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Critics of capitalism, what concrete economic policies do you support? (feddit.de)

submitted 11 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Capitalism is criticized a lot on here (especially by American users, it seems to me). Most of that seems well-founded, but I also have the feeling that most of these complaints are simply venting and not the first step to improvement.

So I would like to know what specific changes you (especially Americans) want to see from lawmakers.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

I'm not from the US but I'll answer anyway.

Like a comrade already commented, I think there's a problem with the way you're thinking of capitalism. It would be useful to know at least a few of these complaints you saw that feel like it's only venting.

Answering your question, I would like to see a planned economy where humans needs are put above profits. We can make a better world for everyone, instead of only for a extremely small part of the world that holds all the power.

That being said, lawmakers cannot enact meaningful changes under capitalism like you suggest. This is not an opinion, it is how the system works. Allende in Chile is the perfect example of this, he tried to reform the system, suffered a coup and was assassinated.

In capitalism the ruling class are the bourgeoisie, that is to say, the ultra-rich, and they as a class have interests that are the direct opposite of everyone else, the working class, the proletariat. This is a crucial part of capitalism, the system that Marx dedicated his whole life studying and describing.

Because of this, every time workers rights are secured or better living conditions are achieved through the system, like free housing for the poor or public healthcare, the ruling class lose some of their power which they will get back eventually. Besides that, it is difficult enough to even get to that point because they will do everything to stop such rights and safety nets from being approved in the first place, as the ruling class can just lobby and buy politicians. It's not a coincidence that public healthcare is not a thing in the US and that so many people are living in the streets, that medication is so expensive all over the world and that the US is so averse to unions still to this day.

Capitalism will literally cook us alive, reform is not the way forward.