lottary

[meow]

if i won lottary i would shoot the president. is that wrong?

[Stand Your Ground]

if a working class person wins the lottary (like a million or more dollars) what does that make them? are they still working class?

if they win the lottary, and then stop working, because they invest all the money and live off the interest, what does that make them?

what would you suggest an activist do if they win the lottary (or otherwise come into lots of cash)?

its something ive been thinking of. if i had lots of moeny, i would invest it and not work. yet i dont want to be an exploiter.
Put the money to good use. Help those who have less, donate etc.

I would buy a fuck load of guns and start a revolution, but that's just me. :cool:

[Boboulas]

lol and who is gonna hold all these guns that you're gonna buy?

Really what you "should do" is totaly a matter of opinion, someone who has worked all their life might feel they are entitled to the luxury of never working again whereas some will say things like "id buy a load of guns for the revoultion bro!"

If an activist won the lottery im sure they would send large ammounts of it to their cause, but in reality you never know what someone is gonna do when they have so much wealth, could turn their back on the cause for all you know.

Despite what you dont want to happen to your money, living off someone elses labour is will make you a capitalist. Like i said, when you have money you arent the same person unless you are truely dedicated to the cause.

[Enragé]

if i got that much money i'd give a substantial amount to my mother cuz she deserves it for all the hell she went through/is going through raising three sons on her own (and working at the same time) and keep some for myself so i dont have to stress out over money if i want to go drink some beers with mates.

Whats left i would donate to the various self-proclaimed revolutionary factions in the netherlands (and the radical parts in the unions even tho they dont call themselves revolutionary). First i'd give them all like 20.000 euro's. Then for the next few months i'd look at what they were doing. If i like what they're doing i give them more, if i dont i can write them off my list of decent groups entirely.


if working class person wins the lottary (like a million or more dollars) what does that make them? are they still working class?

if they win the lottary, and then stop working, because they invest all the money and live off the interest, what does that make them?

if the goal of the investment is to make more money, which investments usually are, you're capitalist.



its something ive been thinking of. if i had lots of moeny, i would invest it and not work. yet i dont want to be an exploiter.

Well, if you invest some money in something, and you get more money out of it, where do you think that comes from? It comes from the labour of the workers in the thing you invested in. So, then, yes you'd be an exploiter.

[CommunistColby71]

I'd Probably start a revolution too (I got a bunch of friends who are lefties as well), but of course it is that man's choice, like Boboulas said.

[ChrisK]

Start a revolution? With whom? Money doesn't buy a revolution.

I'd donate it to revolutionary organizations, alternative media groups and the like. Oh and I'd buy a new car.

[FreeFocus]

After a lifetime of laboring, they should still be sympathetic to people who work hard. Nonetheless, materially, a rich person cannot be working class, although they can hold sympathies.

Also, to everyone saying they'd "start a revolution," revolutions require much more than one guy (or gal), his buddies, and $2 million.

[Jimmie Higgins]

I don't think coming into a lot of money suddenly would immediately change someone's consciousness. If they were an activist before, they would probably put that money into activism.

If I personally won more than a few million? I know little about what to do with personal money or how to manage it (I do have a jar full of change in my apartment though - that's me savings:lol:... I would, I'd set up a foundation (probably have to hire someone because fuck if I know how that works) to give money to movements and organizations I support. But I'd also want to set up like a community center or something too to hold meetings, to give space to immigrant organizers or striking workers and things like that. I'd also buy a projector and show screenings of "Purple Rain" and "Female Trouble" to intoxicated groups of my friends:lol:.

I'd also buy a house and a car and set up some kind of yearly wage for myself so that I never have to worry about rent or keeping a job again. I also wouldn't blame any worker who won the lottery for just setting themselves up for life - why not if you suddenly had the chance.

[28350]

Most people who win the lottery lose the money (usually through frivolous spending) within a few years.

If I won the lottery, I'd use it to support myself while I was a revolutionary. Revolutionaries don't get paid (for being revolutionaries), so being financially secure sounds wonderful.

