Originally Posted by
kojak_x
If you ask anyone not american they will say your whole government is screwed up. Everyone knows it in the entire world. A 100% Capitalist government breeds nothing but greed and everyone for themselves. Your whole banking system is a complete farce. Corporations run the government.
Your statement might have made sense if the United States was in fact a "100% Capitalist government." However, the United States is nowhere close to being what would be called a pure capitalist society. The Federal Reserve fixes interest rates, meaning they are artificially manipulated and set. In a true capitalist society, interest rates would be determined by competition among lenders and banks. There are numerous other examples, such as anti-trust legislation, etc, and so forth. In a true capitalist society, anti-trust legislation is not needed because there will always be another business enterprise which will enter the market to disrupt the monopoly that develops. Many people point to the business practices of Wal-Mart who strong arms their vendors into giving them products sometimes below cost, and sells products at such a low cost that other smaller businesses cannot compete and then they go under. Well, if that is the case, then who wins in that scenario? The consumer does, because they are getting the cheapest product possible. Critics say at that point, Wal-Mart could raise prices outrageously and price gouge, but in a true capitalist society, if Wal-Mart were to hypothetically do that, a new business would come into town to compete and steal the market share by offering that product at a reasonable price. Pure capitalism works, it was just never given a chance in this country. Unfortunately, politicians have always felt the need to "do something" and interfere with the free market in some way. In other cases, strong lobby groups like unions were able to pressure government officials to interfere with the free market in order to secure their own profits. Some people wrongly assume that the big corporations in America would love to have a pure capitalist system, and that is patently false. In a pure capitalist system everyone is competing on an even playing field. In our current US system of quasi capitalism, big businesses have insulated themselves from the free market through various legislation.
I feel so sorry for the people losing there homes it almost makes me want to cry. Im not even American. People who were about to retire have nothing from the thieves on wallstreet, and what does your govenment do.
Once again, you clearly have not studied the housing bubble crisis, or the bailout well enough to understand what you are talking about. The housing crisis was CREATED by government, when the George Bush set about a policy of "encouraging home ownership." Refer to the aforementioned, the Federal Reserve set interest rates artificially low, and additionally set standards for lenders to issue no doc loans(loans that do not require documentation such as pay stubs, tax returns, and proof of collateral). This was essentially during the time of pushing for "sub prime mortgages." What happens in this situation is that the government creates a situation where lenders start to make loans they really cannot afford to loan, they make very risky loans to people who may or may not be able to pay back those loans, or afford them at all. It is essentially, mal investment, the market was doing things that it could not handle, and all we saw by the housing crisis was the market attempting to correct itself. And while many people lost their houses, it was not all the governments fault, NOR the lenders.
In many cases, people took it upon themselves to lie about their income, or to take ARM loans (Adjustable Rate Mortgages, where you pay ONLY the interest on the total amount you have borrowed for a set period of time 3 or 5, and even up to 7 years). So in a lot of cases, people took home loans they realistically could not afford, and then expected the government to come to their aid, when it is not the governments job to do that. In addition, lenders who made loans they could not afford, thought they should be bailed out by government, and that ALSO is not the governments job. Homeowners deserved to loose houses in situations where they borrowed more than they could afford, and lenders&banks who made loans they could not cover deserved to go out of business for their risky and irresponsible banking practices. In the end, homeowners who borrowed more than they could afford would learn to live within their means, and banks who delivered a bad product to consumers would be out of business, and those who practiced responsible lending would be rewarded with more business and less competition.
They give them billions of dollers so they can keep getting outrages bonuses. It makes me sick that nobody is doing anything about it. The rich control everything while the middle class gets eliminated and the poor really suffer.
