Should I convince my parents to disown their stocks/bonds?

[CynicalIdealist]

Topic.

My mom made the point that dirty money is everywhere, but it still seems weird to me that she'd own stocks in a corporation.

[L.A.P.]

Well it would be best if she got rid of all her stocks but it's so unlikely that I wouldn't even bother, she'll probably get incredibly pissed at you.

[scarletghoul]

Why would you get rid of a source of income just on some political principle ? It's not gonna help stop capitalism at all, it would only hurt you. What difference would it make if they got rid of them ?? None. None at all. (edit: unless you give it to the wokers or something i guess.. but just 'disowning' it on its own is pointless)

[Revolutionair]

I'm active at the stock market. I see no reason to stop making money.

[F9]

Sell, burn ,destroy, lets go live in caves.
Wo/man, you are certainly not anywhere close to making a positive contribution towards communism if you held an attitude like that.You are only destroying your life, not others.

[Admiral Swagmeister G-Funk]

Scarletghoul got it right.

Focus your energy on practically destroying capitalism! Is one couple getting rid of their stocks going to realistically aid the downfall of capitalism?

Look at the bigger picture, your parents are only two people.

[Vampire Lobster]

No, don't. Chances are that the deal benefits you a lot more than it benefits the company in question and you're hardly bringing down capitalism if your parents
do disown their stocks. Just making life a little bit harder for yourself.

[L.A.P.]

Well sure it won't necessarily help get rid of capitalism by getting rid of your stocks but I can't imagine anyone going around saying how much that hate and are against capitalism and then turn around and buy stocks? I recognize that you can't completely avoid consumerism and capitalism unless you become Amish but surely you can avoid being in the stock market, it does bring more of a negative impact than a positive one.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

The stock market is just another form of gambling. Personally I think gambling is a mug's game, but if someone else wants to waste their money it's not my problem.

[Revolutionair]

It's not gambling since at the start of the game, it's already determined who is going to be the winner and who is going to be the loser. That being the stock traders and the workers respectively.
I myself have no problems participating in that game. If the workers don't want to get exploited then they should act like it.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

It's not gambling since at the start of the game, it's already determined who is going to be the winner and who is going to be the loser. That being the stock traders and the workers respectively.

If that was true, then the stock market would collapse as everyone tried to be a winner.

[L.A.P.]

It's not gambling since at the start of the game, it's already determined who is going to be the winner and who is going to be the loser. That being the stock traders and the workers respectively.
I myself have no problems participating in that game. If the workers don't want to get exploited then they should act like it.

So the workers should stop exploitation by investing stocks? You do realize that almost all of those companies' stocks increase by furthering the exploitation of the worker and by investing in their stock you just egg them on to keep doing it. Investing in stocks is probably the worst way to contribute to worker's exploitation and yet I'm surprised to how many of you are willing to say it's ok. I don't want to accuse anyone of hypocrisy but it sure is tempting to.

[Revolutionair]

So the workers should stop exploitation by investing stocks?

No, the workers should stop exploitation by ending capitalism.


Investing in stocks is probably the worst way to contribute to worker's exploitation and yet I'm surprised to how many of you are willing to say it's ok. I don't want to accuse anyone of hypocrisy but it sure is tempting to.

"Don't hate the player, hate the game."
You are crying about people living in a system and then they live in that system. I would be more than okay if we would end stocks and capitalism as a whole.

[Revolutionair]

If that was true, then the stock market would collapse as everyone tried to be a winner.

It does every couple of years. And then the cycle starts allover again.

[L.A.P.]

No, the workers should stop exploitation by ending capitalism.



"Don't hate the player, hate the game."
You are crying about people living in a system and then they live in that system. I would be more than okay if we would end stocks and capitalism as a whole.

I hate the game therefore I try as hard as I can to stop playing it.

[Targaryen]

Maybe you should try to convert your parents to communism:). You are their son so they surely are going to listen to you and if they have at least a minimum level of common sense they would understand.

And about everyone defending investing in stocks:confused:: do you feel no shame for participating in the robbing of the working class? I understand that for some it may be a way for survival in a capitalist system but you should at least feel shame about resorting to this.

[IndependentCitizen]

Maybe you should try to convert your parents to communism:). You are their son so they surely are going to listen to you and if they have at least a minimum level of common sense they would understand.

And about everyone defending investing in stocks:confused:: do you feel no shame for participating in the robbing of the working class? I understand that for some it may be a way for survival in a capitalist system but you should at least feel shame about resorting to this.


