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Fuck Capitalism

Name: blindpig 2011-08-23 10:03

Capitalism, capitalism. How do I loath thee? Let me count the ways….

Few would argue with the conclusion that greed, selfishness, ruthlessness, and egocentrism are qualities that all of us humans possess, to varying degrees of course. Equally compelling is the argument that nearly all of us are capable of acting with kindness, compassion, justice, honesty, generosity, and empathy. Yet despite the sweeping epidemic of unnecessary suffering caused by torrential waves of avarice, self-centeredness, and brutality, our filthy moneyed elite, their well-compensated sycophants, and countless millions of deeply inculcated members of the working class defend the sacred cow of capitalism with the zeal of the Sicarii. What a brilliant way to conduct human affairs and organize ourselves socioeconomically! Not only do we embrace the inevitability of our human frailties; we willfully and perpetually embrace a system that ensures that the worst elements of the human psyche will predominate AND which amply rewards those who act the most reprehensibly.

One of the idiocies advanced as a logical argument to justify the continued existence of the abomination of capitalism is that while it may be flawed, it is still better than any alternative. If capitalism is the best humanity can do, it's time to cash in our chips and leave Earth to our non-human animal counter-parts. They may not have opposable thumbs and formidably sized frontal lobes, but at least they don't engage in the systematic destruction of themselves and the rest of the planet. However, before we act too hastily and engage in mass seppuku, perhaps it would make more sense to implement a mass reorganization of our socioeconomic structure, basing the new paradigm on far more egalitarian, sustainable, democratic, just, and rational principles. Or we could just keep destroying each other and the fucking planet….

Perhaps most disturbing of all is the way in which capitalism's relentless advocates have managed to bamboozle billions of people into equating it with democracy. Diabolical to its core, but sheer genius nonetheless. Concluding that capitalism and democracy are somehow synonymous is a bit like saying that Dick Cheney and the milk of human kindness relate to one another in even a very remote fashion. (Have you seen the myriad pictures of his evil grimaces floating around the Internet? Despicable creature that he is, he doesn't even attempt to mask his malevolence). Capitalism is naturally hierarchical, authoritarian, and brutal. Corporations, the legal vehicles for the plutocracy to maximize their profits while minimizing liability, are structured as tyrannies. What the hell is democratic about dog eat dog, law of the jungle, and every man for himself? Besides, if we uber-capitalists here in the United States are truly "democratic," and we "elected" a depraved idiot like W. to what is ostensibly the most powerful position in the world, what does that say about us?

Name: AntiStatist !VoonmBZbSs 2011-09-17 22:04

>>126
That was also a time where you had child labor, no workplace safety regulations, etc. Not exactly a time that people want to go back to.

Well personally i dont see anything wrong with "child labor" as long as its voluntary, now you can make the case that it is coercive because they need it to buy resources but if thats the case then you should really blame the state who claims vast portions of unused land for itself and does not allow for those children and their families to settle and be self sufficient.

You seem to imply that the goal of anti statism is to recede all of the technological and cultural advancements, which is not the case, all the things you desire of a society can and will be provided to you in a stateless society, the only difference is that there wont be a group of people with the monopolistic presumed legal right to use violence in a geographical area.

As much as Cromwell may have been a bastard to the Irish, I can't say that it has been entirely a bad thing (ignoring The Troubles, and all the other political bullshit). Ireland also had a primitive form of monarchy during the medieval era, so I don't think it is as "stateless" as you're claiming it to be. Perhaps weakly statist, but so was over half of Europe at the time.

Meh i guess Iceland was a better example but nonetheless i believe the people there would have eventually outgrown the monarchy.

See, that seems to make as much sense as "once communism is achieved, the state will magically wither away", which pretty much means that in practice, has no basis in reality. When it comes down to it, it's all just theory. It's a nice theory, but that's about it.
I can kinda agree with you on communism but the fundamental principle of market anarchy/ anti statism and many other forms of it is that it is how all humans organize naturally when in non-coercive situations and it works in practice every single day.

"it is how states cooperate with one another without a state above them, and it is how people within the state cooperate without a state above them
it is the natural social organization of humans
absent bullshit religions about monopolies on violence
that's all market anarchism is"

to claim that that doesn't function in reality shows nothing but staggering ignorance of what's being discussed.

huge income inequalities
explain further because im not sure which ones you are talking about

rising obesity
People who are perfectly healthy are defined as "obese" look at this for more...
http://www.hulu.com/watch/196879/fat-head

decline in literacy
I agree and this is because of state intervention and forced attendance.

a religious minority gaining more strength in the political system
When you have a system that in its inception used religious and ideological justification it should be no surprise that people who already are indoctrinated would seek to gain power over it when threatened with the possibility of its collapse.

But really as big as the religious majority is you cant deny the steady rise of atheism throughout the last century.

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