Is capitalism going to come to an end?
Is capitalism in it’s final death throes? Some seem to hope that it is.
But maybe not. China, now one of the world’s biggest economic powers, has moved quickly from failed socialism to a capitalist-socialist hybrid.
Even the most capitalist countries have some degree of socialism.
Political and financial systems will continue to evolve in a very complex world. It’s hard to see an end in the foreseeable future to capitalism or some sort of non-state monetary systems.
Your NZ 
Alan Wilkinson
/ 19th June 2016Capitalism ended in quite a few countries previously. None turned out well for their citizens.
Presland needs some history lessons.
Blazer
/ 19th June 2016Some examples would help sustain your position.
Alan Wilkinson
/ 19th June 2016Too many to bother with. One counter example might sustain yours.
Blazer
/ 19th June 2016How very shallow and predictable of you Al.
Alan Wilkinson
/ 19th June 2016All you deserve, Blazer if not more.
Blazer
/ 19th June 2016You are definately a Hollow man Al.
Alan Wilkinson
/ 19th June 2016Loser => personal attack
Blazer
/ 19th June 2016you did it too….so Winner=impersonal attack.
Alan Wilkinson
/ 19th June 2016I’ll take the win graciously then.
Gezza
/ 19th June 2016Priceless. 😀
Kevin
/ 19th June 2016Venezuela. North Korea.
Blazer
/ 19th June 2016when did Capitalism end in North Korea my erudite friend?
artcroft
/ 19th June 2016Marx is correct about political parties losing their way: Exhibit one: NZ Labour.
Corky
/ 19th June 2016Arty, you have made facetiousness an art form.
Corky
/ 19th June 2016Capitalism is the only workable system when global consensus moving us forward in one direction or goal is missing.
Marx to a certain degree is right. But it must be remembered few countries practice pure capitalism. They add socialism to the mix. That stifles capitalism-the wheels come off- and capitalism is blamed.
Crony capitalism is really the culprit.
As for socialism. Its a failed experiment. The problem is socialism doesn’t cater to individualism and the creative human spirit. As Alan hinted ” things didn’t turn of well.”
Blazer
/ 19th June 2016Pretty good post there Corks.Crony capitalism is a virus.If you think about it Capitalism promotes individualism/everyman for himself,as an effective divide and rule strategy that ironically is enforced by collective ‘morality’i.e disdain for ‘loser’,bludgers’ and the unsophisticated.Marx is one of the great minds .
Gezza
/ 19th June 2016Marx might’ve had some insights but the communist regimes which were derived from Marxism have sbeen spectacular failures. Social democracies which embrace & promote but regulate capitalism seem to do well.
Blazer
/ 19th June 2016What time frame are we talking here Gezza,and what are the comparative measures of doing well?
Gezza
/ 19th June 2016Current and past times Blazer. New Zealand was a very successful social democracy before Britain entered the common market. Denmark, Sweden, Norway (mentioned elsewhere) are successful social democracies at present.
Blazer
/ 19th June 2016What sets them apart ,do you think?
Gezza
/ 19th June 2016https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_model
Blazer
/ 19th June 2016Interesting link Gezza…Alot like NZ, personally I like the Norwegian model.
dave1924
/ 19th June 2016As Corky says – we live in mixed economies.
The challenge for Politicians is to ensure the right blend of regulation to make sure the worst aspects of dark satanic mills don’t get loose, but curbing their gut instinct to give away other peoples money to freely and taxing the golden goose to death.
If Capitalism ends, the economic pie will shrink and all those niceties we currently enjoy will drop back to 1920’s type levels – personally I prefer the Health and Education opportunities we enjoy now…
David
/ 19th June 2016Presland may want to take a cursory glance at South America, Venezeula, Cuba, Argentina, Brazil et al have been near destroyed by socialism.
Venezeula has the worlds largest oil reserves yet it runs out of basic staples like toilet paper and women’s products and that is before the needless premature deaths of people who,s lack of access to basic drugs and healthcare would shame the worlds poorest countries. Brazil is heading rapidly the same way and Socialism is to blame, in real time not some predicted end of days by some long dead economist.
Blazer
/ 19th June 2016A very simplistic and totally misleading appraisal of those countries mentioned.Sanctions,manipulation of market prices ,political interference ,cronyism and poor governance are the salient factors.
Alan Wilkinson
/ 19th June 2016Sanctions,manipulation of market prices ,political interference ,cronyism and poor governance are the salient factors.
. that is a definition of socialism.
Blazer
/ 19th June 2016Well who would ever have thought!These are the practices of the U.S govt,1-sanctions-examples-Cuba,Vietnam,Iran.
2-manipulation of mkts-Wall St rigging rates,front running.
3-cronyism-the election of senators ,the appointment of ambassadors,etc,etc.
4-poor governance-conflicting state laws on a myriad of things,presidential veto,oversight of FBI,CIA,etc,etc.
Alan Wilkinson
/ 19th June 2016Exactly. The socialist cancer in politics everywhere. And you want it to grow rather than shrink.
David
/ 19th June 2016So Socialism only works when you can trade with the USA?
Blazer
/ 19th June 2016No.Believe it or not the U.S.A has great influence all around the world..the U.N,Nato and various and many other pacts that include both military and economic factors.These are the days of the American Empire,and they say…if you’re not with us…you’re …against us=do as we say=bombs or dollars….you choose.
dave1924
/ 19th June 2016A lot of those things sound like socialism Blazer!!!!
