Agree or disagree - a question from the new citizenship test

farfromglorified
farfromglorified Posts: 5,700
edited May 2007 in A Moving Train
So, I'm reading over the new citizenship test today and I notice this is one of the questions:

Q: What type of economic system does the U.S. have?
A: Capitalist economy

I'm curious what people's thoughts on this are, particularly whether or not they agree that the answer is correct. I really don't have time to debate this today, so feel free to post whatever you'd like in here without fear of repraisal from me ;) (unless of course you explicitly ask for it)
Post edited by Unknown User on
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  • onelongsong
    onelongsong Posts: 3,517
    farfromglorified wrote:
    So, I'm reading over the new citizenship test today and I notice this is one of the questions:

    Q: What type of economic system does the U.S. have?
    A: Capitalist economy

    I'm curious what people's thoughts on this are, particularly whether or not they agree that the answer is correct. I really don't have time to debate this today, so feel free to post whatever you'd like in here without fear of repraisal from me ;) (unless of course you explicitly ask for it)

    that's the right answer. the 2 choices are capitalist or communist.
  • josevolution
    josevolution Posts: 31,844
    i thought it was "only the strong survive" system and fuck everybody else .......
    jesus greets me looks just like me ....
  • RainDog
    RainDog Posts: 1,824
    Disagree. Like the rest of the Western World, the United States has a mixed economy.
  • Uncle Leo
    Uncle Leo Posts: 1,059
    We have public schools right? So communist.

    It is really not a question that should be there because, while I think capitalist is more "correct" than communist, I believe there is a continuum between pure capitalism and pure socialism. Pure capitalism would not have regulatory agencies, public schools, a publicly funded military or any taxes/government it all. Pure socialism would not have any form of business competition or the massive income gaps we see.

    So the question should not be there, as it is too subjective.
    I cannot come up with a new sig till I get this egg off my face.
  • qtegirl
    qtegirl Posts: 321
    Well, the real question is... what's the "right answer" if you want to pass the citizenship test. In that case, it's Capitalist.
  • edgarcamp
    edgarcamp Posts: 100
    RainDog wrote:
    Disagree. Like the rest of the Western World, the United States has a mixed economy.


    Agreed.
  • know1
    know1 Posts: 6,801
    edgarcamp wrote:
    Agreed.

    Me too. This isn't capitalism.
    The only people we should try to get even with...
    ...are those who've helped us.

    Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
  • soulsinging
    soulsinging Posts: 13,202
    know1 wrote:
    Me too. This isn't capitalism.

    it's not communism either.
  • Uncle Leo
    Uncle Leo Posts: 1,059
    qtegirl wrote:
    Well, the real question is... what's the "right answer" if you want to pass the citizenship test. In that case, it's Capitalist.

    Yes, common sense should tell the test taker to say capitalism...reminds me of the Simpsons when Apu took his orally citizenship test and was asked what caused the Civil War:
    Apu: "The causes for the Civil War were many and complex. First the agricultural economy of the time..."
    Moderator: "Just say slavery."
    Apu: "Slavery it is."
    I cannot come up with a new sig till I get this egg off my face.
  • Dustin51
    Dustin51 Posts: 222
    Uncle Leo wrote:
    Yes, common sense should tell the test taker to say capitalism...reminds me of the Simpsons when Apu took his orally citizenship test and was asked what caused the Civil War:
    Apu: "The causes for the Civil War were many and complex. First the agricultural economy of the time..."
    Moderator: "Just say slavery."
    Apu: "Slavery it is."


    LOL...That's the fucked up thing about how they teach our kids history. My son's in the second grade and when we talk history I try not to get to indepth with him right now because he's only 7 and I don't need him arguing with his teacher about whether Columbus was a swell guy or not but eventually when he's about 15-16 I'm going to give him Howard Zinn's A people's history of the United States and tell him to read that if he really wants some varying perspectives.
    Be excellent to each other
  • farfromglorified
    farfromglorified Posts: 5,700
    "Rule of Non-Negativity: A definition must tell what the thing IS rather
    than what it is NOT. Exceptions are those concepts which are inherently
    negative in meaning, such as orphan or bachelor. But note that a positive
    concept is always presupposed by such negative terms." -DK
  • soulsinging
    soulsinging Posts: 13,202
    farfromglorified wrote:
    "Rule of Non-Negativity: A definition must tell what the thing IS rather
    than what it is NOT. Exceptions are those concepts which are inherently
    negative in meaning, such as orphan or bachelor. But note that a positive
    concept is always presupposed by such negative terms." -DK

    yes, but if your choices are capitalism or communism... id say we're closer to the former than the latter.
  • hippiemom
    hippiemom Posts: 3,326
    It's a lousy question, neither answer is right.

    I'd like to find the person who wrote it, have them take a look at the Farm Bill, and then try to answer their own question.
    "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." ~ MLK, 1963
  • surferdude
    surferdude Posts: 2,057
    Mostly an capitalistic economic model, though with way too much government intervention. More and more socialistic political/social model, again with way too much government intervention.
    “One good thing about music,
    when it hits you, you feel to pain.
    So brutalize me with music.”
    ~ Bob Marley
  • farfromglorified
    farfromglorified Posts: 5,700
    All this then begs two questions:

    1. What is communism?

    2. What is capitalism?
  • soulsinging
    soulsinging Posts: 13,202
    farfromglorified wrote:
    All this then begs two questions:

    1. What is communism?

    2. What is capitalism?

    1. complete government control of economy to ensure equal distribution of wealth.

    2. self regulating economy lead by entrepaneurs working in a free market.

    or something along those lines. and we're more the latter than the former.
  • Kann
    Kann Posts: 1,146
    I was under the impression communism was more of a political stance (it's not only about the economy, it also asks for a revolution) than capitalism which is based solely on economical acts.
  • Uncle Leo
    Uncle Leo Posts: 1,059
    Kann wrote:
    I was under the impression communism was more of a political stance (it's not only about the economy, it also asks for a revolution) than capitalism which is based solely on economical acts.

    I would kind of agree. I think that socialism is better than communism when looking for the opposite of capitalism.
    I cannot come up with a new sig till I get this egg off my face.
  • qtegirl
    qtegirl Posts: 321
    Kann wrote:
    I was under the impression communism was more of a political stance (it's not only about the economy, it also asks for a revolution) than capitalism which is based solely on economical acts.
    Most of the time it asks for a revolution because it involves changing what was there before: monarchy, fascism, capitalism. The Spanish Civil War was also a revolution, but it led to fascism, not communism. And the French Revolution was against the monarchy and it didn't institute communism either, nor did the American Revolution.
  • Kann
    Kann Posts: 1,146
    I'm not saying all revolutions lead to communism I'm saying Marx defined communism as a political ideal not an economic theory. And the prerequisite to communism is revolution.
    Which is not the case for capitalism.

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