29 Dec 2021 8:37 pm
Well capitalism did exist in a small way even in Russia. Beyond the black market (which I was already well aware). And it was illegal so capitalism too had to be "underground". It was considered organized crime by the Soviets and therefore no actual stock was issued. It was based on trust. I don't make the huge distinction you do between capitalism and free enterprise. Even what you consider free enterprise is in many cases capitalism. If I have a table saw and a neighbor pays me to let him use it to make a table for his kitchen this is capitalism as I am receiving profit from the use of my capital. And regardless of whether that table saw is fully owned by me or my entire family or even the residents of my block I don't find it in any way more objectionable. Capitalism and Free Enterprise is a subjective matter of where you draw the line. A socialist might claim anything not directly produced with your labor but rather the use of your capital property is wrong. I don't see it as any different since the capital property too at some point was produced with the proceeds from my labor (or I might have even built the table saw myself by hand).Cannonpointer » 29 Dec 2021, 9:19 pm » wrote: ↑ What if it WERE the design of capitalism? Would you cease to support capitalism?
Allow me to give you an example of capitalism REQUIRING government sponsorship for its existence. Let us take Mother Russia, from circa 1917 to circa 1992. In all of those years, capitalism DID not, COULD not exist in the USSR.
Free enterprise did. People still traded - legally, illegally, free enterprise continued on. But CAPITALISM did not, could not exist. Because the government did not SPONSOR it. And capitalism cannot exist without government sponsorship.
Even if it has to express itself in a black market, free enterprise is impossible to extinguish. But all a government has to do to end capitalism is cease to support it.
So there is CLEARLY a difference between capitalism and free enterprise. Clearly.
I only support one of them. You BELIEVE that you support both - and I believe that you are incorrect. They are at odds. Support for one is antipathy to the other