tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088603658552825500.post2598981978407817223..comments2023-11-05T05:53:29.465-05:00Comments on The Hickory Hound: Crony Socialism is destroying our societyJames Thomas Shellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359970774315269896noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088603658552825500.post-13798976773051085032013-11-27T14:12:21.975-05:002013-11-27T14:12:21.975-05:00I agree that socialism is equal misery for everyon...I agree that socialism is equal misery for everyone. But I have to grind my axe here. Top down central planning doesn't give us prosperity it just mitigates some of the worries we have. The influential still get preferential treatment, they just use the gubmint and the rules to get their way. The poorest people have little incentive to strive harder, because they get a subsistence lifestyle guaranteed. And the middle class is hampered from upward mobility due to the onerous regulations and obstacles put in their way by the governing elites. <br /><br />In a mostly capitalistic system (which we don't have anymore and haven't had for a long time), monopolies tend to crop up by the financial and market muscle that corporations and wealthy individuals can exert on the market. It is brought into balance over time by competition, technological advances, and structural change, but this can take time and sometimes a lot of rancor before the monopolies are broken up. In the mean time, you have to live with poorer products and services at too high prices until the market forces work. <br /><br />So what is the bottom line and what is the best case scenario? Capitalism, and the progress and freedom it gives is the best way to go to allow the incentives we have to work for our own betterment. BUT, we have to have free people that will forgo the impulse to manipulate, cheat and monopolize their way into unfair advantage over others. And there is the rub. <br /><br />There is no perfect system and no matter what system you have, if you don't have moral individuals to look out for the good of all, sometimes at their personal expense, we have injustices that lead to cries for "something to be done". Without the moral component our energies go into strife and unproductive activities and we all lose. This used to be called good character but how many really care about this now? <br />Harry Hippshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18373435658855296299noreply@blogger.com