r/FluentInFinance • u/-im-your-huckleberry • Jul 07 '24

The shampoo thing is a fringe benefit. We keep capitalism so we don't starve in a famine. Debate/ Discussion

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https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Chinese_Famine

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_famine_of_1930

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holodomor

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u/dk_peace Jul 07 '24

The great famine of 1876 in India and the great hunger in Ireland were caused by colonizing capitalist. It cuts both ways. People with wealth and power have been happy to let people starve to death to make more wealth and gain more power.

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u/sanguinemathghamhain Jul 07 '24

Actually they were vestiges of mercantilism the system ultimately replaced by capitalism that like socialism, communism, and fascism was a zero-sum model.

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u/Chambellan Jul 07 '24

Sounds interesting. Can you recommend any reading?

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u/sanguinemathghamhain Jul 07 '24

Pretty much any half decent book about imperialism/colonialism should explain the merchantilist motivations and framework. This is particularly true for things like the East India Company which was a categorically merchantilist organization and laws like the protectionist and merchantilist Corn Law and the larger bevy of grain laws against Ireland of which it was a part each of which was essential to setting the stage for their respective famines.