"Capitalism has been called a system of greed... " - Ayn Rand

Posted by GaltsGulch 7 years, 7 months ago to The Gulch: General
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"Capitalism has been called a system of greed - yet it is the system that raised the standard of living of its poorest citizens to heights no collectivist system has ever begun to equal, and no tribal gang can conceive of." - Ayn Rand


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  • Posted by awebb 7 years, 7 months ago
    It never ceases to amaze me what a negative connotation the word "capitalism" has today.
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    • Posted by Maritimus 7 years, 7 months ago
      When you see that a fallacy repeated innumerable time begins to be accepted as truth, you have a realistic measure of the level of (un)education of the people at large. The real cause is the ideological and malicious intent of the powerful to keep the people in ignorance. Nothing new there for millennia. Remember: knowledge is power.
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    • Posted by Mamaemma 7 years, 7 months ago
      Likewise, here are some words that go with capitalism: morality, decency, reality, optimism......all words which also have a negative connotation in today's society.
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    • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 7 years, 7 months ago
      Until they figure out socialism would die a slow death without captialism to provide that which they steal and loot. Socialism is a social system like all sociali system it hasn't produced a farthings worth of pennies ever. Worse unlike other systems it hasn't provided an economy in which wealth can be produced so they can loot and steal . Very short sighted for such long noses.
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  • Posted by Tassie 7 years, 7 months ago
    Capitalism is the ONLY way I know of to keep of one's income that which is needed to have a decent life. Capitalism promotes freedom whereby collectivism destroys freedom. Give me CAPITALISM every time, and let me make a go of it or fail, but whichever way the hammer falls, I will be a FREE person. Rulers much prefer to be in charge of the financial issues. I prefer the people to be in charge of them.
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  • Posted by $ AJAshinoff 7 years, 7 months ago
    Very odd assertion considering its the only system that allows the individual to regulate his/her own income. Everything else takes and attempts to steer your life.
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    • Posted by wiggys 7 years, 7 months ago
      AJ when you have a population of uneducated people in remote 3rd world countries they somehow function on a capitalist way. But when you have a country who has destroyed its educational system the population no longer has the ability to comprehend the meaning of the word or its virtues. In the USA the looters have successfully developed a population of looters or more easily observed as well fair recipients.
      None of the younger generation for all intents and purposes wants to actually work, to have independence and all that goes with it. My proof is all around us.
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      • Posted by roneida 7 years, 7 months ago
        wiggys... The hippies of the 1960's soon learned that they had no chance of destroying America through violence or military actions so they obeyed Lenin and took over our education system and through 3 generations of endless propaganda against the smart, the producers and the doers, have convinced many of the mindless , non thinkers that money earned by others is evil unless they can appropriate it for themselves. Class war has never been more vicious or hateful. The old communist motto is more prevalent than ever,,,"Take from each according to his ability to produce and give to each according to his ability to need. The operative word being "need" of course, not earn or deserve...only need. Many Americans, if asked would say they come from a "Christian" country even though they are not active believers or practitioners, but feel it is "Socially "correct. The want the government to force the re distribution as mandated by Christ even though they themselves do not follow Christ..."" Give all ye have to the poor and follow Me. " Simple words, no obscufation or Clinton speak...try to find anyone who does it. BUT<< If the libs make the bureaucrats do it at the point of a gun, they come away smug and virtuous. Don't forget to Vote...It might be the last time we are allowed to.
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        • Posted by teri-amborn 7 years, 7 months ago
          Jesus wasn't speaking to everyone.
          Read Matthew 25... The parable of the talents.
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          • Posted by roneida 7 years, 7 months ago
            teri-ambon... Did I say He was.? Just stating a position on people who want to be perceived as "Pseudo Christians: trying to get OUR government to enforce the religious beliefs so the timid won't have to stand up and be counted as Christians. Donald Trump and Bill Clintons wife? aren't speaking to everyone but they certainly draw comments. Did you ever consider that Jesus might have been created by humans in thanks for being created by his Dad??
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            • Posted by teri-amborn 7 years, 7 months ago
              No...I think that Jesus is a person not a mental creation.
              I think that too often the Bible isn't read to understand an advanced mind but rather the meaning is overwritten by what people think that it says.
              THAT is the problem here (on both the side of the pseudo-Christian and the folks who want to control them through false guilt).

              Ayn taught me to think in abstractions and that set me free to think for myself. It would help if Christians would learn to adopt that reading method and begin to think big picture.
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              • Posted by roneida 7 years, 7 months ago
                teri amborn....Of course you are right, your beliefs are right, if for you.

