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Restaurants now charging 30 dollars for a regular size pizza in NY.

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The Kilted Heathen

Crow FreyjasmaðR
Can't take personally what does not apply to me, Revolting. Additionally it is logistically impossible to "think outside the box" when the box is economically and financially sealed shut for many people.
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
Parenthetically, this gives me quite a bit of reserved and cautious hope for the future:

Socialism as Popular as Capitalism Among Young Adults in U.S.

Support for socialism jumps by nearly 10 percent among US youth amid pandemic depression

The Red Scare is wearing off, and younger people simply have less faith in the excessive capitalism of the US.
Parenthetically, this gives me quite a bit of reserved and cautious hope for the future:

Socialism as Popular as Capitalism Among Young Adults in U.S.

Support for socialism jumps by nearly 10 percent among US youth amid pandemic depression

The Red Scare is wearing off, and younger people simply have less faith in the excessive capitalism of the US.
Soon USA will ditch capitalism, & become the
worker's paradise that other socialist countries
are, eg, N Korea, Cuba, or the old USSR, eh.

Of course, there's a big issue about exactly
what these whippersnappers believe "socialism"
actually is. It appears that many only think it's
getting generous social services.
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
Can't take personally what does not apply to me, Revolting. Additionally it is logistically impossible to "think outside the box" when the box is economically and financially sealed shut for many people.
You sure do appear to be taking it personally.
(Lots'o redacted words.)
And all this dwelling on all the possibilities to
fail at making any positive change...that helps
no one. When failure is the focus, it's inevitable.

BTW, it's good form to alert someone when
responding or referring to them. Otherwise,
the post could be missed.
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
Capitalists think it's the people's responsibility to serve the system, not the system's responsibility to serve the well being of the people. So those who the capitalists feel are not doing that to the system's satisfaction deserve to be 'left out' of the system's benefits. They are deemed not worthy.
You don't understand capitalists.
We serve ourselves by serving others.
(That's how business & customers interact.)
But you socialists....you serve the hive.
The individual matters not, as we've seen
whenever your nightmare has been implemented.
 

Estro Felino

Believer in free will
Premium Member
You don't understand capitalists.
We serve ourselves by serving others.
(That's how business & customers interact.)
But you socialists....you serve the hive.
The individual matters not, as we've seen
whenever your nightmare has been implemented.

Capitalism is rightful. But a socialist state is needed whenever capitalists cross certain line they shouldn't cross, like misbehaving or create social injustice. Or exploit workers.
Just that. :)
 

The Kilted Heathen

Crow FreyjasmaðR
BTW, it's good form to alert someone when
responding or referring to them. Otherwise,
the post could be missed.
Kind of like vaguely referencing me in a post? Ah, but don't tell me; how do I know your quite contextually specific examples were about me? Cue eyeroll.

As for the "possibilities", I suppose you can lead a horse to empathy but you can't force it to partake.
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
Capitalism is rightful. But a socialist state is needed whenever capitalists cross certain line they shouldn't cross, like misbehaving or create social injustice. Or exploit workers.
Just that. :)
Capitalism is needed whenever socialism exists.

Capitalism - noun
An economic system wherein people are free to start
& run businesses with reasonable regulation to protect
life, limb, environment, & liberty (which includes freedom
from monopolies). With so little need for control of society,
its form of government is democratic. It's so productive
that it incorporates generous social services. People
thrive in an environment of free association, ie, relationships
cooperative & voluntary rather than coerced.
In short, capitalism is economic liberty, prosperity, peace,
cooperation, & social freedom.
 

The Kilted Heathen

Crow FreyjasmaðR
Capitalism - noun
An economic system wherein people are free to start
& run businesses with reasonable regulation to protect
life, limb, environment, & liberty (which includes freedom
from monopolies). With so little need for control of society,
its form of government is democratic. It's so productive
that it incorporates generous social services. People
thrive in an environment of free association, ie, relationships
cooperative & voluntary rather than coerced.
Is this the actual definition, or is this your Revolting's Rebranded Capitalism 2.0 definition that you made because you keep conflating Socialism with Communism?
 

