Capitalism vs Socialism: Which is the Moral System? by Yaron Brook

Pope Lecture Spring 2018
In this talk, Dr. Yaron Brook argues for the moral superiority of capitalism over socialism, drawing on the history of the two systems to illustrate his position.

Dr. Brook is chairman of the board of the Ayn Rand Institute and hosts the weekly program, The Yaron Brook Show. He is the co-author of several books and has had his articles published in the Wall Street Journal, Investors Business Daily and USA Today.
(January 30, 2018)

#PopeLecture #ClemsonInstitutefortheStudyofCapitalism #ClemsonUniversity

[jenswurm]

55:20
"If you want to be a socialist under capitalism, you can"

That's actually a key point.

A business owner can decide to share his company with his employees. And employees of most large corporations also can buy stock of their own employer and become a co-owner thereof.

Socialism can exist within capitalism, but capitalism cannot exist within socialism.

And while some socialist communes indeed do exist within capitalist countries, these are explicitly opt-in systems. The people who live in them explicitly chose to do so, and that's cool.

Within a socialist system however, people can't just opt in into a capitalist lifestyle. Anyone who doesn't actively participate in a socialist system becomes a threat to the system that must be eliminated or coerced into participation by force or "reeducation".

[stephanodigiorgio]

im from caracas venezuela from fuerzas armdas avenue hes not joking all humour apart this is not something to be laught about sorry for my poor english but it is a fact inflation of the economy and our currency the bolivar fuerte es over the roof minimun wage is absurd but why tell all this if ppl still belive in socialism! is absurd!

[pixeltedKiril]

This is one of my favourite talks on internet! I have watched and listened so many times! Yaron Brook is just Brilliant!

[henrikknightingale]

I admire his spirit and soul for each talk. Always eager to teach and include the students. He really cares about his cause!

[normahernandez]

Thumbs up for the guy who quoted Rush:
...Now there's no more oak oppression
For they passed a noble law
And the trees are all kept equal
By hatchet,
Axe,
And saw

[buzardon]

AGREE 100% THIS SHOULD BE SHOWN IN EVERY CLASSROOM IN SOUTHAMERICANS UNIVERSITIES !!!

[RamonThomas]

I love the safe spaces comic book at the end of this lecture. Yaron Brook has one of the best lecturing styles ever.

[nobushan]

An excellent talk and Q&A session like this has little or no economic values to the mainstream media. Thank you for uploading. #YangGang

[spinnersesq]

I was always raised with the idea to care for myself first is most important, because if I don't take care of myself how can I take care of anyone else.

[Digiphex]

The only crisis in opioids is that they are "free" for most people who are addicted to them, and I pay for those people.

[stevo]

Very good. I think though, as Objectivists, Ayn Rand had a clear hierarchy of her philosophy. We maybe spend too much time talking about economics and politics, not nearly enough time on ethics, metaphysics, epistemology. Just like calculus is a slight flourish you can add after mastering algebra, you cant change the state of politics or economics until you get your personal affairs in order, mastering the ethics. Ethics before politics. Lots of supposed objectivists forget that and rant about the world while leaving their lives in disarray.

[avits]

"Don't worry about the future, go live it!". How simple and true. This is what I am taking with me from this entire video.

[mattkingsbury]

The argument that colonialism is somehow proof that capitalism is also stained with blood almost made me sick--the ignorance is astonishing.

Further proof that more people need to read Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged, " as there is literally an entire passage in which one of the main characters compares past ages of empires and exploitation (in which wealth was taken and exploited) vs. the current age, where wealth and money are created by voluntary labor...and of course, we are all better for it.

[mcknightryan]

I think he is a great presenter and he articulates his points well. I think he keeps his audience interested with the way he presents.

[SpaceGeneralX]

Great moderator - didn't let the questions turn into shouting games.

[folv]

5:14 - I feel like listening to this guy is what it would have been like if I supported Bernie Sanders. This is the good Bernie, lol.

[adamwatson]

Even Marx himself knew that everyone is not equal and he was not concerned with income inequality and did not advocate for making everyone completely equal . His critique of Capitalism was that it was inefficient and that Marxism could create more wealth and more abundance which would naturally create a less unequal society but there would still be inequality you could just take what you needed and if you wanted more you could just put more work in . Your level of material wealth would be 100 percent up to the individual with no constraints of an irrational market.

[DrCruel]

The choice is not between socialism and capitalism. It' between whether people who earn money are allowed to keep it, or if they should be forced to give it to someone else.

[scottm]

The carbon fuel explanation was really informative. No idea it would kill half the world.

[DivergentAntipodean]

Why do they let people who cough and cough all the time anywhere near the microphones?
Why don't the coughers cover their mouths?