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THE Socialism Thread pt 2 (merged)

What's on your mind?
General interest discussions, not necessarily related to depletion.

Re: "21st Century" Socialism proceeds apace

Unread postby galacticsurfer » Thu 23 Oct 2008, 06:49:04

In Russia stuff lasted forever, no advertising overhead and planned obsolescence. Problem was supply. No incentive to make enough so everybody could get one of whatever it was but quality was high (radio or washing machine or sewing machine or car).

How do you solve such a problem with all that bribing to get a pork chops or a car in short supply in socialist system as opposed to being heaped upon with endless consumer garbage on credit in a capitalist system?

If I could solve this conundrum I would get the nobel priize for peace and economics at the same time. Gorbi tried allowing only 5 people private enterprises but I doubt you could make cars or radios with so few people and who would know about your stuff without ads?

There is no perfect system and we should just give it up and all plant a garden and live in a monastery and pray as we will be dead before this argument will be settled and will need prayer more than politics in our own personal endgame.

The South Americans will hopefully succeed but "the poor will always be with us" I am sure and people will game the sastem and be corrupt so that conservative hard working types will get angry and fight any "handouts" to shirkers so it will go the other way in 10 -15 years.
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Re: "21st Century" Socialism proceeds apace

Unread postby Cloud9 » Thu 23 Oct 2008, 06:55:58

It was my understanding that Russian consumer goods sucked. You cannot compare an AK 47 to a washing machine. The AK was born out of the memories of the German invasion. The washing machine was constructed by a worker who was paid by a system that did not connect to quality controls because there was no competition in the market for the machine it produced.

If communism is such a great system why does it devolve into a thugocracy?
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Re: "21st Century" Socialism proceeds apace

Unread postby galacticsurfer » Thu 23 Oct 2008, 07:02:41

cloud9,

military had high priority with quality controls of course. At least consumer goods were simple with standard replacement parts. Take a 50s car anyhwere as example. Any Joe could fix it if he was worth his salt. Nowadays you need a tech degree just to look under the hood. If Russia remained at that earlier level and we go back to that regardless of economic system that would be better.
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Re: "21st Century" Socialism proceeds apace

Unread postby Munqi » Thu 23 Oct 2008, 08:21:04

Why is it always hard line communism vs hard line capitalism?

There are plenty of countries that take the good out of both and these are the best societies in the world. Canada, Norway, Sweden and Finland are good examples.

In Finland everyone has free healthcare, free education and thats not the only thing. The son of the bus driver goes trough the exact same schools as the son of the president.

That is equality. That is freedom. You can hide behind your "free market/small goverment" bullshit but the truth is that america is a class society and you want it to stay that way because it costs you (the upper class) less.
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Re: "21st Century" Socialism proceeds apace

Unread postby pana_burda » Thu 23 Oct 2008, 12:32:54

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'P')roduce only the best product possible aimed at longevity not obsolescence and resources are not wasted.

Capitalism is parasitic. It is a cancer on humanity and the planet.


Perhaps you haven´t realized yet it would´d be quite difficult to communicate to/with each other through smoke signals or by the drum beats, today, haven´t you?

By the way, I wouldn´t be that smart to argue with someone, who is telling me he´s stuck in a traffic jam and the old lady sitting in the next seat of the bus, just slipped off the stinkiest and noisiest rear "winds", just because you are at a different location and reading in a newspaper that a new and alternate driveway was inaugurated that precise day, and traffic jams are simply things of the past, would you?. Of course, that "inauguration", figuratively speaking .....

I mean, the least I could do is to get me the passangers list and if such old lady indeed is riding it up, chances are that person could be correct in all his assertions, since that person´s not to gain a thing out of the reality he´s trying to get to you, while he´s still able to do it.

¿¿That the pres-ident of your country is plainly another piece of crap??? ....., that´s sand but from another box.

Ahhh ....., almost forgot, IF I am wrong in all my assertions and "political" perspectives, why is that the lady running with the rep anti-candidate, just said the last option to be analised up against our dictator would be the military one?

