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this post was submitted on 21 Jul 2023
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Asklemmy
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Sounds like Poly Sci homework. How about you answer the questions and post them here.
Sure. To me, ~~capitalism is any system that supports ownership of any property -- oil rigs, land, factories, assembly lines, burger machines, copyrights and patents, mines, farms, etc -- that is used to collect the products of another person's labor. (For example, when the oil rig worker is payed a wage, but the oil rig owner owns the oil that was pumped, that's capitalism.)~~
EDIT: Wolfhound pointed out that my definition ought to specify who is allowed to to control this property. And that's true.
Capitalism is any system that permits all people (or non-person entities) with sufficient wealth to own property -- oil rigs, land, factories, assembly lines, burger machines, copyrights and patents, mines, farms, etc -- that is used to collect the products of another person's labor. (For example, when the oil rig worker is payed a wage, but the oil rig owner or oil rig corporation owns the oil that was pumped, that's capitalism.)
The property used in the above manner is called capital, or private property. The person using it is called a capitalist.
As for whether it is conducive to workers controlling what they produce, my answer is that -- by definition -- capitalism allows someone else to control what workers produce. It does not guarantee a worker any power over what they produce, and in the majority of cases (where a worker must pay rent, health insurance, food, etc and cannot afford to start their own business or buy their own equipment) it actually pressures workers into situations where they do not control what they produce.
If you ask me it's the exact opposite... Copying someone else's work with no benefit to them removes a big driver for innovation.
This also only really applies with corporations - you could in theory have everyone be self-employed in a capitalist society
Ideally, copyrights and patents would protect the small inventor and small musician. Unfortunately, wielding copyrights and patents in any useful way requires other forms of capital. (You have to have wealth in order to sue someone for infringement.)
However that's an issue with the legal system rather than anything else and could also exist without capitalism - it's possible for the legal system to be dominated by any powerful entity from corporations to the state to unions depending on the political system, and if you don't have enough sway within one of those powerful entities then tough luck