Capitalism and Socialism

In response to a pro-capitalist/anti-social screed, the following discussion ensued.  The essay Stuart linked to is very interesting and worthwhile, btw.

Stuart:  For those more interested in substance than rhetoric on this issue, please check this out, explaining how capitalism vs socialism is a false dichotomy and suggesting that what’s really happening is that young people are beginning to see the downside of pure capitalism. 

Me:  Wow, this really is good, thought-provoking stuff. The way I see it, however, is that people of all ages, young people in particular, want this country to be more like most of Europe and all of Scandinavia, i.e., happy people who are more than willing to pay higher taxes in exchange for things on which they place an extremely high value: healthcare and education for all, no homelessness, hunger, destitution, etc.  Within those confines, free enterprise reigns, and people are free to make as much money as they can.

They rightfully take pride in the fact that, unlike the U.S., they don’t have somewhere between 14% and 20% of the children going hungry and they don’t have people living in the streets or dying of treatable diseases. Adding to that happiness is the sense of kinship and community they have because, together, they’re creating a society of healthy, well educated morally upright people who care about one another.

Coincidentally, this subject came up in a tutoring session I conducted last night with a local high school boy who’s learning about the Industrial Revolution and its social, economic and political ramifications.   We were talking about the political/economic spectrum with libertarianism/laissez faire economics at one end and hardcore communism on the other.  It’s easy to see how both these extremes result in a horrifically unpleasant way of life.