Which is more important to the US?

[Ecthy]

do you actually know how to pronounce that?

[Bereta_Eder]

Originally posted by David Floyd


No they aren't - I'm talking about laissez-faire when I say capitalism. If you can name a laissez-faire dictatorship I'd be interested in emigrating there.

The Greek one. AFAIK there was not control of the market. I'd be surprised if it was the only one to not control the market.

[Bereta_Eder]

Also the Spanish and Portuegeuse

[Ecthy]

I bet he doesn't

[rah]

Democracy leads to the oppression of the minority by the majority.
Capitalism leads to the oppression of the majority by the minority.

So who is really be oppressed in the US, poor minorities.

[David Floyd]

Paiktis,

In practice, the Spanish and Greek economies were not laissez faire...no nation has ever been on a laissez-faire system.

[David Floyd]

In fact the US is far more capitalistic than anyone else, but certainly not a true free market by any means.

[Bereta_Eder]

Originally posted by David Floyd
Paiktis,

In practice, the Spanish and Greek economies were not laissez faire...no nation has ever been on a laissez-faire system.

yes and they still are not (thank God

but you talked about capitalism and the economic system of the dictatorships was definitely capitalistic. the market was not controlled by the state (it was not like the german national socialism system for example).

what happened was that civil liberties were limited to the point they did not exist while the economic system remained capitalistic

[Ned]

Originally posted by Arrian
I'm an American and I'd say democracy. And if we have that, we'll continue to choose capitalism

-Arrian

Ditto. I also do not think that capitalism can exist without democracy. China's experiment, as was Russia's, with capitalism while restraining democracy is doomed. Ned

[Akka]

Capitalism is not freedom, it's merely anarchy.
What people seems to forgot is that democratic laws are made to ensure the freedom, not to restrain it. When you do not have laws, you have anarchy, and law of the jungle (the stronger take what he wants, the weaker shut up).
I hardly see why free capitalism is equal to democracy. Free capitalism is the harshest form of dictatorship.

[Bereta_Eder]

many americans seem to believe that capitalism equals freedom.

I think this was part of the cold war rhetorics.

[David Floyd]

but you talked about capitalism and the economic system of the dictatorships was definitely capitalistic. the market was not controlled by the state (it was not like the german national socialism system for example).

Were there tariffs on any foreign goods, or laws about other nations you could not trade with? Was there a capital-gains tax, or an income or corporate tax? Were there laws against monopolies, price-fixing, or setting prices too low?

If there was any of that - and I'd wager most of that went on - then it wasn't laissez-faire.

[Bereta_Eder]

Originally posted by David Floyd


Were there tariffs on any foreign goods, or laws about other nations you could not trade with? Was there a capital-gains tax, or an income or corporate tax? Were there laws against monopolies, price-fixing, or setting prices too low?

If there was any of that - and I'd wager most of that went on - then it wasn't laissez-faire.

yes but laissez faire is not the only form of capitalism.

And besides I thought we were talking about capitalism as it exists in the US or the EU for example. that kind of capitalism was in place and active during the dictatorship (give or take)

[David Floyd]

yes but laissez faire is not the only form of capitalism.

It's true capitalism, unlike the current mixed economies dominating North America and Europe

And besides I thought we were talking about capitalism as it exists in the US or the EU for example. that kind of capitalism was in place and active during the dictatorship

My mistake, then

[The Vagabond]

During the Cold War, the USA supported capitalistic dictatorships and helped to overthrow democratically elected govs if the latter happened to be too left. Consequently, Capitalism is more important to the US than Democracy.