That's really a very inaccurate blanket statement. It's not necessarily the "rich," but elite families, of which there are about 10,000 who belong to this group. There was a study done on this topic, they go to the same ivy league schools, work at the same companies, and marry within their upper echelon elite groups. However, in a capitalist society people are free to earn as much as they can. The only reason there is an issue about the bonuses, is because government money (aka Taxpayer money) was handed to these corporations, and at that point the people have a vested interest in salaries. However, in a pure capitalist society the ability to earn a limitless income is what drives innovation and advancement in all sectors of the economy, this is an indisputable empirical fact proven throughout history. The middle class is hit very hard by some of the practices of this government, but it is not just Republicans, it is the so called "liberal" Democrats as well who punish the middle class for being successful, raising taxes for instance. Also, it is a common misconception among people in foreign countries who believe in liberal Democracies, that the "rich" are somehow evil and to blame for all the ills of a shrinking middle class and the troubles of the 'poor.' We find that however, when there is an incentive for the "rich," both the middle class and poor are rewarded because the 'rich' are able to create more jobs, and pay higher salaries, this in turn translates to higher standards of living for both the middle class and the poor. What happens when you start to tax the rich at outrageous rates? They reduce jobs, or move factories overseas, in an effort to protect their incomes. So it does not benefit anyone to do this, however it seems to make sense in the illogical minds of liberals, who do not rely on facts or logic to make their policies, but on "feel good" rhetoric and emotions.
All your jobs are in China. 50 years of fighting communism and now your making China the new empire of the world. Vietnam war with over much to many dead to fight the commies and now your sending jobs over there because its even cheaper labor then China all the while you have the largest unemployment rate in god knows how long.
Not quite sure where you are even trying to go with this statement? While it is a hypocritical position for America to trade with China, and have an embargo on Cuba, it is really just a matter of practicality. China has things we want, and Cuba doesn't, tough shit. I do not agree with the situation, I see no reason the people of Cuba should suffer because of their government, but that is neither here nor there. Who has benefited from China becoming a major producer of cheap goods? Well the world for one, but most of all the consumers in America have benefited. They want products at very cheap rates, and therefore have created a huge market for these products from China. Globalization benefits EVERYONE in the long run, if it is allowed to progress. Free unfettered trade across all borders results in products at their lowest cost possible. For instance, in Europe, there is a law under the European Union, which insulated farmers across Europe from foreign importation of agricultural goods by levying high tariffs on those products, making it hard for farmers in Africa for instance, to compete. If this program was lifted, it would provide more money for African countries than all of the foreign aid money across the world combined. However, Europe would rather protect and insulate its own farmers than allow this to happen. They are not quite the epitome of altruism as many people outside of the US portray the European Union to be, huh?
Don't get me wrong, I love the american people, and Im sure I speak for 99% of Canadians. It just truly makes me sad to see whats going on and nothing being done about it. I wish every hard working American nothing but the best, and i hope I haven't offended anyone. I don't know even close to all the facts. But I can tell you my common sense tells me your country has huge problems (Im thinking big picture here) and unless somethings really start to change.
A lot of countries have huge problems, like the fact that it takes 6 months for some people to get an MRI in your country. And the fact that a larger and ever increasing number of Canadians are visiting the United States to receive medical care because they are put on long waiting lists in Canada. I suppose that is the 'price' of getting things for 'free.' Health care policy in the United States and in other countries is a topic which I have studied and written reports on in great detail. I can tell you, that the two-tier system of health care in your country is disturbing at best. The national health care system, filled with the lesser skilled doctors (excluding the talented ones who stay because of an altruistic calling to be paid less than they are worth) for the common person, and then the most talented doctors who opt out of your national health care system and take cash only for their services for the rich people. I mean, that seems like something quite disparaging that I would be concerned about. So no country is without its major issues. I would not speak on any other issue in your country, simply because I have not studied it in any great detail, so perhaps you should afford us the same courtesy, and not speak somewhat offensively about topics with which you have not studied in great detail, as you admitted previously.
Im scared to see how one of the most wonderful countries in the world will be in 50 years.
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