(August 4, 2013 at 4:54 pm)Brian37 Wrote:(July 26, 2013 at 6:47 pm)Koolay Wrote: If I asked you, what seperates human behaviour from the behaviour of animals what would you say?
Probably thinking, language, negotiation, something like that?
Well indeed, yes. Negotiation and language is the litmus paper test between human and non human. Unlike other primitive species, when we want something from another, we will usually negotiate, trade or convince someone to do it, non violently, non coercively. This saves both parties from injury, and also both parties win, rather than one killing or injuring the other and taking the other's food or whatever.
If I grow oranges, and you grow apples, by us trading, we now get to eat both oranges and apples, so we both benefit from the trade. Whereas if one were to forcefully take the other's produce, only one of us would benefit.
The only alternative to free market capitalism is coercion, stealing and aggression.
Of course, humans can be our predators. Not everyone wants to peacefully trade and negotiate.
These primitive people are incapable of trade and negotiation and will threat, extort, steal your resources. They are devoid of empathy, most of them are in what are called governments- were groups of people are not bound by the laws of the non aggression principle that we follow.
It's no secret the most violent, corrupt and repugnant of people are against free trade. These people are your predators, these people are those who will take your resources and put you in a cage if you disagree with what they think, and they will say you are a bad person if you do not like it. To support governments is to spit on yourself and wipe the boots of your oppressor. Free market capitalism is freedom, and inevitably, it will prevail.
Bullshit. This is simplistic.
First off "capitalism" IS NOT A FORM OF GOVERNMENT.
Gadaffi was a billionaire who owned stock in GE. China capitalizes off the sale of cheap goods on the backs of slave wages. Saudi Arabia capitalizes off the sale of oil.
All humans seek power, as individuals and groups. Money is the way those things are maintained. Anything can go off the rails if left to it's own devices, religion, politics, nationalism, AND BUSINESS.
Everything can be gamed because humans run all those things.
Capitalism isn't a cure, it is a means, just like politics and religion. All of those things are group think that seek resources to gain a advantage.
The issue is monopolies of power and abuse of power. Business by itself can be just as harmful and exploit just like religion and politics.
"I scratch your back you scratch mine" is what we all do, in all those aspects. But what makes it more fair is when we insist in law that no one can have a monopoly of power, INCLUDING BUSINESS.
Capitalism does not violate the non aggression principle. Government does. Do not compare two things which are fundamentally different moral states.
The only freedom, is freedom from illusion.