Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Capitalism won't do the job... a reply to Rachel.

Abdel works at Consuelo's Kitchen and
also has a business on the side selling hat racks.
He serves a smile and great food.

Rachel wrote, 
"I cannot imagine the capitalism I see in the world producing the things we really need, like dignified creative work for all, an unpolluted environment, time and safe spaces to be physically active, time to care for our bodies, our psyches, and our loved ones. "
You're idealistic, as everyone should be. You see good and bad coming from capitalism, and want only good. Nothing wrong with that.

The question is, "what do we do instead?" We see that "it ain't perfect," so we want to throw out the child with the bathwater.

Then what?

Do we find a benevolent dictator? What?

Your dad says it is more complicated than I think it is. Most things probably are. Though I remember that Mr. Einstein said that when we really understand things we will find very simple relationships.

I make bread, you make flour. I trade you bread for flour. You have the only wheat field, I have the only oven. Sometimes you feel I take advantage of you. Sometimes I feel you take advantage of me. But we need each other.

No, it isn't the perfect system. But I don't know what we should do instead.

5 comments:

Kate Freeman said...

The question is, "what do we do instead?" We see that "it ain't perfect," so we want to throw out the child with the bathwater. --- Mr. Kim

I don’t know Rachel and cannot speak for her. . . But I will say this. . . She was responding to a post about whether or not a welfare system could help to decrease inequality. . . or poverty. . . You’re shifting gears a bit and making it look like she was the one shifting gears.

Kim Mosley said...

Yes, initially it would decrease inequality if we took from the rich and gave (more) to the poor. It would also increase the demand for tax experts, who would find ways for the rich to avoid taxes (even more). Better strategy is to improve the education for the poor so that they can compete in the marketplace.

Anonymous said...

Abdel

Kate Freeman said...

Would you support or oppose a tax increase on wealthy people to support schools in an economically suppressed neighborhood (area where property values are low)?

Would you support or oppose a tax increase on wealthy people to support a school lunch program that feed students who’s parents make much less money?

Would you support or oppose a tax increase on wealthy people to support a grant program that helps fund the education of people without a financial means to pay for college?

Did you read that article “If I were a poor black kid” that lots of people were up in arms about last week? The author of the article argues that if he were a poor black kid he would do everything he could to gain an education which would allow him to escape poverty. The backlash on that article was astounding . . . At least to me. . . My Facebook community had a whole lot to say about it.

I really don’t know if you are doing it on purpose or not, but your argument there sounds to me like that article that pissed so many people off so recently. If you didn’t know about that article before now, you should try to understand some of that backlash. If you did know about the article and wrote this with that understanding (to be controversial or what), just remember that you are what you pretend to be.

Kate Freeman said...

I feel kind of bad for writing what I wrote above. I don’t really want to compare you to someone a lot of people are hating on right now. I don’t think you made the exact same kind of argument as he did. I just don’t understand how ‘improving the education system of the poor’ is different than 'giving money to the poor’ because you’re going to need money to improve the educational system.

Obama had a speech before he became president where he said, “When 2/3 of all new jobs require higher education or advanced training, knowledge is the most valuable skill you can sell.” I just want you to recognized that education is a commodity that is for sale. A person needs money to get the education. And a person needs an education to get out of poverty. So where does that money meant to improve education come from? The poors? They ain’t got money.

Who's in the world?

Xiushan said, "What can you do about the world?" Dizang said, "What do you call the world?"