Quote from SouthAmerica:
May 24, 2011
SouthAmerica: In the world of 2011, Ayn Rands ideas are more obsolete than the Ford Model â T.
For all practical purposes the American capitalist system died a sudden death in 2008.
What we have today it is just the carcass of the old economic system, but what is left behind of that old system is in a coma and in intensive care, and it is kept alive by massive US government intervention, and by taking advantage of the status of the US dollar as the main foreign reserve currency.
This patient is very, very sick and It is just a matter of time for this patient to die.
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The capitalist system did not die in 2008, since it did not exist at that point in time to die. There has never been a purely capitalist system, although the USA from its founding until about 1913 came the closest, but it still was not a purely capitalist society. The obvious diversion from pure capitalism came in the way of slavery, which goes against the very axiomatic principles of capitalism. That said, it was closer than any other system. The British over that period were very close as well. However, from 1913, and onward, the USA has moved more and more towards socialism. Over most of modern history, the USA has been a mixed economy, with capitalist aspects and socialist ones. And it is also different in different sectors of the economy. The technology sector is very much more capitalist than say the banking, medical or educational industries, which are very much more socialist.
I will agree that in 2008, the USA economy took another major step towards socialism, but even before 2008, it was at best a 50/50 affair, and perhaps more like 40/60 capitalism/socialism. Now, it's probably 30%/70% capitalism/socialism and moving full tilt towards the latter.
Soon it may all be over and the USA may be mostly socialist. You'll know, i won't need to tell you. Once you're either in a gulag type system or concentration system, or piss poor while being deathly afraid of the government, then you'll know that you're living in almost a purely socialist society, lol...it would be funny if it wasn't so tragic.