I've been listening to the IG podcast for several months now and recently decided to up my participation by checking out the website.
Some of you may already be acquainted with me from the forum or chatroom: like most of you, I see religion, spirituality, and god as creations of human beings which are nearing the end of their usefulness, if they have not already.
Ever the question-asking trouble-maker, however, I am not content to be just another head-nodder. Even though this online community is dedicated to secularism, like-mindedness draws us dangerously close to a religious environment. So if you notice me fiercely debating your point, it's not because I think you're stupid or don't like you, or because I like the sound of my own voice; I'm just keeping the atmosphere of debate and intellectual evolution alive--and so should you!
A few of my outspoken views: I am convinced that capitalism is the economic system most compatible with reason and individual liberty, although this view has (surprisingly) set me at odds with many other non-believers. I also despise evangelism, including that which comes (hypocritically) from secular people.
Anyway, it's good to be here, and I look forward to some interesting conversations and more great episodes of the Infidel Guy.
Let me clue you in on something, every government is capitalistic. It is simply a matter of the how many control the wealth and how many have an oportunity at that wealth.
Saudi Arabia does not have a democratic society, but the few in the government capitalize off of the wealth they make on oil.
Competing is quite normal in all species so to say that it shouldn't in an economic setting is absurd. I think what you could say is that capitalism can be and is abused, just like humans throughout history have abused their family members, neighbors and even society. But that does not make competition invalid. It just means that competition can be abused, not that competition is bad.
The free market is vital to a free society, that doesnt mean that it shouldn't be regulated, but the economy shouldn't be owned by the government either, just like you would not want to live in Saudi Arabia. Try opening an atheist bookstore in Saudi Arabia. Still hate the free market?
If you want to complain about abuse, that is fine. But a government run economy is not the solution.
What many see as the real problem, is not that people compete in business, but that the ratio between the richest of the rich vs the lowest paid worker is extreemly out of wack and is not susstainable long term.
Without the free market sites like this could be shut down. Without the free market you might not have the choice of opening your own business or chosing where to buy your cloths.
If you want to complain about megga dictatorship corperations who pad their profit margins while paying some poor shmuck $7.25 per hour when rent is $1,000 a month and gas is 4 bucks a gallon, I would agree.
If you want to work on fixing the lopsided ratio, that is one thing, but to condemn competition altogether is to condemn human nature itself. We compete in all aspects of our lives. We compete for grades in school, we compete in school sports, we compete for the love of a mate, we compete with our ideas, we compete to survive. If you want to say that it is immoral to hord and exclude others or make it impossible for them to compete, I would agree, but again, that does not mean competition should be outlawed by the government.
I know that my tax dollars get wasted most of the time going to either side of the isle. I would prefure that they stay out of my life and stay out of my wallet. If they want to make standards so that the ratio is not lopsided, I would agree. But I dont want a government controled economy anymore than I would want a state religion.
You said you wanted it interesting...... Welcome to the forums btw.
Nadaav Newbie
Joined: Jul 16, 2008
Posts: 10
Posted:
Wed Jul 23, 2008 7:00 am
Brian,
According to what you said, you appear to have me confused with somebody who doesn't like capitalism or the free market. Also, it should be implicit that capitalism means no, or very little, centralized (state) control of wealth.
Anyway, even more than I am a fan of capitalism, I am a fan of the idea that capitalism and secularism go hand-in-hand, which is easily shown to be true using the world as an example. Everywhere capitalism spreads, so does secularism. That's why I'm also a fan of economic globalization.
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