I own stocks in my employer's company, that way I'm somewhat seeing some of the profit from the work I've put into it.

IMO, I think the working class should buy stocks in their company, that way they can see some of their hard work back without going to those who haven't done a thing to earn it.

[Blackscare]

If the workers don't want to get exploited then they should act like it.


Yea, it's not like having a workforce is essential to an economy (pre-automation, of course). Let's all be bosses/stock-traders! Then no one will have to work because we'll all have tons of money and we can hire the mole people to do our menial tasks!




I hate this line of argument. The fact that the majority of people are either workers or "peasants" is not a matter of lack of ambition, it's a fucking mathematical necessity.

[The Count]

Karl Marx thought that stocks were pretty neat.


I have, which will surprise you not a little, been speculating partly in American funds, but more especially in English stocks, which are springing up like mushrooms this year (in furtherance of every imaginable and unimaginable joint stock enterprise) are forced up to a quite unreasonable level and then, for most part, collapse. In this way, I have made over £400 now that the complexity of the political situation affords greater scope, I shall begin all over again. It’s a type of operation that makes small demands on one’s time, and it’s worth while running some risk in order to relieve the enemy of his money.
http://archives.econ.utah.edu/archives/marxism/2004w48/msg00031.htm

[Sosa]

I did for a while. I was unemployed and had some money that I could use in the stock market and used it as a source of income for a few months.

[Revolutionair]

I hate this line of argument. The fact that the majority of people are either workers or "peasants" is not a matter of lack of ambition, it's a fucking mathematical necessity.

Except you misunderstood what I said. I am saying that if people don't like getting exploited, they should not live in exploitative systems. If workers don't like getting exploited by stock owners, they should end capitalism.

[CynicalIdealist]

Maybe you should try to convert your parents to communism:). You are their son so they surely are going to listen to you and if they have at least a minimum level of common sense they would understand.

And about everyone defending investing in stocks:confused:: do you feel no shame for participating in the robbing of the working class? I understand that for some it may be a way for survival in a capitalist system but you should at least feel shame about resorting to this.

They're sorta communists. They were college radicals, and they've always been huge anti-imperialists with skepticism about capitalism. With that said, they're also skeptical of revolution.

In any case, they see the ethical reasons for divestment in the stock market, even if they don't necessarily see much of a point in divestment. I just figured that the stock market may well be immoral enough that the losses of participating in it outweigh the gains of potential profit.

[pastradamus]

Let them be. They(your parents) as trying to put bread on the table the best way they can imagine and they have choosen the roots of the stock game. I wouldnt agree with this method but it was their decision to invest in the first place. I just hope they get ok.

[Lilium]

I'm quite amazed at the amount of revolutionary leftists who are in on the stock market. Also the 'if workers don't like it, they should fix it, and meanwhile I'm ok to exploit them' thing seems... well, unproductive at best.
On the other hand, unless they happen to own the controlling share of a huge multinational, your parents selling their stocks probably won't make any material difference to the system, apart from making them feel vaguely more anti-capitalist.

[RadioRaheem84]

I would love to own stocks in a profitable company and then turn around and use those profits to the best of my ability to aid class struggle in some convenient way. Donate to Marxist causes, schools of Marxism, departments with Marxist professors, donate to Monthly Review, fully support Leftist organizations and so on.

I would be a Communist George Soros. :lol:

Oh the dreams I have......

[Targaryen]

I would love to own stocks in a profitable company and then turn around and use those profits to the best of my ability to aid class struggle in some convenient way. Donate to Marxist causes, schools of Marxism, departments with Marxist professors, donate to Monthly Review, fully support Leftist organizations and so on.

I would be a Communist George Soros. :lol:

Oh the dreams I have......
This could be a good idea, if you say they are radicals you could convince them to sell the stocks and donate the money to something that would benefit the cause:)

[tracher999]

Topic.

My mom made the point that dirty money is everywhere, but it still seems weird to me that she'd own stocks in a corporation.

yeah dirty money i like it drugs gunz knifes kill the government:cool::thumbup1:

[Ol' Dirty]

I've actually been thinking about investing in things to pay for the cost of education, because I'd rather spend money enriching myself and being politically active than paying off student debt. Tell her about socially responsible investing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socially_responsible_investing). It's capitalism, but so is participating in the work force, going to a bank, paying rent and buying food. But be carefull... I've seen companies like Pepsico. and McDonalds labeled as "socially responsible". :mad:

Check out Female Health Co (http://www.femalehealth.com/). They make female condoms to protect women in third-world companies from STD's and unwanted pregnancy.

If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me.