[AK]

if a working class person wins the lottary (like a million or more dollars) what does that make them? are they still working class?
They are still working class. Unless they use that money to start a business of their own or buy shares at a tremendous rate to the point where they can live off the dividends.


if they win the lottary, and then stop working, because they invest all the money and live off the interest, what does that make them?
That makes them rich lucky bastards - but without private property of their own. I'm not sure, but some might call this an example of the "labour aristocracy".


what would you suggest an activist do if they win the lottary (or otherwise come into lots of cash)?
Expand their organisation, increase the capability of how far it's voice can reach.


its something ive been thinking of. if i had lots of moeny, i would invest it and not work. yet i dont want to be an exploiter.
Guess you can't have it all.

[bawbag]

I don't think coming into a lot of money suddenly would immediately change someone's consciousness. If they were an activist before, they would probably put that money into activism..

Rod Stewart was once a gravedigger, he said whilst he was a gravedigger he was a Marxist, when he became a millionaire he was a capitalist.

Not a great example I know, he must not have had his morals or beliefs totally in check but I don't think it is really ridiculous to think that there are a lot of left wingers out there who would follow the same path if they came into some serious cash.

[28350]

Anyone, proletarian or otherwise, if put into the situation of a CEO, will act as a CEO. We're not trying to eliminate the evil CEOs, we're trying to eliminate the system that makes people act in such a way.

[Jimmie Higgins]

Anyone, proletarian or otherwise, if put into the situation of a CEO, will act as a CEO. We're not trying to eliminate the evil CEOs, we're trying to eliminate the system that makes people act in such a way.Yeah, but lotto winners aren't necessarily going to become CEOs or invest in business. If they do, and didn't have much class consciousness beforehand, then their interests would align with the interests of the bosses - they would want their investments to turn a profit.

But I don't think if someone suddenly became rich that it would be unavoidable that they would side with the bourgeois - if they were a boss or CEO, then yes. So if someone was class-conscious before striking it rich through some kind of fluke, then they probably would not automatically loses that perspective after getting money. Many working class people without money side with huge fucking corporatations; while there have also been many rich people who because of whatever individual reasons, side with workers.

[bawbag]

But if a poor person comes into vast amounts of money over a short period of time they would most likely take some time to enjoy their money/success, take a holiday for example, buy a new car, new house, whatever else they want, would they not become used to having that money? Would they not become lazy and just forget about the whole oppression and exploitation that plagues humanity? Would it not become too easy for them just to say "fuck it"?

I can easily sit here and say, if I won the lottery I would do what I needed to just now but I would also look out for my fellow man, give money to charities and support any socialist movement and left wing parties in my country, but until that actually happens, I must be honest, I don't know if I would. I am comfortable and sure of my beliefs and political standings that I think, of course my stance would not change, but would I really stay the same? Can anyone really be sure that they would still be 100% fully committed to Marxism/communism/anarchism/ whatever they support?

I don't know, there is always that fear in me that says, we are only human, we are lazy, we have those weaknesses. I am just never sure.

[AK]

But if a poor person comes into vast amounts of money over a short period of time they would most likely take some time to enjoy their money/success, take a holiday for example, buy a new car, new house, whatever else they want, would they not become used to having that money? Would they not become lazy and just forget about the whole oppression and exploitation that plagues humanity? Would it not become too easy for them just to say "fuck it"?
Given a million dollars, smart workers would probably use it to pay off mortgages and debts and maybe get a new car or something.


I can easily sit here and say, if I won the lottery I would do what I needed to just now but I would also look out for my fellow man, give money to charities and support any socialist movement and left wing parties in my country, but until that actually happens, I must be honest, I don't know if I would. I am comfortable and sure of my beliefs and political standings that I think, of course my stance would not change, but would I really stay the same? Can anyone really be sure that they would still be 100% fully committed to Marxism/communism/anarchism/ whatever they support?
Peter Kropotkin was a prince. Yet, he dropped that title after being taught republican ideas.


