Ignorant, Unequal America

[Assasin]

We have ghettos run by politicans and dons. We have no productivity. Machines help create employment in many instances. Capitalist system depends on people working and been productive, in some cases wages might be low but it depends on them working, not sitting idly and waiting on government.

No a few capitalist take advantage of the massive because majority resign to it but that is not successful capitalism and even in communism it happen. You ever heard of the Marcus's and Papa Doc???? etc.

[Rockman]

Those were leaders that were interested in enriching themselves by any means..
Whay about Detroit
motor industry,didn't capitalism is to be blamed there?
Look,if you want to narrow the gap between the rich and poor you have to look to elsewhere,or simply wait in vain for the falling crumbs from the cake.
Where is the evidence Jamaica is a socialist state?
We sell everything that isn't nailed down and hold steadfast to the doctrine of capitalist puppet,the IMF.

[Assasin]

capitalism depends on small businesses and private ownership. We don't have it. In "capitalism" investor take risk and provide jobs, government don't kill business, but make it investor friendly.

What of Detroit?? The amount of socialist countries that fell in the 80s and 90s can't count. Detroit may have fallen but other places are building cars in America and taking advantage of Detroit failure.

[Rockman]

Things have to be seen for what they are.What happened to Detroit car industry can happen elsewhere.
Jamaica .
The prices at Lowes and Home Depot are now the same as it was st the neighborhood hardware stores they ran out of business by offering dirt cheap prices.
Jamsica today is paying is not just paying astronomical rates for electricity in terms of the caribbean but the highest in the World,this of course,is done with the blessings of our Govt.
A few decades ago,all was well in the US,the filthy rich paid much higher tax rates(maintained their class status)and govt had more money to fund ventures.
Sass,I can't agree with your views on capitalism.

[Assasin]

You don't have to but just look at the reality. I just heard a wharf worker who is retiring said he was against container shipping because it would place him out of work. This was in the 30 or 40s. He now confessed it was the best thing that happened to him and it gave him more work than he dreamt of since it made shipping more stuff possible.

Look at any country that is progressive, even China have to have a strong private sector within that country. No other way my friend. JPS is not successful because of cronyism and that is it. Check out how it was sold.

[1of1]

mi tell yuh bout wi leadership, how many years dis tek

[Jawge]

All I would like to know is where were these 5k people sampled.

[Jawge]

Yuh missed it. Yuh haffi use yuh third eye fi see whey Bam ah come from bout yaad. Done talk.

[Don1]

All I would like to know is where were these 5k people sampled.

America dem seh.

[Islandman]

Free market capitalism is the best economic route to prosperity. There will be winners and losers but in the long run many more winners than losers.

Detroit was built on free market capitalism. Then they lost their edge , started building crappy vehicles that were not competitive and the same free market capitalism burnt them. That is exactly how it is supposed to work.

The best evidence for free market capitalism was the difference between East and West Germany when the Berlin Wall fell. Same people, same part of the world, yet in 40 years one had built an economy that was decades ahead of the other.

Let's not even talk about North vs South Korea. One has one of the highest GDP's in the world, the other, well not so much.

What is happening in the US recently is that the corporate profits are privatized and the losses are socialized. That is not how it is supposed to work, that is rewarding failure.

As for Jamaica, it is neither a capitalist nor socialist state. It is a state in chaos.

[Don1]

The truth lies.in.the middle... as it does.with most things

The.highest expression of human development is not found in.so called free market capitalist economies... but in social democracies AKA democratic socialist states of Scandinavia with mixed economies and a big state sector

[Jawge]

well that's a start but how many states?

[Islandman]

There is an argument for that, however as the population is many of those countries age and they are not reproducing themselves, state support becomes a larger and larger burden and the numbers become more difficult.

We will have to see how they adjust to that situation. The answer is increased immigration but that may not be politically palatable to a large section of the population.

Personally I am all for the state leading the way in the critical areas such as education, health, security, public transportation. Generally speaking I don't have a lot of confidence in big government, at least in the societies than I have lived in.

[Islandman]

The other thing worth noting is that democratic socialism appears to have a better chance of working in small states with fairly homogenous populations.

That suggests that it should have had a decent chance working in Jamaica but....alas it was not to be.

[Don1]

The other thing worth noting is that democratic socialism appears to have a better chance of working in small states with fairly homogenous populations.

That suggests that it should have had a decent chance working in Jamaica but....alas it was not to be.

lol.... fi real.... we didn't then/still don't have the prerequisites in the Jamaican environment to make a success of social democracy ...to wit....

high levels of education
low corruption and low propensity for conflict/violence
strong & transparent state institutions
progressive & intelligent govt. policy
social cohesion...AKA a social contract re development goals
enlightened private sector

Instead we had/have the abominable JLPNP & Associates