Define communism for dum 'ol Lancer

[Velociryx]

Yep. Once more proving my point.

Wouldn't it have just been easier (and more honest) to say "I don't know" than to try and dodge and wiggle out of a simple answer for a dozen posts?

It's okay not to know, I just wanted to hear your thoughts. You posted something rather general, I asked if you could specify. That's all.

And even to that simple request, I get dodgy responses, and ultimately.....

.....silence.

Dead air.

Which...now that I think about it, sums up your whole position rather well.

-=Vel=-

EDIT: So then, as far as you're concerned, being unable to explain, or even vaguely enumerate what's wrong with the refutation mentioned, it stands?

[muxec]

Communism=system with no motivation for underproduction.

[Velociryx]

Kidicious:

muxec: Communism=system with no motivation for underproduction.

That's....an intriguing way to put it. Not sure I understand completely, because that would imply that its opposite number (capitalism) IS a system with motivation for underproduction....which in turn means that capitalists willingly make inefficient use of their assets so as to intentionally not earn as much as they could?

I can sortakinna see some very specific case where maybe if the cost of entry into a business was insanely high, and there was a monopoly or near-monopoly position held by a large producer, that producer could then intentionally NOT operate at full capacity, artifically raising prices, but I'm not able to put my finger on any real-world examples of this occuring that weren't dealt with either by a) government intervention, or b) new competiton arising despite the formidable costs of entry.

One could, I suppose, argue that Microsoft occupies just such a positon now, what with a near-total lock on the desktop market....except that the observable phenomenon we have seen is that the price of computers has continued to drop, AND we're getting more computing bang for the dollars we are spending, AND there are free OS opportunities out there, so that's prolly not a good example of what you're referring to.

I dunno...do you have an example in mind?

-=Vel=-

[Fake Boris]

Originally posted by Velociryx
That's....an intriguing way to put it. Not sure I understand completely, because that would imply that its opposite number (capitalism) IS a system with motivation for underproduction....which in turn means that capitalists willingly make inefficient use of their assets so as to intentionally not earn as much as they could?
-=Vel=-

That's like the most flawed piece of logic I've ever heard.

[Velociryx]

You must not have read any Marx then...

And I wasn't trying to formulate an argument...just trying to see where muxec was heading.

-=Vel=-

[Kidlicious]

Apparently Vel is unaware of the unemployment problem.

[Velociryx]

Oh good! Kid's back.

In that case:

a) What do you see are the author's "bald assertions" of the critique above

b) What "important stuff" did the critique miss?

Until you at least favor me with some type of answer on the previously asked question, I see little reason to respond to your latest.

-=Vel=-

[Kidlicious]

So what?

[Pekka]

Communism for Dummies:

The poker game example.

In Capitalism:
The idea is to hog all the good cards and dump the bad cards. Nothing else matters, except that YOU have the right cards. If someone else has good cards, it means you prolly get bad cards. What are you going to do about it? Bluff your way out of it? Risky is the road for million dollar journey. Many have made it, many have lost theirselves trying.

In Communism:
You get one card and it's small. You can't get new cards of discard this one. You HAVE to call. The dealer is dressed in police junta uniform and has 15. You don't know how he did it but the lucky guy next to you with the ace lost also. You ask for a second round but you don't get new cards. There are plenty of others waiting in the line and the rules says only one game per player. The free drink never arrived, in fact the waiter is missing. You ask for the waiter but the level security boss gives you a bad feeling so you just keep your mouth shot so you won't end up missing too. As you walk away, you see wires and people having buttons on their ears and mirrors.. you quickly gather that it's a set up, and in fact you have no chance of winning because the house is cheating. You either accept it as necessary evil, or walk out without your knees.

Many have tried in the journey for millions. None made it.

[Kidlicious]

I think Pekka is giving Vel some competition in the caricature department.

[Velociryx]

Pekka:

Kid:

(but again, as you seem to have no response whatsoever in regards to the refutation, I'll have to assume that it stands. Does this mean you've "switched sides"?

-=Vel=-

[Dracon II]

Kid, I'd really like to hear a response to that essay. I'm not sure how to respond to it myself (still only half way through).
I'd like to see an argument made in Marx's defense. I'm not trying to be difficult, it's just that you said you could provide one, so you really should do it. Otherwise Vel's going to dance all over this and claim triumph and you're going to look silly.

[Odin]

Originally posted by Dracon II
Kid, I'd really like to hear a response to that essay. I'm not sure how to respond to it myself (still only half way through).
I'd like to see an argument made in Marx's defense. I'm not trying to be difficult, it's just that you said you could provide one, so you really should do it. Otherwise Vel's going to dance all over this and claim triumph and you're going to look silly.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Dracon II
Kid, I'd really like to hear a response to that essay. I'm not sure how to respond to it myself (still only half way through).
I'd like to see an argument made in Marx's defense. I'm not trying to be difficult, it's just that you said you could provide one, so you really should do it. Otherwise Vel's going to dance all over this and claim triumph and you're going to look silly.

Sure. I have a headache tonight, but I'll try and get around to it tomorrow.

[Kidlicious]

Ugh. This is very difficult because this person didn't include any text references.