[LeicaRose2187]

What is benign capitalism? Is benign capitalism possible in our country today?

[tomder55]

Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of industry.

To drastically simplify ;Benign Capitialism is Statist Capitalism. In this model the state plays an intervening role in the markets . Profits are to one degree or another redistributed.
In other words "benign capitalism" is a misnomer for liberal or democratic socialism.

Now it is popular to blame the current financial crisis all on excess greed and unbridled capitalism. That is a misreading of the situation


In my opinion, to no small degree ,it is the manipulation of the markets by the government that has led to the most recent financial crisis.Not under-regulation; but a form of mismanagement of existing laws (including corruption by regulators ,members of Congress that oversee the system and corporate officers ), and a benign government that saw the benefit in affordable housing for everyone ,and created laws and pseudo-government-institutions to address it ,are the primary culprits..

Now they plan to step further into their excrement by picking people's pockets to prop up a flawed system they created.
All hail Benito Paulson the new benign tzar of the American economy!

I have yet to see the "benign "government I could completely trust. That is why we have elections.

[inthebox]

Tom, what do you think of :


Ryan for Congress - WSJ- What Leadership Looks Like

As credit spreads widened, he said he also realized this was a "Herbert Hoover moment, where he sat by and let a Wall Street crash turn into a Great Depression.. . There are times when free-markets stop and rational thinking goes out the window. It then isn't enough to be a laissez-faire conservative and let Rome burn .. . This bill is not perfect, but doing nothing is far worse than passing this bill."
...
Never mind that these principles were nowhere in evidence back when it mattered. And never mind that should America crash, it will be the free market offered up as sacrifice to the regulatory mob.

It also hasn't helped that John McCain came out blaming this on Wall Street's "casino culture." Having initially placed this at the foot of the business community -- rather than at the foot of a political class that encouraged corporate excess -- Republicans fed into the left's line that this is a "bailout" of greedy executives. This has left grown-ups like Mr. Ryan struggling to explain the need to stabilize the financial system overall, and to protect Main Street from shedding its own blood.

[tomder55]

Love Ryan... also hope Taddeus McCotter ousts all the Republican leadership like Boehner . That is the only hope for the Party's survival .

I have to ask... the President spun the bailout as an action that was immediately needed to avert collapse. Now that he has his goodies Paulson says he will act slow and deliberately . Why was there such a rush if he is only now going to formulate a plan ?

[GreyEagle119]

Benign Capitalism needs sustainability at its core. A simpler life for all; where the needs of humanity are placed in front of the desires of the few. Freedom and liberty to pursue innovation unencumbered by the desire for power and wealth. Benign Capitalism will need at its core a benign government.

What would the architecture of Benign Capitalism look like if we were going to construct new institutions? What are the values we consider most important and how do we weave them into a new fabric for society. Lets start by sharing our thoughts, get them out into the ether.