Maybe she didn´t quite recall the numerous violations to the interamerican chart, this puppet here has achieved along his ten years at "office" and that also he signed it up, before this NEW agenda (the pro military intervention one) was brought up to his attention.

Or perhaps you have a better explanation?
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Re: "21st Century" Socialism proceeds apace

Unread postby pana_burda » Thu 23 Oct 2008, 12:42:23

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'W')hy is it always hard line communism vs hard line capitalism?


I would´d wished that was our dilemma but the problem goes much farther than that and passes through building a brand new empire using the custom taylored energy/economic crisis, as its mean and oil as its weapon.

I would say our dilemma is the same as Ecuador had when Bucaran won the elections but lose his power because he didn´t know or wasn´t aware the bearded anchor he needed to remain at it, was located in some caribbean island. Simple!!
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Re: "21st Century" Socialism proceeds apace

Unread postby Nickel » Thu 23 Oct 2008, 15:23:01

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cid_Yama', 'I') look at it this way. I would like to live in a world where no one loses an eye or a limb or a family member that could have been saved if only they had access to antibiotics or a heathcare worker.

I would like to live in a world where everyone has the opportunity to learn how the world works and gain the education necessary to not be exploited and provide a living wage for themselves.

How can a world where everyone is healthy and educated, not be a better world?


Hear, hear. Well said. Happy to sit on the left with you in this assembly of the Republic of Letters. :)
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Re: "21st Century" Socialism proceeds apace

Unread postby Nickel » Thu 23 Oct 2008, 15:30:22

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pana_burda', 'I') assume you can read some Spanish...


No, Panny, we're anglos. :) Nous ne lisons pas les langues des autres. :P


$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pana_burda', 'H')ey, believe me, I am FAR from being evil but I will NEVER get tired of trying to give a BETTER and more realistic approach to OUR true reality. The rest is up to your intelligence.


No no. Your English is so bad! The adjectives you needed to use were "greedy" and "self-interested". They might be "better" and "more realistic" in literal Spanish, but you need to use finesse in your translations. :)
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Re: "21st Century" Socialism proceeds apace

Unread postby Nickel » Thu 23 Oct 2008, 15:33:39

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cloud9', 'I')f communism is such a great system why does it devolve into a thugocracy?


You've got the nerve to ask that in the midst of the crisis our own Western banking system is going through at this very moment? 8O
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Re: "21st Century" Socialism proceeds apace

Unread postby TommyJefferson » Thu 23 Oct 2008, 17:15:58

Aggressive violence is evil.

Socialism, Fascism, and Communism are based upon violence. That makes them inherently evil.

Be good. Promote peace and freedom, not evil violence.
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Re: "21st Century" Socialism proceeds apace

Unread postby Cloud9 » Thu 23 Oct 2008, 17:23:11

The American banking system, which I can't believe I am defending, has not left some twenty million of my countrymen dead. That is how I have the nerve to ask that question.
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Re: "21st Century" Socialism proceeds apace

Unread postby Cid_Yama » Thu 23 Oct 2008, 22:46:04

This all goes back to kindergarden. Socialism is about sharing. Capitalism is about <b>NOT</b> sharing.

Capitalists are the ill mannered bullies that ripped things out of other kids hands, refused to give it back or share it and made others cry.

If only we had uber teachers to make the Capitalists go sit in the corner and think about it.
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Re: "21st Century" Socialism proceeds apace

Unread postby TommyJefferson » Fri 24 Oct 2008, 00:13:51

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cid_Yama', 'S')ocialism is about sharing.


Exactly wrong.

Socialism is about using the threat of violence to take other peoples' property by force.

Capitalism is about voluntarily trading something you have for something you want.

In Kindergarten they should have taught you that taking the property of others by force is wrong.

Anyone who believes violence is a good way to solve social problems is either very stupid or very evil.
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Re: "21st Century" Socialism proceeds apace

Unread postby Cid_Yama » Fri 24 Oct 2008, 00:22:05

Wrong. When someone has taken everything from everyone then shouts, "it's mine", doesn't make it so.

There comes a time to take it back.

