Capitalism and democracy?

Question

democracy accepts capitalism but capitalism isn't democratic. that's why too many people live on or below the poverty level. why is this?

Answer 1

You mean capitialism isn't pro-socialist?? How is capitalism "not democratic"?

Some people live below the poverty level because they choose to. I know many people like that! They don't like work.

Answer 2

the thing is they two different things.

capitalism is an economic ideal

while democracy is a political view.

capitalism doesn't help the poor because capitalism is all about making money.  not really about helping people (but if you can help people and make money it's a plus)

democracy is about giving people the power to vote.  if the people choice to help the power they can vote on it...of course if they choice to vote on other things that don't help (or worst hurt) the poor that will come pass to.

Answer 3

Capitalism is the most democratic system available.  Capitalism allows people to "vote with their dollars" to decide what gets produced.  People are free to choose what they want to consume.  Socialism, while it sounds good in theory, is not democratic at all because the government, not the people, decides what gets produced and how much it will cost.  Also, historically, socialism requires a large, coercive, nonelected government in order to function.

Answer 4

Hmmmm, the opposite ends of the spectrum glaring at one another ....

First, democracy is a form of governance while capitalism is a form of economy, as such, the two concepts cannot be weighed using the same scale.

Yes, democracy does accept capitalism even through, as you aptly pointed out, but your first two respondents seem to disagree with, capitalism is not (clearly not) democratic.  

It's an illusion -and a heavy-handed, government and media-driven one at that- to equate capitalism and democracy ... it's the best hope for the government (select few) and the so-called titans of capitalism (select few) to keep the populace trudging off to work every day ... so capitalism gets promoted as the vehicle that allows everyone an equal opportunity and equal access to the pie.  

However, those who chose to look just one layer below that BS easily recognize the abject lie and deceitfulnees that accompanies that propaganda.

Remember, the country of America -for 232 years now- has self-announced itself as the greatest democracy in the world ... but, once the curtain is peeled back and a quick glance is offered at the scene behind the curtain, an entirely different story emerges.  

For starters, America was founded by an elitist group of white men who, in the name of democracy- refused to acknowledge slavery -the most brutal and inhumane form of treatment one person can engender on another (strike one against the claim of being a democratic [or republic -for the quibblers] nation back in the 1770s.

Next, one of the most precious principles of democracy (or so it's said), the right to vote was denied to nearly 3/4 of the American public when our Constitution came into existence ... it took nearly 90 years of denial and backdoor shenanigans before the Civil War attempted to right a few wrongs ... another 60 or so years before women were given the right to vote ... and another forty-some years before Black Americans were -on paper anyway- given the right to vote (strike two against the claim of "greatest democracy on earth").

In short, for most of America's short history, the majority of the people didn't even have the right to vote while a small coterie of elitists ran ramshod over democracy and garnered the lion's share of the American pie under the winks and nods, and smoke and mirrors of free enterprise.  

How anyone (well, quite frankly, most of the world outside the U.S. actually -and thankfully- doesn't buy it) can get on this board and say that capitalism is good because it allows eveyone an equal shot at the golden ring is beyond the pale.  And that type of thinking (common as it is) indicates a disdain or outright refusal to read and understand the history of how this country was formed and how it is governed.

At the end of every day in America, capitalism and democracy are compelled to confront each other ... and every day -for 232 years now- capitalism has held the trump card (strike three!).

Answer 5

"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both." - Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis