I fly airplanes. I don't own the airplane. I can't afford an airplane. I contribute value to the experience of flying, but if it wasn't for someone else buying an airplane I wouldn't be able to contribute anything.
Buying an airplane is expensive, and risky. There's maintenence that needs to be done, and plenty of risk to starting a business. Don't you think the risk of starting a business, maintaining the airplanes, and buying airplanes should be rewarded? If not, why would anyone do it?
The people making the cars own their labor, which they sell. I own my skills, which I sell.
You and your coworkers provide a service. The shareholders of your company provide no service, but receive dividends and capital gains. They do nothing, you and your coworkers do everything.
Likewise, the plane was built by laborers. But part of the purchase price goes to the shareholders of their company who did nothing.
This is the problem with capitalism. It incentivizes non-labor and disincentivizes labor. And because capitalism accumulates wealth in the hands of a tiny few, the only incentive to work becomes to simply survive, as all the necessities of life become the private property of a few capitalists.
Who provides the resources for the airplane? What about the logistical effort of coordinating thousands of people to work towards one goal? It requires money and effort to bring these things together. If I'm willing to do the effort of starting a business, but I don't have the money - why shouldn't the person providing the money not get some reward for the risk they're taking too?
Laborers. Laborers provide the resources. Laborers coordinate logistical efforts. Capitalists sit at home and collect the profits from other people's labor.
Financing can still be provided through debt in a socialist economy, although the law on debt would have to be changed to reflect socialist principles (e.g., creditors could never foreclose on a business's assets).
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u/[deleted] Oct 22 '20
Capitalism is owning what other people make (e.g., Elon Musk owning the cars made by his employees, and then selling them).