Alien826

No religious beliefs
Mmhmm. And if you cannot afford to move? As in you do not financially have or make enough to afford moving to a location that does have public transport. You know, breaking lease, paying for a new lease with the downpayment and the non-refundable application fee, first month's rent, and then of course having a vehicle to move?

In the USA, public transport in general has become quite limited, largely due I think to our dependence on the automobile. Added to that the availability of public transport tends to be in proportion to the population density, so New Yorkers can easily live without a car, but try that in a rural area. So, moving to an area that has better transport tends to involve moving to somewhere with a higher cost of living.

Added to that, and the practical problems mentioned above, it may be relatively easy for a young single person to uproot to find work, but for most people work is just one part of their lives. Their children are in school, they have family near, they have friends. This rugged individualistic model may sound attractive, but we only tend to hear stories about those who succeed. What about those who are knocked down by the system and never recover? Maybe they tried just as hard, but just didn't get the breaks. Should we arrange the rewards we get from society based on the average person, rather than the brightest and best (or luckiest)?

Another thing that has occurred to me as I read this thread. If you measure success by advancement in society (typically measured financially, but it doesn't have to be) then bear in mind that the playing field looks like a pyramid. The higher you get, the fewer positions there are to occupy. If you start a business, there's one of you but soon you need maybe ten employees. You also need 1000 (numbers just for illustration) customers, who also need to be employed to be able to buy your product. Two things follow. First, the entrepreneur needs a lot of non entrepreneurs to succeed. Second, everyone, all at once, can't start a business and succeed. So? Saying something like "If you can't find a job, start a business. look at me , I did it!" is a bit silly.

The business example is just one part of it. For every 10 workers one supervisor is needed. For every 10 supervisors, one first level manager and on up to the CEO where there is only one.
 

Estro Felino

Believer in free will
Premium Member
Capitalism is needed whenever socialism exists.

Capitalism - noun
An economic system wherein people are free to start
& run businesses with reasonable regulation to protect
life, limb, environment, & liberty (which includes freedom
from monopolies). With so little need for control of society,
its form of government is democratic. It's so productive
that it incorporates generous social services. People
thrive in an environment of free association, ie, relationships
cooperative & voluntary rather than coerced.
In short, capitalism is economic liberty, prosperity, peace,
cooperation, & social freedom.

Freedom can be negative.
I give you a practical example.
In a school there is anarchy. School bullies can bully fellow students, they can harass them, they can steal their lunch...etc...etc...
And since there is freedom, nobody will ever prevent these school bullies from doing what they enjoy doing.

Or do you think the principal and the other teacher should prevent these school bullies from doing what they usually do?
But in that case, there would be no freedom. That is, the school bullies wouldn't be free to do what they love to do.
Please answer. :)
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
Is this the actual definition...
In this post-dictionary age....socialism now incudes capitalism,
capitalism now includes socialism, Marxism includes socialism,
Marxism includes capitalism (per RF formal definition),
and capitalist countries (eg, Denmark) are now socialist.

So I'm re-defining "capitalism" from the typical mischievous
definitions proffered by the opposition.
The one I posted was sent up as a trial balloon earlier.
It received massive approval from both other posters.
 

Alien826

No religious beliefs
Uh huh, and what year was that? Was that any time prior to 1989 when you didn't have to worry about a FICO score? Was it prior to the 2000's when gas wasn't on average $3.50 a gallon and rent wasn't as high as it currently is?

And what about insurance, which is compulsory, and not cheap even at the most basic level. Oh yes, if the move is out of state you will have to pay tax and a fee to register your car in the new state. And you'll need a new drivers license, also not free. Then there's what happens when the ancient car breaks down half way to your new home. Do you have the money to repair it? Or it won't start on your first day at your new job. Not only do you need money to repair it but you just lost your job because you didn't turn up on the first day. There really is no such thing as a free car.
 

