The year 2022 produced a long and daunting list of issues associated with the economy. Inflation, rising interest rates, stock market decline... Many victims and critics of these phenomena identified them as symptoms of a systemic problem, namely the ugly side of capitalism.
The members of the subreddit 'Capitalism Sux' share what they believe to be the evidence of these dysfunctions, and whether they're calling out corporate HR or a small-time landlord, it's interesting to see how badly some aspects of modern society are messed up.
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Tax The Billionaires
Would They Do It Though?
Under capitalism, private individuals or businesses own capital goods. At the same time, business owners (capitalists) employ workers (labor) who only receive wages; labor does not own the means of production but only uses them on behalf of the owners of the capital.
The production of goods and services is based on supply and demand in the general market—known as a market economy—rather than through central planning—known as a planned economy or command economy.
But It’ll Never Work /S
"But I don't wanna pay for other people!" - then you don't get to retire ^-^
Why Reward Bad Behaviour?
It’s Not Wrong
I have no problem when people are successful, the problem I have is when they refuse to acknowledge they did not get there alone. Demanding old age insurance and pension is a drain on them when they are only taxed on the 1st 160k of income(USA). You had a LOT of help...show it!
The purest form of capitalism is free market or laissez-faire capitalism. There, private individuals are unrestrained. They determine where to invest, what to produce or sell, and at which prices to exchange goods and services. The laissez-faire marketplace operates without checks or controls.
In reality, most countries practice a mixed capitalist system that includes some degree of government regulation of business and ownership of select industries.
Difference Between America And Europe
Finally Someone Who Gets It
I feel like more and more people becoming happy/happier increases my chance of being happy. That's my selfish reason for wanting most people to be happy.
A Slave Of Capitalism
Industrial capitalism usually benefited bigger parts of society rather than just the aristocratic class. Wages increased, helped greatly by the formation of unions. The standard of living also rose with the glut of affordable products being mass-produced. All of this led to the formation of a middle class and began to lift more and more people from the lower classes to swell its ranks.
We No Longer Work To Live, We Simply Work To Survive
You don't work to live, you live to work. And that's a stressful life to have.
“I Guess It’s Less Impressive When They’re Poor”
Many people in Europe learn more than one language because they live in close proximity to another country. Sometimes two languages are spoken in the same country, like Belgium.
The expansion of the financial sector accompanied the rise of industrial capitalism. Banks had previously served as warehouses for valuables, clearinghouses for long-distance trade, or lenders to nobles and governments. But eventually, they came to serve the needs of everyday commerce and the intermediation of credit for large, long-term investment projects. By the 20th century, as stock exchanges became increasingly public and investment vehicles opened up to more individuals, some economists named a variation on the system: financial capitalism.
Elect A Working Class Congress
BUT stay away from the moronic MTG-types. Elect smart, capable people who possess true leadership qualities, grew up with working class parents, and who actually understand and are in touch with, REAL life.
Poor People Are People Too!
Wrong People Have The Money
That just goes to show...99% of employers really don't care no matter how many times they call you "family".
By incentivizing entrepreneurs to reallocate away resources from unprofitable channels and into areas where consumers value them more, capitalism has proven a highly effective vehicle for economic growth.
More and better goods became cheaply accessible to wide populations again, raising standards of living in previously unthinkable ways. As a result, many political theorists and economists argue that capitalism is the most efficient and productive system of exchange.
No, No, They've Got A Point
This Is The Way
Tax The Rich
But a downside of capitalism is its ability to corrupt. Crony capitalism (sometimes called cronyism) refers to a capitalist society that is based on the close relationships between business people and the state. Instead of success being determined by a free market and the rule of law, it can depend on favoritism that is shown by the government in the form of tax breaks, grants, and other incentives.
You Lessen Crime By Making Reform And Rehabilitation The Actual Goal Of Prisons, Not Punishment
The American Dream
Richie Rich - The Embodiment Of Capitalism Sux, Of Failing Upwards
And have been since Reagan. That’s over FORTY f*****g years—-the entirety of my most productive young working adult life. Elon, you entitled, out of touch, f*****g arrogant little s**t, my heart’s just pumping purple p**s for you.
