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Old Nov 10, 2003, 12:04 pm   #59 (permalink) (top)
G. Adams
Fyrdman
 
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Location: Middlesbrough UK
Posts: 4,174
wow, you really are sliding into ever more childish ways castille.

A dictatorship is not neccesarily a command economy. Indonesia is officially semi-democratic, but as anyone knows their elections are shams. Yet they can have a thriving capitalist system working alongside.

I think your mixing up your terms. A dictatorship is simply a system in which the executive is given powers to do whatever s/he feels neccesary for whatever cause.
If they want to allow capitalism to continue, or introduce it, they can. Now a totalitarian system is different, and because they are trying to recreate society, they are more likely to have a command economy, but it still isn't definate, just likely.

It is not theoretically impossible for a dictatorship to cancel out capitalism, as long as the dictator does not interfere with with the economy too much. In practice this may not happen often, but it does not mean it can't.

The Soviet Union was not capitalist. I could argue it was state capitalist, in that instead of private individuals running a company for their own profit, it was government officials doing that. Its a weak argument, because there is little trade for profit involved, it is just someone elses labouring for profit purely.

I don't see capitalism as how you want me too just so your arguments would then have value. I in fact support capitalism. I want to see more of it around the world, and I want current capitalist states to purify their capitalism somewhat. But I don't think capitalism is the final economic stage for humanity. As we moved from feudalism to capitalism, I think we will eventually move to communism.

My opinion of capitalism is best summed up by marx, 'capitalism is the best and worst thing to happen to humanity'.


Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.
Winston Churchill
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