Page 5 of 12 [ 178 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 ... 12  Next

DuckHairback
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 27 Jan 2021
Age: 47
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,484
Location: Durotriges Territory

21 Jul 2023, 5:21 am

This thread David Graeber: On The Phenomenon Of BS Jobs is one of the reasons I think we have to find something better than capitalism.

You can't get rid of BS jobs because if you do, you'll have a ton of people out of work with all the economic and social problems that follow.

More and more I see the way a capitalist economy actively resists change to better ways of doing things and slows progress.

Here's an example of that I noticed just this morning. In the UK, everyone drives their kid to school. It's a massive ball-ache because the roads are horrendous at that hour (due to all the people driving their kids to school), there's nowhere to park at the school (because 200-odd cars are arriving at the same time) and everyone is stressed and miserable.

The US has a better system, if their popular culture is to be believed - those yellow buses that take kids to school.

We cannot adopt this system and one of the reasons is that the fuel retail industry would take a massive hit. Also the private minibus rental industry would suffer if schools had access to their own buses for trips. There are people who's entire existence is dependent on this profoundly inefficient system.

Our air could be cleaner, our roads less congested, our lives simpler and less stressful, but we can't do it because capitalism.

There are so many examples of this sort of inefficiency in our daily lives, I find it maddening.

People picture capitalism as this brutal behemoth, stomping over everything, but I find it weird how fragile it is, how it needs to be constantly protected from better ideas and solutions.


_________________

I don't know, man. I just don't know.


mrpieceofwork
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 25 May 2023
Age: 55
Gender: Male
Posts: 720
Location: Texas aka hell

21 Jul 2023, 8:30 am

GreenVelvetWorm wrote:
I'm not an expert but I think the point of a civilization should be for large groups of humans to share resources, take care of each other, and live safely together. A system that actively encourages hoarding and competition seems pointless and counterproductive.


I hate it, too. We need to destroy capitalism. once and for all. Anyone arguing otherwise is either a capitalist themself, or has been so thoroughly indoctrinated by this insidious capitalistic system that their ability to actually think and see the system for what it really is has been greatly diminished.


_________________
EAT THE RICH
WPs Three Word Story (WIP)
http://mrpieceofwork.byethost33.com/wp3/
My text only website
https://rawtext.club/~mrpieceofwork/
"Imagine Life Without Money"


The_Walrus
Forum Moderator
Forum Moderator

User avatar

Joined: 27 Jan 2010
Age: 31
Gender: Male
Posts: 8,878
Location: London

21 Jul 2023, 8:59 am

DuckHairback wrote:
Here's an example of that I noticed just this morning. In the UK, everyone drives their kid to school. It's a massive ball-ache because the roads are horrendous at that hour (due to all the people driving their kids to school), there's nowhere to park at the school (because 200-odd cars are arriving at the same time) and everyone is stressed and miserable.

The US has a better system, if their popular culture is to be believed - those yellow buses that take kids to school.

We cannot adopt this system and one of the reasons is that the fuel retail industry would take a massive hit. Also the private minibus rental industry would suffer if schools had access to their own buses for trips. There are people who's entire existence is dependent on this profoundly inefficient system.

Our air could be cleaner, our roads less congested, our lives simpler and less stressful, but we can't do it because capitalism.

This isn't true.

The US has the issue of lots of people living a very long way from school and no public transport. School buses become almost necessary.

In the UK, schools are smaller and tend to serve a local area. Most primary school children walk to school (although only just, it seems). In secondary school, only 35% are driven (pre-pandemic). Secondary schools sometimes have school buses, but it depends. Where I grew up, a secondary school closed down, and the nearest school was over-subscribed, so lots of children had to travel past that school to get to the under-subscribed school. Because there were lots of people going the same way, a bus route from the old school to the new one made sense. There are also a lot of school buses in outer London, but regular buses still get a lot of school children on them.

The UK fuel industry is certainly going to take a big hit. All new vehicles will have to be zero-emission by 2035, and the only reason it won't be sooner is because it will take time for production of electric vehicles to be high enough.

Very few people rent minibuses to get their kids to school, not least because it would be very financially inefficient.

But again, what you're describing is not a capitalism problem. For one thing, capitalism is generally opposed to the protection of uncompetitive industries. Generally speaking, the more critical someone is of capitalism, the more they tend to support government intervention to protect industry. (This is an area with a lot of nuance but I don't want to get into it unnecessarily). But under any system, if you decide that you don't want to e.g. make steel anymore then it's going to hurt the people who make steel. If the price of fuel goes up it is going to hurt people who use fuel.



