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Spiffor
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CPA - Evil Clone brigade
Nov 2001 time: 06:29
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quote: Originally posted by Kontiki
Capitalism IS fundamentally a free market system. However, you can put a certain number of restraints on the free market and still have the essence of capitalism - private ownership of capital and production for exchange-value. |
And that's where you differ with Libbies. To Libbies, a system isn't properly capitalistic if the market is disrupted. To you, a system is properly capitalistic even if there are these restraints on the free market, because the essence of capitalism is the PPotMoP and exchange-value, not the freedom of the market.
A notable un-free market that was capitalistic was nazi Germany. The holders of capital (the owners of the Konzerne) produced items that they sold for their exchange-value. The job market was barely free, wages were fixed, and the capitalists did earn huge profits in the operation.
Yet, the economy was extremely interventionistic, was full of favoritism (it's not like the German markets were open to the competition). This is the antithesis of capitalism per Berz's definition. This does correspond to a particular brand of capitalism by yours.
quote: But what is the essence of communism besides not capitalism? State ownership? Worker ownership? No ownership? State mandated prices and production? Still a free market driving demand? Equal wages? Wage disparity based on task complexity? Effort? Performance? What? |
For Communism, ask Che. He's a Communist, and I'm not (I don't think Odin and Azazel are Commies either).
For Socialism, the primary idea is the collective management of the means of production, even if the particulars may vary (be it done through public ownership, worker ownership, no ownership, or heck, a Socialist could even come up with the idea that the private owner is still here, only that he has no power nor share of the profits whatsoever ).
The concept is often called "public ownership of the means of production", but the people who use that phrase may do it out of simplicity, and not necessarily envision a system where the worker has shares in their company.
The State-interventionism in a Socialist economy doesn't belong to its fundamentals, just like it isn't a central aspect to define capitalism: if Sweden can be a capitalist country (and it is), pretty much every country could be capitalist.
The amount of wages / welfare is again not a central aspect to define Socialism, although it had been historically used to rally supporters. Just like under capitalism, where you'll see some societies striving to reduce income unequality, while others encourage income disparity.
The nature of the market is no central point in the definition either. Some will support a free or free-ish market, some others will support a planned or planned-ish economy. Just like some Capitalists have supported planification in the past (France in the 1950's had plans that actually meant something), and now many capitalists support a grade of free-market that would have passed as insane decades ago.
In short, we Socialists vary on the particulars, which are also open to debate in a capitalist system. We are however united on the one firm principle that the means of production should be publicly managed, rather than managed by the owner. I don't think you could find a Socialist or Commie that disagrees with that. You may find some people in the CPA who disagree with that statement, however, but I don't see their belonging to the CPA as caused by the willingness to have a Socialist or Communist economy.
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Kontiki
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Canada
Aug 2001 time: 00:29
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Ok, this is where the problem lies.
quote: But what is the essence of communism besides not capitalism? |
quote: Social ownership of the means of production. |
What consititutes social ownership? Government ownership? Worker ownership (distinct as in the workers in a particular factory own that particular factory, not everyone else in society owns it)?
quote: Distribution based on need. |
Sounds great. Who decides on needs? I can see making sure everyone has enough to eat, a roof over their head, basic education and health care, but where do you go from there?
quote: The abolition of class society. |
Leaving aside the questions that arise from the rather loader term "class", this isn't a feature of a system but rather an (possible) outcome.
quote: Rational allocation of the resources of society. |
A completely meaningless platitude.
quote: Communal/social decision making in more spheres of life (work, school, etc.) |
As is this.
Is there nothing actually concrete?
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Odin
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Biology Nerd at Minnesota State University Moorhead
Sep 2000 time: 23:29
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quote: Originally posted by Kontiki
What consititutes social ownership? Government ownership? Worker ownership (distinct as in the workers in a particular factory own that particular factory, not everyone else in society owns it)?
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In my form of Socialism, the vital industries are controled by the government, each vital industry is controled by a council of economists and experts in that field, appointed by Congress/Parliment. The nonvital industries (entertainment, luxury goods, some food, soft drinks, computer games, etc.) are owned by worker-run corporations, basically co-ops or syndicates, in a regulated free market enviroment.
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chegitz guevara
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Ft. Lauderdale, FL Communist Party of Apolyton
Jun 2000 time: 00:29
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quote: Originally posted by Kontiki
quote: But what is the essence of communism besides not capitalism? |
quote: Social ownership of the means of production. |
What consititutes social ownership? Government ownership? Worker ownership (distinct as in the workers in a particular factory own that particular factory, not everyone else in society owns it)? |
I think that's a question for each society to decide, rather than have some theoretcian on high give a pronouncement. I personally favor state ownership, with democratic worker-managed workplaces, responding to the requests of a regional / national / industrial sector planning body.
