General Discussion

RobertEarl

(13,685 posts) Thu Mar 6, 2014, 06:10 PM Mar 2014

Capitalism: what's that? [View all]

Lots of capitalism posts these days. Good stuff.

I'm not much of a capitalist. I use capital, I am a believer in capital. It is a very useful tool. But there is more too it than that, right?

We live with an economic system that is based on capital - the dollar - as a means of commerce. It is also a major part of our modern society. Capitalism is entirely a human construct. Nothing natural about capitalism that I can think of.

I have dollars in my wallet. Those dollars are my capital. The whole system of capitalism is based upon the full faith and credit of those dollars. Meaning, that I can trade those pieces of paper for actual, real items that I did not create.

That's pretty cool, eh? How did this happen? I didn't design capital, build it, program it or do anything really to keep capitalism working so well. My small part is in being some of the glue in the glue of our shared belief in capital.

90 replies

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Capitalism: what's that? [View all] RobertEarl Mar 2014 OP

ABCDEFGHIJKLMONPQRSTUVWXYZ! benld74 Mar 2014 #1

. frwrfpos Mar 2014 #84

Having clamshells in your pouch doesn't make one a clamshelltalist NoOneMan Mar 2014 #2

Your example is extreme capitalism RobertEarl Mar 2014 #3

Huh? Its just the capitalism illustrated. Its private ownership of the means of production. NoOneMan Mar 2014 #5

Sharecroppers RobertEarl Mar 2014 #10

No. No. No. NoOneMan Mar 2014 #13

I am exploring, yes RobertEarl Mar 2014 #19

"the way capital is used in our society to gain advantage over others" NoOneMan Mar 2014 #22

Yep RobertEarl Mar 2014 #24

What keeps capitalism going is the ability of individuals, companies, or states to acquire capital. NuclearDem Mar 2014 #47

Yep RobertEarl Mar 2014 #49

That's impossible. You can't "get rid" of capital. NuclearDem Mar 2014 #51

Capital is required to produce goods? RobertEarl Mar 2014 #53

Yes, capital is absolutely required to produce goods. NuclearDem Mar 2014 #54

Purchase is not produce RobertEarl Mar 2014 #56

Capital is not the money in your wallet. NuclearDem Mar 2014 #58

At this point, you're just embarrassing yourself, nuclear dem RobertEarl Mar 2014 #73

Eh, 5/10 NuclearDem Mar 2014 #79

"Do you even know what capital is?" Starry Messenger Mar 2014 #57

Ok to burst in RobertEarl Mar 2014 #59

Capital is not money. Starry Messenger Mar 2014 #60

Capital is defined as: Money RobertEarl Mar 2014 #61

That's not *the* definition. You deliberately left off all the other definitions Starry Messenger Mar 2014 #64

Huh? It is the definition RobertEarl Mar 2014 #67

Lets hear the 'others' RobertEarl Mar 2014 #68

Too bad you got locked out of your other thread. Starry Messenger Mar 2014 #70

Yeah, I wasn't even as rude as you are RobertEarl Mar 2014 #71

At this point, you're just embarrassing yourself, starry RobertEarl Mar 2014 #72

ME??? Starry Messenger Mar 2014 #74

Yes you. You are very rude RobertEarl Mar 2014 #77

PROTIP: When discussing complex economics issues, NuclearDem Mar 2014 #65

"So many have no f'n clue." zappaman Mar 2014 #66

Thank you. redqueen Mar 2014 #30

YEP. But people right here on DU will ignore the FACT that we live Rex Mar 2014 #4

And another thing the "well-regulated" defenders like to ignore is... NoOneMan Mar 2014 #7

Well they hate me, because I keep saying we live in a plutocracy now. Rex Mar 2014 #8

America is built on the myth that everyone can become uber-rich, Maedhros Mar 2014 #27

That is wrong RobertEarl Mar 2014 #78

It's just an abstract form of bartering. CJCRANE Mar 2014 #6

That's not true. Capitalism is distinct and different from bartering or the concept of "capital" NoOneMan Mar 2014 #9

Yes, but it made it easier to compare things. CJCRANE Mar 2014 #11

Gug. I wonder if the Romans used those shiny things they called coins for that... NoOneMan Mar 2014 #14

Money is just a bunch of tokens. We can decide how to distribute them. CJCRANE Mar 2014 #16

Capitalism is the system that decides a non-laboring descendant of a robber baron... NoOneMan Mar 2014 #23

True RobertEarl Mar 2014 #12

Why are you equating the concept of capital and capitalism? NoOneMan Mar 2014 #15

Capital and capitalism? RobertEarl Mar 2014 #17

The "hard currencies" existed because there was an industrial society to back them up. CJCRANE Mar 2014 #18

That is true RobertEarl Mar 2014 #21

I don't think it is infinite. CJCRANE Mar 2014 #25

I am talking about the belief in capital RobertEarl Mar 2014 #32

Uh, no I don't. There was capital during feudalism in the middle ages NoOneMan Mar 2014 #20

It depends. raven mad Mar 2014 #26

You do know that is just steam in the last photo? former9thward Mar 2014 #31

Yeah, I do, I just couldn't find one that was extremely illustrative. raven mad Mar 2014 #34

I have to apologize, raven RobertEarl Mar 2014 #35

No, the first was Exxon's fuckup with the Valdez - raven mad Mar 2014 #36

You're using Chernobyl in an effort to explain Capitalism? OilemFirchen Mar 2014 #62

Capitalism has 2 opposite definitions. mylye2222 Mar 2014 #28

It is the same tool, used differently RobertEarl Mar 2014 #37

All of society is a human construct BainsBane Mar 2014 #29

Workers who are self-employed are connected RobertEarl Mar 2014 #39

Capitalism is not a "means of trade." NuclearDem Mar 2014 #48

The economy is capitalist BainsBane Mar 2014 #52

Right RobertEarl Mar 2014 #55

Humans are entirely natural Boom Sound 416 Mar 2014 #33

The dollars in your wallet are not capital. Dollars concentrated in the millions are capital. rug Mar 2014 #38

See the disconnect? RobertEarl Mar 2014 #40

Capitalism is the private acquisition and accumulation of the means of production. NuclearDem Mar 2014 #41

Marx spent decades writing 201,411 words on this subject DireStrike Mar 2014 #42

You understand Marx? RobertEarl Mar 2014 #43

Good to see true scholarly effort in this modern era. DireStrike Mar 2014 #44

Like your schlolarly effort? RobertEarl Mar 2014 #45

I am nonplussed, nonplussed I tell you. DireStrike Mar 2014 #46

You seem stunned. RobertEarl Mar 2014 #50

Only on the internet would one find this: OilemFirchen Mar 2014 #63

Capital means: Money. Look. It. Up. RobertEarl Mar 2014 #69

So...environment means the world around us...we all have world around us so HereSince1628 Mar 2014 #75

You deny we have a capitalist system? RobertEarl Mar 2014 #76

No, but I deny living within those systems makes a person a capitalist HereSince1628 Mar 2014 #80

You are one of the few RobertEarl Mar 2014 #81

For the billionth time, not all money is capital, and not all capital is money. NuclearDem Mar 2014 #82

So, are you a socialist, or a communist? RobertEarl Mar 2014 #85

I have a violin frwrfpos Mar 2014 #83

Yes RobertEarl Mar 2014 #86

I will answer your question frwrfpos Mar 2014 #87

Yes. It is a belief RobertEarl Mar 2014 #88

Robert Earl frwrfpos Mar 2014 #89

There you go again RobertEarl Mar 2014 #90