Capitalism

TheCenturion · 28 Dec 2010 at 16:09

Hello OcUK

I'm not sure how this thread will go down. It could be another thread where I'm just being absolutely ridiculous

A few months ago, I was watching tv, and then there was the usual advertisement break halfway through the show. While watching these advertisements, I just thought to myself. Huge amounts of money have been paid in order to broadcast this ad. These ads are pretty much solely intended to make people go out and buy said product. The people who created this ad, all they want is your money. It's not like they're committing a crime, everything they're doing complies with the laws of the land.

But as a teenager living in this society, I see all my mates going mad over stuff, having all the latest gadgets, all wanting to buy Jack Wills, they're all getting Blackberries as well (it's a business phone :confused:

) and yet most of these kids are on EMA.

Then, there's the other side of the coin. Capitalism is a free market. And the freer the market, the better off the poorest in the society are.

Don't get me wrong, I love capitalism, but I can't help feeling that it seems to be least of several evils.

Ps: Chances are, what I've just written is an absolute load of tosh. I know that advertisments, gadgets, fashion etc, do not necessarily have anything to do with capitalism, but I'm making the point that free market gives consumers easy access to these products. Also, I was aiming at poking at the philosophical/ethical side of my post, rather than the political or economic side.

I know I'm going to get slaughtered on here for sounding so ridiculous, especially given the right wing nature of most of this community (myself included)

Also, in before the inevitable

Worst "I have friends" thread ever.
Worst "I watch tv" thread ever.
Worst "I'm younger than you" thread ever.

TheCenturion · 28 Dec 2010 at 16:15

rypt said:
Technically the advert is there only to raise awareness of the brand and the product

Equally no-one forces your friends to buy "popular" stuff, they need to stop being sheep and get stuff that they actually like/need rather the latest "in" thing

Yeah, I'd realise that someone would bring that up. Of course no one is forcing anyone to buy the product. They're merely attempting to 'convince' people to buy it. Having freedom means that we have a choice whether or not to purchase the damned thing.

TheCenturion · 28 Dec 2010 at 16:19

Efour2 said:
what's a jack wills ?

You are growing up, grats. Don't post your anti establishment, anti free market crap here though, you be ridiculed ocuk isnt the place for free thought.

the right wing nature of most of this community (myself included)

I am an avid believer in a free market

TheCenturion · 28 Dec 2010 at 16:23

rypt said:
They don't convince though, only those simple of mind are convinced by adverts that if they buy ... say Lynx ... they get laid.

The rest of us go "oh, Lynx deodorant ... hmm" and then we buy whatever it is that we buy, but we are now aware of Lynx and may give it a try to see if it is any good.

Lynx sucks, it smells of teenage desperation

TheCenturion · 28 Dec 2010 at 16:33

Oh yeah, here's another marker of a capitalist society: weight loss pills.

These annoy the HELL out of me. I hate them with a passion. Why? It's not because they don't actually work (that's just a flaw of the product) but they promote yet more laziness. They make people conform to the notion that if you spend money, you get results. Spending money is starting to replace hard work and determination, like in the case of weight loss pills.

TheCenturion · 28 Dec 2010 at 16:44

The Halk said:
Weight loss pills are great. They're like condoms. They allow us to indulge in a pleasurable act without the consequences. Or are you against sex for anything but procreation too?

That's not the way I was looking at things though :confused:

Unlike condoms, weight loss pills don't really work. Condoms do sometimes fail, but their success rate is exceptionally high.

TheCenturion · 28 Dec 2010 at 16:48

Superewza said:
Needs:

Equality

What does equality mean though? Does everyone deserve the opportunity to be equal?

TheCenturion · 28 Dec 2010 at 16:54

The Halk said:
Yes it is. You said this.

You are equating not wanting to have a child to laziness :confused:

What you said was that they both allow somebody to indulge in a pleasurable activity without consequences.

Pasty smashing - having a child
Eating food - getting fat

Condoms are free from your local GP, so you don't have to spend money to get them. They are a protective and preventative measure. Ie: to stop child birth

A better comparison would be weight loss pills compared to the morning after pill. ie: you've already gotten fat, this pill helps you get rid of that problem. Even then this comparison is not that good.

What you're talking about is people who aren't fat, using weight loss pills and then eating loads and loads and loads. Which is pretty silly imo.

TheCenturion · 28 Dec 2010 at 16:55

Superewza said:
Of course they do, otherwise that would imply that some people are born superior to others. Obviously this isn't the case.

An equal share of the power and wealth, equal opportunities and access to healthcare, education and the ability to live a good life. Naturally some people would have more influence than others, but this is not the same thing as power and they would have to earn it.

Ah yes, I agree that everyone is born equal. But what I meant was some people taking decisions in their lives that change the playing field. Eg: murderers.

TheCenturion · 28 Dec 2010 at 17:02

The Halk said:
You were trying to say that not being lazy was a virtue. As if eating but taking weight loss pills to prevent weight loss was laziness, and not doing that was virtuous.

I disagree. My example still stands, it is just the same as you saying it's lazy for people to take the pill to avoid unwanted pregnancy as it is to take a pill to avoid unwanted weight gain.

Exercise is not virtuous either. It's a chore people do in order to become/stay fit and healthy and for a chemical reward.

The purpose of the pill, and of condoms is to prevent pregnancy. But the purpose of weight loss pills is exactly that: for people to lose weight. ie: the assumption is that the person wanting to lose weight is fat to begin with.

Therefore, your comparison doesn't work as they serve different purposes in their separate contexts.

TheCenturion · 28 Dec 2010 at 17:08

The Halk said:
People aren't born equal. What kind of short sightedness is that?

Do you believe that Einstein was born with the same potential as Wayne Rooney? Is it pure chance that Einstein was encouraged to look at the physical laws of the universe while Rooney was encouraged to kick a ball?

Equal does not mean identical to.

Obviously everyone will have different genes, and be good at different things. Some people will be good at sports, others good at painting others good at maths etc
It's a mix of genetic talent and an acquired skill.

But once again you've aimed your hammer and missed the nail. By equality we mean that all people should possess the same rights: access to clean drinking water, a shelter etc.

TheCenturion · 28 Dec 2010 at 17:14

The Halk said:
Then why did you say born equal when you meant something else? I can only argue with what you say, not what you later claim to have meant.

I meant born equal. I assume that's what Superewza meant as well.

I also assume that's what the UN meant when it said that people were born equal.

TheCenturion · 28 Dec 2010 at 17:31

The Halk said:
If you meant born equal then you're wrong. People aren't born equal. See my above post.

No equal in the sense of equal rights.

TheCenturion · 28 Dec 2010 at 17:36

Well, you now know that I meant that people are born with equal rights etc. This is what I assume that Superewza meant when he said that equality was a need.
EDIT: Why are you not addressing Superewza too? He said that people were born equal and that no one was born superior to anyone else, which is spot on imo.