How do you raise a child to be a Good Communist?

[Nubclear]

[Kuciwalker]

I thought you worshipped the Lord God Putin?

[Nubclear]

Marx is a prophet of the Lord God

[Ted Striker]

commies

[Spiffor]

Edit: Argh, I quoted my previous post instead of editing it. Please disregard

[Dr Strangelove]

I think that the solution to this problem is obvious. If you want to raise a child to be a good communist you must oppress the tyke relentlessly. Treat her like chatel. Take everything away from her, particularily anything she actually produces by herself. Give her a corner of the basement to sleep in and feed her gruel while you and the wife dine on steak and potatoes. Put her to work at an early age. Make her work for long hours with low wages. Never concede to her demands, and if she persists for asking for a little more gruel at mealtime toss her out into the street. If she comes knocking at your door demanding "bread and peace" show her and her rabble friends a whiff of grapeshot, or a taste of cold Cossack steel. When she and her friends gather spy on them. Pay off her friends to rat on her. Before you punish her don't hear her side of the story, but instead give her a mere show trial. Make punishment excessive and unrelated to the offense, in fact, be sure to punish her foten even when she's done nothing. Finally, never let her get the idea in her head that she's anything but the dregs of society. Put her down relentlessly.

When you've done all this, my son, you'll have a commie!

[Ted Striker]

"gruel"

[Pax]

My youngest son is either a communist or socialist at 18 months.

When I feed him he always takes some of his food and attempts to feed me as well.

When he is playing he always takes a toy and hands it to someone else to play with.

When you refuse the toy or the food he throws a tantrum.

[Agathon]

This is laughable. It is the free market that goes against human nature, if you take human nature as that set of dispositions that our primitive ancestors possessed and which we still possess and which informs our sense of morality.

In village communities sharing was natural and the thought of enriching yourself at the expense of the rest of the community was frowned upon. Reciprocity was the norm. You still find this sort of thing occurring in small communities. I know, I grew up in one.

What definitely goes against the grain is the idea at the heart of capitalism, that by acting completely selfishly I benefit everyone. You can still see this disposition at work in the objections that people have to mercenary business practices, ripoffs and price gouging - even though from the view of the market these things make sense.

So don't give me that "capitalism is natural" crap. It simply isn't. Capitalism is a finely tuned social system that goes against many of our instinctive dispositions and requires a great deal of belief and institutionalization on our parts to make it work. Just look at the disasters the "leave it to the market" cretins have created in Russia, for example.

[Imran Siddiqui]

When you refuse the toy or the food he throws a tantrum.

Ah, so he is forcing you to share... How communist

[St Leo]

Originally posted by JohnT
Not in this scenario, Imran. Remember: "Assuming that the rest of the world is with you (so you can't counterargue that "society will screw with 'em")..." so they can't go that route.

Does she understand the concept of "mine" the same way you do? Perhaps she is demanding to be the current user rather than the aeternal owner.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Agathon
This is laughable. It is the free market that goes against human nature, if you take human nature as that set of dispositions that our primitive ancestors possessed and which we still possess and which informs our sense of morality.

In village communities sharing was natural and the thought of enriching yourself at the expense of the rest of the community was frowned upon. Reciprocity was the norm. You still find this sort of thing occurring in small communities. I know, I grew up in one.

What definitely goes against the grain is the idea at the heart of capitalism, that by acting completely selfishly I benefit everyone. You can still see this disposition at work in the objections that people have to mercenary business practices, ripoffs and price gouging - even though from the view of the market these things make sense.

So don't give me that "capitalism is natural" crap. It simply isn't. Capitalism is a finely tuned social system that goes against many of our instinctive dispositions and requires a great deal of belief and institutionalization on our parts to make it work. Just look at the disasters the "leave it to the market" cretins have created in Russia, for example.

No one claims that by acting selfishly you benefit everyone. In fact, everyone acting selfishly can be worse than everyone acting nice. Capitalism just says that it is utterly stupid to force people to play nice. Capitalism allows the situation where they do, but it doesn't force it.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Kucinich

No one claims that by acting selfishly you benefit everyone.

Own goal. Ever heard of market fundamentalists?

In fact, everyone acting selfishly can be worse than everyone acting nice. Capitalism just says that it is utterly stupid to force people to play nice. Capitalism allows the situation where they do, but it doesn't force it.

Of course it does. If you don't honour your contracts or pay your debts men with guns will turn up to your house and compel you to do so.

All tenable political systems rest on the threat of force.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Agathon
Own goal. Ever heard of market fundamentalists?

Own goal indeed -- your assertion said capitalists, not specifically market fundamentalists, and I would argue that not all capitalists assert that people acting selfishly makes everyone better off.

You're just a commie because you know without a large, monolithic government paying your rent, no one else will.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Aggie's been getting selfish lately and painting ideologies with a wide brush, isn't he?