Posted by: llanitedave
on January 13, 2004 05:35 AM
This thread seems to be getting a little personal and ego-involved.
Capitalism at best is one componant of a stable and balanced econo-system. By itself it is not a stable force. Unchecked capitalism leads to a boom-and bust cycle of universal poverty, followed by the creation of wealth, followed by the accumulation of wealth, followed by the collapse of that wealth as the imbalances accrue (too few left with enough wealth to buy).
A stable system has a mechanism for wealth accumulation (capitalism) balanced by a mechanism to redistribute wealth (socialism). A third mechanism, creativity, is required for wealth to grow beyond a stasis point. Free software is basically socialist, but it doesn't prevent anyone from capitalizing on it -- it just prevents others from monopolizing that capital. It also nurtures creativity. IMO, it provides the balance that allows intellectual and productive wealth to not just accumulate, but to grow.
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Re:Capitalism is our ecosystem
Posted by: llanitedave on January 13, 2004 05:35 AMCapitalism at best is one componant of a stable and balanced econo-system. By itself it is not a stable force. Unchecked capitalism leads to a boom-and bust cycle of universal poverty, followed by the creation of wealth, followed by the accumulation of wealth, followed by the collapse of that wealth as the imbalances accrue (too few left with enough wealth to buy).
A stable system has a mechanism for wealth accumulation (capitalism) balanced by a mechanism to redistribute wealth (socialism). A third mechanism, creativity, is required for wealth to grow beyond a stasis point. Free software is basically socialist, but it doesn't prevent anyone from capitalizing on it -- it just prevents others from monopolizing that capital. It also nurtures creativity. IMO, it provides the balance that allows intellectual and productive wealth to not just accumulate, but to grow.
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