The main argument against communism seems to be that citizens enjoy a lower standard of living than the average subject of capitalism. Since, once subsistence is achieved, poverty is purely relative, this problem is a product of capitalism's absurd excesses. Capitalism is dependent on a very high burn rate and constant expansion. In a finite world, this can only end in tears. In the absence of capitalism, the perception of poverty would not exist.
As for the shortages that plague command economies: are we not subject to shortages of housing, medical staff, sports fields and even water now? The prosperity of the capitalist economy is an illusion, dependent upon ephemeral conditions of plentiful oil and expanding markets.
Arguments about civil liberties are a red herring, as the only significant freedom denied one by a communist state, is the freedom to be a capitalist. Conversely, under capitalism, citizens are routinely denied the right to be communists and the right not to be exploited. In the absence of capitalism, the restriction of freedoms necessitated by security would be obviated.
As for the shortages that plague command economies: are we not subject to shortages of housing, medical staff, sports fields and even water now? The prosperity of the capitalist economy is an illusion, dependent upon ephemeral conditions of plentiful oil and expanding markets.
Arguments about civil liberties are a red herring, as the only significant freedom denied one by a communist state, is the freedom to be a capitalist. Conversely, under capitalism, citizens are routinely denied the right to be communists and the right not to be exploited. In the absence of capitalism, the restriction of freedoms necessitated by security would be obviated.
5 comments:
Well I understand this stuff. and like it. Like it a lot.
Good shit.
Is there any way in which I can switch the colours on your blog, perhaps to black on white, so that I can actually read it? I know I'm not very popular amongst the 'Trot-lot Tendency', but this is ridiculous!
I've never read any Trotsky, David, so you may relax.
The easiest solution is to stop using IE5 and download a browser that conforms to the standards. I have just booted up IE5 and had a look and it really does look like blueberry flavoured shit.
Thats not my fault though, though, as the format is Blogger's of the shelf.
OK, in IE5 click tools/internet options/accessibilty and check the box that says 'ignore colours specified by web page'.
It will be legible.
Christ! You're as bad as my IT Manager (aka, my son) with all this 'yaddayadda' about 'IE5s, click tools, browsers' and the like. You might as well write Chinese. Anyway, whatever you 'clicked' or 'browsed', you're now in quaint, old black-on-white and I can read you.
Now, will you please go back to "blueberry flavoured shit", because having read you, and realised what a lot of old tosh you have written, I wish I hadn't bothered. I was going to put you right on a few things, but I'm feeling very Victor Meldrew-ish, and having shouted downstairs to the 'little memsahib' to get my cocoa ready, I'm off to bed.
Don't cheer - I might be back!
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