How dare you take the name of Thomas Jefferson in vain.
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Re: "21st Century" Socialism proceeds apace

Unread postby ECM » Fri 24 Oct 2008, 02:57:25

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TommyJefferson', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cid_Yama', 'S')ocialism is about sharing.


Exactly wrong.

Socialism is about using the threat of violence to take other peoples' property by force.

Capitalism is about voluntarily trading something you have for something you want.

In Kindergarten they should have taught you that taking the property of others by force is wrong.

Anyone who believes violence is a good way to solve social problems is either very stupid or very evil.


Capitalism is a system that is used by the wealthy to exploit the masses. Everyone should be compensated based upon their efforts/productivity which is not how capitalism works at all. Through corruption and collusion the wealthy take an unfair share of the efforts of others.

Many people are FORCED to trade their labor for pay that is below what they have earned.

Capitalist use the legal system along with things such as eminent domain to effectively "steal" from other people and businesses.

Capitalist by and large are leaches. As I worked my way up to the top levels and earned many times what the core producers did I noticed that most of my peers did almost nothing productive. They sat around and told other people to do things while putting forth almost nothing of value, yet they earned a very high income relative to the people that actually did the real work.
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Re: "21st Century" Socialism proceeds apace

Unread postby Nickel » Fri 24 Oct 2008, 09:01:42

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TommyJefferson', 'S')ocialism, Fascism, and Communism are based upon violence. That makes them inherently evil.


No they aren't. They're theories of economic distribution. Like any other system, including ours, they are maintained by the implicit threat of violence to require people to toe the line. In particular applications, regimes have gone beyond the pale. The same is true of our own system. Ask southern blacks or South African blacks or the Plains Indians or the subject peoples of myriad European empires if our system -- in practice, if not in theory -- is based on violence or not.

And just how WAS the United States founded, Mr. "Jefferson"?
Last edited by Nickel on Fri 24 Oct 2008, 09:05:00, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: "21st Century" Socialism proceeds apace

Unread postby Nickel » Fri 24 Oct 2008, 09:03:35

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cloud9', 'T')he American banking system, which I can't believe I am defending, has not left some twenty million of my countrymen dead. That is how I have the nerve to ask that question.


Neither have most socialist or even communist regimes.
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Re: "21st Century" Socialism proceeds apace

Unread postby Munqi » Fri 24 Oct 2008, 09:12:06

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Nickel', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cloud9', 'T')he American banking system, which I can't believe I am defending, has not left some twenty million of my countrymen dead. That is how I have the nerve to ask that question.


Neither have most socialist or even communist regimes.



And it doesnt even matter. People do the killing, not economic systems.
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Re: "21st Century" Socialism proceeds apace

Unread postby Nickel » Fri 24 Oct 2008, 09:12:21

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TommyJefferson', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cid_Yama', 'S')ocialism is about sharing.


Exactly wrong.

Socialism is about using the threat of violence to take other peoples' property by force.


Exactly wrong.

Socialism is about society managing the means of production and seeing to it the needs of all the members of society are met. There's an implicit leveling in that in most cases. It's a utopian ideal that doesn't strictly meet all the human needs (like avarice, for instance), and while it's probably unattainable, it does point us in directions that make society both more sound and more humane. I don't have a big problem with capitalism so long as it's well-regulated and its beneficiaries are responsible and willing to do their bit for society in general.


$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TommyJefferson', 'C')apitalism is about voluntarily trading something you have for something you want.


Used progressively and responsibly, capitalism is about utilizing the excess production of a society to A) acquire, from without, those things which in a given society is deficient, and B) to store wealth in anticipation of shortfalls, famines, or the future needs of the infrastructure. Most companies, if they're well-run, operate on this model. Unfortunately we're living in a time where most companies are being run on the model of catering to the guy who invests $100 this morning and wants to haul out $105 this afternoon. That's irresponsible and disruptive both the company in question and the society of which it forms a component.
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Re: "21st Century" Socialism proceeds apace

Unread postby Nickel » Fri 24 Oct 2008, 09:15:21

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cid_Yama', 'H')ow dare you take the name of Thomas Jefferson in vain.


I'm not sure you really can take the name of a guy who OWNED other people in vain, Cid, no matter how good he was with a pen. :)
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