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Comment by omouse | Hacker News Reader

Government and business are in bed together. This is how the capitalist system works.

I'd place a good bet it's not endemic of capitalist economic systems. Put another way, government and business (private or state or otherwise) necessarily operate with one another (co-operate). So implying that it's a trait solely of capitalism is not genuine.

Businesses don't have any choices - they cooperate or are shut down; they are even more vulnerable to state coercion than individuals are, both legal and sub-rosa actions.

Or the businesses become rich enough or sufficiently well-connected, and they might buy the legal solutions they need through campaign and PAC and party contributions, through lobbying and other legal means, and through control of mass communications and dissemination of information, and discussions recently around the private enforcement of government regulations or the privatization of government functions.

Now you could argue this is when a business transitions into a government-like entity, but that's another thread.

As opposed to... what? Communist systems, where the government directly owns the businesses?

Capitalist systems are the ones with the LEAST amount of involvement between government and business. Yes, those relationships are often still too strong and even unethical, but at least they're not part of the government's basic mandate.

No! That is how a fascist system works.

Fascists were very good at making money and owning private property. I think you are confusing capitalism with democracy and the rule of law.

Yes... You're right, I did confuse the two.

And I didn't seem to imply anything about fascists not being good at making money and owning property.

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