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Think this video really explains one of the biggest brakes on the popularization of leftist thought in modern times.
Many in the wealthy countries are afraid they themselves or relatives that are self-employed and/or small business owners will be hit by either social-democracy, socialism and the likes.
While this may be true in factors like bureaucracy, it does miss the point of the big corporations being the target group of leftists. The same entities that heavily and unfairly compete with small and medium businesses. There are even small business owners like the Louis Rossmann (from the Apple defects thread) that both fight big corporations and at the same time are libertarian. Then there are those run of the mill businessowners that vote liberal or conservative in the impression that they will help them while most of the policy attention goes towards the bigger players.
In my mind these two things must be connected at least somewhat, the idea that libertarianism is some kind of solutions for self-employed/small businessowners that don't like big corps but at the same time want to be independent. This however misses the fact that unregulated capitalism actually gives power to big corporations in the same way that 'neoliberalism' does but then without the state. Since a move to a smaller state is both a loss (no use of state power to help you as big corp) but also a win (no big state to stop you).
It doesn't explain the position of the larger segment of the working class that do not know anyone petite bourgeois yet still resist statism.
Rightwing libertarianism is what we would in the past call classic liberalism. They are for an extremely small government with only the basics of a state, called a night-watchman state. With the market unregulated and preferably isolationism.
Anarcho-capitalism is literally no state, organize on private basis.
Very much true. Although sympathy for the petit-bourgeoisie might be significant because you can actually meet and talk to them by simply entering a local store.
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So this is in North Carolina, US unions using Red? never thought i would see that
This is actually not altogether that uncommon, which I agree is somewhat surprising. But red has long been tied to labor and not just socialism specifically.
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I'm surprised to see that nobody's brought up Maduro winning re-election in Venezuela. The opposition is claiming various voting irregularities and considering the rather well known corruption of the PSUV I'm inclined to believe that is likely the case. Has Maduro even put forward any kind of program for how he realistically intends to address the crisis in Venezuela or is his plan just "keep solidifying more power and hope for the best"?
Well, this is a thread for socialists about socialism...
Blame the US and sanctions even though total train wrecks like North Korea and countries like Iran are under similar or worse sanctions and seem to manage.
There's more countries doing sanctions.
Its a complicated situation, the country depends a Lot on oil, and few latin American countries are well economicaly Argentina is fucked too, Brazil is a little better is bad too.
The economical solution for the right is what Its happening in Argentina and Brazil, sell everything, fuck the Workers and poor, IMF.
If a right Wing government gets in venezuels, the international view would get better, since right Wing governments gets the Free card to be a humanitarian disaster and gets the media support.
Maybe US would put money in Venezuela, so the left gets in a bad light economicaly and the right gets good propaganda in the region, But idk If that would happen.
Btw Its interesting isnt? White coups in Brazil and Paraguay happened by the right Wing, gets legitimacy, and no sanctions, Its democracy.
The only way for maduro its for Venezuela to be bffs with China, Thats already in progress afaik.
But that would still suck for the left, to be honest idk which is worst in the long run for the left, a right Wing government or maduro.
Maybe with a right Wing Victory the left would be obliged to Change i think, but that would fuck the left for a long time at the same time.
So my incredible conclusion is idk Whats best.
I only Hope that the fascist in Brazil don't Win and decides to start a War against Venezuela.
Its a complicated situation, the country depends a Lot on oil, and few latin American countries are well economicaly Argentina is fucked too, Brazil is a little better is bad too.
The economical solution for the right is what Its happening in Argentina and Brazil, sell everything, fuck the Workers and poor, IMF.
If a right Wing government gets in venezuels, the international view would get better, since right Wing governments gets the Free card to be a humanitarian disaster and gets the media support.
Maybe US would put money in Venezuela, so the left gets in a bad light economicaly and the right gets good propaganda in the region, But idk If that would happen.
Btw Its interesting isnt? White coups in Brazil and Paraguay happened by the right Wing, gets legitimacy, and no sanctions, Its democracy.
The only way for maduro its for Venezuela to be bffs with China, Thats already in progress afaik.