I don't know, there is always that fear in me that says, we are only human, we are lazy, we have those weaknesses. I am just never sure.
Laziness and greed and such are only existent because of the social conditions around us. We see rich guys who live far better off lives than us; we instinctively want to be like them. But when people know how they got that way, and what the human and emotional cost of others for the rich getting that way was, then they start to question it all.

[bawbag]

Given a million dollars, smart workers would probably use it to pay off mortgages and debts and maybe get a new car or something.


Peter Kropotkin was a prince. Yet, he dropped that title after being taught republican ideas.


Laziness and greed and such are only existent because of the social conditions around us. We see rich guys who live far better off lives than us; we instinctively want to be like them. But when people know how they got that way, and what the human and emotional cost of others for the rich getting that way was, then they start to question it all.


That's my point though

1: Money will be used for selfish reasons, no?
A lot of people will forget their roots (cliche, i know) and neglect their class and ignore the people that need that money or that help,

if we came into serious money, fair enough there are that good number of people who would give back to the community, but from the people I know who have had the experience of living in such a piss poor place as where I am, they work hard for the money (so hard for the money(sorry)) and they leave, neglecting this place and not thinking anything else about how people should live or how things really should be, when they get money they use it selfishly. I am sorry I cannot explain myself any better than that, tis frustrating knowing what I mean exactly but not being able to put it into words, I am too tired, my apologies.

[AK]

if we came into serious money, fair enough there are that good number of people who would give back to the community, but from the people I know who have had the experience of living in such a piss poor place as where I am, they work hard for the money (so hard for the money(sorry)) and they leave, neglecting this place and not thinking anything else about how people should live or how things really should be, when they get money they use it selfishly. I am sorry I cannot explain myself any better than that, tis frustrating knowing what I mean exactly but not being able to put it into words, I am too tired, my apologies.
Well this just shows the desperate situation some people are in. This is precisely why we need revolution.

[graymouser]

If I won the lottery, I'd use it to support myself while I was a revolutionary. Revolutionaries don't get paid (for being revolutionaries), so being financially secure sounds wonderful.
Ding.

Personally I put a few bucks into the lottery because I can spare the cash and like to have the dream of putting the winnings into investments, buying a house, buying a nice little building to serve as an office / meeting space / library, and living as a professional revolutionary.

There have been socialists who've struck it rich in the stock market or through inheritance in the past, and for the most part they stuck with their ideals and made some nice contributions to their preferred organization, which certainly helped with its nicely printed magazine and its thriving book publication business. I imagine a socialist lottery winner would be much the same.

[Fietsketting]

Ding.

Personally I put a few bucks into the lottery because I can spare the cash and like to have the dream of putting the winnings into investments, buying a house, buying a nice little building to serve as an office / meeting space / library, and living as a professional revolutionary.

There have been socialists who've struck it rich in the stock market or through inheritance in the past, and for the most part they stuck with their ideals and made some nice contributions to their preferred organization, which certainly helped with its nicely printed magazine and its thriving book publication business. I imagine a socialist lottery winner would be much the same.

This, I would start a union office with meetingsrooms with the option to watch a movie, free internet aviable, library, open to the neighbourhood, open for activist groups to held there meeting and most importantly..

I would make it proper looking without graffiti all over the walls and show the different side of anarchism! Squats and all are great but its way to subcultural and for 'normal' people it seems to be a bridge to far.

[The Idler]

I would fund an electoral campaign for my preferred socialist organisation.

[Jimmie Higgins]

I would fund an electoral campaign for my preferred socialist organisation.According to Meg Whitman, it only takes about $60 million to buy the governorship of California. Why not start scratchin' those tickets now and I'll start designing your new E.P.I.C. campaign materials:lol:.

[Pavlov's House Party]

i'd buy a boat

[The Idler]

According to Meg Whitman, it only takes about $60 million to buy the governorship of California. Why not start scratchin' those tickets now and I'll start designing your new E.P.I.C. campaign materials:lol:.
Would love to, but there's rules against foreign funding.