Rise and shine, Red flag.

[El Cid]

Hello everyone,


I'm not a big fan of forums, but since Gracchus told me it is a very lovely place to chat, i'm in.

I took a long time thinking about what i was going to say here, you know, when i was young, i kept saying that i was an hardcore communist, the kind that raise a black and red flag. Then i discovered some other books, some other ideas. Today i must confess i became a sort of socialist reformist.

Of course, i am still dreaming about a world with no class, united for the greater good and so on. But i think we can only make it step by step, even if it is small steps.

What define me the most is that i love people. I could fight and die for them, i am on the human side, whatever may happens. I do not believe in "evil" or "good", when i'm talking about the greater good i am thinking of the "Bien commun", "Common good", which is, for me, the only way to think a policy.


What i am not, is a romantic.


El'Cid

[Q]

Welcome :)

If you have political questions, you can ask them in the Learning forum. That's why it's there after all!

If you have questions about your account, don't hesitate to send me a PM or ask here.

What are your political ideas?

[El Cid]

Thanks !


As said, i'm more into a day-to-day thinking, so here is some :

- I'm in favor of a Demarchy, in fact two assembly : one elected and used for legislation, creating law and decret, and one randomly selected in the population to vote these law, or refuse them, and in some case, make proposal to the elected assembly.

- I'm ecologist, i want countries to use less natural ressources than the nature can give us back.

- I am in favor of the Self-determination as stated by Wilson.

- Citizen should be trained and prepare for war, always. If a citizen refuse the duty to defend his nation, and give to another one this task, he only desserve to lose his right as a citizen. An army made of professionnal is a weak army, made up of the worse of a country. An army of conscript is a strong army containing some of the best element of a country, with a lot of intelligent people, and so much more chances to have a more "intelligent army".

- All roads, ferrys, trains, bus, tramways, subways, has to be free and public. As the water, gaz and electricity.

- All kind of taxes, wages as to abolished. All of these must be replaced by a progressive income taxe (earning 1000, pay 10%, earning 5 000, pay 15% etc ) for individual AND firms (which should have an exception for investment in the country). These will be paid monthly. I'm thinking also of a taxe on profit on selling, lets say Apple want to sell a computer for 1 000 $, but it only cost them overall 400 $, a huge progressive taxe will apply on the benefit (the 600 $). This taxe is here to prevent massive inflation, also, under 8% of benefit the taxe does not apply.

- Last thing, the distance shipping. I'm not a big fan of taxes, but this one seems the most important, for every miles done for shipping a product to reach the country border, the company pay a tax to the importing country. The value of this taxe should be discussed and negociate between the countries each years, if no consensus, the median value is applied.

But 100% ecological transportation (lets say, Rigid airship) are exempted of this tax.


I stop here, i'm starting to think too much, i hope it can give you some hints :)

[Q]

I'm impressed by the platform you defend. Too much of the far left takes elections at face value, so demarchists are very much in need (I support it also) :)

About the universal training in weaponry, I agree. But I don't think you go far enough with it. The army itself is a centralised institution in the interests of the ruling class. The communist answer to this is to replace the army with a militia system. What do you think about this?

On the tax question I also hold a dual position: I'm against any indirect taxes (like VAT), as direct taxes are more transparant than indirect ones. Progressive taxing are supportable, but a contradiction with direct taxes. A progressive income tax is obviously indirect taxing, yet better than a flat tax on income.

Another dimension on this question is the international state system and the financial markets. Capital flight is a real issue that needs to be thought of and necessitates continental and global thinking.

[El Cid]

The army itself is a centralised institution in the interests of the ruling class. The communist answer to this is to replace the army with a militia system. What do you think about this?

I though of it. Machiavel would say yes obviously, the issue here is to always keep a certain amount of soldiers ready to go, instructor, officer to train and lead the units, they can be militia like the others after all, but that lead me to Leon Trotski and the red army, who proved the efficiency of using already trained officer to lead militia over elected officer or "militia" officer. Also, what made the difference during the spanish civil war, is i think, the professionnal army of Franco, or at least of their officers.

This is a delicate question in fact.


A progressive income tax is obviously indirect taxing, yet better than a flat tax on income

Why a progressive income tax is indirect ? It is only a "flat tax on income" that take count of how much you gain, isn't it ?


Capital flight is a real issue that needs to be thought of and necessitates continental and global thinking.

For me, this money is lost. Just shut down the market place and put everyone back on earth. We need something much more straight forward.

*I've read somewhere about an economist that proposed several regulation to the free market, was french named "Frédéric Lordon", i may have to read again what he said.

[Gracchus R.]

Hello everyone,


I took a long time thinking about what i was going to say here, you know, when i was young, i kept saying that i was an hardcore communist, the kind that raise a black and red flag. Then i discovered some other books, some other ideas. Today i must confess i became a sort of socialist reformist.



You never told me that ! You disappointing me :( At this rythm, you will be a full hardcore capitalist in a few years. :ohmy:

Anyway, welcome my friend, happy to see that you follow me here.