the general public is wrong about nearly everything. I'm beginning to think this might not be just a UK thing.

We are very fortunate here in Canada, our government never lies to citizens, and our large businesses and banks tend to take only the bare minimum in profit to keep their operations going. Our government knows that an informed population is a happier population and that makes it much easer to provide services to all of us.
Perhaps one of the biggest reasons Canada is such a wonderful country regardless of the some what marginal climate, is because the people always get a square deal from each other.
Knowing these things as Canadians do, goes a long way toward answering the question of why so many other people want to immigrate to our happy little Kingdom, as our joy can't be hidden from other perceptive peoples.

Celt failed to mention that many of us have a very dry sense of humour.

I was going to mention something about the current great mayor of the city of Toronto, Rob Ford, but I'm not sure it would have been interpreted as dry humour. I've been told my sense of humour is kinda dry also.

As Celt pointed out, our politicans are very honest. Eventually. Like when they get caught.

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Why do rightists and teabaggers always compare capitalism to various forms of governance?
Capitalism is an economic system, the others are political systems.
Apples to oranges Guy.

Capitalism would function under a communist government very easily.
Shareholders could own up to 49% of whatever industry they care to invest in and enjoy their profit for not really working. Just like now.
The state would retain control by owning 51%, thus allowing the profits to assist in maintaining services and government programs.
State ownership and capitalism are not exclusive of each other.

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I do not fight fascists because I think I can win.
I fight them because they are fascists.
Chris Hedges

A riot is the language of the unheard. -Martin Luther King, Jr.

As Robert pointed out, Capitalism is not a political system. It is an economic model. Around the world today you can find capitalism florishing in democracies, republics, various degrees of dictatorships, socialist states, communistic states, and flat out anarchism. If you want pure capitalism without government restraint, take a look at Somalia today. Is that really what you want for the US? The problems in the US (or anywhere) today are much more complicated that just capitalism vs not-capitalism.

We all have problems. None of them are are simple as saying "it is because we are not capitalistic enough" or "we need more government". Complicated issues, like running a country, need complicated solutions: changing government, economy, and the culture to adapt to an ever changing world. If you run around saying "just change the economy" or "just change the politics" or "everything was great in 1776" you are doomed to fail. The answers will come from a blend of capitalist, socialist and other-ist sources. If you refuse to listen to one set of proposals because they come from capitalists or because they come from socialists, you are doomed.

And if you get to use nonsensical terms like liberal/socialist/communist (three very seperate forms of political and social theory, which may or may not overlap), we get to use terms like teabagger.

Teabagger.

Tea. Bagger.

Teeeeeea baaaaaaaaaager

etc.

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skildude, yes, you are missing something about capitalism. If you don't think you're getting paid what you're worth, then *you* need to do something about it. Not me.

Look, it's really simple. Socialism/Marxism/communism removes the individual's incentive to be as productive as he/she can be. Capitalism encourages the individual to be as productive as he/she can be.

Now, I know how you're going to respond. We've been here before and you have demonstrated that you are unwilling to listen to what I have to say. I'll do it one more time.

TRUE: Pure capitalism fails. *Some* laws/rules/regulations need to be in place to keep the market fair.

ALSO TRUE: *Any* form of socialism/Marxism/communism fails every time it's tried no matter what laws/rules/regulations you try to maintain it with.

Our current beloved administration has been at it now for 5 years.

Taxes are up in countless areas.

The labor participation rate has dropped to 63.2%.

82 million Americans not working.

47 million Americans on food stamps.

And now there are 5 million Americans who have lost their health care (projected total of 52 Million will loose their current health care plan) because of the seizure of the health care industry by the current administration.

The ruling class has dictated that the remaining working class is now going to start paying for the growing dependent class. The ruling class has also exempted themselves from this generousity.

Capitalism is almost dead in the U.S. And you think completely killing it off will fix every thing. Well, I think many are going to learn a very hard lesson in the near future.

I'm ready for it. From the way you talk, I don't think you're ready for it.

I had a wonderful retort to this post. However Seti or my connection to seti took a dump as I sent it and it was all gone. Though Robert made a very similar point that I had intended.
But again I will point out that those lazy ass poor people can't all just walk into an office and get those high paying jobs. The system is reliant on Poor people for manufacturing and daily cleaning at your job. If they were paid more then you'd want more, too. Capitalism, like it or leave it, is very much about using cheap labor to make as much profit as possible. Have you not noticed that we've had cycles of cheap labor. First in the US, then Canada, then Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, China and now Haiti and bangladesh. Each country welcomes Industry and manufacturing into their country because they have an eager and ignorant work force that is unaware that they will make so little money working 12 hour days that they can't even afford to buy the products they make.

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In a rich man's house there is no place to spit but his face.
Diogenes Of Sinope

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html

Persons under 18 years, 2012 23.5%
Persons 65 years and over, 2012 13.7%

that makes 47.2% of the population considered not of working age.
313 million X 52.8% =165 million working age people 39% = 64.5 Million

they don't tell us how many single income families there are sooo.

now lets assume a good 25-30 % don't work because they are stay at home parents.

and you are approaching 45 million

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In a rich man's house there is no place to spit but his face.
Diogenes Of Sinope

Nicolas Maduro seems to have the answer to excessive capitalism. (Joke)

President Nicolas Maduro has promised to step up a pre-election "economic offensive" that has resulted in inspections of hundreds of Venezuelan businesses for price gouging and caused crowds to flock to shops to take advantage of state-ordered discounts.

Reuters article
Slightly unfortunate hand gesture in that photograph too...

Sure, Venezuelan prices had got a bit out of hand, but i'm not sure this is the way to go about it.

The article quotes Nelson Bocaranda, who likens the enforced price crunch to that of Mugabe, and he has a point. Especially given that Mugabe's actions caused the Zimbabwean dollar, already a shaky currency, to implode completely.

"We've reduced everything by 10 to 15 percent, but it's not fair. I can't make a profit now," said the owner of one small electronics store, who asked not to be identified.
"I agree they should go for the big fish, the real speculators, but they risk hurting us all."

Hang on, i'm sure i've seen this story before.

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Life on earth is the global equivalent of not storing things in the fridge.