It's about being enslaved to debt.

Originally posted by Doctor Go-Go:

It's about being enslaved to debt.

Debt is a personal choice.

crazy how the everyday american hasn't yet internalized that capitalism will only squeeze them for every ounce of their worth, rather than benefitting them. i guess it's because this is the only life they know.

and when they finally do realize it, both parties are quick to distract. democrats say "we'll fund you!! give you aid! that'll fix it" and republicans say "don't look at us, look at immigrants and radical leftists! its their fault!"

Home of the free and the brave - and the poor.

Originally posted by Fake:

Originally posted by Doctor Go-Go:

It's about being enslaved to debt.

Debt is a personal choice.

That's very cute, evade the truth. Yes, it is a choice, for many it will be the ONLY choice they have because it's the only chance they have therefore the choice is an illusion, a game. NO ONE FORCED them to do it, they did have a choice yet not really. That's how it works. People are enslaved to debt because they'll never be able to afford anything nor their way out of it. That's the way the game is played. It's the BEST form of slavery so far, it's civil and clean with the illusion of a choice via limited options.

If NO one forces another to dive off the building yet that's really the only choice they have, the only direction left to go... well... they DO get to choose.

Fraud and racketeering are choices too.

Because the alternatives like socialism and communism are never sustainable.

Just look at France's government collapsing. All that free education, free healthcare, under 40 hours of work per week, etc has finally caught up with it.
Promising free stuff until they run out of other people's money.

Same goes for the UK and Germany.

Life and reality is meritocratic. If you want something, work for it. Nobody is entitled to anything. That goes for money, property, relationships, everything. Stop blaming other people who are just better at competing for resources.

One doesnt need to be anti capitalist to be in favour of basic worker rights and protections.
The issue is for many this is a black and white matter, capitalism on steroids or socialist utopia and nothing inbetween.

If they don't like a job, then go elsewhere. Nobody is forcing them to do it. It's that simple.

In a way it's correct. A friend gave me a print of a hilarious paper towel advert from the early red scare asking "Are the poor quality paper towels in the lavatory turning your workers into BOLSHEVIKS?"

What prevented a communist revolt here was that there was a significant population of middle class Americans that would side with the elite because their plate actually had some pie on it. Then those very elite moved the factories off shore, crashed the economy a couple of times so they could buy cheap, bought two political parties and actively worked to eliminate the low and mids of the middle class to shrink their class's political influence.

That was incredibly short sighted.

This is much larger than a merely 20th century thing with marxism. History is full of countless uprisings of the working poor. They range from striking to violence. And the causation is always the same: the disparity between the high and the low.

Originally posted by パエトーン (Belle):

Life and reality is meritocratic. If you want something, work for it. Nobody is entitled to anything. That goes for money, property, relationships, everything. Stop blaming other people who are just better at competing for resources.

You couldn't be further from the truth. Meritocracy doesn't exist in any real form as far as humans are concerned, and it's a ♥♥♥♥ system anyways. Capitalism isn't meritocratic, the privileged few in capitalism often don't work yet still live in mansions anyways. This goes especially for kids who inherent great sums of wealth. Products and services don't win on merit or quality (a good example of this would be Microsoft Windows) but rather how hard they can exploit the average person to make a profit.

Socialists believe in actual equality of opportunity, where your wealth is not a barrier to you reaching your personal goals. In capitalism, the rich have a monumental advantage in that department over the poor and it's much easier for them to do what they want than the poor.

Originally posted by libadwaita ΘΔ (she/they):

Socialists believe in actual equality of opportunity, where your wealth is not a barrier to you reaching your personal goals. In capitalism, the rich have a monumental advantage in that department over the poor and it's much easier for them to do what they want than the poor.

People will always want their kids to have a bigger piece of the pie to ensure their genetic survival. Equality of opportunity is a futile dream. They're trying to rig something that is against human nature.

That's why policy to enforce it fails or end up distorted and creating equity of opportunity (Affirmative Action, DEI).

But none of this diminishes the fact that capitalism rewards people who are productive. And by productive I don't mean the amount of effort people exert. I mean the value that they produce for others. You can work hard but also work smart. Not having a planned career path and grinding at a low position job will get you nowhere.

Yes, you might be born impoverished, but you play with the cards you are dealt. It could be more difficult compared to someone born with different circumstances, but that does not mean you lack options.

No amount of schooling and inheritance can fix a lack of discipline and diligence. There is a reason 70 percent of wealthy families lost their wealth by the second generation, and 90 percent by the third.

Capitalism created the wealthiest nations in history because it incentivizes productivity.

Exploitation? Please. What's stopping people from finding other opportunities or building their own businesses? It's just an excuse for people who don't want to acknowledge their own limitations. Didn't work hard enough. Didn't find opportunities fast enough. Didn't meet the right people. Didn't strive to be the first. Got complacent. Got comfortable where they are. Plain and simple.

So rather than feeling sorry for one's self and being jealous of other people's wealth. Just work.

Less socialist fantasies.
Less entitlement.
Just work.

A strong work ethic is why China got ahead.

Originally posted by パエトーン (Belle):

Just look at France's government collapsing. All that free education, free healthcare, under 40 hours of work per week, etc has finally caught up with it.
Promising free stuff until they run out of other people's money.

It failed for other reasons.

Originally posted by Siluva:

Originally posted by パエトーン (Belle):

Just look at France's government collapsing. All that free education, free healthcare, under 40 hours of work per week, etc has finally caught up with it.
Promising free stuff until they run out of other people's money.

It failed for other reasons.

Other reasons that are still rooted in what I just said; Government now lacking in other people's money due to socialist policy.

Originally posted by パエトーン (Belle):

Originally posted by Siluva:

It failed for other reasons.

Other reasons that are still rooted in what I just said; Government now lacking in other people's money due to socialist policy.

Rather a destructive immigration policy and corrupt officials than a socialism issue ngl.

Originally posted by Siluva:

Originally posted by パエトーン (Belle):

Other reasons that are still rooted in what I just said; Government now lacking in other people's money due to socialist policy.

Rather a destructive immigration policy and corrupt officials than a socialism issue ngl.

Why did they increase immigration? Because the government wants a growing taxbase.
Because they lack money. Because they spend too much on socialist policies.

You've got to ask the real questions.