you know how libs always say knee-jerk "communism only works on paper" despite the opposite being true? i would like to crowdsource help in writing a good retort to that, that could. hopefully plant seeds in someone’s mind.

  • MarxMadness [comrade/them]
    ·
    3 years ago
    1. Every country on the planet has established regulations on pure, unrestrained capitalism. They did so because we used to live in a less regulated world, and it was awful. If capitalism worked in practice, we wouldn't have all these regulations, or we'd at least see a few countries without them.
    2. Regulations are not some evolved, less harmful form of capitalism -- they are either antithetical to capitalism, or are captured by capitalism to further concentrate private ownership of wealth. If capitalism worked in practice, we wouldn't need to constantly battle it to keep it in check.
    3. Capitalism relies on infinite growth, which is impossible on a finite planet. If capitalism worked in practice, it would have some way of internally ensuring it doesn't destroy the only planet we have, and it wouldn't bet the future of humanity on fantastical technologies that do not yet exist.
    • SoyViking [he/him]
      ·
      3 years ago

      The liberal response to number 2 is, unfortunately, to agree that total unbridled capitalism "doesn't work". They will then move on to say some crap about "we need to regulate capitalism and mix what's best from capitalism and socialism".

      Liberals doesn't read theory so they believe that Capitalism With a Human Face is possible, even preferable to other systems. Number two is leading liberals to support capitalism with means tested gruel rations for the poor, not socialism.

      • MarxMadness [comrade/them]
        ·
        3 years ago

        They will then move on to say some crap about “we need to regulate capitalism and mix what’s best from capitalism and socialism”.

        This is why it's crucial to stress that regulations (depending on which one you're talking about) are either antithetical to capitalism or are captured by it. Because capitalism will corrode or compromise any restraints people attempt to put on it, regulating capitalism is just kicking the can down the road. This fits well with point 3: if at some point you have to do away with a key component of capitalism to do something as basic as keep the planet habitable, the scope of regulation that would actually "fix" capitalism would effectively dismantle it. So you can get to the conclusion that we just need to do away with capitalism altogether by that route, too.