This blog contains material I wrote and posted on multiply.com between the years 2005 and 2011 only. It does not contain any new material. For newer writing, please check my main blog (Bill the Butcher).


Tuesday 27 November 2012

Odd Things About Capitalists


When the stock market flies high, they don't want government interference. They want to be left alone to make their profits.
But
When the market crashes, they scream for the government to do something to halt the slide.
When they set up factories, they want the freedom to sell their products to whom they like at the rate they like.
But
When they set up their factories, they would like the government to get land at gunpoint if necessary and hand it over to them at subsidised payments, and that, too, deferred.
They scream about governments providing free or subsidised power and tax relief to farmers.
But
Wouldn't mind, in fact lobby hard, for free power and tax holidays for themselves.
They constantly praise the "efficiency" of capitalism , to wit, it allows only the fittest to survive.
But
They urge laws against the logical culmination of such an economic "survival of the fittest" strategy, the creation of monopolies like Microsoft for example.
They say capitalism will help everyone through the trickle down effect.
But
They will try and pay their workers the tiniest pittance they can get away with.
They say capitalism is inherently fairer than socialism because of its "people friendly nature".
But
They would make services "user payable", which means anyone not able to pay for something would not be able to use it. Check your bank balance before calling the private fire brigade, people! 
They promote free trade when it's they who are doing the exporting.
But
When someone else is exporting to them at a lower cost, then you see tariff barriers reach sky high.
They say socialism breeds corruption.
But
They have no problems making money from no bid contracts, warmongering, bribing politicians, and polluting and raping the environment for short term profit.
They want patent protection for their inventions and ideas.
But
When they can, they are more than happy to steal someone else's ideas for their own use.
Maybe I'm just stupid, or maybe I'm missing something, or maybe I'm a dinosaur who's out of touch with the realities of the world.
Or maybe capitalism is just plain crazy after all. 

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