What's wrong with Capitalism?

[JCC]

The only thing wrong with socialism is the longwinded tugging-at-the-heartstrings polemic where 'Go fuck yourself, moron' would do.

[Mir]

Capitalism is the best system ever.

[blindNsect]

Originally Posted by Joker_in_the_Pack

So the only thing wrong with a system that exploits both the poor workers domestically and poor nations globally,; the system that makes it so you have to slave away for a pittance of a paycheck to spend on health care that a trained doctor could do with utter ease only to be rejected because of some arbitrary factor that boils down to you costing too much money; a system where the means of production are owned by people who've never seen a hard day's work; a system where basic human decency has a price tag it's too high for most; a system where you slave away your entire life just to afford basic items that are stored in surplus at factories that you help build; a system where a man can have wealth greater than that of many nations while three million people lay homeless on the street; the system's only flaw is that the eighty percent of the population with twenty percent of the wealth is actually aware of how fucking miserable their lives are?

Holy shit, you're a fuckhead on epic levels.

You should try to shorten your posts; I think you confused yourself on that one.

[Alan]

Let me try to summarize it. So the only problem with capitalism, according to you, is that the oppressed are conscious about their oppression and are whining too much about workers rights?

[Joker_in_the_Pack]

Originally Posted by Alan

Let me try to summarize it. So the only problem with capitalism, according to you, is that the oppressed are conscious about their oppression and are whining too much about workers rights?

I wanted to carefully outline how fuckheaded his statement was, but this sums it up well.

[viscus]

Have you guys ever read Looking Forward: Participatory Economics for the Twenty First Century?

[SweetJane]

Originally Posted by Konstantin

Me? I think socialism, when implemented, isn't all that good. I was born in what was the USSR; my family has fully experienced living in a communist state. Yes, there were certain benefits; some things were done right, national pride was at an all-time high... but, as usual, the human element brought with it greed, corruption, lies, unfair distribution of wealth and blatant favouritism which, in the end, brought the country to ruin. Hmm, that sounds somehow familiar...

That's one anecdotal opinion. I have a friend who was forced to leave her home during the serbo-croation war, came to America as a refugee, whent home once after the fall of the Soviet Union, and refuses to ever go home again because she misses communism.

Another basic problem with capitalism that I haven't yet read being discussed is the idea of surplus. In capitalism, productivity is key. This leads to overproduction, which means everyone tries desperately to sell things that people don't need (which is another part of cultural exploitation, making people think they need to keep consuming things that put them in debt). This also means that people work far more hours than they actually need to in order to produce just enough stuff for everyone to get by, which is just fine in the eyes of corporations in that their workers labor all day and then have the energy only to buy food and watch T.V., and probably purchase more of their product. The idea is to make everyone a satiated tool for the corporations.

Idealy, under an anarchosyndicalist setting, the need for everything would be assessed democratically, and there would be much less waste, and therfor people would have to work fewer hours, and everyone would have time to actually think about improving themselves and their community, but more importantly, they would have time to be ACTIVE in their community. Where productivity in terms of bringing in money was once concerned in capitalism, the key in a syndicalist community would be making sure everyone has what they need in order for everyone to be productive a member of society as possible.

[Despanan]

Idealy, under an anarchosyndicalist setting, the need for everything would be assessed democratically, and there would be much less waste, and therfor people would have to work fewer hours, and everyone would have time to actually think about improving themselves and their community, but more importantly, they would have time to be ACTIVE in their community.

Yes. Because as we've seen, bureaucracies are such utter bastions of efficiency.

[SweetJane]

I think equality far outweighs the fact that things might be "complicated".

Fuck having to make difficult descisions. The masses could never take a simple VOTE or make SUGGESTIONS in order to get what they need.

[Joker_in_the_Pack]

Originally Posted by SweetJane

That's one anecdotal opinion. I have a friend who was forced to leave her home during the serbo-croation war, came to America as a refugee, whent home once after the fall of the Soviet Union, and refuses to ever go home again because she misses communism.

Another basic problem with capitalism that I haven't yet read being discussed is the idea of surplus. In capitalism, productivity is key. This leads to overproduction, which means everyone tries desperately to sell things that people don't need (which is another part of cultural exploitation, making people think they need to keep consuming things that put them in debt). This also means that people work far more hours than they actually need to in order to produce just enough stuff for everyone to get by, which is just fine in the eyes of corporations in that their workers labor all day and then have the energy only to buy food and watch T.V., and probably purchase more of their product. The idea is to make everyone a satiated tool for the corporations.

