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By: Ian Essling
Note: This article was written as part of a 2vs2 HeadtoHead set of opinion articles (two pro and two con, answering the question of "Should There be Limits on Capitalism?") I wrote on the "con" side.
Setting any sort of artificial "cap" on capitalism completely takes away the very foundation of what America is. Capitalism is freedom; if you restrict capitalism, you are restricting freedom. People and businesses should have the right to own property, invest their money and expand their livelihood.
When you are talking about setting some sort of monetary cap, who would decide this cap?
Who is the one that can say, well, you're making too much money, but you're not making enough? You wouldn't be able to just set some sort of arbitrary number, because different businesses and different people have different costs and needs, and what is an acceptable income for person or business may result in a catastrophically low income for someone else.
We are killing our country already by squashing the free market (which, to be honest, would regulate itself a lot better than most people give it credit for). Our country grew to where it is today by utilizing the massive industrial base and tremendous national resources that a country as big as the U.S. has at its disposal, but now we are losing ground in the worldwide market. Why? Because the restrictions being put on business are making it cost prohibitive to operate in this country. Now, we're supposed to limit capitalism even more? While we're at it, let's just drop the 'A' from U.S.A. and add a S.R. on the end. We all know how successful THAT country was.
Right now, we are forcing businesses (well, at least businesses that want to make a profit) to either outsource or start breaking themselves apart with layoffs or by closing down parts of the company. That is hideously wrong, and terribly damaging to our country.
There's no reason that a business or person who is successful should be stopped in their tracks and made to conform to a standard that some socialist activist came up with. The only, and I mean only, restrictions on capitalism I can tolerate are ones that protect the health and safety of the workers. After all, hurt workers don't produce much product, do they?
Besides, regardless of that business part of the equation, without free capitalism, where is the drive to do better? In a more socialist scheme, no matter how hard you work, you're going to get your "fair share." There's no point in working harder or doing something outside the box if you are going to be shut down for exceeding your lot in life, as decided by the good old government. Innovation will be crushed, and the country would never rise above U.S.S.R.-style mediocrity.
Capitalism means that the country and the economy are ruled by money, and thus, by the individual. Socialism means a state-imposed rule, and personally, I already think the government is too nosy. Now we want to let them dictate our money and livelihood as well? Please.
I'm sorry if this comes as some sort of synapse collapsing shock to anyone, but a capitalist system is actually more fair than a socialist system.
Do you know why? Because in a capitalist economy, you get what you put in. If you sit on your butt watching T.V. collecting welfare, that's your problem, and you're not going to get as far as someone that is out working hard.
None of the supposed "crooks" and "evil" people in this country, such as Donald Trump or Bill Gates, got there with government handouts. They got there by working hard, in a capitalist economy that did not restrict their freedom.
Capitalism obviously works; America would not have risen to be the most powerful country in the history of the world in just over 230 years if we had a flaw as huge as using capitalism over socialism, and right now, capitalism is widely considered the dominant form of economic system in the world.
Businesses and individuals will just stop trying to improve themselves if capitalism is restricted too much. After all, if they know that once they reach a certain level the government will reach in and shut them down, why even bother? Hello socialism, and good-bye prosperity.
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