THE ESSENCE OF CAPITALISM

[ivanhoe]

The essence of capitalism is aiding and abetting the wealthy to accumulate more and more capital (wealth).

This is justified by the rationalization that living in a free society we all have the opportunity to amass our own fortunes.

The reality is that as the wealthy become progressively more and more wealthy (the very nature of capitalism).

They use their wealth to squeeze the working class that provides their labor and so insure their own dominance at the top of the heap.

Ivanhoe isn't proposing anything. Just whingeing that other people seem to have money and they don't.... Some take the way things are set up as a spur to improve themselves, strive harder and exploit any advantages that come their way whereas the Ivanhoes of this world think it's all some massive conspiracy designed solely to keep the poor in their place. If anything keeps the poor down - ironically - it's a combination of welfare dependency and the defeatism displayed by Ivanhoe. Imagine if they were your parent! "No point going to school or making an effort lad because there's no hope for the likes of us".... Bollocks to that.

/////communism is your "bag".//////

No it isnt.

////////Ivanhoe isn't proposing anything. Just whingeing that other people seem to have money and they don't.... Some take the way things are set up as a spur to improve themselves, strive harder and exploit any advantages that come their way whereas the Ivanhoes of this world think it's all some massive conspiracy designed solely to keep the poor in their place. If anything keeps the poor down - ironically - it's a combination of welfare dependency and the defeatism displayed by Ivanhoe. Imagine if they were your parent! "No point going to school or making an effort lad because there's no hope for the likes of us".... Bollocks to that.///////

Bollocks to your stupid view as well.

Ivanhoe clearly has no better ideas, if any at all.

He's just trolling.

ivanhoe - have lived in both socialist and capitalist countries. In practice, one can be cynical about either system.

Are you more concerned with absolute or relative poverty?

Yeah, I agree ivanhoe is either an idiot or trolling. Some rather simple questions have been asked, but he/she hasn't be able to answer any of them. So either, they don't know what they are talking about or were shit stirring and, erm, don't know what they're talking about.

This is getting on my 'nerves' 'opportunity is spelt with two ps!

so you think im "shit" stirring do you ?, well if the cap fits ???????????

People are trying to have a conversation here, but you are not even answering a few simple questions. If you can't stay on subject and engage in the debate, then don't be surprised when nobody takes you seriously.

Okay, as its the new year try me again.

Ivanhoe. I can see where you are coming from. I was brought up extremely poor (but then all of my freinds were). I lost my mother at 10 and my father brought us all up.
I did two degrees of my own back without the help of my father, who bless him, was so proud I could get into prestigious universities (as a mature student). I have done very well.

My sister on the other hand is sometimes completely defeatist and sometimes tries to push her defeatist attitude onto her neices! Where as I insist my neice has the brains to go to university she says" I don't think she'll go" She does not dare say it about my children, as she knows what she would get!
Sometimes I think she will doff her cap, if she ever passes a student from Eton! Do you get my drift?
I have visted Russia, an ex-communist state,
I did not like what I saw, the poor are so down trodden. I spoke to a boy recently from Russia who boarded at a top public school , his parents had scrimped and scraped to send him there. Here I believe with the will and the determination (and encouragement of freinds and family) you can do well for yourself. You have to have the drive to do it though. I've done it in extremely difficult circumstances, and will ensure my children do well, in whatever circumstances
I find myself in.

Not sure I understand your point about ex-communist Russia and a Russian boy at a top English public school, complimentary?

Not sure it's helpful to introduce the former Soviet Union and the Cold War into the discussion? Particularly with reference to any side "winning" the Cold War, when neither side managed to cover itself in glory. I don't think ivanhoe answering these questions would be staying on the initial subject, tbh. Not that I have any helpful opinions on the initial OP! Just interested in how it is possible to gang up on someone and make them sound like a troll when under the surface they are not being entirely reasonable, themselves.

Will now slink off to bed...

[in how it is possible for others to gang up on someone and make them sound like a troll when these people are not being entirely reasonable themselves.]

Rabbitstew. I was saying that even thought this young boy of 16 had poor parents, he told me that they had saved for years to put him into a top public school, so that he could attend our universities. (the school being linked to top universities).

I was saying even in a country like Russia, were it seems if you are poor you have very little mobility, one can get on, with strong parents behind you.

Ivanhoe. Why do you put slashes /// around your typed words? It makes you appear aggressive, and I'm sure you are not.

mmm. I'm not convinced the boy's parents were poor by Russian standards, albeit to afford it they could well have been cash poor in Russia (but not in offshore Cyprus bank accounts). It is, after all, wildly expensive to send a child to a foreign boarding school (particularly a top English public school...) for many years and then pay in full for their overseas university education. They would have to been saving for hundreds of years (and hiding the money from the Communists during those years) to have managed that on an average Russian income.