consumerism != capitalism
Capitalism is the allowing of control over companies to be bought and sold without the consent of their workers.
Consumerism is using cheap marketing tactics to sell cheap garbage to people who don’t know any better, and is mostly the result of not requiring companies to pay for the waste they create.
Either of these could easily exist without the other.
Stop defining everything you don’t like about the economy as capitalism.
Also things having a pricetag != Capitalism and doing/getting something that grants brief reprieve from the nonsense also!= Capitalism.
This meme is just rephrasing “you criticize society yet participate in it.”
I don’t understand how people find it so difficult to just stop spending their money on shit they don’t need. You have to treat yourself occasionally, but I’ll never understand those who anyways have to buy the newest thing.
My car is over ten years old. I still use a Pixel 4. I don’t own any fancy clothes, new consoles, TV’s, etc. and I’m perfectly happy. I run my own business and put money aside, ensuring I’m not going to go hungry if shit hits the fan, which is always a very real possibility. The last nice thing I bought myself was a gaming laptop, and that was just to replace my old one which got me through a good 5 years of use.
People need to start being happy with less. It’s really, really easy to do, and you’ll likely find yourself feeling happier not giving a fuck about the New Thing… or maybe I’m just getting older and my priorities have changed.
EDIT: I should note that this is aimed at people who complain about having money issues, but who go out and spend it on things they don’t need and then blame anything but their own actions. If your dopamine hits come from buying stuff, and you’re all good with that, more power to you.
Your feel good drug is alcohol, for others it’s buying the last new thing that gives them a dopamine rush.
You have to treat yourself occasionally, but I’ll never understand those who anyways have to buy the newest thing.
sudo apt-get install -y mongodb-org
I’m not going to gatekeep. I have a PS5 so I am not coming at this from a high horse. But Pixel 4 is a very new phone, and even if it weren’t, all it takes is a billion people “treating” themselves every few years to make the system work.
This is the main problem I have with the people who call for socialism. If you boil it down to what they really want, it usually gets down to “i want free stuff”. They dont want to socialize means of production… most of the time they dont even know what that even means. People conflate social programs with socialism when thats just not the case.
If you truly hate capitalism so much, you will be willing to reduce your paycheck, willing to purchase less, willing to donate your social wealth for the common good.
If you boil it down to what they really want, it usually gets down to “i want free stuff”.
This is the main problem I have with the people who call for capitalism . If you boil down to what capitalist really want, it usually gets down to “I want to own people”. They don’t want to free the markets… most of the time they don’t even know what it means. People conflate employees as people when that’s just not the case.
If you truly hate socialism so much, you would be willing to shun unions, willing to work more for less, willing to donate your body and health to enrich your employer for their own self interest.
How do you even claim to love capitalism when you aren’t even a child working in a coal mind?
Socialism doesnt imply that you cant have coal mines with children… unions are not socialism. Capitalism doesnt have to be rutheless top-down… What are you even talking about.
You can make a case where you want to see more co-ops but this still is in a capitalist structure. You can have more unions and not be more socialist i am so confused by what you are saying. Socialism hasba strict definition of work to work place relationship. Joining a union doesnt mean you are going to own a piece of the company.
Capitalism doesn’t imply that you should have coal mines with children… just that you can. Socialism doesn’t have to be ruthless top-down…What are you even talking about?
My point was that your statement was so vague and based on vibes that you could literally change a few words and make the opposite claim.
Socialism hasba strict definition of work to work place relationship. Joining a union doesnt mean you are going to own a piece of the company.
Hmmm, what if were to have just one big international union? One that could dictate the command of the entire global economy ? One with enough group bargaining power to perhaps control the means of production…?
Like a some sort ruling body that sets rules for the unions. Something like a relationship between governments and workers where goods and services give more worth to the most desired workers. They can use the capital given to them in exchange for more goods and services at a competitive rate. We can call it capitalism!
Like a some sort ruling body that sets rules for the unions.
Like forbidding people to strike , forcing unions to utilize arbitration, destroying their fund raising capabilities, and sending in the national guard to murder the people who don’t capitulate? Yep sounds like capitalism…
Something like a relationship between governments and workers where goods and services give more worth to the most desired workers.
Lol, how does the government “give more worth to the most desired workers” when the workers themselves are the ones who create the wealth in the first place?
They can use the capital given to them in exchange for more goods and services at a competitive rate.
Ahh yes, I love to be given a tiny portion of the wealth that I created.
Bud, you can have a capitalist economy where the government cares for its workers. I can point to capitalist countries like Norway or Sweden on how a government can employ social programs where the population benefits. You are acting like capitalisms end is always the poor getting poorer when thats not always the case. However, i can see how you can come to that conclusion when your only position is ‘rich man bad’. If apple decided to split all its money with all its workers do you know how much each employee would make? Its about $20M per employee. Is that still ok or is that still too rich for you?
Give me an example of what a rivalrous socialist economy would look like without capitalism.
Bud, you can have a capitalist economy where the government cares for its workers.
That’s pretty arguable… mixed economies can function adequately for a while, but theyre typically hampered by inflation and a constant press to privative socialized sectors which drains away at social monetary funds.
can point to capitalist countries like Norway or Sweden on how a government can employ social programs where the population benefits.
How do they find these social programs…? Oh yeah, by socializing massive aspects of their resources and economy.
You are acting like capitalisms end is always the poor getting poorer when thats not always the case.
Can you give me an example of post industrial capitalist nations with a shrinking inequality gap?
However, i can see how you can come to that conclusion when your only position is ‘rich man bad’. If apple decided to split all its money with all its workers do you know how much each employee would make? Its about $20M per employee. Is that still ok or is that still too rich for you?
Lol, I don’t care about rich people, I care about the huge wealth inequality capitalism thrives upon. As you said, the workers of apple have created on average 20m in profits each, and yet how much of that will they ever see?
Give me an example of what a rivalrous socialist economy would look like without capitalism.
What would a socialist economy be rivalrous against if there is no capitalism?