The Kilted Heathen

Crow FreyjasmaðR
In this post-dictionary age....socialism now incudes capitalism,
capitalism now includes socialism, Marxism includes socialism,
Marxism includes capitalism (per RF formal definition),
and capitalist countries (eg, Denmark) are now socialist.

So I'm re-defining "capitalism" from the typical mischievous
definitions proffered by the opposition.
The one I posted was sent up as a trial balloon earlier.
It received massive approval from both other posters.
Yeah, as I thought. So if "Socialism now includes Capitalism" then one would assume you would not be so vehemently opposed to it, yes? We can expect to see you cease bemoaning us becoming North Korea or Cuba?
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
Freedom can be negative.
I give you a practical example.
I've never liked the terms "negative" & "positive" as applied
to "liberty". The plus & minus concepts don't work that way.
To make liberty negative should mean its opposite, ie,
oppression.
Better it would be to have something like "active liberty"
to mean providing benefits, & "passive liberty" to mean
prohibiting government from infringing upon liberty.
Positive and Negative Liberty (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
In a school there is anarchy. School bullies can bully fellow students, they can harass them, they can steal their lunch...etc...etc...
And since there is freedom, nobody will ever prevent these school bullies from doing what they enjoy doing.

Or do you think the principal and the other teacher should prevent these school bullies from doing what they usually do?
But in that case, there would be no freedom. That is, the school bullies wouldn't be free to do what they love to do.
Please answer. :)
Your use of "freedom" differs from mine.
I don't see it as a lack of any control over people's
behavior. It doesn't address optimizing liberty within
a continuum ranging between totalitarianism &
anarchy.
As for schools & bullies, it's the same as with society
as a whole, ie, liberty is optimized by an appropriate
level of laws & enforcement.
 

PureX

Veteran Member
You don't understand capitalists.
We serve ourselves by serving others.
(That's how business & customers interact.)
But you serve yourselves best when you serve others least. Less for them means more for you, and more for you is always the goal, isn't it. It's the only goal, really. So you're really just pretending to serve others when in fact you're only trying to serve yourself. What you capitalists really want to do is exploit others for as much as you can get from them, while giving them as little as possible in return. And if that harms them, well too bad for them. It's buyer beware, baby! Get smart or get robbed! This is Darwinian economics 101.
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
Yeah, as I thought. So if "Socialism now includes Capitalism" then one would assume you would not be so vehemently opposed to it, yes? We can expect to see you cease bemoaning us becoming North Korea or Cuba?
Much of the argument is over personal vs dictionary
definitions, & evolution of either. I oppose "socialism"
that replaces capitalism with the people owning the
"means of production". By the definitions used by
many self-proclaimed "socialists" here, I am one of them.

I'll continue criticizing real socialist countries, just as
you'll continue complaining about your pet peeves.
This is how RF works.
 

Estro Felino

Believer in free will
Premium Member
Your use of "freedom" differs from mine.
I don't see it as a lack of any control over people's
behavior. It doesn't address optimizing liberty within
a continuum ranging between totalitarianism &
anarchy.
As for schools & bullies, it's the same as with society
as a whole, ie, liberty is optimized by an appropriate
level of laws & enforcement.

That's the difference between the US and most European countries. The latter are socialist because Capitalists here aren't free.
They aren't free to dismiss an employee without just cause. They aren't free to open a business that doesn't respect the Public Administration Law standards. They aren't free to make a contract which isn't admitted by the law.
See the difference? They aren't free. :)
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
That's the difference between the US and most European countries. The latter are socialist because Capitalists here aren't free.
You have a mish mash of definitions there.
Perhaps you should address systems & policies
instead of labels with too many personal meanings.
 
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