If your country were to become communist...

[Agathon]

Hey, ten bucks says that you aren't listening to someone else's Dean Martin connection right now.

[Az]

Originally posted by Dr Zoidberg
Trancendence

I am not a big fan, actually. I am an ardent humanist, but I fully acknowledge that this is the way things are going. I also know that if I live till that glorious age, I will find enough people who'd agree with me, so I'd be able to form with others a large enough community of entities who would prefer to be human in most aspects - except for retaining our superpowers ( and the fact that they've started out as AIs or whatever, is completely irrelevant ).

[Agathon]

I'm transcending...

"when the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's amore!!"

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Master Zen
The best socialist ideas have been implemented under capitalist systems, just look at the scandinavians.

Yeah, there was a large increase in unemployment and a large decrease in tax revenue.

[Zoid]

Originally posted by Az


I am not a big fan, actually. I am an ardent humanist, but I fully acknowledge that this is the way things are going. I also know that if I live till that glorious age, I will find enough people who'd agree with me, so I'd be able to form with others a large enough community of entities who would prefer to be human in most aspects - except for retaining our superpowers ( and the fact that they've started out as AIs or whatever, is completely irrelevant ).

What´s not to like? Trancendence is the ultimate freedom...

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Master Zen
And as usually, the commies refuse to argue anything other than the ideals of communism vs the realities of capitalism since that's the only argument they can defend for any decent amount of time.

Actually, it has more to do with, I'm tired of this argument, I already made my points, and you aren't going to budge, so what's the point?

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Dr Zoidberg
What´s not to like? Trancendence is the ultimate freedom...

Go Borg!

[Lawrence of Arabia]

i have many needs, but very little ability. my only ability is the skill to make pencils. one of my needs is a new guitar amp, an ipod, and a new audi a4. can your system provide me that?

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Lawrence of Arabia
i have many needs, but very little ability. my only ability is the skill to make pencils. one of my needs is a new guitar amp, an ipod, and a new audi a4. can your system provide me that?

Those are wants, not needs. If you are basically a "useless" person, you will still be provided an adequate standard of living and something productive to do so you can feel useful. Just cuz we care about people doesn't mean that we're suckers.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

so who defines a need? what is a need? does that mean that no one will get ipods because its a want? no one gets a car because its a want? no one gets a guitar amp because its a want?

[chequita guevara]

Are you deliberately trying to be obtuse?

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
Are you deliberately trying to be obtuse?

No, I think that he has the same syndrome as Skanky. He's an Economics student

[Master Zen]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
Those are wants, not needs. If you are basically a "useless" person, you will still be provided an adequate standard of living and something productive to do so you can feel useful. Just cuz we care about people doesn't mean that we're suckers.

And this is my beef with communism.

Why should the state decide who is a useless person and who isn't? Why should it be the state who provides me with an "adequate" (and just how adequate it is is quite debatable) standard of living? Why should the state decide what I should do, and why they decide it is productive? How do I know if it is productive and if it will benefit me? Last bat not least, who is the state to decide what is a want and what is a need?

How many people in this world are benefitting from the production of iPods? Let's see, first of all the people who work at Apple and have very well paying jobs. Second of all there's the east-asian workers who, well, they aren't being paid so well but its surely much better than what they used to do since otherwise they would still be doing it. Last but not least there's the utility derived from all the people who bought an iPod and who's benefit exceeds that of the cost which they incurred. Thus, saying that "wants" need not be satified is quite simply the most idiotic piece of economic reasoning imaginable.

Face it. You don't care about people. You care about the state. BIG difference.

[Fake Boris]

Thus, saying that "needs" need not be satified is quite simply the most idiotic piece of economic reasoning imaginable.

How in the nine hells does that follow from the former?

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Master Zen
Why should the state decide who is a useless person and who isn't?

LoA defined himself as a useless person, so stop getting all high and mighty.

BTW, capitalism has it's own way of deciding who's useless. In the U.S., they are homeless. In the 3rd world, they starve to death. So get off your high horse.