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  • From: Paul Cory <pwcory AT mindspring.com>
  • To: "Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/" <internetworkers AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [internetworkers] from the desk of Arianna Huffington
  • Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2004 01:23:25 -0400


My argument is not at all flawed. I very simply state that we are a
capitalistic society and we have a greater percentage of our society living
outside of the realm of poverty.

Not exactly. You stated that in an attempt to discredit the statement that "Capitalism, by it's very nature, concentrates wealth and power into the hands of a very few, and those few are loathe to give it up."

Your argument then, was:

America has a great percentage of its population living comfortably;
America is capitalist economy;
Therefore, capitalism does not naturally concentrate wealth and power into the hands of the few.

And, in reply, I pointed out we don't live in a purely capitalistic economy. Our society, through government, actively works to ameliorate capitalism's tendency to concentrate wealth and power. This produces a mixed economy.

Thus, you cannot use America's general prosperity to undercut the statement that capitalism concentrates wealth and power because your second premise, that America is a capitalist economy, is not true.

Which brings me back to: your argument is flawed.

Unless, of course, you meant to imply a different argument. :-)

Paul




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-----Original Message-----
From: internetworkers-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:internetworkers-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf
Of Paul Cory
Sent: Thursday, July 22, 2004 12:52 AM
To: Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/
Subject: Re: [internetworkers] from the desk of Arianna Huffington

"Capitalism, by it's very nature, concentrates wealth and
power into
the hands of a very few, and those few are loathe to give it up."

I'm dumbfounded by this statement. Name one nation in this
world that
has a greater percentage of its population >living< more
comfortably
than American's do.

Your argument is flawed, because America doesn't practice "pure"
capitalism. In this country, capitalism's tendency to
concentrate wealth and power has been reigned in by
government action: labor laws (minimum wage, overtime pay,
collective bargaining rights), antitrust laws, regulation of
monopolies (such as power companies), estate taxes, and a
progressive tax code that, combined with a welfare system for
the poor and elderly, redistributes wealth from the rich to
the less fortunate.

Please also note that over the past 24 years, as the
Republicans have gained ascendancy, they have greatly
weakened government efforts in all the above areas.
Predictably, over the same period of time, wealth in this
country has become more greatly concentrated.

Paul

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