But that would still suck for the left, to be honest idk which is worst in the long run for the left, a right Wing government or maduro.
Maybe with a right Wing Victory the left would be obliged to Change i think, but that would fuck the left for a long time at the same time.
So my incredible conclusion is idk Whats best.
I only Hope that the fascist in Brazil don't Win and decides to start a War against Venezuela.
The mistake is assuming Maduro is left wing simply because they say they are. A kleptocractic capitalist and protectionist regime isn't particularly Left.
I agree he's not socialist, but imo he's an authoritarian Center-left government.
Wouldn't an authoritarian state null and semblance of Leftism?
"When there is the State there can be no freedom"
"When there is the State there can be no freedom"
Depends on the definition you use, i use the one that left fights for equality. So If there's an intention and policies to bring more equality Its a leftist government, but Its true that authoritarian and reformist policies are points that brings It more to the right, If the authorianism becomes a point to perpetuate inequality and status quo, then i agree thats a right Wing government at this point. For now i see social policies to the poor and an intention to that yet.
I don't see much difference of maduro and a reformist center left government besides the democratic point, thats why i put in Center left, sure you can point that a democratic center-left is more left than that.
Venezuela is a authoritarian, incredibly corrupt ultra-kleptocracy. It's basically 90s Russia with the PSUV (and those in their orbit) and military staff being the Oligarchs. Any self-styled leftist who defends it is an unthinking moron who likely doesn't process things past "ostensibly leftist" and/or "aligned against the USA".
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Shock of all shocks, black Americans are in the vanguard again and white Americans lag behind!
(thanks to everyone btw)
Edit: Think I'll make a thread about that survey
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Corruption and kleptocracy is a Tool argument used today by the right Wing in all latin America to get in Power, while the corruption and kleptocracy of the right Wing is protected and so they appears as bastions of morality, weakening the left and winning elections.
They used that to put in prison Lula and to try Destroy his legacy, Also with Kirchner, also with Evo and Mujica.
Have you guys read about the Podemos controversy? Pablo Iglesias and Irene Montero (leader and spokesperson of the party) are a couple and because she is pregnant they decided to buy a new house for them. A 600.000 euros one, which they are getting a 540.000 euros loan from banks to pay for. Some sectors of the party are angry and want them out of the country so this weekend they will be voting if they should maintain their positions in the party or leave. The main thing that is bothering them is that years ago Pablo tweeted against an Economic Minister saying "would you give your country's economic agenda to a guy that buys a 600.000 luxury house?". I feel like I am living in a different reallity, none of this would ever happen in Brazil. They are probably staying in the party btw.
Perfect. Still on the Venezuelan matter, all the Brazilian media is saying 'the election was rigged because the opposition leader is in jail', that coming from the same media that fueled and still supports the coup that led to the crimeless inpeachment of Dilma and the conviction of Lula for 'owning' a flat he never lived in. The current Brazilian government can't do foreign relations by itself so anything the USA says its good they will come up claping hands and whatever they say is bad, they will come up barking. What a big joke we became, nobody respects us anymore.
I dont think there is a single person that thinks Venezuela is a good country to live in right now, but given the news that come from there it just seems that they are a much more radicalized version of Brazil, where the right even got in arms (the failed coup on Chavez, 2002 - ofc with full support of the media) and the left had to stand strong to maintain its position. The rich that want their right wing governemnt back did, still do and will keep doing anything to get to that. The country is in the middle of an economic crisis because of the oil and all the media does is say the crisis is because a leftist is in power
Btw, Maduro has way more % votes than other praised "democracies":
Perfect. Still on the Venezuelan matter, all the Brazilian media is saying 'the election was rigged because the opposition leader is in jail', that coming from the same media that fueled and still supports the coup that led to the crimeless inpeachment of Dilma and the conviction of Lula for 'owning' a flat he never lived in. The current Brazilian government can't do foreign relations by itself so anything the USA says its good they will come up claping hands and whatever they say is bad, they will come up barking. What a big joke we became, nobody respects us anymore.
