Capitalism and socialism

Press, 8 November 1980, Page 14

Capitalism and socialism

Sir, — Roger Mandeville (November 3) is looking at a very low level of participation for himself as an elector if he thinks all he is required to do is vote for a party once every three years and that’s it. An elector must also actively campaign to ensure that the governmental policies he favours are there to be voted for. If New Zealand ends up with an unworkable party system then the blames lies with ourselves for apathetically letting it develop that way. As electors we can wield a bigger stick over, the Government than most of us realise and than most, politicians would be Willing to admit. But as long as we ignore

this responsibility then we will continue to suffer under ever increasing government. Let us stop being victims, whining about how powerless we are, and instead use what strength we have got to get politicians back to being our servants, not our masters. — Yours, etc., STEPHEN RUSSELL. November 7, 1980.

Sir, — K. Fea (November 7) implies that accumulation of capital is the big evil which eventually leads to monopolistic ' multinational control, the solution being monopolistic government control, with the government accumulating all the capital and the populace going broke (as in New Zealand). The multinationals love these socialist systems, because they can much more easily control a vast government monopoly, led by incompetent amateurs, than a horde of wily small businessmen. They hate free enterprise because it means competition, price wars, others accumulating capital, and their monopolies being eroded. These ivory tower socialist idealists should look at the real-life results of socialism in terms of human miserr', loss of freedom, and living standards and also at who really controls the socialist State — it certainly is not the people. — Yours, etc..

FRANK A. SMITH. November 7, 1980.