How long will capitalism last?

[Unbeliever]

That sounds about right to me.

[Baruch]

Noam Chomsky & Cornel West tag team ... from the same generation, not part of the Matrix.

[Unbeliever]

I often listen to Professor R.D. Wolff. He's very informative, and doesn't seem to care much for capitalism.

[Baruch]

I often listen to Professor R.D. Wolff. He's very informative, and doesn't seem to care much for capitalism.

Do you mean R. P. Wolff?
http://robertpaulwolff.blogspot.com/2016/12/an-academic-exercise.html

i guess not.  They seem to be different guys ... but separated at birth ideologically (meaning very similar).

I read Leiter Reports every day (Dr Leiter is a Neitzchean as I am) ... but he frequently cross references to a Dr Wolff.

If I am right, you might also enjoy ...
https://www.jacobinmag.com

But only if you enjoy rejecting Aristotle's false dichotomy ... one can refuse to swallow either pill, or swallow both ;-)

I have offered to discuss Marxism with Jannabear ... without result.

As far as the first article that comes up under R. D. Wolff ... yes, the recession never ended.  It has been hid under a tsunami of dollar liquidity, that has damaged nations outside the US so far.  This is why inflation mostly happened in nations outside the US (yes, we have inflation too, but refuse to measure it correctly).  This inflation closer to 2008, is what created the unrest for the Arab Spring revolutions.  It is possible that was a deliberate side-effect (the work of Soros and the CIA).  We have a color revolution happening in the US right now ... but it won't metastasize unless the inflation genie is let out in the US/GB/Can.

I am not a Marxist or an Anarchist or a Socialist ... but I am not closed minded either.  I recognize the faults of capitalism, and of political and economic idealism.

[Baruch]

Reform in any subject, has to come from revolutionaries who are also grounded in their subject, not fantasists.  The Status Quo, held on too long, prevents necessary reform, and that kills societies eventually, even ultra-conservative ones like ancient Egypt and ancient China.  Specifically, the West has succeeded, because by accident, it has managed to make the necessary reform for modernity.  However, I don't believe in the Aristotelian bug-bear of progress.

[Jason Harvestdancer]

That sounds about right to me.

He needs to define which central institutions he is talking about and what he thinks me means by control.  He's also badly mixing his terms.  Capitalism is an economic system, Democracy is a political system.

[Baruch]

It is hard to imagine a person of his intellect, made that mistake ignorantly ;-)

[Cavebear]

Capitalistic Democracy is the worst system except for all the others.  It just needs some regulation to control the outrageous elements.  Not too much, but not too little either.

[Baruch]

Capitalistic Democracy is the worst system except for all the others.  It just needs some regulation to control the outrageous elements.  Not too much, but not too little either.

With the outrageous elements in charge, all regulation is gutted.  And you forgot to give Churchill credit for that quote.  Have you oppressed India lately?

[Unbeliever]

Do capitalists really care about the welfare of populations?

Capitalists don't.

Here's just one example:

Pebble Mine

Crushing Alaska’s Pebble Mine

Capitalists care only about maximizing profits - at any cost.




"Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under communism, it's just the opposite."
John Kenneth Galbraith

[Jason Harvestdancer]

Do capitalists really care about the welfare of populations?

Capitalists don't.

Here's just one example:

Pebble Mine

Crushing Alaska’s Pebble Mine

Capitalists care only about maximizing profits - at any cost.

Have you defined what capitalism is yet?

[Jannabear]

I'd give it about 2-6 decades
economic crisis every few years or less
major economic crisis every 5-8 years
3rd world is developing too fast to exploit efficiently
rate of profit is dropping significantly in first world countries
industries in alot of countries are being nationalized

[Sorginak]

Corporations will always find something upon which to capitalize. 

[Shiranu]

I don't see human nature radically shifting within the next few generations... given that roughly 7500 generations of humans have passed through time with extremely little variation in behaviour patterns.

The best case scenario is that the base level of poverty continues to rise until "poverty" is living like a middle class person today. But people are always going to want shit and no amount of technology we can come up with in the foreseeable future is going to change the basic laws of "Supply and Demand". Work loads might decrease and standards of living might increase... but for premium goods that people will want to stand out will always require a capitalistic model.

[Jannabear]

I don't see human nature radically shifting within the next few generations... given that roughly 7500 generations of humans have passed through time with extremely little variation in behaviour patterns.

The best case scenario is that the base level of poverty continues to rise until "poverty" is living like a middle class person today. But people are always going to want shit and no amount of technology we can come up with in the foreseeable future is going to change the basic laws of "Supply and Demand". Work loads might decrease and standards of living might increase... but for premium goods that people will want to stand out will always require a capitalistic model.

"muh human nature"
this meme needs to die.
capitalism has existed for around 250 years in its modern form
claiming its natural to humans makes no sense