I heard a very interesting theory that people don't like capitalism because people don't like greed. If the theory is true, it implies that all capitalists are greedy. That's not true because some people who have money are very giving. They share their wealth and aren't bad people just because they have money.
Greed has nothing to do with whether or not a person has money: it has to do with choice. A capitalist can choose to be greedy...but so can a poor person. It's inaccurate to associate greed with only rich people.
When I think about it, everyone who has a job is a capitalist because they work to get money. It's not fair to blame someone who is good at making money because the blaming person has less. A capitalist is someone who invests their money according to the principles of capitalism. Capitalism is producing goods or services for a profit.
These definitions make me realize that everyone who has a 401k is a capitalist because they invest their money to make a profit. They put money into their 401k and based on the investments they chose, hope to make more money. Yes, every stock broker is a capitalist because they work to make a return on their investment (a profit.) But do I need to fault them because they know how to invest in the stock market, and perhaps do so well? I can see faulting them because they are greedy but not because of how they choose to make money.
If I fault the stock broker for making money, do I also fault the doctor? Isn't every business in existence to make money? Hating the stock broker but not the doctor, seems crazy to me because they both have money. Perhaps I need to hate the stock broker because he/she has more money. That doesn't seem fair.
Everyone who sells something for a profit is a capitalist. If I had a home that I bought for $200,000 and sold it for $250,000, I'm a capitalist because I made a profit of $50,000. If I bought my car for $7,000 and sold it for $8,000, I'm a capitalist because I capitalized on the sale of my car by making a profit of $1,000. Whenever I sell something, I hope to collect the asking price but I might negotiate a lower price with the buyer. My lower priced sale doesn't mean I'm not a capitalist. I want to make a profit or at least my asking price, but sometimes that doesn't happen.
I believe in some social programs because certain people do need help. However, people who don't need help, (who could get what they need some other way,) corrupt programs with their greed and hurt people who truly them. Social programs can never work as intended because people are imperfect, greedy, and want something for nothing. In most cases, the programs take away each person's freedom by choosing for them.
There are people who qualify for some programs who choose to not use them because the don't want to give up their ability to choose. A person's situation may seem bleak but that person can choose to overcome adversity, pull themselves up by their bootstraps, and become what seems impossible. They don't need a program to choose for them because they can choose for themselves.
Having money isn't a bad thing. It's the American Dream to make as much money as possible based on merit. People come to America from all over the world to prosper and live the American Dream. Not just foreigners but also most Americans strive for the American Dream. The sad thing is that lately when people are prosperous, they are condemned as if they did something bad. I don't understand it and shake my head in confusion.
I'm tired of hearing that capitalism is bad. No, it isn't. Just like money isn't bad. If I choose to love money more than anything, that's bad...but it's also my choice.
Greed has nothing to do with whether or not a person has money: it has to do with choice. A capitalist can choose to be greedy...but so can a poor person. It's inaccurate to associate greed with only rich people.
When I think about it, everyone who has a job is a capitalist because they work to get money. It's not fair to blame someone who is good at making money because the blaming person has less. A capitalist is someone who invests their money according to the principles of capitalism. Capitalism is producing goods or services for a profit.
These definitions make me realize that everyone who has a 401k is a capitalist because they invest their money to make a profit. They put money into their 401k and based on the investments they chose, hope to make more money. Yes, every stock broker is a capitalist because they work to make a return on their investment (a profit.) But do I need to fault them because they know how to invest in the stock market, and perhaps do so well? I can see faulting them because they are greedy but not because of how they choose to make money.
If I fault the stock broker for making money, do I also fault the doctor? Isn't every business in existence to make money? Hating the stock broker but not the doctor, seems crazy to me because they both have money. Perhaps I need to hate the stock broker because he/she has more money. That doesn't seem fair.
Everyone who sells something for a profit is a capitalist. If I had a home that I bought for $200,000 and sold it for $250,000, I'm a capitalist because I made a profit of $50,000. If I bought my car for $7,000 and sold it for $8,000, I'm a capitalist because I capitalized on the sale of my car by making a profit of $1,000. Whenever I sell something, I hope to collect the asking price but I might negotiate a lower price with the buyer. My lower priced sale doesn't mean I'm not a capitalist. I want to make a profit or at least my asking price, but sometimes that doesn't happen.
I believe in some social programs because certain people do need help. However, people who don't need help, (who could get what they need some other way,) corrupt programs with their greed and hurt people who truly them. Social programs can never work as intended because people are imperfect, greedy, and want something for nothing. In most cases, the programs take away each person's freedom by choosing for them.
There are people who qualify for some programs who choose to not use them because the don't want to give up their ability to choose. A person's situation may seem bleak but that person can choose to overcome adversity, pull themselves up by their bootstraps, and become what seems impossible. They don't need a program to choose for them because they can choose for themselves.
Having money isn't a bad thing. It's the American Dream to make as much money as possible based on merit. People come to America from all over the world to prosper and live the American Dream. Not just foreigners but also most Americans strive for the American Dream. The sad thing is that lately when people are prosperous, they are condemned as if they did something bad. I don't understand it and shake my head in confusion.
I'm tired of hearing that capitalism is bad. No, it isn't. Just like money isn't bad. If I choose to love money more than anything, that's bad...but it's also my choice.
1 comment:
Well said, Jade. Funny how those in power hate some capitalists like Big Oil, Big Wal-Mart, Big Pharmacuticals, etc. Yet they LOVE Big Hollywood, Big Universities, etc. And they especially love Big Government, which allows them to waste and squander untold billions of taxpayer dollars, while the rest of us suffer.
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