Anti Scene
26th February 2013, 07:27
I wanted to post my personal beliefs in the learning section, to see if members of this site can diagnose my tendency, if I even belong to one. I won't list my existing political influences in order to eliminate bias on the part of those who intend to help me in establishing a tendency closest to mine.
So here are my thoughts:
On Economics:
1. In terms of economic theory, I reject the labor theory of value as antiquated and false.
2. I view globalization as a positive thing, insofar as exchanges in the global market are pareto efficient. For example, I believe sweatshops do improve the standard of living of those who would otherwise work in underdeveloped agricultural sectors. I am concerned, however, with the very real possibility that the external environment these workers live in was largely created by global capitalism, and specifically corporations, in order to force people from the agricultural sector to the industrial sector. In other words, one way to induce people to enter the industrial sector is to destroy natural resources that the agricultural sector is reliant on to exist. I also believe the American Empire uses a variety of economic tools to enslave foreign countries to us via debt, being a new form of economic imperialism.
3. I view markets as crucial mechanisms for the allocation of scarce resources. However, I do not support socialism or capitalism as the terms are commonly used. I do support workers controlling the means of production, but I would also support workers voluntarily working for someone who privately owns the means of production. One exemption from this would be land, which I believe should be considered property based upon the principle of use. In other words, one owns the land they occupy, so long as they can demonstrate they are using and occupying the land.
4. My rejection of socialism as an absolute answer to scarcity is because I believe socialism suffers from many economic problems, just as capitalism does, such as coordination failure. I think that state socialism, in purely theoretical terms, is possible. However, I reject the state as a legitimate entity, as described in the political section below, and I also believe that power corrupts, so even though state socialism is theoretically sound, would not work in practice.
On Politics
1. I reject the state's authority on the grounds that it wields a central power that can be abused.
2. I generally reject class analysis, though I use class as a concept often in describing "them" against "them". Basically, I accept that class labels are arbitrary constructs, and only use them for ease.
3. I believe political associations should be voluntary "unions" of self-interested persons, who organize for causes perceived to be in their own self-interest, and are free to sever ties with the organization in the event that it no longer represents their interests.
On Philosophy
1. I believe there is a human nature, though it is obscured from our view due to the existence of power structures that influence or coerce us to act in ways that may or may not be in our "human nature".
2. I believe the judge of a good political system is its ability to relatively equalize power in society.
3. Rights do not exist, except as requests to others to be treated in a certain way.
4. I am a vegetarian, because I empathize with animals pain.
Any suggestions as to my tendency? Do I belong in the radical left, or elsewhere? Or no where?
So here are my thoughts:
On Economics:
1. In terms of economic theory, I reject the labor theory of value as antiquated and false.
2. I view globalization as a positive thing, insofar as exchanges in the global market are pareto efficient. For example, I believe sweatshops do improve the standard of living of those who would otherwise work in underdeveloped agricultural sectors. I am concerned, however, with the very real possibility that the external environment these workers live in was largely created by global capitalism, and specifically corporations, in order to force people from the agricultural sector to the industrial sector. In other words, one way to induce people to enter the industrial sector is to destroy natural resources that the agricultural sector is reliant on to exist. I also believe the American Empire uses a variety of economic tools to enslave foreign countries to us via debt, being a new form of economic imperialism.
3. I view markets as crucial mechanisms for the allocation of scarce resources. However, I do not support socialism or capitalism as the terms are commonly used. I do support workers controlling the means of production, but I would also support workers voluntarily working for someone who privately owns the means of production. One exemption from this would be land, which I believe should be considered property based upon the principle of use. In other words, one owns the land they occupy, so long as they can demonstrate they are using and occupying the land.
4. My rejection of socialism as an absolute answer to scarcity is because I believe socialism suffers from many economic problems, just as capitalism does, such as coordination failure. I think that state socialism, in purely theoretical terms, is possible. However, I reject the state as a legitimate entity, as described in the political section below, and I also believe that power corrupts, so even though state socialism is theoretically sound, would not work in practice.
On Politics
1. I reject the state's authority on the grounds that it wields a central power that can be abused.
2. I generally reject class analysis, though I use class as a concept often in describing "them" against "them". Basically, I accept that class labels are arbitrary constructs, and only use them for ease.
3. I believe political associations should be voluntary "unions" of self-interested persons, who organize for causes perceived to be in their own self-interest, and are free to sever ties with the organization in the event that it no longer represents their interests.
On Philosophy
1. I believe there is a human nature, though it is obscured from our view due to the existence of power structures that influence or coerce us to act in ways that may or may not be in our "human nature".
2. I believe the judge of a good political system is its ability to relatively equalize power in society.
3. Rights do not exist, except as requests to others to be treated in a certain way.
4. I am a vegetarian, because I empathize with animals pain.
Any suggestions as to my tendency? Do I belong in the radical left, or elsewhere? Or no where?