- Capitalism and Alternatives -

Fine

Posted by: Red Deathy ( Socialist Party, UK ) on March 23, 1999 at 10:46:00:

In Reply to: Finito posted by Gee on March 22, 1999 at 13:13:19:

: The only time I can imagine this happening is where the intent of the owner is to lose wealth in favour of malicious power over poeple. Do you really believe so many people are evil, that among them are those able to produce sufficient wealth to buy resources with the purpose of losing the wealth and enjoying the suffering meanwhile? Even then I dount their 'reign' over that property could last long

I don't think they're evil, I'm sure though that they could work out the maximum amount of charge to demand for their roads, so as to sustain their rents, perhaps they'll charge too much and stop growth for other people, but still, rentierism could seriously cripple capitalism- its what Fuedal aristocrats did to the capitalists, and that led to revolution.

: Against property rights if its theft of 'intellectual capital'

No laws to stop me.

: Same cash flow problem.

Not really, you get them to work for you, snatch a few key eprsonell, not much, make sure you have the best team. Be selective.

: If theyre smart and they hold its because they service consumers deamnds sufficiently well so that competitors down make a big enough dent into the market. If ford become a monopoly because they keep offering sufficiently good cars and sufficiently low prices (to at once ward off competitors, yet somehow build up enough capital to tak over others or beat them in price wars) who wins? The consumer. Those competitors wont stop coming, every day for ever more the monopolist has to gain sufficient revenue from the market in order to stay on top - and that means making what people choose to buy.

Right, they can create a monopoly, but that would also mean that social power would land in their hands, and general freedom would diminish.

: They dont, govt requires regs & controls to keep the producers on a leash (for milking) and big national crony companies need it to keep out their superior competitors.

So you don't thinki then, that big, powerful capitalists would form a state to stay ahead of the competition? As you've just said, its too their advantage. No rules, anythign goes.

: If my wealth were to double and a billionaire wealth were to double we'd both be signicantly better off. Why am I to worry over the billionaire?

Because he still has a good chance of living longer than you,a nd has access to the riches of society, when you have to work for them, very hard.



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