Quote: Captain Sammitch said: Socialism has its pluses on paper in a theoretical world that is sadly naïve when it comes to the harsh reality of human nature.
the same with capitalism
Actually, if you were to postulate a Malthusian/Huxleyan societal structure where survival of the fittest was the only operational principle, capitalism would mimic the mechanisms of selection almost perfectly. Capitalism is designed to not only account for but thrive off of human nature, which according to Ayn Rand (as well as some thinkers with whose basic worldview I actually agree) is self-centered, fiercely competitive, and concerned primarily with consumption, the motive force behind consumerism. Doesn't necessarily make it right, but it's observable and quantifiable, which makes it an empirically verifiable reality, unlike socialism which has yet to produce a society that can survive as long as the comparatively short-lived capitalistic society we have in the United States. I'm not making a value judgment here necessarily. I'm just maintaining that 'pure' socialism is still largely a pipe dream that looks pretty on paper but probably can't be implemented in the real world.
