to STAY IN CONGRESS...FOR THE MONEY!\n\nI wish you well...\n\nJesse
961990
same answer as your last post asking the same question!\n\neta: Yes they are. :) It depends on the corporation!
709949
I'm certainly open to exploring the idea, especially the healthcare side of it. America has become close-minded and slow to evolve compared to Europe, Canada and Australia. If we think our form of government is the best there'll ever be and never strive for more ... well then, we'll just flounder and implode like every other empire.\n\nPeople hear the word "communism" and they think it's a religion or form of government. Noooo, it's an economic system, and if they'd actually READ something like Marx and Engel's "Communist Manifesto," they'd have a clue what said gentlemen had in mind. It may not have worked in practice, but there are IDEAS there of significant value, and we can't write them all off just because they're associated with something other than capitalism.\n\nMcCarthy is dead; move on.
102500
Well the US has a capitalist system, which is unbelievably more productive than the typical, say, communist system. Some believe us to be having trouble at the moment, to which I would reply that we are too busy paying for all the communist countries, or islamic or muslim or anything but capitalist countries, to get back on their feet after years of killing themselves with their lousy systems, and we aren't worried nearly as much about improving things at home. But one fact remains, without the US, the world would have a serious problem when it comes to finding people to buy their goods. The US is one of the largest, if not the largest, consumer around.\n\nWhat's a SWOT, anyway? Maybe you could reformulate your question to make it somewhat more grammatically correct and readable.
33218
So far it is, the problem with it is that it's evil.  Why is it evil?  capitalism thrives on excess.  Which means that it makes more than neccesary, thus putting strains on natural resources and trying to squeeze as much work out of your workforce with for as little money as possible is another thing that goes along with capitalism.  Consumerism is the offical religion of capitalism.  The practicioners are labeled consumers and the preachers (marketers) push consumption more and more to make it more and more successful.\n\n  I'm doing my best to come up with another one.  So far, my best one is integrating robots in the workforce and after that people then work at being the best people they can be, like the ideal society those long dead philosophers talked about.\n\nBasically, in the system, the majority of the labor will be performed by robots leaving people to do just what they'd like to.  (possibly) The govt would ration everything kinda like communism, but the robots would produce a slight excess kinda like capitalism.  One thing I see the need for is a reduction of the human population to take the stress off our resources.  With robots doing all the work,  there's no worry about who's gonna support our pensions etc.  because the workforce is always adequate.  So after reaching an ideal population, having enough robots to perform the labor we dont want to, then rationing off the resources in some manner, we'll finally be free to not only pursue our own interest, but we'll also not have to go find poorer countries to go outsource anything to which will hopefully mean no more recessions!\n\nHere's some variables, families own robots, they pay maintaince and they repair the robots, that's their job, and they get the revenue the robots make for whatever company.\n\nYou'd have to call these robots something else so you could define them from the other ones.\n\nAnyways, I should work on this idea more, but I hope we can make it possible.\n\nI'm also gonna work on other new govt ideas.
233880
THe US Economy is Capitalistic with government regulation.
694562
interesting answers.......i believe that capitalism runs by the dollar bill,there will always be the have and have nots of this kind of system,simple because one needs the other to survive,the biggest advantage is the random success that capitalism can produce,the biggest disadvanthge is the different classes of people that it produces in order for it to function,so i guess one just has to do the best they can.........
1072513
what? these responses are killing me. Love the question though. It takes balls to ask a question like that. \n\nCapitalism isn't evil or wrong on its face; it's the implementation of it that is the problem. The same can be said of any socio-economic construct. We humans have quite a knack for screwing things up and introducing corruption and greed to any system. \n\nCapitalism can be a great motivator, and is the reason our Country has been so successful for generations. But it's gone too far. Greed is the primary indicator of Capitalism these days. From Enron to Union labor to Political lobbying "scandals." We no longer live in a democracy. Our governmental system has been co-opted by Capitalism entirely. Think I'm wrong? Try to run for a National Political Office. I rest my case. That is, unless, dear reader, you are born of privilege, attended the right schools, and are a member of the right organizations (read skull and bones, etc.). In that case, you're a shoe-in for president. Even if you're not one of the chosen and you've worked your way up the ranks from City Council to U.S. Representative, you're doomed to live in Corporation X's pocket, or be damned. Example? Jim Trafficant. Look him up. He wouldn't play ball. "They" kicked him out of the game. game over.\n\nCapitalism won't last forever. My only fear is, what will replace it?\n\n[edit] whoa! ChinaJon!!! i think you just made a few great arguments why Capitalism is awful! It looks great on paper, Capital for growth, etc., but you said it yourself towards the end. Ipods. Why do you think they're made in China? It's not just that it's profitable. It's that it's MORE profitable. Capitalism creates a "race to the bottom." i.e. wherever the lowest front end costs are is where the economic development goes. Used to be Mexico, now China, then Indonesia, and so on. The Golden Age of Capitalism was the U.S. in the 1950's. It was mostly a closed market, and it worked. It was self sustaining because it didn't have to play on the global playing field and compete with much LOWER standards of living in other countries. Less profits, which became unacceptable to the Corporations. They looked for ways to maximize profits, and here we are. \n\nAmerica is not the shining example of prosperity it once was. We have no real middle class any more and it's only getting worse. The class gap is frightening. And we pass more tax cuts for the rich. GO CAPITALISM GO!\n\nmorons.
