Scarcity

[MrDoom]

In my economics class today I read a paragraph in my textbook that said scarcity arises out of finite resources, and infinite human want.

How do communists and technocrats respond to this proposition, especially on the notion of infinite human want?

[Q]

Originally posted by [email protected] 08, 2007 05:41 pm
In my economics class today I read a paragraph in my textbook that said scarcity arises out of finite resources, and infinite human want.

How do communists and technocrats respond to this proposition, especially on the notion of infinite human want?
Capitalism is based on the notion of scarcity, the powerstructures and the concept of money are direct references to that basic truth.
Communism is an economic state of superabundance, the direct opposite of scarcity. That human need is infinite is simply a lie. Do you need 5 cars? 20 computers? 500 tv sets? No? Then how is it infinite? :rolleyes:

Education is 90% brainwashing and 10% info ... :(

[Dimentio]

Originally posted by [email protected] 08, 2007 05:41 pm
In my economics class today I read a paragraph in my textbook that said scarcity arises out of finite resources, and infinite human want.

How do communists and technocrats respond to this proposition, especially on the notion of infinite human want?
We technocrats generally respond that human want to consume may be infinite [even though no strong supportive empirical evidence exists], but that the human ability to consume is limited.

[Clarksist]

Originally posted by Serpent+January 09, 2007 01:40 am--> (Serpent @ January 09, 2007 01:40 am)
[email protected] 08, 2007 05:41 pm
In my economics class today I read a paragraph in my textbook that said scarcity arises out of finite resources, and infinite human want.

How do communists and technocrats respond to this proposition, especially on the notion of infinite human want?
We technocrats generally respond that human want to consume may be infinite [even though no strong supportive empirical evidence exists], but that the human ability to consume is limited. [/b]
And therein lies a/the death stroke of capitalist economics.

[Dimentio]

I am sad to announce it, but they could probably hold the system together by utilising the state as a redistributor of abundance [to the bottom of the sea] until the point when the biosphere collapses. We must strive for an ordered deconstruction of the price system.

[Delta]

Infinite human want :lol:

[Dimentio]

Originally posted by [email protected] 09, 2007 05:43 pm
Infinite human want :lol:
Well, the economists themselves confess that it is an assertion.

[apathy maybe]

Capitalism has to assume infinite growth, which sort of means they need infinite resources. There are obviously finite resources, which shows how stupid capitalism is.

I am not a technocrat, but am willing to respond to the point from an environmentalist position. Firstly, as noted, humans do not have an infinite desire for products or goods, rather (it is my opinion) that they want to be comfortable. This can be achieved through socially redefining what "comfortable" is, or by simply reducing waste and production that creates waste. Reduce, reuse, recycle.

[Dewolfemann]

In my economics class today I read a paragraph in my textbook that said scarcity arises out of finite resources, and infinite human want.

How do communists and technocrats respond to this proposition, especially on the notion of infinite human want?

Bourgeois Economics tries to make this the central question of economics to bring you to accept that the goal of economic theory should be the quest for "efficiency"

If you want to really get technical, resources aren't scarce, its just that it requires to much labour power to extract them. For example, nickel isn't scarce in the least, its in the earth's core, its just not profitable to get it :)

(not that I am advocating that we hollow out the earth, just pointing out that absolute scarcity is a false premise of neo-classical economics)

[Tatarin]

How do communists and technocrats respond to this proposition, especially on the notion of infinite human want?

If one takes a closer look at the consumption society, the real human want is to use the products we buy. We want stuff, yes, but many things we want we can not consume simultaniously. We can't enjoy our new car at work, or the good meal in our fridges, or our new clothes.

I think the capitalist system is bent on owning, while the human enjoyment is really the time you use it. Capitalism creates a huge amount of waste - and we're being thought that "that's the way humans work".

People need to think in terms of using things when they need to. For example: Why buy a DVD when you can watch the same movie on your computer? We waste very much material on making DVDs and CDs when we in reality don't need to.

Of course, the thought of owning makes it sound "safer", that is, what if the movie won't be on sale for the next year, or what if not enough people watch it, thus they cancel production, and so on.

Basically, humans do most probably have infinite want, but not infinite time to use it. But in capitalism, human want becomes a form of plaque where much unecessary material are poured to be used maybe 100 times in one lifetime, while in communism, human want can be transformed into using things when you need to use them - thus a less wasteful society.

[Dimentio]

Originally posted by [email protected] 21, 2007 11:03 pm

In my economics class today I read a paragraph in my textbook that said scarcity arises out of finite resources, and infinite human want.

How do communists and technocrats respond to this proposition, especially on the notion of infinite human want?

Bourgeois Economics tries to make this the central question of economics to bring you to accept that the goal of economic theory should be the quest for "efficiency"

If you want to really get technical, resources aren't scarce, its just that it requires to much labour power to extract them. For example, nickel isn't scarce in the least, its in the earth's core, its just not profitable to get it :)

(not that I am advocating that we hollow out the earth, just pointing out that absolute scarcity is a false premise of neo-classical economics)
Efficiency is central to technocracy as well, and according to our opinion, the free market economy based on the price system has some inherent flaws which makes it go on life-support.