Is Deliberately Starving Millions of the Populace to death A Good Thing

vivatifosi

ninky wrote: »

you work hard but is it any harder than many people in tough demanding job? the main difference here is that you are taking what you call a 'risk'. whilst the rewards are high you take a chance that you might lose. however, shouldn't we have a society where if people take business risks that fail and leave them destitute they should at least have a bit of a safety net of healthcare, housing and enough to prevent them starving?

But that's not what you said originally. You said, as you have several times before in other threads, that everyone should be rewarded financially the same. However human motivation doesn't work like that. Most of us would not bother to work hard, to achieve, if we all earned the same. True communism does not work because people will always be more equal than others (which I can't put as a poll answer sadly).

Yes it is right that people should have a safety net in developing countries, which is why I pointed to the work of Amartya Sen to place poverty in an economic context, and Grameen bank to do something tangible to help people out of it, but inequality will always exist.

StevieJ

Degenerate wrote: »

ll capitalist decisions.

The taxes on corn were a capitalist/feudal decision, that was all we had

StevieJ

Kohoutek wrote: »

Aren't you forgetting that doctors, and most successful people in general, have to work hard to get where they are?

What do you mean 'were born with good brains - and did nothing special to deserve that' - do you actually believe everything is that simple?
.

I thought they were being sarcastic

Masomnia

vivatifosi wrote: »

But that's not what you said originally. You said, as you have several times before in other threads, that everyone should be rewarded financially the same. However human motivation doesn't work like that. Most of us would not bother to work hard, to achieve, if we all earned the same. True communism does not work because people will always be more equal than others (which I can't put as a poll answer sadly).

Yes it is right that people should have a safety net in developing countries, which is why I pointed to the work of Amartya Sen to place poverty in an economic context, and Grameen bank to do something tangible to help people out of it, but inequality will always exist.

It's like that film where Jude Law plays that Russian sniper, can't remember what it's called, set in the Second World War. At the end of it the guy says something like 'We tried to create a perfectly equal society, but there's always something to envy'. And that's the other failure of Marx's interpretation, the idea that it is economic factors such a class drive history and progress, when that's clearly not the only motivating human factor. Communism can't solve all these problems, and so it's only really a good theory if you think everything is determined by class.

vivatifosi

Are you studying politics Masomnia? Its many years since I did, but I think one of the best Marxian works was "Late Capitalism" by Ernest Mandel. Although it didn't come to pass as Mandel expected, he does raise interesting questions about what happens in the latter stages of capitalism as a model, given that history does suggest that at some point it will reach its end. As my lecturer way back when said though, "Marxism is great at critiquing capitalism, but not good at much else".

StevieJ

Masomnia wrote: »

It's like that film where Jude Law plays that Russian sniper, can't remember what it's called, set in the Second World War. At the end of it the guy says something like 'We tried to create a perfectly equal society, but there's always something to envy'. And that's the other failure of Marx's interpretation, the idea that it is economic factors such a class drive history and progress, when that's clearly not the only motivating human factor. Communism can't solve all these problems, and so it's only really a good theory if you think everything is determined by class.

The economic system is forever changing, how would Marx have interpreted the fact that the workforce now own the majority of the means of production, through investment vehicles like pensions ISA's etc.

lostinrates

fc123 wrote: »

:rotfl:I have rewards lir......I am going to buy new shoes end of the month...and I can't wait.:D

what shoes? you may have noticed I like shoes.....

fc123

lostinrates wrote: »

what shoes? you may have noticed I like shoes.....

..actually I might be changing my mind and spend the treat £££ on my hair instead. I have never spent so much time looking at myself as I have today with my avatar up so...thinking something more choppy and styled.

Going to be pricey though.....

lostinrates

fc123 wrote: »

..actually I might be changing my mind and spend the treat £££ on my hair instead. I have never spent so much time looking at myself as I have today with my avatar up so...thinking something more choppy and styled.

Going to be pricey though.....

Remember once you go choppy and styles you've got the money and time to dedicate to upkeep too.....

fc123

lostinrates wrote: »

Remember once you go choppy and styles you've got the money and time to dedicate to upkeep too.....

I know ....another reason to keep working hard and bringing in enough £££.
How shallow of me..:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:.
....in years to come..''and FC123 what pushed you take that one final big risk and do *insert money making scheme*...and I reply..''to maintain a high maintenance haircut as the previous on was looking very limp''.