935149
Absolutely!  I'd love to see America become entirely capitalistic.  Frankly, I'm sick of being forced to sacrifice my own needs and wants for those of someone else.  Want a hand out?  Hit up the Salvation Army.\n\nUnfortunately, the bleeding hearts here just can't stomach making someone take responsibility for his or her own actions.  Even more unfortunately, we'll probably always be the ones stuck picking up the slack.
411414
yes  we  are  having alot of  freedoms  stripped  like  privacy  and   rights  of  beliefs   in our  constitution   we  were  founded  on, and  also  rights  taken  by   others  due  to thier  feelings   of  it  and   causing  a  movement  to   feel better  and   blame   people  they  feel  are  to  blame ,  our  american  jobs  are  going  everywhere  else  instead  of  home, we  are forced  to  pay  high  gas  prices  and   live  on  nothing   and  pay it, we  are used  and  left  behind   who  do  i  talk  about  the   little  people  the  people  left  with   reality  of  what counts   the  american who has  to  stick it out in  the  hard times  and  feel   hope  and   not  back  down  for  thier  are  no  other  way  too  make  it  with  scraps  you live  on.
414802
Because the USA is owned and run by corporations that need the capitalist system to thrive.
857927
We are still a democracy, but heading towards fascism. Fascism is the combining of corporations and government. And with have that to an extent now. Big pharma wrote the Medicare Bill, the banking and credit card industry wrote the Bankruptcy Bill and oil and energy companies wrote the Energy Bill.There is a revolving door between corporations, lobbying firms and government agencies. Corporations give millions in campaign donations to politicians and receive billions back in tax breaks or favorable bills. It's up to us...we the people... to take back OUR government!
521366
the problem is not capitalism, the problem is retarded corporations, its a form of capitalism "imperialism" what causes the problem\n\nto start a war or manipulate nations is never in the best interest of small business, but it is very well for large corporations
1142413
Pure Capitalism, that is all property in private hands, is yet to exist in mankind's history.\n\nSo Capitalism has not failed...it is yet to truly exist.\n\nWhat has failed is Communism, Socialism, and Fascism. All three are attempts to "control" the economy with State intervention. \n\nSince Capitalism has yet to exist, it means that we still live in a world filled with Communism, Socialism, and Fascism.\n\nThe best way to improve a Capitalistic economic system is to actually have one in the first place. \n\nHere's why Capitalism is so important:\n\nWe live in a world with scarce resources. Wood is scarce. Steel is scarce. Human labor is scarce....etc..etc. The resources on this Earth are not infinite.\n\nDue to this scarcity of resources, the main question of economics becomes "Where do we apply these scarce resources?"\n\nCapitalism is the only system that can answer that question. And it does it with two simple words: \n\nProfits & Losses.\n\nProfits are an indicator. They tell property owners "Apply your scarce resources here. This is where the demand is."\n\nLosses are also an indicator. They tell property owners "Remove your resources from this area. Apply them to where demand is greater."\n\nIn order to have Profits and Losses, you need "Prices." \n\nIn order to have Prices, you must have "Private Property."\n\nPrivate property owners exchange their goods and create Prices. And Prices give us Profits and Losses.\n\nAll forms of Communism and Socialism fail because there is only one property owner (the State).\n\nOne property owner cannot trade with itself, so under these forms of government you have NO private property, NO prices, and NO profits and losses.\n\nAnd as we know, without Profits and Losses there is no way to know where our scarce resources should be applied. Hence massive poverty in all places who live under such systems.\n\nThe best way to improve Capitalism is to bring it about once and for all.
1031081
Sorry you were conned. Nasty scam. Is this greed or capitalism showing its other wicked side?
1120651
Of course......Its called Corporate America.\nNot to mention the NSA and CIA and CPI.
435745
Sadly, for all the apocalyptic liberals out there, this situation will not and can not take place in our (I am making the assumption that we are addressing America) future. The reason I say this is because our country has faced moments of unbelievable despair, terror and fear and has continually avoided the uprising of a despot. Even more so, as long as the constitution is in place this situation will not arise because we have this little idea of "balance of powers" ingrained into it. While I understand that many people believe that the team of Rumsfeld, Rice, Bush and Cheney are capable of creating a system similar to that in V for Vendetta, I have to say I strongly disagree. America is an idealistic, wealthy and powerful country that will not risk the one dimensional nature of a theocratic/monarchic government. We are who WE are because we have free trade, freedom of speech and freedom of expression and to attack these values would weaken us to the level of a third world nation. While some may vilify corporate America and the material nature of our country, do you really believe that the top 20% of this country would risk losing the power they have and wield as a result of current system? If you answered yes to that, my response is an emphatic NO. Just think about the level of greed in this country, do you really believe that we would ever give our power and control to a small group of elites (compared to a large group)? There is no way, because we are all greedy, all materialistic and all (to an extent) imperialistic and because of this Americans will never let this situation arise. I appreciate you reading this and I hope that it results in further discourse and thought about this subject. Thank You.