The Outdated Debate: Socialism vs. Capitalism
While there are still some who argue for actual socialism (that is, control of the means of production by a governance structure made up of workers) and unfettered capitalism, such viewpoints are incredibly rare among the mentally stable[[80]](#_ftn80) population these days. Heck, even most right-leaning people believe in some form of social safety net and wealth redistribution while even those on the far left believe in the exchange of money for goods and services.
Over the last century this can be seen both on the individual and state level, with almost all traditionally “communist” states shifting to a more free exchange of goods (with the exception of North Korea) and all capitalist states—without exception—expanding their social welfare programs.
Imperceptibly, the debate has shifted from one of socialism vs. capitalism to one of centralization vs. decentralization.
Specifically, debates center around whether systems designed to distribute resources or capital to projects should be:
- Designed through a centralized system and manned by highly educated/specialized technocrats (a “command economy”)
- Organically determined through decisions made by stakeholders in the field
This question of centralization vs. decentralization is most prominent in debate over globalism vs. nationalism.