| Author | Message | ||
     Rhysaurus (Rhysaurus) Username: Rhysaurus Registered: 01-2010 Posted From: 212.219.233.223 |
Just to make my political position clear: http://rhysaurus.blogspot.com/ As clear as the driven snow! If you can spot the snowball, I'll put you as a character in a future story, or some other small gift of your choice. | ||
| Huw (Huw) Username: Huw Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 61.216.203.187 |
That looks like a snowball being thrown into the bright cloud in the first picture... Did you see the short film based on 'The White People'? I'm very curious about that. Are you a FOAM member, by any chance? | ||
| Stevie Walsh (Stephenw) Username: Stephenw Registered: 03-2009 Posted From: 82.17.252.126 |
I agree almost entirely with that, Rhys, and consider myself a libertarian socialist. Liberty of the individual and all the social responsibility that comes with that... yeah, sounds good to me. | ||
| Chris_morris (Chris_morris) Username: Chris_morris Registered: 04-2008 Posted From: 98.220.97.79 |
"In fact I regard Free Market Capitalism as Anti-Libertarian." Of course, Libertarians in America have quite the opposite view. Sounds to me like you're an old-school liberal, but perhaps such definitions depend on what country you're standing in. | ||
| Nathaniel Tapley (Natt) Username: Natt Registered: 11-2009 Posted From: 86.172.247.242 |
I agree almost completely, Rhys, and think of myself as a 'left-libertarian'. However, I don't think that free markets are anti-Libertarian. In fact, I agree, in most cases, with Kevin Carson and the 'free market anti-capitalists', who believe that large corporations could not exist without our subsidising the state from which they are the main beneficiary. Tesco couldn't afford to do what it does if it had to pay for the transport system it uses, and a market value for the sites of special scientific interest it destroys to build stores, and couldn't rely on state police to protect its assets. Capitalism, as we know it, has nothing to do with the free market, and only came about as a result of state interference in markets (the voluntary interactions of people): conflating capitalism and free markets is a common mistake of the left and right. Free markets within a voluntary society are indisputably a good thing: selling a state monopoly to a large corporation has nothing to do with free markets. As loth as I am to admit it, I may be becoming an anarchist, but, for the moment, I shall sit with the libertarian socialists and left-libertarians and try to work out who and what I am. I'll let you all know when I've come up with an answer... | ||
| Rhysaurus (Rhysaurus) Username: Rhysaurus Registered: 01-2010 Posted From: 80.4.12.3 |
Interesting, Nathaniel. Thanks for that. Plenty for me to turn over in my mind! It's clear that we don't live in an authentic free market economy, where people have genuine needs that are met by genuine suppliers, but a fake economy where we are encouraged, tricked and sometimes forced into wanting things we don't need at all, just to keep the wheels turning. You are right. Free Marketism is the true invisible "guiding hand"; but Capitalism is manipulation and devious tactics to no less a degree than State Control. I guess I would have to describe myself as a Green Libertarian. Freedom first, yes, but not at the expense of the environment. The integrity of the environment is far more important to me than high employment levels. I might as well confess that here. | ||
| Allybird (Allybird) Username: Allybird Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 88.111.137.29 |
"It's clear that we don't live in an authentic free market economy, where people have genuine needs that are met by genuine suppliers, but a fake economy where we are encouraged, tricked and sometimes forced into wanting things we don't need at all, just to keep the wheels turning." Was just chatting with Heather about genuine needs and suppliers....she looked at me in disbelief...she said "and you are telling me all this on Christmas Eve? :>) " Actually she's having games for her Wii, books and her Christmas stocking. Not too much so ...we are getting there. | ||
| Mbfg (Mbfg) Username: Mbfg Registered: 09-2010 Posted From: 92.0.142.240 |
I spent Chistmas with my son and and my daughtr-in-law and they really did overspend this Christmas. I love them more than life but the reality is that most of what they bought each other, and my grandson was tat, rubbish, a total waste of their very hard-earned cash. it broke my heart that poeple are being conned into giving away their money in return for crap. It's not just "conned", it's almost as if we are forced into it. Adverts, for example, are always telling us that we are dirty, smelly, that our homes stink or are germ-ridden. It's all lies and yet we suck it in and shell out even more money... Cheers and hppy New year Ally and everyone else. Terry |