Is this system we call capitalism really capitalism?

It's well known that American's a mixed economy...chessmaster1989

It's well known that American's a mixed economy...chessmaster1989

Only a minority of Americans actually knows this.

[QUOTE="chessmaster1989"]It's well known that American's a mixed economy...Blue-Sky

Only a minority of Americans actually knows this.

I'm well aware that we have a mixed economy but it isn't working.Jebus213

I'm well aware that we have a mixed economy but it isn't working.Jebus213

It's a mixed economy. I wouldn't call the US the most socialist country in the world but it delivers a mixed message and people often think our economy is pure capitalism when it's not. There is government interference in forms of social programs, subsidies, and bailouts. In fact, bailouts in the US aren't new, and I do agree that bailouts create a moral hazard as well as that subsidies aren't necessary (great example, the corn industry). As for social programs, I'm beginning to feel mixed about this so I can't say much.

However, the federal government isn't the only one that makes the rules. States and local governments make their own rules and regulations on businesses which pile up and, depending on the amount of regulations, makes it harder for small businesses to form. For example, you need a license given from the state to start a business such as a floral store or even a hairbraiding salon, which is rediculous. There was another case where a lemonade stand was shut down because they didn't have a permit, and this is a true story.

The main problem isn't capitalism or socialism and how they're run. Here's a quote that will make sense: "The more laws, the less justice." ~ Ciciero.

[QUOTE="Jebus213"]I'm well aware that we have a mixed economy but it isn't working.mattbbpl

Economically speaking, econimc systems are on a sliding scale.

On one end of the scale, we have a free market (capitalism) and on the other end of the scale we have a planned economy (communism)

Now, every contry is on this scale from one place to another however, most are towards the center, somewhere between a planned economy and market economy.

These are called mixed economies, and that is what he have, although we are much closer to market economy than china, and china is much closer to a planned economy than we are( but they are mixed to and moving more and more towards market)

Well, for every dollar this country makes, the federal government spends 25 cents. I am not sure how much the state and local governments spend on average, but I can't see how it would be less than 10 cents. That is in no way this country is true capitalism.

I don't see the point in relabelling the USA from a capitalist country. There's no one "proper" capitalism in terms of organization, only in very strict modelling in certain disciplines; it's very possible to have a mixed economy and still be described as capitalist. Social market economies, though they differ from free market economies, do resemble capitalism more than socialism too.

Welfare capitalism also is a viable conception, and by virtue of how many more functions a state has then, the corollary is that they will always be bigger than "classical liberal" capitalist states. There's no clear connexion between state SIZE and capitalism -- it's more what the state decides to do with its administrative apparatus.

In the end, I find this dichotomy is just used by Paulbots and other apologists to deflect from opposing arguments: it's usually used to conflate how free markets are with the whole system -- just focusing on distribution in a capitalist economy (excluding production, consumption habits, extraction of natural resources, legal protection in the process).

why do I always end up arguing about semantics on this forum good god oh man oh god oh man ships sinking and sh!t

A system of reformed capitalism built on independent money. A tax system based on consumption not income and employee owned businesses. This would begin to build an economy that's not dependent on constant growth to service it's dept.Jebus213

What the fvck is "independent money"? Consumption taxes would be either insufficient to fund a government or effectively regressive and devastating to lower-income groups that don't have much wealth and tend to spend rather than save their income. There is nothing wrong with servicing debts using economic growth and inflation.