Idealy, under an anarchosyndicalist setting, the need for everything would be assessed democratically, and there would be much less waste, and therfor people would have to work fewer hours, and everyone would have time to actually think about improving themselves and their community, but more importantly, they would have time to be ACTIVE in their community. Where productivity in terms of bringing in money was once concerned in capitalism, the key in a syndicalist community would be making sure everyone has what they need in order for everyone to be productive a member of society as possible.

I addressed it briefly in my rather long winded rant at that fucking redneck up there. People slave away to make items then slave more to save up money for basic necessities which we have in enormous surplus.

The ideal capitalism is supposed to adjust for surplus, however capitalist societies breed greed, and greed doesn't care about responsibility. You can't have a system that teaches every man for himself and then expect unity and community.

[Despanan]

Originally Posted by SweetJane

I think equality far outweighs the fact that things might be "complicated".

Fuck having to make difficult descisions. The masses could never take a simple VOTE or make SUGGESTIONS in order to get what they need.

You're ignoring the point. Your post claimed that a system of production should be controlled "democratically" because this would result with people working less hours due to not being asked to manufacture surplus goods.

I pointed out that this is, in fact, incorrect, as the bureaucracy track record is not exactly glowing when it comes to performing a job with efficiency.

Then you countered by claiming that "equality" outweighs "complications" and accused me of arguing that people can't make "descisions" (Which I assume are similar to decisions) and being against VOTING and making SUGGESTIONS.

Debate:

[SweetJane]

How dare you accuse me of being unable to debate when your response was a single sarcastic sentance that didn't at all communicate what you meant it to? I assumed you meant by "efficiency" that somehow the model I described would create waste, which is the exact opposite of what would happen. Besides, how am I supposed to take your argument seriously when you're talknig about beaurocracy, which is an inherantly hierarchical structure, and I'm talking anarchism?

I stand by the fact that people would have to work fewer hours if small ammounts of high quality goods were created as need was assessed; things aren't "made the way they used to" because you sell more crap that way.

I didn't accuse you of being against voting and making suggestions, I accused you of thinking that people are unable to orgnize themselves in such a way that they could discuss issues faced by their community.

[Alan]

Originally Posted by Despanan

I pointed out that this is, in fact, incorrect, as the bureaucracy track record is not exactly glowing when it comes to performing a job with efficiency.

Bureaucracies are by definition not democratic, so what the fuck are you talking about?

[Despanan]

Originally Posted by SweetJane

How dare you accuse me of being unable to debate when your response was a single sarcastic sentance that didn't at all communicate what you meant it to? I assumed you meant by "efficiency" that somehow the model I described would create waste, which is the exact opposite of what would happen. Besides, how am I supposed to take your argument seriously when you're talknig about beaurocracy, which is an inherantly hierarchical structure, and I'm talking anarchism?

I was using Bureaucracy in the sense of:

Originally Posted by dictionary.com

b.
The administrative structure of a large or complex organization

I chose that particular word because of it's cultural connotation of:

Originally Posted by dictionary.com

administration characterized by excessive red tape and routine.

I expected you guys would be quick enough to pick up on this. I guess I was mistaken.

Either way, whether this organization in question was made up of traditional government officials, or union representatives, or factory workers, or just random folks, the result would most likely be the same: If you intend to democratically assess a community's need for goods, in the way which you have suggested; you're going to need meetings, you're going to need votes, you're going to need someone to take the votes and count the votes and oversee the voting process, and you're going to need to maintain this structure indefinitely. don't think there won't be hours of debate on even the most insignificant things because to perform this on any realistic scale will demand it.

Beyond simple voting, Have you ever participated in a democratic process? do you have any idea how much effort goes into setting up a single referendum, let alone organizing a democratic process on the scale which you are suggesting?

It would be madness and even if it did result in a more efficient production process, any extra time which might be gleaned for the common man through this, would be lost in the ten billion meetings and debates that would be required to maintain such a system.

Obviously, you have not considered the practical application of your ideals. Instead, you prefer to respond like this:

I stand by the fact that people would have to work fewer hours if small ammounts of high quality goods were created as need was assessed; things aren't "made the way they used to" because you sell more crap that way.