                I used to be taken to Christian services when I was a kid and I never read Ayn Rand until I was probably 24 +/- I never seriously criticize and religion unless the believers interfere with my country and my freedom from religion.The Catholic nuns I have met over 65 years are the best examples of good deeds, pure motives and honest love...Their motivation is their own business and I never read of one being accused of child molestation.I will defend their rights to believe as they wish as fiercely as I will defend mine. There are other famous and deadly groups for which I will never raise a hand or a vote to help.but probably would seek and destroy given the chance.
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                • Posted by teri-amborn 7 years, 7 months ago
                  Agreed.
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                  • Posted by roneida 7 years, 7 months ago
                    teri-amborn,,,, I read once, If you want to keep what you have earned yourself, You are greedy, BUT, if the government wants to forceibly take your earnings and give them to someone, that is charity??? Hard to understand why this is so....could be a system of obscene thinking called communism>>>>>
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                    • Posted by teri-amborn 7 years, 7 months ago
                      Those who say that don't have an accurate definition of greed nor charity.
                      Force and fraud are antithetical to life.
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                      • Posted by roneida 7 years, 7 months ago
                        Charity is not taken away at the point of a gun,,, Charity is totally voluntary with no Government interference. If you wish to donate your money to a charity of your choice...you are free to do so, If I do not want to donate to the same cause, I am FREE TO NOT>> What part of charity do you not understand??
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                        • Posted by teri-amborn 7 years, 7 months ago
                          Correct.

                          Incidentally, here in the Gulch we don't use that kind of parlance where we assume that someone is unintelligent. We get into discussions of how we think.
                          Sometimes it can be challenging and entertaining but we don't belittle each other.
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                          • Posted by roneida 7 years, 7 months ago
                            teri-amborn,,,quite!! WE??
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                            • Posted by teri-amborn 7 years, 7 months ago
                              Yes.
                              Just a heads-up: From time-to-time someone will get a bit "rowdy" and his/her temper gets the best of that person...and a warning is sent from the supervisory board.
                              One person that I know of was kicked out for being annoying.

                              It can be very amusing, however it's only fair to let you know just-in-case.
                              I'm not one to "report" however. I just don't care what people say to me or about me as long as it's based in reality.
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              • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 7 years, 7 months ago
                Many mortals have made tremendous strides in one area or another. Invariably after their death the embellishments begin and many including Victor Hugo have been elevated to supernatural status. Catholic Saints by the dozens, Marx and Lenin, Napolean the Loser and a fistful of US Presidents. So why not Jesus. Yet people who believe do not practice what they preach as atendance in any church will show. You can't claim to be a Christian and work in a used car lot. Victor Hugo is a recognized Saint in the CaoDai sect by the way. Slick Willie in the devotions of the Natinonal Organization of Women. The lesson is the important part learn from it. Apply it. You will get much further.
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                • Posted by teri-amborn 7 years, 7 months ago
                  True...If you seek the end result of avoiding reality...
                  ...which is: to change reality.
                  I have lived a life that has taken me into depths of experience that no many have the opportunity to live.
                  I am looking in retrospect now and it is an interesting perspective.
                  (Something tells me that you have a similar ability and talent.)👍
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  • Posted by Casebier 7 years, 7 months ago
    If greed is defined as wanting more than one's reasonable fair share of something, then what is "one's reasonable fair share"? Whatever it is, I know of no system, governmental or economic or personal that doesn't exhibit "greed" including socialist or collective systems run by autocrats who pay themselves a multiple of what the average person earns under their rule. "Greed"as part of capitalism, a system that has the greatest opportunity for the creation of new wealth, will always outshine "greed" as a component of socialism or any like system that seeks only to redistribute it.
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    • Posted by CircuitGuy 7 years, 7 months ago
      "I know of no system, governmental or economic or personal that doesn't exhibit "greed""
      This is a powerful point. It's a case of shifting the burden to capitalism. People say we can't have capitalism because there might be cases of people wanting more than their reasonable fair share, whatever that means, as if there were some mythical system where no one ever took more than agreed to or "fair" or whatever the standard is.
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  • Posted by $ Olduglycarl 7 years, 7 months ago
    As I've posted before, originally, "Greed" was not a bad thing...just a penchant for collecting things.

    Capitalism, as We know, is not about collecting things, nor hording wealth either. In it's pure form, it's actually the exact opposite.
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  • Posted by chad 7 years, 7 months ago
    What is amazing to me is when people to point to the faults of a socialist economy and then claim that is free market capitalism and demand more control and more rules. A failure to understand the language and use of actual definitions and use manipulated definitions makes it easy to confuse the populace and have them make demands on themselves that are destructive.
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  • Posted by LibertyBelle 7 years, 7 months ago
    She herself said that it was futile to try to defend
    capitalism on the grounds that it promotes "the
    common good", even though it does; that people
    will not accept it until they accept a "non-sacrificial"
    morality, and reject altruism. She also once wrote an article (published in "The Objectivist
    Newsletter", after the Goldwater defeat) entitled
    "It is Earlier Than You Think".
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  • Posted by davidmcnab 7 years, 7 months ago
    Capitalism as a system facilitates both the freedom to trade and the freedom to restrict trade.

    For an example of the latter, consider how the medical establishment in the late 19th and early 20th centuries brought about the closure of numerous medical schools, in order to create a scarcity of doctors and thus escalate the fees they could charge.
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  • Posted by Blanco 7 years, 7 months ago
    Anyone who loves individual freedom MUST love capitalism, as it is the economic expression of freedom. All collectivist economic systems marginalize the freedom and dignity of the individual and are ultimately doomed to tyranny, inefficiency, poverty and failure.
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  • Posted by $ Stormi 7 years, 7 months ago
    Capitalism is the only system where you can reach for your dreams and all it takes is work. Your are free to succeed or to fail, that is freedom. The UN, however has a target on capitalism, which they wear they will wipe out, calling is "unsustainable".
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