I can't help but wonder what it really means to be a Capitalist Country

[ThomWV]

First off I don't want to confuse our economic system with our system of Governance. I'm just talking about the economic system, one based on privately held capital, and the economic system which deals with elements of trade restriction and monetary issues.

Millions are unemployed - but why? Have they lost the ability to do the tasks they have learned over they years? Are the (capital) tools unavailable, are there no raw materials available, is there no demand for the products that a working person could be producing? No, no, and no. There is more privately held capital equipment within one mile of me than can be found in entire provinces of some nations. There are plenty of people who know how to and are perfectly willing to use the capital equipment that's available. There is great demand for the goods and services my neighbors might be producing.

So why isn't it happening?

The answer to that, if I'm correct, is not a problem of capital, its a problem monetary policy and monetary policy alone that is stopping us from progressing. We have plenty of carpenters, hammers, and nails. We have plenty of homeless. The only thing stopping the two from coming together is the failure of monetary policy to so much as allow people to work, let alone promote employment in any meaningful way.

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. I have to think that the root of much of what we are seeing is greed -

things can work on paper, or in theory....but when human beings get involved, some default weaknesses kick in and ruin the ideal.

As my wife and I always seem to say as we discuss the world while walking our dogs...it is amazing how much money some people need for happiness - and it seems the more they get, the more they need, the less they share....and then they become fearful of someone taking it, or running out.

[valerief]

2. Rich people make money with new technology on Wall St., new financial instruments, and new laws (or

lack of regulations) they've bought from Washington.

They don't need people to make money now.

[nineteen50]

3. The economic system controls the government system...capitalism

has brought the financial sector the ability to own the money,
politicians, courts, media , and force in this country. When
we shifted from a producing economy to a financial economy
capitalism moved one more step closer to fascism its final
stage. Once the blind patriotism gets on board mostly from war
(remember the trifecta of 911 and the surge of patriotism) we
may well call or government fascist.

[Warpy]

4. The problem with unregulated or loosely regulated capitalism

is that it tends to concentrate all the wealth into the fewest hands possible, something the Republicans prove to us every time they get into power for just a little too long. It's what makes capitalism such a brutal system unless it's ameliorated by a strong dose of socialism plus extremely heavy regulations and high taxes on the grabbers.

Mature unregulated capitalism always leads to massive poverty and unemployment for the bottom 99% and almost ridiculous wealth among the exalted 1%.

[nineteen50]

5. In the last 30 yrs the capitalist have neglected to throw the proles

a bone and they are now ready to bite back

[Warpy]

6. Well, that's the other problem with mature unregulated capitalism

Once the wealth is concentrated away from labor, labor no longer has the means to support the whole game, which is what we're seeing now, and is unemployed to punish it for not supplying demand for goods and services.

Revolution invariably ensues. We were lucky in the 1930s, we were allowed a peaceful revolution. With police forces turned into miniature armies, that might not be the case now.

However, revolution in one form or another is now unavoidable.

[nineteen50]

7. If wall street and the corporate bankers can be separated from the politicians

or the politicians separated from corporate banking money,
there may be a chance for peaceful revolution.