Why is Capitalism important?

Why is the Second Amendment important?

Why?

Why is it important that we live in a representative republic and not a pure democracy?

Why?

Because there will always be winners.

No matter what system of government, or tax burden, or any set of circumstance meant to "make things fair," there will always be winners, and there will always be losers.

Socialism of any stripe, does not eliminate wealth stratification. History says so.

Capitalism isn't fair, but it is honest. You get fucked right up front, out of your "fair share," by the hard workers and the people born to families with money.

That sure is a bummer. But what is the better alternative?

I'll wait.

Hey listen, I'm a compassionate guy, but I'm also a realist, and also driven by a mysterious force to work hard.

It means that I'll climb over you if I have to, and I will.

All through the primaries, to Hillary getting crushed, through all the hysteria, all this nonsense has been raining down on me here, as I try to sort out my job and my life, from the depths it had descended.

I learned all I need to know about the world, and government, from The Princess Bride.

"Life IS pain, Princess. Anyone who says differently is selling something."

"You fell victim to one of the classic blunders, never get involved in a land war in asia..."

Where am I going with this?

Everything that Trump and the Republicans in Congress are doing, is the right thing. Even if it is the wrong thing, it is still right, because the fight will yield what is needed.

The Democrats have lost and lost again, because they got fat and happy off the machine they'd built. Now, they must reorganize and earn it for real. Or, stick to their current strategy of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

There will always be winners. The people who would seek to level the playing field, are far more dangerous than the "wealthy elites." Why? Because the people attached to all those identity politics and wealth redistribution schemes, also want to centralize power and arms in the government.

As long as free men have a rifle at hand, any perceived power the "elite" hold, is at the pleasure of the masses. This is as it should be.

We all vastly outnumber the wealthy and politically powerful. Serfdom is a disarmament away.

You might never be a millionaire or billionaire, but whether you're a winner or not, is your choice.

There are things that we can argue are choice. Sexual orientation, drug addiction, wearing crocks, etc. What I know is a choice, is whether you want to better yourself.

Trump is a bad man, the Republicans are evil, blah blah blah. Want change Democrats? You'll have to work for it. THAT is the American way.

"It's Her Turn" sums up what needed to be stomped out, and the cancerous entitlement just oozing from the pores of the yoots today.

Life is hard, get a helmet. Because there will always be winners.

Right on, arc. Well spoken.

Who has the citizen Kane clapping .gif

Couldn't agree more. Well said.

Very good!

Oh I mean it.

When I was younger, I was angry for a variety of reasons, driven. Time passes, things change, there is a softening, sometimes from perceived security, but other things as well.

I could tell a long story, but I got so sick and tired in a variety of ways I found my way back around to angry.

Or am I? Perhaps I'm just motivated, driven? When I was younger, it was less meaningful frankly. Now, I have a son.

He is a source of many things, and newfound purpose is one. Children are our only chance at immortality, until money and science make Ghost In The Shell a real thing.

Let's be honest though, kids are assholes.

It's not just history saying that, it's biology as well.

Roger that Arc, well said.

quote:

Originally posted by BamaJeepster:
It's not just history saying that, it's biology as well.

Silence! You with your heteronormative cispatrearchy!

Our system was designed to give equal opportunity, not equal outcomes.

Well said!

Throughout all of nature, and all the natural history we have been able to observe or recover from the fossil record, what you say has been true. It's a silly state of affairs we live in where so many simply believe they can will it now to be otherwise.

quote:

Originally posted by arcwelder76:
Oh I mean it.

When I was younger, I was angry for a variety of reasons, driven. Time passes, things change, there is a softening, sometimes from perceived security, but other things as well.

I could tell a long story, but I got so sick and tired in a variety of ways I found my way back around to angry.

Or am I? Perhaps I'm just motivated, driven? When I was younger, it was less meaningful frankly. Now, I have a son.

He is a source of many things, and newfound purpose is one. Children are our only chance at immortality, until money and science make Ghost In The Shell a real thing.

Let's be honest though, kids are assholes.

Same here. Kids change your perception a little, don't they? Even when they are little assholes.
I used to be far more aggressive. But I've mellowed.

For a short time in a small way, I was involved in figuring out how to maximize company earnings by tying it to ways that incentivize people to maximize their personal earnings. The idea was if we set up the commision schedule correctly, the things that people will do to maximize their earnings will also maximize company earnings.

But I quickly learned that any man-made system can and will be gamed by people to only maximize their earnings even at the expense of company earnings.

Most other systems presume and depend on the "goodness" of people to work to benefit themselves and their fellow man. Capitalism presume on the "evil" of people to work most of all for their own selfish benefit and nothing else. It's the worst system there is but everything is sorely deficient in comparison.

Well said Arc. Thanks.

Sums it up nicely, Arc.

quote:

Originally posted by arcwelder76:
Now, I have a son.

Makes things a bit sharper doesn't it?


Well written post Arc.

Teach you children well
Your father's hell did slowly go by
And feed them on your dreams
The one they picks
The one you'll know by
Don't you ever ask them why
If they told you, you would cry
So just look at them and sigh
And know they hate you

At breakfast last week there were 5 veterans and three people who worked in one school system or another.
all of the 12 people were over the age of 60.

They seemed to think that if the community offered the best possible education, by both $ and support from the people and then took very very good care of the veterans ,
not only would you have more productive people,

but more educated people would want to be serving their country.

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
At breakfast last week there were 5 veterans and three people who worked in one school system or another.
all of the 12 people were over the age of 60.

They seemed to think that if the community offered the best possible education, by both $ and support from the people and then took very very good care of the veterans ,
not only would you have more productive people,

but more educated people would want to be serving their country.

Thanks for that.