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Cake day: July 29th, 2023

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  • OurToothbrush@lemmy.mltoMemes@lemmy.mlPaperwork.
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    17 hours ago

    One of the most basic economic arguments of Marx’s Capital is that 1) firms compete for higher profit margins 2) it is easiest to reduce wages in order to increase margins 3) you only have to pay workers enough that they’re able to, as a whole, maintain your workforce (the available workforce in general can shrink though, especially as automation shrinks the needed size of the workforce)

    Throw in some accumulation by disposession theory(the need to proletarianize the population, separating them from ownership of their own means of subsistence) in order for capitalism to function, and you have good old social murder, the end result of a system designed for efficient accumulation without consideration for human suffering outside the practical consideration of stability.

    Socialism, which is designed to manage the needs of a population through democratic processes, does not have this issue, except in the context of fighting capitalism where accumulation needs to be prioritized to some extent, in order to defend their social project from covert and overt hostility by existing capitalist powers.

    I’ve cited Capital, you only really need the first dozen or so chapters to understand the primary argument. Marx provides detailed figures to cite his arguments. I would also suggest reading about accumulation by dispossession/primitive accumulation, social murder, and siege socialism.















  • OurToothbrush@lemmy.mltoMemes@lemmy.mlPaperwork.
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    4 days ago

    It is because they care about the population more than they care about profits, both for moral reasons and because the whole mandate of socialism is prioritizing democracy (and therefore the needs of your constituency) over capitalism


  • OurToothbrush@lemmy.mltoMemes@lemmy.mlPaperwork.
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    4 days ago

    Let us take medicine as an example:

    Higher doctor to patient ratio, better life expectancy for countries income level. Doctors in Cuba go door to door for routine checkups.

    Cuba life expectancy is comparable to US life expectancy and has a hard time acquiring sterile needles due to the blockade if that gives you an idea




  • Telling me that I’m not a Socialist because I’m not a registered member of a Socialist organization doesn’t encourage me to join any organization. It encourages me to dump you and find an actual mutual ally.

    “Saying I’m only sympathetic to abolition if I’m not doing abolitionist work doesn’t make me want to do abolitionist work”

    Okay what will then, do you want a headpat or a handjob or what?

    The dumped metaphor is great because in this metaphor you weren’t dating to begin with. You were just admiring.

    But seriously if someone questioning your commitment when you aren’t committed makes you react with fleeing somewhere else that is on you.

    Stop saying stupid exclusionary things about your left-wing allies if you want to actually have a movement capable of change.

    If you’re not in the movement you are not a socialist. The movement is a real, organized thing, not just vibes.