In practice, this is the dominant form of capitalism worldwide, due to the powerful incentives both faced by governments to extract resources by taxing, regulating, and fostering rent-seeking activity, and capitalist businesses trying to increase profits by obtaining subsidies, limiting competition, and erecting barriers to entry. In effect, these forces represent a kind of supply and demand for government intervention in the economy, which arises from the design of the system.
In Response To Elon Musk Pondering Life As A Video Game…
The Money Will Trickle Down Any Day Now
He was also going senile and let Nancy and an astrologer run the game
Capitalism Cannot Survive Without Poverty
I've worked in restaurants in California, Nevada, and Florida. In those states, you have to pay $15 every few years for ServSafe certification to work with food. It's a stupid online course that "teaches" ridiculously common sense things about food safety. All of that money goes to the National Restaurant Association, who owns the program. They then use that money to lobby Congress AGAINST raising the tipped minimum wage or replacing tipping with profit-share incentives.
Critics argue that capitalism leads to a significant loss of political, democratic and economic power for the majority of the population because it creates large concentrations of money and property in the hands of a relatively small minority (the elite or the power elite), leading, according to them, to very large and increasing wealth and income inequalities between the two groups.
Play The Blame Game
yeah this is the thing that probably pi**es people off the most, the same sanctimonious hypocrites that drone on about market forces and the evils of socialism are the FIRST to get a handout when their business has a quiet month.
Shatter The State
Nailed It!
That's the kind of work people only notice when it is not done. Strikes are the only way to show it.
Dutch Law On 'Sick Days'
A sidenote; in The Netherlands there's short-term illness and long-term illness. Short-term is "I've got the flu so I'm calling in sick", during which most employers will pay you 100%. Most workplaces don't have official sick-days, but some do (often this is the result of the employer feeling that people are misusing the freedom of calling in sick at any moment). Long-term illness is an illness that will debilitate you to an extent that you can't do your job anymore, or maybe not to the fullest extent. Then you go see a company doctor, who will assess the trajectory for the coming period (therapy, part-time leave, whatever may be necessary to get you back on track). An employer is obligated to pay your salary for 2 years max, often 70% of your previous salary. There's also financial aid for which you can apply during this time.
And while 57% of the American public continues to view capitalism favorably, that is 8 percentage points lower than in 2019 (65%), a 2022 national survey by the Pew Research Center revealed.
However, its main "competitor" isn't doing too well either. Just 36% of U.S. adults say they find socialism to be somewhat (30%) or very (6%) positive, down from 42% who viewed it positively in May 2019. (Six in ten today say they view socialism negatively, including one-third who view it very negatively.)
The Nightmare That Is Socialised Medicine
That would be a few hundred to a few thousand dollars with insurance (depending on the plan and other issues you've had in same calendar year), or multiple thousands without insurance. Add in an ambulance ride or overnight stay, it's easily into tens of thousands and upward.
This Is Getting Bad
Seems Obvious
“I Don't Think Getting Married At 34 Instead Of 24 Is The Reason My Generation Can't Buy Homes”
Hear Me Out!
I am a recent cancer survivor and my husband was able to care for me due to leave time being donated into a pool. If he had to work, I would have needed to manage horrendous chemotherapy complications alone while caring for a 7 year old during the the early months of the pandemic. Ridiculous.
Pay Nurses Properly
And someone has to say this even after the pandemic we witnessed?
Any Narrative Claiming Our Current Inflationary Environment Is Due To Anything Other Than Price Gouging Is Disinformation
Culture War Is A Big Distraction
They're Not Wrong
Every Single Time
The Very Definition Of Insanity
The Propaganda In Us
The people have been conditioned since Nixon that this is how they're supposed to live by the rich.
Give Me Your Poor, Your Tired
Yes this s**t hole country does. But dont discredit what this kid did.
