A debate, Capitalism Vs Communism

[the2real4mafol]

SamuelRSmith said:

Badassbab said:

SamuelRSmith said:

America got rich because it embraced capitalism in the 19th century. It decays now, because it fares away from it. The "emerging nations" are doing so because they are embracing more and more capitalism today. To argue that the way to "ruin" somewhere is to have capitalism, is to argue against history.

America got rich in the 19th century because of geography, protectionism, Europeans fighting each other and immense natural resources. State capitalism played it's part.

Geography and natural resources have nothing to do with it. Hong Kong is essentially just a big rock with zero natural resources, and yet it's one of the richest places in the world. Because of capitalism. Many places in the world are far more resource-blessed than the USA, and is still far poorer. Look at Africa and Latin America, for example.

Did Americans not fight each other in the 19th century? Best throw out my history books, then!

Protectionism, I'm not gonna dispute that America had protectionism, but it grew rich despite it. To argue that protectionism makes a country rich is to argue that a family who refused to trade with any outside individual could become wealthy through it. Have to build your own shelter, make your own clothes, grow your own food, harvest your own energy, etc... everybody would have a job! The family's employment would be 100%, they'd be billionaires! Right?

Geography is actually quite important for an economy, it actually held back Russia's economy for along time, although this was in the late 19th century! Landsize and climate do play their part in econmy building, which is why economies are virtually non existent in deserts or the arctic. Hell, the only reason why dubai or abu dhabi are developing like mad is because of their oil, they would be nothing without oil. 

But, America grew rich especially in the east like new york because of protectionism, instead of colonising countries like the european powers. America expanded westwards, building what it could to connect the east and west. Protectionism potentially works in bigger countries like America, it could work in China but I don't think they would have the balls to try as it would screw the global economy and China makes too much from globalisation to do so now.

@badassbab Forget the American civil war did you? The war over slavery in the 1860's? Not only that people fought each other in the wild west too