Yawn, yet another silly blog on the evils of capitalism. I realise that this is your soapbox John, but it does become boring after a while.

Like everything in life, there are extremes and by-and-large, the extreme ends are not good. Yes, the Yanks screwed up with their greed, but that does not make Capitalism all bad.

I quite like our Mike Moore's idea. I think that if we develop our youth to embrace success, the nation's wealth will increase and everyone benefits. I truly believe that the days of raping the poor for the benefit of the rich are over and I meet successful people daily who treat their people well.

As for the American Mike Moore, he is just making money by spouting populist nonsense. Of course the Americans screwed up, this is old news. Bet he is making Millions from his latest venture. Doesn't this make him a capitalist??

So ,What was it again that lifted 200 million people out of poverty in China?.I donate a lot of my rich pickings from the market to charity,why, because they are more effective at helping others than social welfare staff.I think your union should be looking more at the market that your members are selling product into-that is generally the problem in NZ, ie get rid of international backpackers ,they do noodles and drugs, and that does not pay the bills for hospatality workers ,does it? .American and German retirees will.But guess what-the government ect will go down the Asian owned,run,organised,staffed route-and you will keep having the same old problems. Then when others elsewhere make money -they will be crucified again, won,t they John?.It is not the trickle down theory but the responsability down theory that would work. Go push the Government and industry into smarter operations John.Most are just the arse end of talent anyway-their profits [or lack of] tell us so.Cheers.

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Why do you comment at all, surely all the people who respond, and it seems to be the majority of them who think Minto is off the planet, are helping Fairfax to keep Minto's blog going?

Excellent blog. Film should be good. Michael Moore - while rather socialistic and amusing - is very good with his facts. So see it and think hard.

Money supply is the big strategic asset. If we don't control it then the b***ds who control world finance will do so. And they want to screw things up to start a new world government. Hence all the neo-liberal changes, 80's and 90's and asset sales to allow globalisation, debt slavery and making most countries interdependent satellites...whose currencies can be attacked. They control/manipulate the private banking systems worldwide. Wrecking a country via money/economics can do more damage than invading it and dropping bombs. The banks own the USA Gov - federal, and largely states. Obama is a puppet. Goldman Sachs alone gave him a million....and now runs the Treasury with GS operators like Geithner, Rubin, Summers, Bernanke, Greenspan, Paulson involved. Authorising the "Bailout" was fatal. Congress was threatened with rebellion and soldiers in the streets if they didn't agree. Foreclosures are running at 8-10,000 a day. They are trying to destroy America and its Dollar, to change the balance of power.. THIS IS THE LAST RITES FOR THE 'LAND OF THE FREE'.....as I said here over a year ago.

Ellen Brown ( webofdebt.com ) is a leading Alternative Money/Banking systems experts - influential, blogs on Huffington Post. She's been pushing US State banking and invited me onto her internet think tank group on public banking - people from all over, brainstorming . Now Michael Moore ( and others ) are taking her lead - he's calling for a State bank in all 52. My angle has been that public banking should where possible conform to the BIS rules....very favourable. States and cities have bigger assets than private banks, so no-one can then criticise state banks. And US States can do a bank under own authority ( like North Dakota )....stuff the Feds and FDIC. Here, Ag banks like Fonterra, or City or Regional banks could ease the contraction - at very low Interest - but must set up via the RBNZ....who may be very helpful. But Nats might resist. My proposal for Fonterra to keep the co-op integrity, forget the new shares and start a bank is supported by all new Board nominees. Go for it.

@ Daisy. The reason many of us respond is to either agree or disagree with what the blogger has to say. I am firm believer that there are two sides to every story and am a self-confessed capitalist, who chooses to defend my (right of centre) patch.

I guess that you are right that if nobody listened to John any longer, then Fairfax would shut him down, but I suspect that this wouldn't happen, so I defend away!

John, taxpayer risk is precisely the reason why governments shouldnt run businesses like Air NZ, Kiwibank, Kiwirail, etc, because (a) They are crap at it (b) There is no incentive for them to protect and enhance value because the money is not theirs (c) Politics clouds their judgment and they abuse the power of ownership.

Is it as good as Al Gore's film on global warming? Snigger.

@ Clunking Fist - Nooooooo, somebody think of the stranded Polar Bears!

Out of curiosity, how does the co-operative model work in terms of apportioning responsibilities and credit?

John Minto says: “As a union official, every day I see companies which would be run much better as co-operatives where workers are treated with dignity and respect rather than as mere chattels to work at the disposal of shareholders.” “The most interesting thing about such businesses is that if they are either run democratically by workers or owned by workers then the gains in productivity and wealth creation are modest. However, when the two are combined there are big gains to be had.” Give us some real-world examples where this is happening, John*. And I mean companies where the workers have fronted up the capital as well as the Labour. That’s the problem, isn’t it, John: they can provide labour but how do they buy the factory, fit it out and buy the equipment? That’s where CAPITALism comes in. How do they make decisions on strategy, marketing? How long before the animals at the top, who make all the decisions, become more equal than the guy or gal maning the drill press? What if there’s a shortage of fitters, do you offer more to attract some on board, or does everyone from the char wallah to the chairperson earn the same, John?

*I believe United Airlines may be one example from the US. I’ve had the misfortune to fly with them.