#richpeopleproblems
I feel you, girl. The feeling of paying double in rent because the bank doesn't think you could pay half of it for a mortgage. With stable and decent paying jobs even.
What Are Your Thoughts?
"Oh Gee, We Wish We Could, But Where Would We Find The Money?"
It’s because they’re playing a zero sum game. In their selfish, warped, and corrupted little minds, they think that any tiny crumb of the pie that someone else works hard, and scrimps and saves to get is a crumb ripped from their own greedy mouths. Even though it’s a big enough pie for everyone to have a satisfying slice of, they’ll never be satisfied with anything but taking and hoarding the WHOLE damned pie for themselves.
Monopoly Power
Still No Tear Gas Though
Who’d Want To Bring A Kid Into This World Anyway?
Late Boomer here (1960). I wanted all those things too when I was your age. Only, back then, I was always the only one at work who asked to have it. It made me very unpopular, which made my work life even worse because of retaliation, and I ended up having to job hop more than I planned to. Every time I got a new job, I went into it hoping it would be different this time and I would be there until I retired. But all companies were pretty much the same sweatshop as the rest, especially back then. So you’re not the first to want it, but you’re the first to have a majority, instead of one lone outlier like me, very loudly demanding it. Don’t back down, because you’re actually getting the ball rolling. There’s resistance, yes. There always will be. But keep putting the pressure on the bastards, plus pressure on politicians funding labor boards and writing labor legislation, and they’ll eventually have to cave to keep their companies fully staffed and running. The irony is that the CEOs and other suits in the executive offices, will have the revelation that paying livable salaries won’t break their banks. In fact, it will most likely increase their sales, as people will have more money to buy their f*****g products. Just make sure they don’t decide to tip the balance back their way by raising prices sky high (like they doing now, but the Treasury guys do seem to get it), and gouging people out of that extra cash. We’re all counting on you.
Sorry…
You know what I think they can do with their money? Roll it up, real tight, and shove it up their entitled asses. If they won’t, I’ll be more than happy to buy a pair of those long rubber gloves veterinarians use to shove their arms up cows’ and horses’ asses, and do that job for them. Anyone want to help?
When A Dystopia With Hungry Children Is Painted As A Feel Good Story
I’m 62. The basic school hot lunch,. that the lunch ladies in the cafeteria cooked and served, was always free, the entire time I was in public school. If you wanted extras, then you paid for them. THAT’S how it should still be! Oh, but I know the elite private school graduate m***********s in the GOP have worked hard since Reagan to chip away at school funding for the last 40 years. They could give a fat rat’s a*s if a school age child’s growth and brain development is stunted from starvation, just because their family is constantly struggling financially and can’t afford to pay for their kid to have a free hot lunch. They’ll blame the impoverished parents, making the minimum wage they have fought to keep from being raised since the 1990s, and not themselves. As always. Of course. Their consciences will always be clear, because they have NO consciences.
Cause And Effect, Smoke And Mirrors
If Non-Americans Wanna Know How Bad America Is, Just Look At How Many Gofundmes Are For Medical Reasons
F**k, I Hate Living In The Us Sometimes
Saddest Reality
Makes Complete And Total Sense
A Society Where Human Life Has Value?
Its Not Fair
Unpopular one here...at LEAST make the interest less usurious (daughter pays 12.25% on her private one). Should not be more than a mortgage rate.
Not Broke Due To Avocado Toast
Clear cut case of the criminals blaming their victims for the crimes committed against them (the victims).
Put Up Or
3rd Party For 2024?
Workers Did The Job After All
Just Let People Have Food
yeah, just not sure the people working on the farms to produce the food want to work for free?
“Ask Corporations Why They’re Paying Their Employees Low Wages”
Why Is Emt Pay So Low?
