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CosmicWunderkind

Is it capitalism or unchecked capitalism that is the root of USA violence today?

Younger Americans, in particular, are challenging long-held assumptions about the way our economy functions. With climate crisis posing a grave threat to our collective future, millions living below the poverty line, the economic and social shocks of the coronavirus pandemic and unemployment wave still reverberating, and the richest 1% accumulating ever-more wealth, Gen Z and Millennials say they have grown increasingly disillusioned with capitalism

Posted - February 13, 2023
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Responses


  • 34432
    No. 
    Unchecked gov corruption in cities causing.
    -Unchecked border control.
    -Unchecked drug usage. 
    -Wages to go down
    -Unenforced laws
    -Teaching our children that everyone is either the victim or the oppressor
     
    Now if you want to say this is because of crooked politicians who are on the take...then yes they could be "Unchecked capitalism."
      February 14, 2023 4:34 AM MST
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  • 844
    No, younger Americans don't analyze their socio-economic status, they turn to violence for the same reason they did in the 1930s, the 50s, etc. When their local/personal opportunities seem out of reach, they don't analyze the economy, they listen to the "solution" as seen by their peers. 

    US population 1950 was 151,000,000. US population 2020 was 334,000,000 (more than doubled). Therefore, there are more than twice as many young Americans with limited opportunities and peers to lead them in the wrong direction. You are correct about the additional economic roadblocks created by the coronavirus. 

    Corrupt politicians are not a new phenomenon. They've always been a factor throughout our history and always will be. Improvement in the socio-economic status is usually partially overcome by the determination and action by a handful of local citizens and groups, including influencing their government to action. I use the word 'partially' because these social factors can never be eradicated completely because all of society is run by humans.
      February 14, 2023 9:36 AM MST
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  • 34432
    Yes we have always had corrupt politicians but we never had politicians who voted to remove bail. Voted to defund police. Voted to prevent police from even detaining a suspect during the act of a crime.  
     
    We have all of that now. And it shows. 
      February 14, 2023 11:52 AM MST
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  • 844
    I don't know where you live, but I've not heard that our local police forces have been defunded. We have had new policies for cashless bail which had nothing to do with corrupt politicians. Local citizens groups demonstrated to remove bail for certain crimes. The citizens' groups, as far as I could tell, were made up of inner city families that demonstrated at the State Capital for some months. Where is the corruption there?

    Although I may be oversimplifying, I do remember corruption in politics in our city years ago. I remember families living in this city in the 60s getting paid cash to vote for certain candidates. Really!

    I do remember when people were frequently arrested because of their race and the neighborhood where they lived. I think those families that led the protests to get cashless bail remember those days and don't believe that they're really over. They may or may not be right, I live in the suburbs so I don't know. The one thing I do know is that all of our local police and politicians are humans with all the inherent weaknesses. That doesn't force me to paint them all with the same brush
      February 15, 2023 7:03 AM MST
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  • 34432
    My state has had politicians push to defund poice....St Louis and KC etc. My area did not attempt such nonsense. My home state of IL defunded police and passed cashless bail. Then passed laws were police cannot detain criminals. This has been paused from going into effect by the courts. Sheriff's have told citizens to make sure they have their guns because the sheriff's will not be able to defend people from criminals if this is allowed to go into effect. Just stupidity. 
    If there are not consequences some people will not act right. Just as 
    if a child is not disciplined, they will 
    not misbehave.  
    Of course not all police nor all politicians are corrupt. Just as some people do 
    not need laws to cause them to behave but sadly some do. 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
      February 15, 2023 3:18 PM MST
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  • 844
    I know that you follow these things more closely than I. Those situations that you're citing fall under the category of "It's all true where it happened", my mom's most frequent platitude.

    I know that you're more thoughtful than it appears when you're posting things of a political nature because I read your postings on other subjects, but you do often sound like you're painting all politics/politicians with the same brush. I participate in other sites where the people who post statements about such issues have no other dimension to their ideas. You do and you should show those dimensions when you're posting.

    Thanks for expanding on your original posting, those additions make a big difference.
      February 15, 2023 5:20 PM MST
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  • 34432
    I used to go into more detail etc but no one here seems to be interested in debate about facts anymore. We used to have that but not anymore. So I have quit bothering as much....
      February 16, 2023 7:41 AM MST
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  • 16826
    The key word is "unchecked". Capitalism per se isn't necessarily a bad thing, neither is socialism. It's when they remain unchecked that there are problems, capitalism taken to its extreme is fascism, extreme socialism can devolve into communism.
    Checks and balances are needed. Unchecked capitalism caused the Great Depression and the GFC.
      February 16, 2023 1:11 AM MST
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