I dont think there is a single person that thinks Venezuela is a good country to live in right now, but given the news that come from there it just seems that they are a much more radicalized version of Brazil, where the right even got in arms (the failed coup on Chavez, 2002 - ofc with full support of the media) and the left had to stand strong to maintain its position. The rich that want their right wing governemnt back did, still do and will keep doing anything to get to that. The country is in the middle of an economic crisis because of the oil and all the media does is say the crisis is because a leftist is in power
Btw, Maduro has way more % votes than other praised "democracies":
I was born in Venezuela. Still got family there. We left the country in part because mom was a campaign advisor to the opposition party. Yeah, that election is rigged, and there's plenty of militia groups answering to the government that are doing some nasty, heinous shit. 'S not... look, maybe NGOs or something precipitated the current crisis, but I don't think they even needed to. Maduro's political qualifications are nil. Chavez picking him was a lot like Mao picking his successor. I can guaran-damn-tee the Venezuelan government isn't the good guys here.
Unfortunately, the economic policies of Chavez and Maduro are to blame for the current crisis, at least in part-- they mismanaged their budget terribly and gutted their rainy day funds. Then several rainy days came, and they were fucked. Ultimately, central planning always runs into issues like these. You can see in the authoritarian ways that they moved around congress and the cult of personality shit going on that these guys aren't on board. Rumors of stuff like employment blacklists from state jobs if you voted the wrong way in the general were persistent rumors and I happen to have an aunt that lost her job immediately after one of the referendums to get Chavez out.
Unfortunately, the economic policies of Chavez and Maduro are to blame for the current crisis, at least in part-- they mismanaged their budget terribly and gutted their rainy day funds. Then several rainy days came, and they were fucked. Ultimately, central planning always runs into issues like these. You can see in the authoritarian ways that they moved around congress and the cult of personality shit going on that these guys aren't on board. Rumors of stuff like employment blacklists from state jobs if you voted the wrong way in the general were persistent rumors and I happen to have an aunt that lost her job immediately after one of the referendums to get Chavez out.
Whatcher talkin' 'bout, m8, you don't think we're gonna uplift the dolphins so we can survive the nuclear apocalypse and get raptured by our alien comrades? What's silly about that? You want to talk about reshaping the superstructure-- Posadas' got you fuckin' covered, man.
No wonder our meme game's been anemic lately. No Posadism-- that all changes now.
Whatcher talkin' 'bout, m8, you don't think we're gonna uplift the dolphins so we can survive the nuclear apocalypse and get raptured by our alien comrades? What's silly about that? You want to talk about reshaping the superstructure-- Posadas' got you fuckin' covered, man.
No wonder our meme game's been anemic lately. No Posadism-- that all changes now.
Posadism is appealing to me but it lacks the most critical element to become my irony-ideology: support specifically for the mass extinction of birds.
Deleted member 37235
Guest
Definitely the most WTF moment of the 4th international, at the height of their decrepitude.
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Saw some "how you can robot-proof your kids' job prospects" article linked on Facebook. It's sad we're still at a point where we're thinking about this in terms of how to increase children's potential to beat out their peers as wage slaves instead of how we can use tech to reduce their need to work at all.
The dominant ideology is the ideology of bourgeoise, Its has been like that, unfortunately, that Will only Change when this system ends.
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Yes, but even so you'd think with the increasing talk of UBI among liberals there would be some kind of recognition that the basis of the capitalist-worker relationship will soon be changing.
thats where the 1000 year long nuclear holocaust factors in
One of the weirdest parts to realize about this whole capitalism thing is just how much of its persistence is based on irrational bases. Material realities may define the situations we find ourselves in, but in no way do our responses to those material realities actually have to reflect those material realities. I think people are willfully downplaying the changes that are to come or how intense they might be.
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"It's not going to be that bad, but for the poors and dumbs it will be, so make sure your kid is hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt from college so they can get one of the remaining jobs so they don't live a miserable existence, but it's gonna be great."
