[MD] Capitalism (redux ad nauseum)

[Platt Holden]

Hi Stella, 

> Platt is inviting me to clarify my position. But I don't know if it will 
> be a dialogue or a duel. I have seen the latter too much in this list, so 
> I am reluctant to add anything to start an arguement. What I would be 
> interested in, is to deepen the analysis and together with witted minds 
> examine this field.

Let us examine the field together.

> There are several reasons for my reluctance. I will have to debate in a 
> foreign language, and I haven't dealt with these questions in English 
> before. I don't have all words for it. And if the invitation concerns a 
> duel, and not a dialogue, I will surely lose either if I have something of 
> value to add or not. Between the lines of the invitation, I find a smirk 
> and the anticipation of a showing off of being right. But as I said, 
> English isn't my native language, and I may read the signs all wrong.

Your English seems perfect. Not to worry.

> So, before setting out to give any examples or telling about any  
> differences, I would like to know if the interest in my opinion is due to 
> sincere intersest in uncovering some deeper insights into the society we 
> live in, or if this is just a way to give me the opportunity to dig my own 
> grave because I don't happen to agree on capitalism being the best we can 
> do.

I think everyone here would be interested in your views on the positive 
and negative aspects of Swedish life.

> To foil any attempts of any of you to retort that commie and/or planned 
> economies are worse, I will simply say that, "yes, they are".

Good. We agree right away. Never mind Arlo. Anyone who disagrees with 
his socialistic views is immediately labelled a Bush-loving, knuckle-
dragging Neanderthal.  

> I wouldn't 
> like to see that, but in my world there is never just two options. If I 
> have to chose from two alternatives, I usually look for a third one.

Depends on the options I guess. But, to get back to my original query.
Please give examples of long term risks that the free market "cannot 
handle." I know many free market companies that have been profitable for a 
hundred years or more. Also, please tell us the difference between 
capitalism and the free market. To raise money by issuing stocks and bonds 
seems a function of a free market. But, I could be wrong.

Just in case you are wondering what this has to do with the MOQ, the 
following quote is what I keep in mind when discussing economic systems:

"A free market is a Dynamic institution. What people buy and what people 
sell, in other words what people value, can never be contained by any 
intellectual formula. What makes the marketplace work is Dynamic Quality. 
The market is always changing and the direction of that change can never 
be predetermined. The Metaphysics of Quality says the free market makes 
everybody richer by preventing static economic patterns from setting in 
and stagnating economic growth. That is the reason the major capitalist 
economies of the world have done so much better since World War II than 
the major socialist economies. It is not that Victorian social economic 
patterns are more moral than socialist intellectual economic patterns. 
Quite the opposite. They are less moral as static patterns go. What makes 
the free-enterprise system superior is that the socialists, reasoning 
intelligently and objectively, have inadvertently closed the door to 
Dynamic Quality in the buying and selling of things. They closed it 
because the metaphysical structure of their objectivity never told them 
Dynamic Quality exists." (Lila, Chap. 17)
 
Sincerely,
Platt