Originally posted by StogusMaximus
Doesn't surprise me at all, it also doesn't surprise me that communist societies tell you what profession you are going to have.
Sometimes, although that depends on which communist society you're talking about, since they're all different.
Originally posted by StogusMaximus
It doesn't surprise me to see the conditions that communist societies of today, China and Cuba, are in. It also doesn't surprise me to see the progress being made by the Capitalist Russia.
First off, much of the problems suffered by China, Cuba and Vietnam are not their own fault. For an island nation like Cuba, the effects of a US embargo are devastating. For a smaller nation like Vietnam, having your nation torn to shreds by American bombing is devastating. Neither of these two nations had a fair chance, and it is not the fault of communism that they didn't succeed. Shall we blame capitalism for the splitting up of Yugoslavia? After all, they were capitalist, and the country fell apart. Most of China's problems can be blamed on overpopulation, not communism.
Originally posted by StogusMaximus
It is a shame that people are living on the streets and don't have enough food to eat, but who is to blame? Why is that many, many people have worked their way out of poverty, while others will not? Why is it that immigrants come to this country with little money, and flourish? Why is it wrong for a person to have enough money and success that they do not need to labor?
So now everybody on the street is lazy? I guess it's their own fault for choosing to live on the streets and starve to death rather than find a job. This is silly.
In communism, everybody is given a fair chance to succeeed, right from the start. In the US, if you are a black woman, born to a poor family in a ghetto, everything is stacked against you from the getgo. If you are a caucasian male born into a rich family, your success is virtually guaranteed. This has nothing to do with laziness or lack of effort on the part of the black woman.
In addition to this, it is a common statistic that in our western world, 2 out of every 3 people will find themselves out of work through no fault of their own. Also, capitalism needs a large pool of unemployed labour to succeed. Why is it then, that unemployed are treated like lazy bums?
Originally posted by StogusMaximus
Would it surprise you that these people who sit around all day collecting interest, donate many millions and billions of dollars to charity?
I'm sure some do. But if you were to take 10% of the net earnings of the richest few hundred people in the world, you could solve hunger in most of the third world. However, since those rich people earned their wages, it would be unfair to take a small amount of their wages and allow hundreds to live, right?
Originally posted by StogusMaximus
Having children is an issue of nature not of society, or economics.
Right. But the issue underlying our entire discussion is human nature itself. You argue that humans would be lazy bums unless given money to work harder. I would argue that this does not have to be the case. Regardless, human nature is at the very heart of this debate.
Originally posted by StogusMaximus
Does not God give us the drive to succeed? Does not God want us to flourish? Does not God give everybody opportunities to succeed? Who are you to say that God only gives certain people blessings.
I'm sure God does give us the drive to succeed, and does want us to flourish. But it is an absolute staple of capitalism that only a choice few can flourish. In capitalism, some will become wealthier all the time while the rest become relatively poorer. Did God intend this?
You ask me who am I to say that God only gives certain people blessings. I believe that God blesses everybody. Who are you to say that we should take away all chances of success for some people, who have also been blessed by God?
Remember that capitalism did not exist until the 16th and 17th centuries. Did God ever endorse capitalism in the bible? At times, he certainly seems to endorse a socialist structure.