Fnord
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 6 May 2008
Gender: Male
Posts: 60,948
Location:      

21 Jul 2023, 9:12 am

GreenVelvetWorm wrote:
I'm not an expert but I think the point of a civilization should be for large groups of humans to share resources, take care of each other, and live safely together. A system that actively encourages hoarding and competition seems pointless and counterproductive.
We do share resources; unequally, but resources are shared. The two economic systems are called equal and unequal distribution. Neither works in pure form. The most benevolent parents will not share wealth equally with toddlers. The most brutal dictator will ensure those close to him are well paid.
mrpieceofwork wrote:
I hate it, too.  We need to destroy capitalism.  Once and for all.  Anyone arguing otherwise is either a capitalist themself, or has been so thoroughly indoctrinated by this insidious capitalistic system that their ability to actually think and see the system for what it really is has been greatly diminished.
I am a capitalist.  I make the system work for me.  Those who WILL NOT make the system work for themselves are likely too lazy to want to, or they have made the choice to not participate in a Capitalist economy.  However, those who CANNOT work the system deserve support through subsidies, charity, and handouts.

Destroy capitalism and drive everyone into poverty -- no means of production, no means of income, no distribution of wealth, and no wealth to distribute.

Simple, eh?


_________________
The mere fact that science may not yet adequately explain an object, event, or experience does not mean the immediate explanation should automatically default to a conspiratorial, extraterrestrial, paranormal, or supernatural cause.


Nades
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 8 Jan 2017
Age: 1935
Gender: Male
Posts: 4,132
Location: wales

22 Jul 2023, 2:06 am

mrpieceofwork wrote:
GreenVelvetWorm wrote:
I'm not an expert but I think the point of a civilization should be for large groups of humans to share resources, take care of each other, and live safely together. A system that actively encourages hoarding and competition seems pointless and counterproductive.


I hate it, too. We need to destroy capitalism. once and for all. Anyone arguing otherwise is either a capitalist themself, or has been so thoroughly indoctrinated by this insidious capitalistic system that their ability to actually think and see the system for what it really is has been greatly diminished.


How would you go about destroying capitalism? How is it fair to equally share resources to people who don't work for example too?

Those who can't work, like Fnord said, should be entitled to the essentials immediately but like I said earlier, a lot of communists don't want to work and don't want to contribute which ironically puts them at a huge disadvantage in a communist state. The last group of people you would want in a state where all resources are shared are entitled, jealous and lazy people which is what many Communist are.

As Lennin said, if you don't work you don't eat.

I find it even more amusing that the typical capitalist will probably cope fairly OK in a communist state. The only people left standing in a cut throat communist state will probably be those who done, or would do well in a capitalist state.

It's important that anyone who supports such systems take a look as to how they might personally cope if they were to actually end up in that system. Would you, me or anyone else fair OK during the worst times of the Soviet Union for example? I would probably survive and I'm used to racking up a lot of hours in work, many others however will find themselves on the wrong end of a purge if they can't do those hours in work.



ToughDiamond
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 15 Sep 2008
Age: 73
Gender: Male
Posts: 14,534

22 Jul 2023, 7:47 am

I don't see how a political opinion would make somebody lazy.



Nades
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 8 Jan 2017
Age: 1935
Gender: Male
Posts: 4,132
Location: wales

22 Jul 2023, 8:02 am

ToughDiamond wrote:
I don't see how a political opinion would make somebody lazy.


Over the years I've seen some people who support communist publically state they refuse to ever work because doing so will make them a cog in the capitalist machine.



RetroGamer87
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 30 Jul 2013
Age: 38
Gender: Male
Posts: 11,185
Location: Adelaide, Australia

22 Jul 2023, 10:42 pm

Lecia_Wynter wrote:
RetroGamer87 wrote:
The_Walrus wrote:
Aspiegaming wrote:
Let's not forget that capitalists want to get rid of social security especially for the elderly and disabled.

I know they hate socialism so much that they get all frothing mad when it is mentioned, but social security is NOT socialism.

Some people want to get rid of social security. The majority of capitalists do not. Even most Republican voters support social security.


Let's suppose that they really do want to get rid of social security. What if some of these capitalist oligarchs have lot of greedy desires, including getting rid of social security, exploiting the workers, polluting the environment, etc.

Doesn't that mean we should get rid of capitalism? Doesn't that mean capitalism in unavoidably harmful?

No. It doesn't. I'm sure corporations desire to do a lot of greedy and harmful things. And unrestrained they will do precisely what they want.

So will people. Without restraint of law people will steal and murder and worse. For every person who commits a crime, there could be many more that would have committed a crime if they knew they would get away with it.

People need to be restrained by rule of law. Corporations need to be restrained by much more restrictive laws than we apply to people. Unfortunately, they have often not been restrained enough.

