America not a capitalist country
To tell the truth, I had another topic on my mind until this morning to rant about. I feel like I need to set the record straight, so our readers are not misinformed.
I once believed in a total free market economy in the United States. Then I woke up. However, it would have been a nice dream though, if I weren’t liberal. I think I’ll change the label liberal for this one column to the word realistic. I don’t live in a dream world all the time, and neither does the American economy.
What we are taught (indoctrinated with actually) all the way up through high school is the United States of America is a capitalist economy, no exceptions, pure and simple. If only the economy was that simple. We are taught pure Capitalism and pure Socialism, which we are told progressively, gets worse as we go down to Communism.
If we were a free-market economy, we would not have recessions, but rather depressions more often than not, as the economy would not be able to resuscitate itself quickly from something like a credit crunch and housing downfall.
The truth of matter is we are a mixed economy, plain and simple. Nothing more, nothing less. We do have a place for competitiveness; however, we also have a place for those who cannot seem to get their feet on the ground. This place is called social programming.
If we were a totally open and free market, we would not have Small Business Development loans, police departments, fire departments, health departments, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Just think about it. Someone would have to pay for all of these services if we didn’t pay taxes to keep them in place. They would end up being competitive, which would be like Afghanistan or some of the former Soviet Republics – we would have to pay for protection!
So you don’t care about those social services? Well if we were a totally capitalist society, we would not have scholarships or loans for students who cannot afford to go to college, even if they had top-notch grades. I am talking specifically about government-subsidized scholarships and loans, not private ones. There goes your HOPE Scholarship! You were about to flunk your Physics class anyhow and lose HOPE already, so what’s it to you? I hope that you dropped your class by 5 p.m. last Monday. If not then you are ______.
Moving right along with this idea of Capitalism and a free market economy. Some believe that it’s a danger to have so many social programs and if the Democrats take over, they would tax us to the roof to keep these programs in place. According to ultra-conservatives, all Democrats are liberal, there is no such thing as the conservative democrat who ruled the South for 130 years.
Here is a thought. It doesn’t matter who is in charge in the White House or Congress. Democrat or Republican, taxes have gone up, because the cost of living has gone up. George Bush is spending more money than his predecessor, who actually tried to cut costs in the 1990s.
However, even though Bush is spending more money than any Democratic president has, he is spending it on the war in Iraq, not on social programs. There is no total correlation with taxes and social program spending. I have not even touched Environmental Protection either, which began as a non-partisan issue.
Ultra conservatives can complain and whine every time a bill in Congress is passed, or a policy is implemented which shows that we are not capitalist at all.
Nevertheless, that’s the beauty of our economy. We have a place for everyone from the very competitive airline industry, to those individuals and families who are less fortunate. That is the beauty of America – helping to make a way for those of us dreamers who could never find a way totally on our own.
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Mar 7 2008. Filed under Opinion.
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