Good Point about Capitailism - From a book, but I want cappi

[Nobody]

I read Ishmael, which is a great book. It desribed society as a man who jumped off a cliff, but, as he is falling, he thinks everything is ok, just because he has yet to strike the ground. I think that is a great describation of capitialism. These cappies think capitialism will work forever, but it will not. They just cannot see the ramication of their actions because of lack of forethought. No one has every desribed capitialism like that before and I thought it was very correct.

(Edited by LevTrosky at 6:09 am on July 25, 2003)

[Ex Nihilo]

The Solution to your quandary: Constant Expansion

Particularly, into space. See, our planet's resources are finite, as your obviously well aware of. Eventually this planet will be sucked dry of it's riches. Eventually (meaning it'll be a while yet). That's why we must begin immediately securing our assets in space. The sheer amount of resouces available to us in the inner sol system alone is mind boggling. It's enough to keep us going for tens of thousands of years, at least.

You know, they've actually came out with a way to manufacture hydrocarbons cheaply from organic waste http://www.changingworldtech.com/news-5.html. You see, people are constantly coming up with new ideas, new ways in which to revolutionize the means of production. To keep going, to expand, to struggle onward.

Governments may change, environments too. But the means of production will always remain the same.

Always.

[blackemma]

My brother read that book. From what I understand, the book is not a critique of capitalism as much as it is of agricultural society. As humans developed agriculture, they settled down, took up rescources, and then it all went to hell. That's a simplification, but I think that was the theme. My brother is a hardcore Ishmaelist and he's completely against attempst to bring order to the world through industrial economics of any sort, capitalist or socialist.

[Nobody]

I tdiscirbes the man jumping off the cliff as today's western man which equals capitialism.

[Loknar]

No government will ever work. We are not perfect. However the exact same thing can be said about Communism, I am yet to see Communism work. Capitalism just makes life under a crappy government better since you can better your self.

[blackemma]

No, that's simply a hasty generalization. Western society is much more than capitalism. In fact, if you were to ask the people who lived in Western society what it is that makes them distinct, say, from the Vietnamese or the Egyptians, I doubt the majority would reply "capitalism". Don't get me wrong, capitalism is a part of Western society, but the concept of the West goes much deeper than that. For instance, the West is unique in that it believes the earth belongs to "man" (already we're seeing the sexist culture of Western society). In many other cultures, we are seen as belonging to the earth. One could trace this back to the foundations of the Judeo-Christian faith, wherein man was given dominion over the earth, the animals, the sea, etc. This makes much more sense with what I perceive to be the theme of Ishmael, humanity's belief that the world belongs to them and they can cure it through further industrialization, which is really as much a critique of Marxism as it is of liberalism. Besides, Marx is an icon of Western civilization. He's one of the most quoted individuals at universities, colleges, and other academic institutions. One can't write off all of Western society as white, capitalist America. That's an oversimplification, in my view.

[Elect Marx]

Quote: from Ex Nihilo on 8:02 am on July 25, 2003
The Solution to your quandary: Constant Expansion

Particularly, into space. See, our planet's resources are finite, as your obviously well aware of. Eventually this planet will be sucked dry of it's riches. Eventually (meaning it'll be a while yet). That's why we must begin immediately securing our assets in space. The sheer amount of resouces available to us in the inner sol system alone is mind boggling. It's enough to keep us going for tens of thousands of years, at least.

You know, they've actually came out with a way to manufacture hydrocarbons cheaply from organic waste http://www.changingworldtech.com/news-5.html. You see, people are constantly coming up with new ideas, new ways in which to revolutionize the means of production. To keep going, to expand, to struggle onward.

Governments may change, environments too. But the means of production will always remain the same.

Always.


Ex Nihilo,

As I read your mind: *We will just use up all finite resources, like fossil fuels, instead of infinite energy available from the sun for billions of years. Then when Earth is all fucked up we will move out of the cradle of life into the cold shithole of space*, good idea, dumb ass!!! “See, our planet's resources are finite,” actually humans have lived for thousands if not millions of years until the last few centuries. “You know, they've actually came out with a way to manufacture hydrocarbons cheaply from organic waste,” we have had that for a while, it is called nature.