I'm gonna level with you here: I actually think some (but not all) of the capitalist elite are genuinely hopeful for a population culling. I actually think the left-right political divide is, on the scale of billionaires, predicated on whether or not they believe the poor will end up curling up and dying. I know how crazy that sounds and, despite most billionaires being our enemies de facto I don't believe all of them are evil (at least, not in the "would be willing to precipitate a mass population culling through social upheaval" sense-- not in any way I wouldn't be if I had won the capitalist lotto instead of it showing me its unfairest qualities firsthand), but I do believe some of the people seeking to dismantle social programs are less shortsighted than they are actively angling for a mass die-off as ecological changes compound the problems of the world.
Hello, I'd like to chime in to say AI ain't shit, and share a blog post from yesterday.
AI winter is well on its way
AI winter is well on its way
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Fascinating reading, but while I would not be surprised if the most ardent claims about AI pan out within the next few decades I don't think that should be any reason for us to dismiss its potential in the long term - the real long term. Usually when I see people argue that talk about automation and AI and so forth is misguided because "new tech creates new industries and therefore new jobs", for example, I think the people stating that aren't thinking in terms of eras or centuries.
So maybe in the short term, yes, it's not bad advice to figure out how to "robot proof" your kid's job prospects, but we need as a collective to think and plan beyond that.
Unless resource depletion and climate change kills us all.
I don't know if I could say that I think anyone's hoping for that yet but as climate change worsens and refugees try to flood the borders I think you'll hear it more and more.
So maybe in the short term, yes, it's not bad advice to figure out how to "robot proof" your kid's job prospects, but we need as a collective to think and plan beyond that.
Unless resource depletion and climate change kills us all.
I don't know if I could say that I think anyone's hoping for that yet but as climate change worsens and refugees try to flood the borders I think you'll hear it more and more.
Deleted member 37235
Guest
It definitely reflects at least a part of the ruling classes ideological commitment to a kind of techno-optimism, as a "fix" for the mounting planetary level crises of modern capitalism. You can see the way in which this ideology acquires its popular expression in the way that people like Elon Musk, the avatar of the genius capitalist savior, are hailed as providing the way out of planetary extinction. You all remember the frenzy over his mission to Mars, in that sense this techno-optimism is more appropriately construed as techno-fetishism, the unwavering faith in the power of capitalism to guarantee the technological dynamism necessary to solve any and all social problems. There's a tendency at play here I think, that's been largely internalized through hero myths of Silicon Valley types, such as the idea that all social problems are really technical problems that require the right genius to come along and solve. This kind of thinking can be seen in such varied forms such as climate change, electoral reform, mass media reform, etc.
Leaving aside the fact that this kind of thinking lends itself very well to technocratic, and ultimately, authoritarian political avenues, there's also the matter here of identifying technological development necessarily with capitalist development as such.
Marx describes how the generalization of capitalist relations of production has the effect of driving technological improvements, what he called revolutionizing the forces of production. However, he also describes how at a certain level of development the relations themselves form a barrier to further revolutions in production, the fetters on productive forces. This is where even some Marxists have lost sight of the link between the relations and technological development, which have always been a contingent one. All that to say that there is no technological fix to the exploding contradictions of modern capitalism, capitalists cannot guarantee a way out of Earth or a fix to ecological catastrophe, and any new wide-reaching technology that could pull capital out of the current economic crisis depends on not only whether these technologies are scientifically feasible but also if they cut variable labor costs (wages), thus ultimately affecting a system-wide fall in the rate of profit. Capitalism, I believe, has reached the point where it's holding us back from being able to solve societal problems caused by capital in the first place, and the fact that we can see these fetters shows us all that capitalism as a a form of social organization has reached it's historical limits.
If anyone wants to irritate the anti comunists in resetera
"Spanish Socialist Pedro Sánchez has ousted conservative leader Mariano Rajoy in a no-confidence vote and will be the next prime minister."
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europ...envt/spain&link_location=live-reporting-story
"Spanish Socialist Pedro Sánchez has ousted conservative leader Mariano Rajoy in a no-confidence vote and will be the next prime minister."
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europ...envt/spain&link_location=live-reporting-story