Cronyism: Yip Fidel and family are rich, as are the families of the Venezuelan political elites. As have been every family associated with heavily socialist countries leadership
Political interference: definition of socialism right there
Manipulation of Market price: Yip socialism again – e.g. price of gasoline in Venezuela
Poor Governance: that’s a shared vice I’ll give you that one
Blazer
/ 19th June 2016forgot political inteference to add to my prior post…
https://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjb2rfGv7LNAhUMo5QKHTsfB3MQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.juancole.com%2F2012%2F02%2Fus-interventions-in-the-world-since-ww-ii.html&psig=AFQjCNHUBzYOkd5z_CKfaLaD2zKhXsjFGw&ust=1466370932092762
David
/ 19th June 2016Venezuela’s richest woman is Hugo Chavez’s daughter.
viva la revolucion, comrade!
Blazer
/ 19th June 2016‘may be the wealthiest woman in Venezuela, according to evidence reportedly in the hands of Venezuelan media outlets.’
‘may’……………………..’evidence reportedly in ‘…
Viva propaganda…American style!Viva the gullible who swallow every bit of it without question.
‘
Blazer
/ 19th June 2016‘The Miami-based newspaper did not detail what evidence there was outlining Chavez’s assets, though there have long been rumors she held a sizable fortune.’
why bother with evidence…it might spoil the story!
David
/ 19th June 2016She can afford toilet paper, that is evidence enough….
David
/ 19th June 2016The countries often pointed to as ‘socialist’, such as Sweden, Denmark and Norway are in fact highly capitalist. They just have a higher tax rate that provides services to those paying the taxes.
Blazer
/ 19th June 2016You define the Capitalist countries that adhere to the Capitalist doctrine…if you can!
David
/ 19th June 2016Yes, its rather easy to do. You know, things like open markets, property rights, private companies etc. Countries like Sweden, Denmark and Norway.
Would you care to name a non-capitalist country you want to live in?
Blazer
/ 19th June 2016Sweden,Denmark or Norway….sound rather appealing.
David
/ 19th June 2016All of which are capitalist….
Blazer
/ 19th June 2016according to you…or do people consider them socialist as you attest….you fail to confirm any bona fides as an expert on defining ideology big time.
Gezza
/ 19th June 2016No they’re successful social democracies which embrace capitalism.
David
/ 19th June 2016“according to you…or do people consider them socialist as you attest….you fail to confirm any bona fides as an expert on defining ideology big time.”
How about you answer this question, why does Sweden have so many billionaires if its a socialist state?
Blazer
/ 19th June 2016‘How about you answer this question, why does Sweden have so many billionaires if its a socialist state?’….those things are not mutually exclusive…..ask yourself why does China have so many billionaires if its a communist state?
David
/ 19th June 2016“ask yourself why does China have so many billionaires if its a communist state?”
Simple, it isn’t.
Blazer
/ 19th June 2016unfortunately it never is as simple as a label….only the simple think it is!
Kevin
/ 19th June 2016Capitalism is self-correcting and so will never die. Also, no one actually “invented” capitalism although people have attempted to describe it. It’s a system that has evolved over many many years and continues to evolve.
Economically, China is capitalist. But politically, it’s communist. A lot of people forget that it’s still a communist country. The problem China has is that if you mix a capitalist economy with communism you end up with corruption on a massive scale and crony capitalism. In fact, China is Muldoonism on a gigantic scale. And we all know what happened there.
Blazer
/ 19th June 2016What evidence can you offer that Capitalism is ‘self correcting’…or are you implying that it is so flexible’ it cannot be defined and actually does not exist in any pure form.As for ‘Piggy’ -was similar to Key in popularity, a National Party hero ,adored by the faithful…until…..he…wasn’t!
Kevin
/ 19th June 2016“What evidence can you offer that Capitalism is ‘self correcting’…”
The Great Depression. If Capitalism hadn’t been self-correcting it never would have survived.
Share market crashes which result in overpriced shares being purged. That’s a form of correction.
The boom bust cycle. After every bust Capitalism self-corrects resulting in another boom.
Muldoon was the Winston of his era.
Blazer
/ 19th June 2016that is not ‘self correcting’….that is the backbone of Capitalism…i.e private ,central bankers self inflicting.Unfortunately they do not suffer,only the ‘hamsters in the wheel’ the debt slaves ….suffer.
Brown
/ 19th June 2016Clearly you do not know what capitalism is Blazer – a bastardized son of it is not the same as the real thing. Its not perfect but at least it follows the rules of evolution if left alone. As for Sweden, even the UN are saying it will be third world within about 15 years. Norway’s present life line is oil. Venezuela has that as well and more of it so what went wrong there?
Blazer
/ 19th June 2016Clearly geo politics is not your forte Brown.Saudi Arabia decided to increase production.As they have a low cost of production the effect was to make it it unprofitable for their competitors to match the new barrel price.With fracking and demand fluctuating this allows the OPEC nations to monster countries like Venezuela who rely almost entirely on oil around 80-100 a barrel.Norway is much more diversified.The U.S which actually exports oil is almost self sufficient, but the lowering of cost has been very detrimental to the fracking industry and the exploration/drilling sector too.
Gezza
/ 19th June 2016The rules of evolution for capitalism seem to lead to corporatocracies, plutocracies, crony capitalism & financial capitalism, all of which have negative effects on more egalitarian societies.