Student Loan Coliseum
Before Elon Deletes It
Stupendous Work
In balance to this, who the hell would be a cop in big city USA? all those guns? madness
American Exceptionalism
Wife had an eye test the optician spotted a potential problem..she was seen in the eye hospital 5 days later.. completely free of charge .. universal healthcare works don't let them tell you otherwise
Broke-**s Willy Wonka Musk
Some Prisoners Earn Just 10 Cents An Hour For Their Work
correct , many of the USA prisons are essentially slaveholdings run for the benefit of corporations who get cheap labour
Respect To Gen Z
This reminds me of the "letter" I got for my child's school attendance for missing too much school. Each and every one had a doctor's note for being sick and only a few for anxiety(I am strict on taking the day off if you wake up with anxiety). I was being lectured about it while the teacher held the letter and I interrupted with my "I'm strict about taking the day off for mental day when anxiety or depression or stress overwhelms my child". The topic was dropped and the letter tucked in under my child's work for the quarter. I threw it away cuz I'm not going to read garbage, it belonged in the trash.
So, In Other Words, Capitalism Sucks
I'm pretty sure my boss just reads emails all day and goes to meetings. Seriously. Her office is right next to my cubicle and I don't think I've ever seen her do anything else. She also doesn't know how to do my job. She's a perfectly lovely person, really nice and fights for us on issues we bring to her. But anytime I have a question regarding the actual job process, we have to ask our assistant manager. There has never been a time I have looked into her office and seen her doing anything but reading/responding to emails or on her phone. I missed the day in school where we learned how to apply or get these jobs.
“…in Case Anyone’s Wondering How Seriously We’re Taking The Climate Crisis”
The entirety of student loan forgiveness is 400b in total --it would literally change almost nothing for the average taxpayer. Only the superwealthy would actually see a larger tax, and it is miniscule. It's less than a days worth of interest in their savings accounts. For perspective, the Iraq War (2nd one) was 1.4 trillion dollars, and the annual tax burden was 184 dollars to the average american. ANNUALLY. That's 3 dollars a week. For a war most of us didn't want. We had no say in where those funds were spent. I don't care if you worked hard and are rich. I applaud that. I don't even care if Elon wants to play with Twitter and buys it with change he found in his couch cushions but are we really giving people cr@p for wanting loans paid that some of us have paid twice over because of predatory interest, for less than the 5 cents it would cost us to do it? Shoot, I volunteer to pay 10 dollars and cover 200 of the decenters, okay.
The problem is greed, not capitalism. Very few countries are not capitalists. Even China has a capitalist economy. But it's the social policies that make the difference. But they are possible in a good economy, induced by capitalism and free market.
yes large corporations now have too greatcan influence on politics
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I think it's interesting to compare the US with other developed/socialist nations. The United States is a relatively newer country, at least newer than most European countries. People and history tend to follow patterns. If you look at different European countries from a couple hundred years ago--when they were as old as the US is now--they had similar systemic injustices seen in the US today. But through the process of revolutions, political upheavals, and many social reforms, European countries have evolved into more progressive societies. (At least, I assume.) The US in many ways is just beginning that journey. It's like comparing the success of someone in their 40s with someone in their 20s. Dismantling systems of inequality, that are deeply embedded within a nation, takes time. More people are becoming aware of the systems, which is an invaluable step in the process of reforming the system.
The problem is greed, not capitalism. Very few countries are not capitalists. Even China has a capitalist economy. But it's the social policies that make the difference. But they are possible in a good economy, induced by capitalism and free market.
yes large corporations now have too greatcan influence on politics
Load More Replies... I think it's interesting to compare the US with other developed/socialist nations. The United States is a relatively newer country, at least newer than most European countries. People and history tend to follow patterns. If you look at different European countries from a couple hundred years ago--when they were as old as the US is now--they had similar systemic injustices seen in the US today. But through the process of revolutions, political upheavals, and many social reforms, European countries have evolved into more progressive societies. (At least, I assume.) The US in many ways is just beginning that journey. It's like comparing the success of someone in their 40s with someone in their 20s. Dismantling systems of inequality, that are deeply embedded within a nation, takes time. More people are becoming aware of the systems, which is an invaluable step in the process of reforming the system.