I didn't accuse you of being against voting and making suggestions, I accused you of thinking that people are unable to organize themselves in such a way that they could discuss issues faced by their community.

You simply responded to real, practical concerns by taking opposing statements personally, re-stating your theoretical ideals, and then attempting to put your opposition (me) into an opposing ideological category of which I did not claim. Nowhere did I come close to claiming that people can't/shouldn't organize themselves to discuss issues faced by a community, my concern is that the amount of effort necessary for a community of any sort of realistic size to vote on each and every thing which they produce would negate any possible benefits of such a process.

That is why I said you were debating wrong; and you still are. Now do it right, stop getting butthurt when someone doesn't agree with you and stop responding to practical considerations with ideology.

You really don't want to turn out like Alan, that cat's miserable.

[JCC]

Yo Despanan, watch a documentary called 'The Take'. It's not universally applicable, but it's a pretty good insight into labour based on democratic principles.

[Despanan]

Will do. Is it on google video?

[JCC]

Originally Posted by Despanan

Will do. Is it on google video?

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...3547373833649#

[SweetJane]

Theoretical ideals my ass.

That's exactly how the workers of the occupied factories in Argentina do it, and that's how they've done it over and over again throughout the history of anarchism. From Chiapas to the Federation of Italian Bottle-blowers to the Anarchist CNT in Spain.

*edit*

Haha, the take is about those workes in Argentina.

[Despanan]

Originally Posted by JCC

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...3547373833649#

Cool. I'm about 30 minutes in. I'm enjoying the hell out of it actually. See, JCC's doin' it right, he didn't get butthurt, he didn't make this an argument of ideals, he brought something to the table which he could show me.

SweetJane:
[img]http://images.*********************.com/images/6/6c/Thouhastwronglydoneit.png[/img]

Anyway, I wish I had time to finish this, but I'm moving into my new apt. later today. I'll try to finish it tonight.

My initial impressions are thus:

a) Hey, it's pretty cool that they're making this thing work.

b) Seriously, fuck those factory owners.

c) However, this really more or less re-enforces the view which Kontan and I have taken from the beginning of this:

Originally Posted by KontanKarite

The point of my post is that as long as all people involved are playing the game in the most autonomous way possible, either system could work. Sadly, we have seen BOTH systems fall to corruption. It's almost like the law of entropy. All things in order must eventually fall into chaos.

It's not the systems in place, it's basically the social aspects that demand a certain kind of behavior that are in place that have been put there by the people of that system. If the people want their lives to be a living hell, they'll see to it that it happens, if they want something better and more liberating, they'll see to that as well.

The uber-capitalism created a situation which the people found intolerable, and they did something about it, and at this early point in time it seems to be working (YAY!) and hopefully it will continue to work as people decide this is what they want. The reason they have been able to stand up to the police and the government thus-far is overwhelming public support.

I think it's important to note that, as they say in the movie, this is not a movement that was born out of politics or ideals, this is a movement which was born out of necessity. This emerging system occurred organically as a result of the fucktarded policies put in place by the Argentinian government. I, personally, will be very interested to see if this kind of thing can actually work in the long-run, or if it will eventually fall to entropy an corruption.

d) I should also add that, that not voting and focusing solely on on the economic reforms is epic-level-fucktarditry. What these people have built will fall apart in mere days without public support. The returning government is already trying desperately to win the war of information, and mobs have a horribly short memories. Once order is resored, and a legitimately elected government steps in with a strong public mandate, if that government is not a friend of the workers they're gonna be screwed, and their slingshots are not going to save them.

[Despanan]

hmm...after finishing the whole thing, I pretty much stand by my initial impressions.

I hate that pregnant chick, but I can see why she came to the conclusion that she did.

I'm disappointed in that second candidate guy, but I'm not as disappointed in the Argentinians as I thought I was going to be.

As to "democratic production" being more efficient than a properly regulated free-market economy I'd say the juries still out. There really wasn't much emphasis on that in the movie, and it's way too early in the process to tell.

I have a feeling the response most anarcho-capitalists will have to this is that what went on in Argentina wasn't really capitalism as the government gave aid to failing companies and helped to bankrupt itself.

