Enough to go around/Anarchist Effort

[Pogue]

1. Anyone got any facts/stats as to how easy it would be for everyone to take freely from the resources of the world in a communist society? Like is there proof that there is enough to go around so that everyone has a comfortable enjoyable lifestyle?

2. Could you have an anarchist society based upon "From each accroding to her ability, to each according to her effort"?

[rouchambeau]

http://www.ecosalon.com/title/Could_Just_4_of_the_Wall_Street_Bailout_End_World_ Hunger

[ernie]

1. Anyone got any facts/stats as to how easy it would be for everyone to take freely from the resources of the world in a communist society? Like is there proof that there is enough to go around so that everyone has a comfortable enjoyable lifestyle?
The article linked to by rouchambeau is yet another piece of evidence that we have the technology to secure a decent life for everyone. Add to that that in communism, nobody will have the ridiculously extravagant lifestyles that rich people have now, and I think a case can be made for "to each according to their need/desire".


2. Could you have an anarchist society based upon "From each accroding to her ability, to each according to her effort"?
I don't think this will work. A society where having more material wealth means having a better life is doomed to transform into a capitalist one. We want to eliminate the incentive to accumulate goods. The only way I see of doing this is making all goods freely available to everyone. In such a system, having lots of stuff doesn't make your life any better, which effectively eliminates the incentive to have more things.

[Enragé]

"From each accroding to her ability, to each according to her effort"

i don't know who you quoted here but it sure as hell wasnt marx.

and i agree with ernie, it wont work. The only result will be that some will slowly but surely become more powerful than the rest. Also, why?

Comfort isn't objective, its subjective and relative. Look, if people want more comfort, they can decide together that they will work more, if they don't care about comfort, they can work less. One of the most important aspects of communism/anarchism if you ask me :)

[Catbus]

Could you have an anarchist society based upon "From each accroding to her ability, to each according to her effort"?

Yes. I'm pretty sure that is the end goal of most anarchists.


I don't think this will work. A society where having more material wealth means having a better life is doomed to transform into a capitalist one. We want to eliminate the incentive to accumulate goods. The only way I see of doing this is making all goods freely available to everyone. In such a system, having lots of stuff doesn't make your life any better, which effectively eliminates the incentive to have more things.

Since when has an anarchist society's goal been to accumulate large amounts of wealth? A society where having more material wealth means having a bette life is capitalist.

[revolution inaction]

Yes. I'm pretty sure that is the end goal of most anarchists.

I thought most anarchist where communists, not mutualists or paraconists?

[revolution inaction]

1. Anyone got any facts/stats as to how easy it would be for everyone to take freely from the resources of the world in a communist society? Like is there proof that there is enough to go around so that everyone has a comfortable enjoyable lifestyle?

For essentials like food there is already more than enough produced, dont know where to find stats though.



2. Could you have an anarchist society based upon "From each accroding to her ability, to each according to her effort"?

I don't think it would be practical to calculate it, also if working more gets you more stuff that encourages you to take work from others, thus reducing what they can get.

[Catbus]

I think I'm confused, I thought "From each according his ability, to each according his need" was the same as an economy where what's needed is taken. Is it not? What does hording wealth have to do with any of it?

[revolution inaction]

I think I'm confused, I thought "From each according his ability, to each according his need" was the same as an economy where what's needed is taken. Is it not? What does hording wealth have to do with any of it?

H-L-V-S said effort not need

[ZeroNowhere]

1. Anyone got any facts/stats as to how easy it would be for everyone to take freely from the resources of the world in a communist society? Like is there proof that there is enough to go around so that everyone has a comfortable enjoyable lifestyle?

2. Could you have an anarchist society based upon "From each accroding to her ability, to each according to her effort"?
Most would identify with the second one, whether they admit it or not. For example, those who advocate the community making sure that people work in order to consume, and don't consume too much (especially if they haven't worked much), etc, who make up the majority of the 'free access' group (a glorified and less practical form of labour credits mostly). Otherwise we could just have a bunch of parasites, and... Well, somebody was talking about capitalism, I believe?
That's why Marx didn't advocate 'from each... to each according to her needs' until labour had become a creative and pleasurable activity, and scarcity was pretty much eliminated, as opposed to the originator of the phrase, Louis Blanc. He advocated labour vouchers, which is pretty much, "From each according to their ability (and effort, of course, but that goes without saying), to each according to their effort". ('Work more, consume more, work less, consume less')

[Catbus]

H-L-V-S said effort not need

Shit, I definitely didn't catch that.