For example, a planning board might say, "we anticpate we're going to need half a million new houses this year." Various worker-run contruction co-ops would then submit proposals on how best to meet this need. The planning body would look at each of the proposals, make suggestions, changes, etc. then allocate work and resources.
quote:
quote: Distribution based on need. |
Sounds great. Who decides on needs? I can see making sure everyone has enough to eat, a roof over their head, basic education and health care, but where do you go from there? |
Why not let the people decide that question for themselves, democratically?
quote:
quote: The abolition of class society. |
Leaving aside the questions that arise from the rather loader term "class", this isn't a feature of a system but rather an (possible) outcome. |
It's both. Capitalists tend to be born into their class, but some people do rise from lower classes. By and large, your place in society is largely dependent on where you father was in society. Just because class in capitalism is more fluid, less rigid, doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
quote:
quote: Rational allocation of the resources of society. |
A completely meaningless platitude. |
No, it's not. Right now, resources are allocated by each individual capitalist. On a societal level, resources are allocated chaotically, with the result that resources tend to be over-allocated in areas of high profit, which leads to overproduction, and the periodic crises to which capitalism is subject.
At the same time, areas which aren't profitable, say research into certain diseases, receive less attention, so called orphan diseases. Pharaseutical companies would rather research impotence cures rather than discover treatments for rare blood types.
quote:
quote: Communal/social decision making in more spheres of life (work, school, etc.) |
As is this. |
What's a meaningless platitutde about saying that the workplace and school will be democratically run? How many democratic workerplaces do you know? How many schools are run democratically? In most spheres in our society, our lives are run in a hierarchical fashion. We aim to abolish all hierarchies.
quote: Is there nothing actually concrete? |
One doesn't write blueprints for the new society before you ge there. I know you want me to give you something, but such "plans" would be arbitrary, and have my personal stamp on them, rather than being determined democratically and rationally with people who have a lot more information than I have.
Last edited by chegitz guevara on 26-01-2005 at 01:42
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Kontiki
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Canada
Aug 2001 time: 00:29
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quote: Originally posted by chegitz guevara
I think that's a question for each society to decide, rather than have some theoretcian on high give a pronouncement. I personally favor state ownership, with democratic worker-managed workplaces, responding to the requests of a regional / national / industrial sector planning body.
For example, a planning board might say, "we anticpate we're going to need half a million new houses this year." Various worker-run contruction co-ops would then submit proposals on how best to meet this need. The planning body would look at each of the proposals, make suggestions, changes, etc. then allocate work and resources. |
Interesting, and somewhat amusing. But at the heart of it, your answer is really "I don't know, whatever they decide". I'm a little curious who makes up these planning boards, though, and how this doesn't lead to either different classes and/or horrifically bad decisions.
quote:
Why not let the people decide that question for themselves, democratically? |
Wait, so is it based on need or is it based on popular opinion? What if the vast majority of people who aren't alcoholics decide that you don't need to allocate any more resources to the treatment of alcoholism?
quote:
It's both. Capitalists tend to be born into their class, but some people do rise from lower classes. By and large, your place in society is largely dependent on where you father was in society. Just because class in capitalism is more fluid, less rigid, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. |
It has nothing to do with whether it exists or not, you can't just waive your hand and say that classes don't exist anymore. It's an outcome of actual policies - income equalization, forceable extraction of wealth, or something like that. So what are the actual policies?
quote: No, it's not. Right now, resources are allocated by each individual capitalist. On a societal level, resources are allocated chaotically, with the result that resources tend to be over-allocated in areas of high profit, which leads to overproduction, and the periodic crises to which capitalism is subject.
At the same time, areas which aren't profitable, say research into certain diseases, receive less attention, so called orphan diseases. Pharaseutical companies would rather research impotence cures rather than discover treatments for rare blood types. |
Yes, it is a meaningless platitude because it's completely subjective. I may agree with you that resources aren't always allocated in the best way right now, but that doesn't mean I agree with you as to what you'd consider a "rational allocation". And I'm sure I could find some people that would say we have a "rational" allocation right now. It's no different than if you ask me what flavors there are at the Baskin Robbins down the street, and I reply "the best flavors".
quote: What's a meaningless platitutde about saying that the workplace and school will be democratically run? How many democratic workerplaces do you know? How many schools are run democratically? In most spheres in our society, our lives are run in a hierarchical fashion. We aim to abolish all hierarchies. |
It's meaningless for the same reason as the above statement - it's totally subjective, not to mention unrealistic. Are schoolboards in the US democratically run? Don't you elect schoolboard officials? Do the parents not have a say in education, or am I imagining all the teaching creationism in school threads? Or is this stuff mandated from another elected government body? And how many democratically run schools and workplaces do I know? Not many. How many would completely collapse if that was the way they were run? Probably a whole lot.