Just because corporations, when allowed free reign act selfishly that doesn't mean we should get rid of corporations, any more than people who have been allowed free reign acting selfishly would mean we should get rid of people.

Corporations are like oxen. Properly yoked they can be a useful force. But unyoked and unrestrained, they shouldn't be set lose in a china shop. With the proper restrictions it should be possible to harness the productivity of corporations for good.


in late stage capitalism you cannot control corporations though. but yeah full blown communism isn't the answer, communism is a stateless society and u need a state to control out of control corporations or else all life on earth becomes in danger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnJSHdEP1N0

You can use the state to control corporations except when they are state owned corporations. In such cases the state cannot be trusted to self-regulate.

State ownership is ideal for utilities such as electricity or public transport. The troubles begin with countries that call themselves communist that are state capitalist. When getting your toaster fixed is a matter of state, you end up with a situation where the head of state and the CEO are the same man. This is an even worse situation than the CEO bribing the head of state. There's no need for bribary when they're the same man.


_________________
The days are long, but the years are short


RetroGamer87
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 30 Jul 2013
Age: 38
Gender: Male
Posts: 11,185
Location: Adelaide, Australia

22 Jul 2023, 10:44 pm

Nades wrote:
ToughDiamond wrote:
I don't see how a political opinion would make somebody lazy.


Over the years I've seen some people who support communist publically state they refuse to ever work because doing so will make them a cog in the capitalist machine.


Why would someone who doesn't like to work want to join the worker's state? That would be like someone who hates chocolate wanting to live in the land of chocolate.


_________________
The days are long, but the years are short


TenMinutes
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 7 Feb 2021
Gender: Female
Posts: 2,023

23 Jul 2023, 12:20 am

mrpieceofwork wrote:
We need to destroy capitalism. once and for all. Anyone arguing otherwise is either a capitalist themself, or has been so thoroughly indoctrinated by this insidious capitalistic system that their ability to actually think and see the system for what it really is has been greatly diminished.


The USA is full of people who think they are capitalists, but have no capital.



auntblabby
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 12 Feb 2010
Gender: Male
Posts: 115,210
Location: the island of defective toy santas

23 Jul 2023, 12:43 am

so many naive 'muuuricans think they can be rich not knowing that the odds are utterly stacked against them. it is these folks who are propping up a corrupt system.



Sweetleaf
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 6 Jan 2011
Age: 36
Gender: Female
Posts: 35,278
Location: Somewhere in Colorado

23 Jul 2023, 12:56 am

As any reasonable person should.


_________________
Tis the time to melt the Ice.


Sweetleaf
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 6 Jan 2011
Age: 36
Gender: Female
Posts: 35,278
Location: Somewhere in Colorado

23 Jul 2023, 12:58 am

TenMinutes wrote:
mrpieceofwork wrote:
We need to destroy capitalism. once and for all. Anyone arguing otherwise is either a capitalist themself, or has been so thoroughly indoctrinated by this insidious capitalistic system that their ability to actually think and see the system for what it really is has been greatly diminished.


The USA is full of people who think they are capitalists, but have no capital.


They think sucking up to capitalists will gain them capital or at least favoritism from those with capital, poor naive people.


_________________
Tis the time to melt the Ice.


Sweetleaf
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 6 Jan 2011
Age: 36
Gender: Female
Posts: 35,278
Location: Somewhere in Colorado

23 Jul 2023, 1:06 am

RetroGamer87 wrote:
Nades wrote:
ToughDiamond wrote:
I don't see how a political opinion would make somebody lazy.


Over the years I've seen some people who support communist publically state they refuse to ever work because doing so will make them a cog in the capitalist machine.


Why would someone who doesn't like to work want to join the worker's state? That would be like someone who hates chocolate wanting to live in the land of chocolate.


Truth is millenials do want to work they just want to be paid in wages that allow them to maintain a roof over their head and perhaps at least some amount of food. And god forbid the occasional night out. Plus half of us would be happy to see capitalism end, but in the meantime we still have rent to pay.


_________________
Tis the time to melt the Ice.


auntblabby
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 12 Feb 2010
Gender: Male
Posts: 115,210
Location: the island of defective toy santas

23 Jul 2023, 2:12 am

capitalism is designed to work only for capitalists [those born with entrepreneurial intelligence]. and capitalists wonder why some of the working class are disenchanted.



Nades
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 8 Jan 2017
Age: 1935
Gender: Male
Posts: 4,132
Location: wales

23 Jul 2023, 4:10 am

auntblabby wrote:
capitalism is designed to work only for capitalists [those born with entrepreneurial intelligence]. and capitalists wonder why some of the working class are disenchanted.


I'm working class and a capitalist. It's all panned out quite well for me.