Our first principles debates bring people from different ends of the spectrum together to discuss basic political convictions. That doesn't mean there isn't common ground. Below, as we discuss capitalism, we ask you to submit two pros and two cons -- no matter where you stand. Answering all four questions is required!
promotes new ideas
tends to be zero sum game
rewards hard work
greed
Opportunity
Idiots can still be idiots
Individual rights
I can't force my neighbor to buy me things anymore
Focussed on creation of wealth, capitalism is EFFICIENT, eliminating 'waste' to help the bottom line.
Creating wealth tends to become the only goal. Thus capitalism throws baby out with the bathwater, shedding, for efficiency's sake, any responsibility for public good, such as social and environmental. In this capitalism actually undermines itself.
Provides additional stimuli to creativity and development.
Tends to merge with political power for achievement of its economic objectives. Once the merge is complete, stimuli to creativity and development are removed; stagnation results. Again, it undermines itself, as a resulting social order could hardly be called capitalism.
social mobility
social darwinism
entrepreneurism
inequality; hoarding wealth
Capitalism is the economic implementation of individual rights.
Capitalism cannot provide a living for someone who does not wish to be productive.
Capitalism has provided the greatest standard of living the world has ever known.
Capitalism cannot sustain itself indefinitely without recognizing its moral basis.
inspires ingenuity
can breed obsessive greed
offers $ reward for being active/able/lucky
creates stress-always having to make $
innovation
unbridled greed
reward for hard work
greed intertwined with politics in pursuit of power to the end of more wealth
supports Individual liberty
some earn more than others
gives hope and motivation to everyone in every class level that they can make it
subsidizes an anti-capitalist leftie leisure class in our universities and elitist media
It makes the few wealthy
It makes the few wealthy at the expense of the majority.
Has none
Exploits the workers, concentrates wealth in the hands of the few, is generally anti-democratic
Transcends nationalism and encourages interdependency between some countries.
Profits are first priority, ignoring that it is often more beneficial in the long run to do what is best for the larger community. I do not think capitalism needs to operate in this manner.
In its ideal form, one person has a need, while another person can provide a commodity or service that satisfies the other's need, which he/she then sells for a fair and agreed upon price, and everyone benefits equally.
The emphasis on personal achievement has created a false sense of accomplishment. Even the rags-to-riches self-made millionaire's contributions to his achievements are the proverbial tip-of-the iceberg. He/she is the beneficiary of history of human thought. Nobody has to invent a language or alphabet. nobody has to start with inventing the wheel, or learning that fire can be controlled. No aviation corporation has to figure out the laws of aerodynamics from scratch. The hard parts have mostly been done, yet those who are benefiting most from tens of millennia of human thought, labor, and creation puff their chests out when tax time rolls around and shout and cry about the injustice of being asked to invest their hard earned money that they have a God-given right to keep back into the community that made it possible for the accumulation of wealth by the few. This particular practice of capitalism in which personal profits are the only motivation ends up hurting even successful capitalists' long-term self interest (e.g. dwindling of skilled labor pool as education is traded for tax breaks and relentlessly promoted hyperconsumerism leading to global climate change and a shortage of natural resources, which your grandchildren might be more concerned about than the national debt).
Allows the individual to fulfill his potential and exploit his own talents and gifts without artificial restraint
Can encourage people to be greedy and selfish
Is the system best equipped to produce the greatest things civilization has witnessed -- technology, great art, all the great inventions. Without capitalism we'd all be living in huts.,
The less intelligent, less talented, lazier, less competent people are sometimes prone to envy those who have surpassed them, creating social tension and hostility
raises overall standard of living
enriches some on the backs of others
gives people employment
creates tremendous waste
Drug lords love it and make lots of cash
CIA cannot subsist on crack sales alone
Legitimizes rape and sales of AynS. Rant books
Helping hurtle humanity toward self-inflicted extinction!
on a level playing field - encourages healthy competition which promotes efficiency and innovation
our current system, requires unlimited growth - which is impossibly unsustaiable
Profits can be used for outrageously beautiful things which can't be done by ordinary people - museums, parks etc.
Requires winners and losers, which if it gets out of hand, is intolerably unfair for the losers
Can promote innovation when regulated.
unregulated drive for profits as a main goal.
Brings wealth to some.
Profits do not get divided by all including workers.
It rewards merit
unchecked it can eat competition
it is an extremely flexible economic system
without regulations it is no good for emerging governments
"Upward mobility"
Upward mobility not quite as easy as it claims to be
democratic system
A two party system is a pretty pathetic democracy. I'm for democratic socialism.
PROMOTES DEMOCRACY
SUPPRESSES DEMOCRACY
PROMOTES PEACE
PROMOTES WAR
