Gar Alperovitz: If you don't like capitalism or state socialism, what do you want?

Gar Alperovitz
Schumacher lectures
November 5th, 2011
New York, New Economics Institute
Transcript here: http://neweconomicsinstitute.org/publ...

Gar Alperovitz is the Lionel R. Bauman Professor of Political Economy at the University of Maryland, and the co-founder of the Democracy Collaborative. He is the author of "America Beyond Capitalism: Reclaiming Our Wealth, Our Liberty, and Our Democracy."
AmericaBeyondCapitalism.com * GarAlperovitz.com

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[Jyagos1]

Capitalist countries allowed massive amounts of wealth to the richest while leaving the poorer people in the dust. The education systems are in shambles and you think out of the 300-400 year history of capitalism it should continue making the rich richer while the poor are poorer? Blame all you want on certain aspects. I prefer to get to the root of the problem and change us to a more democratic society.

[Jyagos1]

Again, you're pulling up things that make NO sense. You choose to ignore how the US has distribution of wealth to the rich compared to Switzerland going in a neo-liberal direction to France which still has more equal distribution of wealth. You jump from country to country without any basis for your arguments and again, this is non-sequitor. Please stop arguing that Socialism is bad if you don't have any idea of what it's done for more Socialist countries.

[noprofitmaximierung]

Actually, I am merely a member of the LEFT Party of Germany which holds 12% of Parliamentary seats, and have never even attended a demonstrations much less damaged private property. You're a moron.

[Reido2828]

We have not seen the benefit of it because of the education and the ambition today's youth has. We have allowed our religious and political institutions to destroy science. Our culture values paper, rather then an idea. Much of our problems is stemmed from our culture, not from Capitalism. Capitalism can be used in a variety of different ways to benefit society. Only Capitalist societies have made achieved mass amounts of wealth. NOT SOCIALIST NATIONS!

[Reido2828]

I didn't make up anything at all and inequality is just as rampant in socialist countries as it is in open market ones. Compare Switzerland staying neutral in conflicts to say America fighting open wars of aggression to the French socialist president. Socialism allows everyone to share in the misery equally while Capitalism allows everyone to unequal share in the benefit. I'm sorry you can't see straight yet. The next big industrial industries are slowly opening up.

[Reido2828]

Uh huh and your another fascist communist. People like you take to the streets all the time and cause damage to private property because you refuse to accept that your communist ideology is DEAD and by dead I mean has murdered millions of people all in its name. You pigs are a disgrace to freedom

[Jyagos1]

The Soviet style was a misunderstanding of Socialism. People thought about the top down model but didn't think about giving the workers the egalitarian democracy that they fought hard for. The co-op model (ie democracy at work) is beginning to pick up steam and seems to be a stronger alternative to what others are proposing. That's far better for leftists since they usually prefer a grassroots option anyway.

[Jyagos1]

Your argument is nonsensical. If you understood the theory of surplus value and other aspects of capitalism, I would actually take your argument seriously. But all you're doing is ad homs based on nothing more than mere personal attacks. Good luck with your arguments to others, but you are just more interested in making up your own mind about supporting the status quo that has a lot of inequality.

[noprofitmaximierung]

Please bother other people with your idiocy.

[Reido2828]

Can you THINK? Capitalism as an ideology is vague and you cannot fight a war in the name of Capitalism genius. You can fight for resources or market manipulation I guess but part 2 hasn't happened yet. So wars of Capitalism is just non sense. Learn critical thinking K and understand marxism has slaughtered millions and still does today in the name of resource centralization. Because morons like you