Fraternity! The Markets Are Not Free!

mjhomb (58) in politics • 6 years ago (edited)

View this post on Hive: Fraternity! The Markets Are Not Free!

6 years ago by mjhomb (58)

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lighteye (71) · 6 years ago (edited)

Is it possible for one to be both an anarchist, or more precisely a voluntaryist and a socialist? Do you think it's possible?

It is very hard to answer this question, @mjhomb, without first clearly defining the terms “voluntarism” and “socialism”. Most people in the West still considers USSR socialist country, which it was never have been. It DECLARED itself as socialist, but was not, neither in its essence, nor in form.

Here is a brilliant explanation of professor Richard D. Wolff on What Socialism is and What is Not.

We live in a matrix that deliberatly manipulate terminology in order to kill any notion of a more humane society. Clearing up terminology is just a first step towards the real question — how to transform society into a humane one?

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mjhomb (58) · 6 years ago

Thanks @lighteye! My premise was not so much about the definition of socialism as a particular political/economic system. More that the underlying impulse behind socialism is a desire for equality and human rights. In that sense I am a socialist too! I am also a voluntaryist because I believe in freedom. Restated I believe that all human beings are equal and that all human beings are unique. That's the idea I was playing with. Contradiction? Perhaps I can be both if those beliefs are rightfully applied to very different social domains - that was the idea I was exploring. Thanks for pointing me to the video. Fantastic. He mentions the French revolution's liberty, equality, fraternity. Equality is the socialist impulse but capitalism only serves liberty. In emphasising one we lose them all.

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lighteye (71) · 6 years ago (edited)

underlying impulse behind socialism is a desire for equality and human rights. In that sense I am a socialist too!

That exactly is the idea of socialism. But it will be never achieved until there are middlemen who will decide on fair distribution of wealth and human rights. Blockchain can do it. You may say then, I’m a voluntaryist too, because I believe in freedom with a little help of technology ;)

And BTW, capitalism does not serve liberty. It’s a matrix propaganda story. Capitalism is an exploitative socio-economic order. Small part of people has freedom at the expense of the vast majority. You see, this kind of order…

https://steemit.com/economy/@lighteye/rich-and-poor-growing-gap

…cannot be sustained without the massive military/police apparatus — that is — a mechanism of oppression. It is not liberty.

I’m very glad that we tried to define what we are talking about @mjhomb. It always brings a constructive discussion :)

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mjhomb (58) · 6 years ago

Re the distribution of wealth that is where fraternity comes in. Our economy should flow in a spirit of brotherhood and interdependence.

Capitalism is viewed as freedom misapplied to the economic sphere. Free markets leads to an exploitative social order run by big gorillas, law of the jungle. The economy then starts to dominate political sphere too, like you say, military, police, ever bigger gorillas!

That's the social threefolding take on it that I have been reading about lately.

Thanks and I agree, terms are so important!

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lighteye (71) · 6 years ago

Every system dependent on humans is prone to corruption, @mjhomb. Call it whatever you want, it will fail. Blockchain is long awaited fix.

And I have one little reservation to the blockchain, having read the wonderful treasury of wisdom titled: “Murphy’s Law”:

It is impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious.

True. Blockchain will be a test of their ingeniosity. 😄

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