Another nice advantage of capitalism - products get better with time, leading to more convenience, less injuries, longer lives. It is a beautiful thing that we can use our God-given intellect to improve the world around us in practical ways!
I got the video from Marginal Revolution - one of my favorite blogs.
I disagree that Capitalism is the only reason these advances have been made.
ReplyDeletePhyllis Davis, DBU/Amer. Nat'l Gov.
ReplyDeleteI believe the word capitalism is actually a very positive term used in a negative way. However when there are lucrative and inovative ways implemented to save lives, I look at that as being very positive. Now, to capitalize means to take advantage of, but capitilism is defined as, free enterprise, entepreneurship,or privit enterprise. We all have benefited from each of these entities, (i.e. Bill Gates, Microsoft),just to mentoned a few.
Obviously it would be difficult to prove capitalism evil in its entirety, yet I would like to point out how people have blindly accepted the idea of Capitalism as the greatest economic system humanity has come to develop. It is true that free market and private enterprise produce advances and developments in products and services, due to its competitive nature, but it is a fallacy that Capitalism is the only system in which these advancements can occur. We are also quick to forget the multiple issues that a society begins to deal with when inflicted with this system. The very foundation of Capitalism is, as Ayn Rand would put it, 'Rational Selfishness'. Capitalism does not account for the loss of natural resources, personal wellness, quality of life, distribution of wealth, etc. Have we so quickly forgotten the effects of capitalism on the Imperialist world of the late 1800's and early 1900's? Unregulated economic drive lead to the submission of countless people groups and countries as a means of greater forms of production (either by cheaper labor or cheaper prime materials). Is the development of a safer vehicle really the greatest goal we should have? Does 'bigger and better' technology really produce a better lifestyle for those who obtain it?
ReplyDeleteClaire Allen/ DBU - American Govt
ReplyDeleteOur world would not be where it is today without capitalism. Agreeing with Phyllis, the defination of capitalism is simply the entrepreneurship spirit. It is viewed as such a negative aspect now but if you look how we got to where we are now it was pure capitalism whether it was defined as that or not. Also I think it is interesting going back to the original post how it is God given that we are blessed with the intelligence to get us to where we are but also blessed with one another. Not one advancement came from a single person. It is multiple people that allow us to get to where we are today. God blessed us in so many ways and some we take advantage of so easily, like other people in our lives!