quote: One doesn't write blueprints for the new society before you ge there. I know you want me to give you something, but such "plans" would be arbitrary, and have my personal stamp on them, rather than being determined democratically and rationally with people who have a lot more information than I have. |
Then one is just throwing out pie-in-the-sky ideas that boil down to "it's whatever people want it to be, as long as it's not capitalism". But what if people want it to be capitalism? And if it's up to each society, how do you know that there aren't going to be numerous types which may lead to conflict between one another? Do you get back into the circular reasoning of "It's utopia because it's communism. Why is communism utopia? Because it's communism, and it's utopia".
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Flubber
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With a view of the Rockies
Aug 2000 time: 22:29
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quote: Originally posted by Xin Yu
Agreed. However it is required for ANY ideal society that excessive greedy must be controlled. Let me repeat: you have to have it or your society is not an ideal one. I would like to loose the condition to 'nobody can be extremely greedy' (meaning anybody who is extremely greedy would not be able to survive in such a society). That should still work, provided that the other condition holds.
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It does not require extreme greed for people to be dissatisfied with their condition. People will show dissatisfaction if they perceive others as being advantaged over them
quote: Originally posted by Xin Yu
That will not be the issue if technology is very advanced. Computers can create 'virtue view's for a house, for example, to make every house attractive. It will be so nice that if you are not extremely greedy you should be satisfied.
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You are kidding right . .. you must be. Do you think wanting to be on the ocean is only about the view?? Nope. Its about the swimming and surfing and other activities that go on there. Why cannot you accept the obvious fact that even if you standardize the homes, there will be locations that will be much more attractive then others to more people ( closer to work or on a park, not near the airport or the noisy nightclub)
Or does magic techology remove the commute, mask all noises and teleport people to the beach with a twitch of their nose.
quote: Originally posted by Xin Yu
You can argue that these are not possible to achieve, and hence discard the idea. |
Thats pretty much where I am at on this issue
quote: Originally posted by Xin Yu
So, unless you believe that there will never be an ideal society (if so, why live?), you have to believe that communism is possible. That is why I'm not against communism -- I want to believe that there will be an ideal society in the future, but other than a communist one I cannot think of any other form for it. |
While never is a long time, I do not see an ideal society occurring in my conceivable lifetime. So why live? Because life is fun . . you strive and attempt and succeed and fail and experience wonders and heartbreak .. . Thats why I live.
AS for your ideal society, it sounds so advanced that its probably irrelevant what economic system is used. Even if capitalist, the poorest would have a very high standard of living compared to today
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Flubber
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With a view of the Rockies
Aug 2000 time: 22:29
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quote: Originally posted by chegitz guevara
Why not let the people decide that question for themselves, democratically?
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Isn't that what the capitalist democracies do? The US could have social programs like Sweden if enough people raised a fuss about it.
quote: Originally posted by chegitz guevara
It's both. Capitalists tend to be born into their class, but some people do rise from lower classes. By and large, your place in society is largely dependent on where you father was in society. Just because class in capitalism is more fluid, less rigid, doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
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It exists hmmmm-- so what class was/am I in? I grew up in a rural area. My grandparents were essentially laborers.... My parents a teacher and a nurse. Now I am a lawyer. Am I a worker or a capitalist? I and my parnets and grandparents all owned stock at some pointin their lives ( even if it was only through pension plans or retirement funds). I remember seeing that something like 70% of Canadians over age 35 own some stock in some form (I don't have a cite so this could be wrong). Assume this is true for the moment . .. Does this mean that 70% ofCanadians are the capitalists that are so offensively exploiting the workers??
quote: Originally posted by chegitz guevara
[
At the same time, areas which aren't profitable, say research into certain diseases, receive less attention, so called orphan diseases. Pharaseutical companies would rather research impotence cures rather than discover treatments for rare blood types.
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And would this necessarily differ if the communal board determined research goals. Unless you assume unlimited resources, choices must be made and the result may not be any more funding for a rare disease than you see now. IN fact such research would not even register as a major communal interest. Do you think a communal board with a number of middle-aged men on it will suddenly lose interest in curing impotence.
quote: Originally posted by chegitz guevara
One doesn't write blueprints for the new society before you ge there. I know you want me to give you something, but such "plans" would be arbitrary, and have my personal stamp on them, rather than being determined democratically and rationally with people who have a lot more information than I have. |
I agree as to details but no one is expecting you to implement your preferred society-- But a number of communists on here rail against the current system. I can see and acknowledge those complaints, in some instances I share them. But communists generally talk about replacing the current system with something else. I think its fair ball to ask what that something else happens to be. In some case, the communist is what I would term a "utopiaist"-- all of the worlds problems magically dissolve in a communist system with no comment as to how that happens. Others, including yourself, seem more realistic and thats why I personally like to hear how you would see things working. Because frankly, every time I look at the range of communist ideas, I conclude that the vast majority of them simply would not work.