All in all I'd say that for me the film emphasizes the need for a strong democratic republic with a mixed economy. The Argentinian mob was far too easily manipulated, and the uber-capitalistic economic policies of their government basically made it open-season on the entire state of Argentina.

But thanks for that JCC; I enjoyed it, and it has given me alot to think about.

[KontanKarite]

You see, I would have mentioned these things earlier and every time they're brought up, I never rail against them.

As it is, behold how they are INDEED taking care of themselves and not allowing that system to dominate them.

Now apply this to the American mentality. Ask yourself WHY this hasn't happened in the most powerful nation in the world. We can't even implement universal healthcare without bitching and moaning. The general American is WAITING for permission to do things. The core concept of an Anarchist is to do things without permission.

You want to see something like what's going on in Argentina happen in America? Start supporting the most extreme whacked out right wing parties in the system. ALLOW capitalism in America to totally dominate it to the point that it's absolutely clear to the layman that what we really have is a totalitarian state guided by the hands of democracy. STOP trying to make things better and allow the infection to run its course. All I've ever seen is how America tries to contain those problems.

[viscus]

The bottom might have to fall out for it to happen on a large scale in America, but there are already plenty of collectively-owned and operated businesses that are doing quite well.

What's so inspiring to me about Argentina is that they're blowing a huge whole in one of the central assumptions of capitalism: that the typical human being is stupid, lazy, and incapable of self-management. And as others have said, they aren't doing it out of any ideological agenda, they just want to keep their jobs and feed their families.

[Saya]

Originally Posted by KontanKarite

You see, I would have mentioned these things earlier and every time they're brought up, I never rail against them.

As it is, behold how they are INDEED taking care of themselves and not allowing that system to dominate them.

Now apply this to the American mentality. Ask yourself WHY this hasn't happened in the most powerful nation in the world. We can't even implement universal healthcare without bitching and moaning. The general American is WAITING for permission to do things. The core concept of an Anarchist is to do things without permission.

You want to see something like what's going on in Argentina happen in America? Start supporting the most extreme whacked out right wing parties in the system. ALLOW capitalism in America to totally dominate it to the point that it's absolutely clear to the layman that what we really have is a totalitarian state guided by the hands of democracy. STOP trying to make things better and allow the infection to run its course. All I've ever seen is how America tries to contain those problems.

Maybe, if you want to see a huge bloody revolution, but in the meantime people are dying because they are too poor to pay for health care, ten billion land animals are killed annually for food consumption, not to mention the billions of marine life and millions of lab animals, food is thrown away in the tons, and left to rot so that prices will stay profitable, the environment is being killed to the point of no return, and lobbyists are stuffing the pockets of politicians to stop them from interfering. Its already pretty damn desperate, but by fighting to try and make it better maybe you can prove that socialism isn't so scary and maybe the leftists are right, the poor shouldn't be punished for being poor and everything is fucked up.

[Despanan]

Originally Posted by Saya

Maybe, if you want to see a huge bloody revolution, but in the meantime people are dying because they are too poor to pay for health care, ten billion land animals are killed annually for food consumption, not to mention the billions of marine life and millions of lab animals, food is thrown away in the tons, and left to rot so that prices will stay profitable, the environment is being killed to the point of no return, and lobbyists are stuffing the pockets of politicians to stop them from interfering. Its already pretty damn desperate, but by fighting to try and make it better maybe you can prove that socialism isn't so scary and maybe the leftists are right, the poor shouldn't be punished for being poor and everything is fucked up.

...diseases are spawning from the piles of trash and dead hookers. The walking dead are devouring a red swath accross the continent. Republi-bots are burning down orphanages for the blind! Chest bursters are spawning in our guts! Angels are descending as the Beast is rising from the boundless sea Incarnadine: upon his seven heads are seven tongues, with seven brands, each emblazoned with the number 666! Dogs and cats; living together, mass hysteria!!!!!!!1one.

[viscus]

Originally Posted by Despanan

...diseases are spawning from the piles of trash and dead hookers. The walking dead are devouring a red swath accross the continent. Republi-bots are burning down orphanages for the blind! Chest bursters are spawning in our guts! Angels are descending as the Beast is rising from the boundless sea Incarnadine: upon his seven heads are seven tongues, with seven brands, each emblazoned with the number 666! Dogs and cats; living together, mass hysteria!!!!!!!1one.

Her post isn't nearly as hyperbolic as you would make it seem.