Does free market capitalism absolutely require an exploited class of people to suceed?

[Dustin]

[Wombat]

no

[as.erwin]

Are you talking about people that actually work the jobs?
Great question... not

You understand that even if the government ran everything, someone would still have to flip the burgers or stand on factory assembly lines... They would just get paid less to do it.

[R]

Absolutely, yes.

[brucec83]

No.

The Marxist concept of Surplus Value might indicate that is the case, since it presupposes that the entrepreneurial value in organizing production is not worth more than the lowest cost of the labor product. But I have always felt that whether someone is "exploited" or not is largely a subjective determination. In some countries, you can hire a maid for $100 a month and she'll think she is ripping you off. In others, $100 a day will bring complaints.

Doesn't a salaried CEO earning a million a year work more hours than a minimum wage burger chef? If there are no stock options involved, technically, they are both members of the working class. So who is more exploited?

[grrdsantana]

there has to be a loser.

@Tiger Lady- your state of mind is not logical.

[pony]

yes.

[Gone Rogue]

No, Everyone has the opportunity to achieve. There is no exploited class as it is your choice in life because education and drive is the key to your future.
Even the poorest of the poor can achieve and their children too can achieve on their parents successes or on their own.

Socialism is like feudalism.
Only those that serve the elite can achieve. There is no room for a middle class leaving everyone else equally poor.

[Law Man]

I don't think it does. Of course it all depends on what you consider exploitation. I believe that if a Social Contract is fair, we all have a duty to pay our taxes. So, exploitation is negated under a fair Social Contract where all Americans benefit from it. It's like contributing to a big pot and everybody gets pizza at the end of the day -- when you wouldn't be able to afford one slice on your own. So, we improve our lives by organizing around a society with a fair Social Contract.

The problem is that the Rich have used their money to control our government and to set up a propaganda machine (the Right-Wing Media) to get people to vote in their interests using cultural issues as a wedge (which is part of the divide and conquer strategy). They are profiting from us and making laws that serve them.

So, the solution is not to ditch Capitalism. The solution are a set of reforms designed to keep the Rich from both controlling Government and neutering it so they don't have to pay taxes: this gives the Poor, Working Class, and Middle Class little benefit from our social organization. The Rich get most of the benefit. So, we need lobbying reform, campaign finance reform -- which will do a lot to keep the Rich from controlling our government. But, in addition to government reform, we need business reform too. Government stripped of ownership and control by the Rich would then take more responsbility to ensure that Businesses are operating ethically both from an internal and external standpoint. That is reformed Capitalism.

[BigBill]

No.

Robots can be exploited instead.