Zandter wrote:
It doesn't matter why or how Papa John's made a decision, just that they did. Choosing to purchase from Papa John's or choosing not to do so is capitalism.
Neither is "capitalism". It's a choice. Capitalism and socialism refer to economic systems, and (in this context) usually refer to the degree or lack of government intervention in the market. Your use of the term is far too broad. By that usage, we could say that a person living in Communist Russia's choice to stand in line to get their government issued shoes or to not do so is capitalism. I mean, the choice does affect their personal well being and "wealth", but it would be moronic to say that they were engaging in capitalism simply because they were making a choice that affected their own personal financial condition.
If you choose to not purchase pizza from Papa John's because it opposes a socialist policy you support, it means that your choice isn't about Papa John's pizza, but about supporting the socialist policy. Your decision isn't "socialism" just as it isn't "capitalism". But your choice is in support of a socialist policy.
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Being told by the government that you must by from Papa John's is socialist.
And the government creating a mandate designed to force Papa John's to pay for health care for their employees is socialist as well. And if you boycott Papa John's for taking an action designed to avoid the intent of the mandate, then you are supporting socialism. Get it yet? To say that the boycott is capitalism at work is absurd.
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It wouldn't matter if John Schnatter was personally bent over a barrel and raped by Obama himself. If thinking of that disgusted me, and that I therefore decided not to order a Papa John's pizza, that's still capitalism.
No, it's not. Not by any actual definition of capitalism. You're confusing "free choice" with "capitalism". There are lots of cases where you have a choice, but there's no capitalism involved. We can't say that the choice is capitalism. But in that example, we absolutely could say that your choice reflected a support of Obama raping John Schnatter. Right?
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Is it fair? Meh, chose what I wanted to do with my money. Is it socialism? Nope, even if socialism is what bent ol' Johnny over the barrel, I got to choose where to purchase my food. He also got to choose whether or not to sell to me. Hi capitalism!
Again, that's not what capitalism is. I don't know how much more clearly to state this. No amount of calling a bird a dog makes it true. But that's what you're basically trying to do here.
Edited, Mar 19th 2013 6:50pm by gbaji