@freemo
Which Communism are you talking about? The one where everybody shares everything or the one where there's a dictator making them share nothing?

@freemo @avlcharlie

Maybe, but if communism converges to these two cases with the same result, it seems to be from the same error in thinking.

@amerika

The root error comes from the assumption people will cooperate with the principle willingly. Once you assume most people will exploit any system for personal gain when they can it becomes evident communism is not a workable system without a totalitarian government. Even then people will generally do the bare minimum so you get poverty.

Capitalism exploits the inherent selfishness of individuals for the greater good of society.

@avlcharlie

@freemo
I wondered if that was the angle. It is an unfortunate but realistic view.

While not probable I still hold out that there is a possibility, however minuscule, that we can break that cycle.

@avlcharlie

Oh we absolutely can, but that is just capitalism with compassion at that point. It isnt communism if people do it willingly rather than a totalitarian government.

We have it in capitalism all the tine, its called a commune.

@freemo
I had a long reply but I realized it was this..

John Lennon: Imagine

@avlcharlie

Right but what im sayi g is,john lenon was describing capitalism, a capitalism filled with altruistic people.

@freemo
Altruistic Capitalism seems to be an oxymoron.. but I suppose that's the point. That it can't exist. That we are in fact doomed and destined to deal with the greed of humanity... Which is another unfortunate but realistic view.

@avlcharlie How is it a oxymoron. All capitalism is is any system which includes free market trade, that is, trade in which natural supply-demand pressures dominate the markets pricing.

Nothing about that implies greed or altruism, it only implies everyone is trying to maximize their own fitness function (get the most utility for their resources). Its about effiency not greed.

@freemo

I agree with that definition, but when you combine it with State powers/violence, the crapitalism that we have today rears its ugly head. And even that is better than Socialistic Totalitarianism that arises from the mainstream "alternative". Again, State power is the root of the problems no matter how we organize the economics.

@avlcharlie

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@niclas

That isnt c"capitalism we have today".. thats like sayi g " your steak here sucks because when im eating it the waitor keeps punching me in the face".. has nothing to do with the steak.

Capitalism isnt a government, it is one amo g thousands of qualities governments have. The capitalism aspect is not the problem at all or related much to the proble. The problem is the state has ple ty of pri ciples unrelated to capitalism that make thr system fucked. But lets not pretend that is capitalism

@avlcharlie

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@freemo

I totally agree! Just pointing out that lefties tend to conflate the matter.

@avlcharlie

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