quote:At about the same time a hodgepodge of protesters descended on Washington, D.C. last month to protest capitalism, globalization and free trade, the United Nations and the Institute for International Studies released a triad of studies declaring that humanity is, for the most part, in the best condition it’s ever been.
World poverty is down. Income gaps are narrowing. And the reasons for all of this are, to the protesters’ chagrin, none other than capitalism, globalization and free trade.
quote:The first study is the 2002 edition of the United Nations’ annual "Human Development Report." The report informs us that as of 2002, 140 of the world’s 200 countries -- 70 percent -- now hold multi-party elections. Eighty-two countries representing 57 percent of the human population are fully democratic, the highest percentage in human history. After a century in which totalitarianism -- Nazism, fascism and communism -- killed more than 170 million people, a clear move toward universal political freedom is afoot.
The numbers on world economics are good, too. World poverty fell more than 20 percent between 1990 and 1999, a decade of aggressive globalization. The number of world Internet users is expected to double by 2005 to one billion. In those regions of the world most sympathetic to liberal reform, the news is even better. In ten years, poverty halved in in East Asia and the Pacific regions.
Since 1990, 800 million people have gained new access to improved water supplies, and 750 million to improved sanitation. In the last 30 years, infant mortality rates have dropped from 96 deaths per 1,000 live births to just 56.
-------------------- "The best defense is not a good offense. The best defense is a terrifyingly accurate and devastatingly powerful offense, with multiply-overlapping kill zones and time-on-target artillery strikes." -- Laurence, Archangel of the Sword
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posted
What happened to corporate greed and Enron and MCI-Worldcom? Have the homeless people on our streets disappeared? This patting ourselves on the back is false complacency when capitalism in this country hasn't even stopped producing poverty.
posted
The homeless problem would largely disappear if we reopened long-term-care mental health facilities. I believe last I recall estimates were that 75% of the homeless were suffering from some form of mental illness. Poverty is much less of an issue there than it seems.
And lets take "Irish Travellers," those who live similar lifestyles, and itinerant workers (people who live one place for a month or so, until they get booted out for not paying the rent or other crimes) off the rolls, while we're at it.
-------------------- "The best defense is not a good offense. The best defense is a terrifyingly accurate and devastatingly powerful offense, with multiply-overlapping kill zones and time-on-target artillery strikes." -- Laurence, Archangel of the Sword
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posted
Have the homeless people on our streets disappeared?
Relevant how? No one's claiming this is a miracle instant fix-all. Regardless, things ARE getting better. Do you have a better proposal?
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posted
If you read closer, the UN report never says that the capitalist system is perfect. It never addresses Enron or other related problems.
The sad fact is, homeless people in the USA probably are better off overall than many people in the Third World. And in those same Third World countries, many of the relief and development projects are gaining some strength thanks to better government.
Capitalism may not be the perfect system, but it's certainly better than the alternatives.
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quote:Originally posted by First of Two: And lets take "Irish Travellers," those who live similar lifestyles, and itinerant workers (people who live one place for a month or so, until they get booted out for not paying the rent or other crimes) off the rolls, while we're at it.
It would appear you have a somewhat limited conception of the Irish Traveller culture.
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posted
If the "experts" would have it, most of us have mental illnesses of some kind. I have seen large groups of homeless people and I have read about people who have been among them. Mentally ill people don't just congregate like that unless it's serious and they're confused or don't know who they are, etc.
Omega: It matters because capitalism creates losers. The system is failing them and everybody else who is near poverty--and there are plenty of those, too.
But why have other systems like communism failed? I think the number one problem is the leaders. They used the system to gain themselves more power rather than give power to the citizens. Take China for example, if communism actually worked there, you wouldn't see Mao Zedong's picture everywhere because the system would be about the people rather than all about HIM.
The second problem is that the communities are too large. Communism works best when people know each other and leaders know their subjects as people rather than ants.
The third problem, but no less important than the previous two, is that people are forced to work, sometimes at something they don't like, rather than motivated to work.
The fourth problem is the lack of freedom of expression.
I listed these problems because it IS possible for a Marxist-type lifestyle to work. Look at the Findhorn community in Scotland.
posted
It matters because capitalism creates losers.
Again, propose a better system.
But why have other systems like communism failed? I think the number one problem is the leaders.
No, the number one problem is human nature. Communism is fine if there's not a shred of greed in anyone. But try finding THAT group. That LEADS to the problem with the leaders, like...
They used the system to gain themselves more power rather than give power to the citizens.
-------------------- "This is why you people think I'm so unknowable. You don't listen!" - God, "God, the Devil and Bob"
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capped
I WAS IN THE FUTURE, IT WAS TOO LATE TO RSVP
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posted
hm.. i was discussing this issue with some friends recently.. the best we were able to come up with was that a better system would be to socialize housing and basic food needs, as well as health care. unfortunately, housing the homeless on the public dime would probably lead to 'sanctuary districts' like in ds9's 'past tense'.. institutionalized ghettoes.
basically, the best system would gurantee everyone a place to live, food to eat and basic health care. but, to keep the rest of the capitalist challenge: if you wanted to live better than the basics, you would work for it. that would be the incentive to keep society moving. of course, this system would also possibly cause the collapse of our culture as we know if not implemented correctly. hmph.
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quote: the best we were able to come up with was that a better system would be to socialize housing and basic food needs, as well as health care.
This was something that came up in one of my politics classes recently; we were talking about the NHS and it came up that most Americans were opposed to the creation of a similar system over there. Just wondering; why is this?
Theoretically communism is the most perfect form of government, everyone equal and all that. Unfortuneately it doesn't seem to have worked too well in practice; not that what we've seen in the USSR and other places is 'true' communism but there we go. Overall i think capitalism has served humanity well BUT I think that perhaps a fusion of capitalism and socialism is what is needed to improve condition furthur.
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