angelo
Deleted
Socialism =democracy? What, like some South American banana republics?
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untermensche
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Are you that stupid?
A banana republic refers to a capitalist hell-hole controlled by US fruit interests.
angelo
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Sarcasm unlimited sounds nice.
DrZoidberg
Contributor
Of course tyranny of the majority is a thing. It's an inbuilt flaw in democracy. And an inherent flaw that's impossible to get rid of. In practice tyranny of the majority is analogous to a cartel. Some people decide to stop competing on a fair market and instead use their power to gimp the competition. If they have the majority they're able to do it.
This is what happened in Iraq after it became democratic. All the Shia voted for a political party that made sure Sunni areas got less. It wasn't about ideology. It was about identity politics. Which is where democracies go to die.
This is what happened in Hungary after Fidesz took power. They put laws in place that made life difficult for people in various areas, ie Jews and Gypsies. It was of no benefit for the rest of Hungary. It just made the feel better that somebody else had it worse than them.
No, it's a real thing and something we all need to be really careful to avoid as voters.
arkirk
Veteran Member
I believe it would be best if you would not try to stretch your brain to understand this...you might hurt yourself.
Some minds just cannot grasp some concepts. It is sad but these people too get a chance to vote in a democracy.
angelo
Deleted
Capitalism also means free enterprise which is incompatible with socialism.
DrZoidberg
Contributor
Actually not. I think you're thinking of "free market economics" or possibly "free market capitalism". But capitalism by itself just means that private citizens are allowed to amass wealth and are given the opportunity to live off that wealth accumulation entirely.
It's pretty common to confuse capitalism with free market economics. Or even to think they're synonyms or that capitalism is required for a free market to work. It really doesn't.
What capitalism has going for it is that it provides an incentive to work hard and for those players in the market who have an edge to push a little harder. But at the same time capitalism provides a constant headache. There's no incentive for a rich person to do jack shit in a capitalist society. Capitalism does not reward hard work for those who are already rich. There's zero incentive there so it doesn't happen. Capitalist society tends to produce three tiers. The working class who are lazy, due to lack of opportunity. A hard-working middle-class who has the promise of wealth dangling in front of them. And a lazy capitalist class who make 99% of all the money and do extremely little all day. Once you belong to this select and elite group you're set for life and it's virtually impossible to fail.
What capitalist free market policies has going for it is that it's extremely robust. Once set up it has in-built mechanisms to be self-perpetuating. The problem with it is that it isn't particularly dynamic. The freer the economy is in a market the harder it is to climb.
Two examples is Sweden and USA. The American dream is alive and well in Sweden. In this country, anybody with some talent and a little hard-work, can scrape themselves off the ground and build themselves up. We have free schools on every level and plenty of state sponsored programmes for people to start companies. The system is set up for people to be able to make something of themselves regardless of background. A socialist system. We're constantly siphoning off money off the rich in order to give opportunities to the poor or poorish. USA on the other hand you're likely to stay in whatever class you were born into. Your parents wealth will most likely determine your wealth and self made men are extremely rare. It's actually the same in Sweden. But in Sweden social mobility is a hell of a lot easier.
Niklas Zenström, the Swedish entrepenour who founded Skype would never have made it if he was born in USA.
And it's not like Sweden is a paradise on earth. Even in Socialist Sweden it's still 3% of our population that earns 99% of all the money. Capitalism here is still almost as bad as USA. Just not quite as bad. That little difference goes a long way. But in Sweden voters are aware about the risks and dangers with capitalism and uses their voting influence to mitigate capitalisms problems.
That was a long rant... anyhoo... It just depends on what kind of society we want to have. I want to live in a country where everybody has opportunities to do whatever they want with their lives. And that requires a little socialism.
untermensche
Contributor
Here's a free lesson for you sweet pea.
Capitalism does just fine in non-democratic totalitarian China.
Capitalism has no connection to either freedom or democracy.
If those things exist it is despite capitalism they not exist not because of it.
whichphilosophy
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The Chinese call it communism with Chinese characteristics. I think the formula is
Communism plus Chinese Characteristics = Capitalism
It is in reality a mixed economy and a lot of people seem to have done very well economically.
untermensche
Contributor
And many have been reduced to human slaves and the future, in terms of the environment and human health, is being traded for the present wealth.
angelo
Deleted
What is not mentioned here are the tax hikes in socialist countrires such as Sweden or Denmark to pay for their social services. Americans as would Australians riot if they had to pay those kind vof tax rates.
angelo
Deleted
What do you mean human health? The longevity of Western society has never been higher, more and more diseases that once killed 100% of those afflicted are today history. Environment? I have faith in human nature and his science.
TSwizzle
I am unburdened by what has been.
Yes, it looks like the authorities are totally unable to assert their presence there. Except for, you know, all the images of dozens of police officers asserting their presence and arresting people.
TSwizzle
I am unburdened by what has been.
Yes, it is most reassuring that the city is pretty much on lock down with a huge police presence. And once the women have "adopted" the new guidelines to keep themselves safe, then all will be well.
Submission indeed.
Submission indeed.
Which invalidates your claim that it is a "no-go zone." That an area is potentially unsafe and people are advised to avoid it does not a no-go zone make. A no-go zone is an area where the government cannot assert its authority.
"All will be well" is a subjective metric, but certainly, the world will not end because of this, nor Western civilization, the histrionics of sky-is-falling right-wing nutters aside.
Only in the minds of hysterical morons, who will use events such as this to smear an entire demographic and undermine the values they claim to be defending.
TSwizzle
I am unburdened by what has been.
A pattern that was repeated in a number of German cities over the New Years. Still, once the women have adopted the new guidelines (burkas?) we will not see a repeat of this next year. Hopefully.
That you think anything that occurred anywhere in Europe on New Year's Eve, or any evidence that has been presented in this thread, even lends itself to the notion that non-Muslim European women will be forced to wear burkas shows how fucking far detached from reality you really are.
TSwizzle
I am unburdened by what has been.
Indeed, perhaps a veil will suffice.
Or, perhaps, you're just talking out of your asshole. Certainly wouldn't be the first time.
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