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Flubber
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With a view of the Rockies
Aug 2000 time: 22:29
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quote: Originally posted by Kidicious
Exploitation is unfair. If someone else does the work and you exploit their work (pay them less than it is worth), then that's unfair. Exploitaiton, as it is defined, is something that is necessary for capitalism, and it is unfair. |
There you are right on cue.
I reject that assertion.
I find it hilarious that a worker could be fairly paid at$30 per hour if that was the total value of their production but unfairly paid at $ 300 per hour if that wasn't the complete value of what they produced.
I also don't see workers giving back their paychecks if what they produce is of no value
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Flubber
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With a view of the Rockies
Aug 2000 time: 22:29
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quote: Originally posted by Kidicious
That fact that you don't understand how competition for resources causes conflict really shows how reasonable you are about what we are talking about. |
Since your quote was about capitalists eating babies and since my views align pretty much with a democratic system supported by the vast majority of the 30 million people here, I am quite comfortable in the reasonableness of my views.
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Kontiki
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Canada
Aug 2001 time: 00:29
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quote: Originally posted by Kidicious
What democratic system? There has only been one democracy in history and it was a failure. Not that conflict is any less inherent to democracy than republic. You still have competition for resources and conflict that results from it. |
My interest is piqued - what was the one democracy in history?
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Berzerker
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topeka, kansas,USA
May 1999 time: 23:29
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Kid quote: Actually natural selection does not require stronger individuals to kill weaker individuals. The weaker individuals die off because they have been denied resources. |
Who do you think the stronger eats? And I didn't even say that, I said survival of the fittest includes killing the competition. Is this false? There are no animals that kill competitors? If you see lions eating up all the grass thereby denying it to Zebras, report it to Nature asap and get in line for a Nobel prize. 
Boshko quote: Berzerker: voluntarism is a necessary condition for a good society, but its not a sufficient condition. I'm sure you can imagine plenty of theoretical voluntaristic societies in which you really really really wouldn't want to live. |
You're describing anarchism to which I am certainly sympathetic, but to your hypothetical, I'd love to live in such a society.
Agathon quote: Libertarian motto:
"Why kill them, when you can let them starve to death." |
Communist motto:
"30 million murdered... and counting"
Btw, you are letting people starve to death right now.
UR quote: That's a contradiction. If you embrace freedom (the sort of freedom Libbies espouse), you cannot reject the destruction of the competition - companies must be free to do what they want. |
Sigh, you changed what I said and then declared it a contradiction. I said "killing", not "destroying" by winning over more consumers. You are now equating killing others with a higher marketshare. Yes UR, freedom includes the potential of driving me out of business by giving my customers a better deal.
quote: A capitalist hires workers to make money for him. The money he makes comes from the surplus values the workers produced. If the workers were not exploited, there wouldn't be any surplus values, and the capitalist wouldn't make any money. |
You're ignoring that the worker wouldn't be making as much without the capitalist to buy equipment, so the "exploitation" is a 2-way street. The employer makes money from the worker's labor and the worker makes money from the employer's equipment - both benefit more by working together than either would make on their own.
che quote: Unless you're a libertarian, there is a fundimental disagreement with them over what capitalism is. |
In this debate I have cited the actual definitions of capital(ism) from the dictionary, not Laissez Faire capitalism which better reflects the brand of capitalism favored by libertarians.
quote: For them, it's the free market, plus private property with no government interference. |
Not true, the government's role is just limited to certain behavior like fraud, pollution, civil suits, etc.
quote: They would reject certain basic premises, such as capitalism being inherently violent, the cause of wars, etc. while most people would recognize the latter at the least, and when shown sufficient evidence, at least agree that the former has been true at times (if not fully agreeing with it in order to avoid drawing the logical conclusions resulting). |
Humanity is inherently violent and that is the cause of wars.
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Berzerker
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topeka, kansas,USA
May 1999 time: 23:29
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Kid quote: You don't seem to know much about Darwinism. The weak within a species are not usually killed by the strong in that species, but the weak can not survive because the strong take all the resources. |
That's nice, but where did I mention "within a species"? I said, and I repeat again, survival of the fittest includes killing the competition. How am I wrong? Answer without changing what I said, please. And you're still wrong, if killing within a species occurs, and it does, then survival of the fittest does include killing members of your own kind. And if the strong take all the resources causing the weak to die, how do you explain babies?
Last edited by Berzerker on 26-01-2005 at 11:06
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