to not understand capitalism

[IceBeing]

Some people work hard (say 60 hours a week all year) and get paid about £20000 a year...and some people work hard and get paid 10 or even 100 times as much a year.

How can 60 hours a week of work from 1 person be worth 100 times as much as 60 hours a week of work from another person?

Its not about the family you are born into?

are fecking insane?!?!

the vast majority of the billionaires in the world are not self made. The vast vast majority of millionaires (that aren't lottery winners) are not self made.

capitalism is ALL about keeping what you have for you and yours....

Or will your kids start out with nothing but college debts?

Americans like capitalism because they all believe that they are millionaires - just not quite yet.

I think the answer is far greater regulation. You can't beat the evolutionarily advantageous capitalist traits out of humanity...but you can regulate for a fairer society.

I happen to believe that the children of a disabled parent deserve the same start in life as those with parents who can work.

Capitalism fails to deliver that....or anything close. So we need governments to do it for us.

Which we apparently don't have.

Ice Sorry, was that graph meant to portray something accurate? They interviewed 5,000 people. Out of 314 Million. It doesn't say where those people were from, what segment of society, what education they had, and yet you're taking what a smidgen of the US says as gospel. Erm, no thanks.

sorry still reeling at reg's idea that capitalism doesn't produce nepotism...

I mean seriously WTAF.

I mean is it all in my imagination that kids of rich people have more opportunities and better education and better job prospects regardless of their actual raw abilities?

"I happen to believe that the children of a disabled parent deserve the same start in life as those with parents who can work."

Which non-capitalist country do you think would give them a better deal?

Americans like capitalism because they all believe that they are millionaires - just not quite yet.

I am taking it of representative of what they think....because thats how surveys work....the numbers in bold are factually correct. That is how the wealth is actually distributed.

Do I take it you disagree with the average surveyed person and think it is actually okay for 40% of the wealth in the US to belong to 1% of population?

Again Ice where did I ever say that? In fact, I did say a lot of people probably use their connections to get their foot in the door. But it's their ability that keeps them there.

merry there aren't any non-capilatist countries.

I think this country (the UK) should give them a better deal than it currently does.

Sweden maybe? Much higher taxes, much MUCH better provision for children and education/health in general.

kim I wouldn't like to be poor in any country. Surely no one would?!

reg

"most people I know, wealthy or not, would still say that capitalism is a good thing, because it's not about what family you are or aren't born into."

okay so do you agree with these most people of your acquaintance or not?

Kim, I think your posts are entirely relevant to the thread.

I don't think it is any more idealistic to ask the questions you've asked up thread than to think CEOs have some unimaginable skills so few possess that they deserve more money per year than anyone could possibly need in a lifetime. There's nothing God-like about CEOs. It would seem they really don't care whether they're cast as moustache-twirling serf-slayers or fall-guys for spectacular mismanagement, so long as they walk away with a massive cut.

There are wonderful aspects to capitalism - I love the entrepreneurial side to it, and the 'anyone can have a go' 'hard work pays off' attitudes within the business world. But the legal model that a company's first duty is to its shareholders, not its clients or its workforce is a bad one. Equal duties to all three, by all means, but it's too tipped in favour of those who need it least against those who serve it most.

what's more important? How well you do as an individual and sod the rest, or should we all look out for each other instead?

There's a balance. You shouldn't be stepping over everyone else on your climb to the top, but you shouldn't be trying to pull someone else down either.

Ice Of course I do. That's what I've been saying this entire thread.

I think 1% having 40% of the wealth while 30% are below the poverty line is probably a point at which you should realise the wealthy are stepping on others....

so you DO think that capitalism doesn't promote keeping it in the family?

Make your fecking mind up.

reg will you be leaving a nest egg for your kids or not?

Will their success be down to your money or their endeavour?