Thinking of Cuba and how a large portion of their workers are self employed through second jobs. Many of them seem to have an entrepreneurial spirit. Is there room for someone saying “I want to start a restaurant” and going to a workers council to see if the community needs it? My brother once said he doesn’t want socialism because it means “my dream of starting a business won’t ever happen.”

Is there a way for Socialism to accommodate an individual’s desire to initiate an enterprise without people getting exploited?

  • Liberalism [he/him,they/them]
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    4 years ago

    Ok but really I think what they're expressing is the desire to work at a bakery or whatever without having a boss, which in the current system means they'd be the owner. Like I wouldn't expect them to invent the concept of a worker coop in order to not do capitalism in their imaginary scenario.

    edit: though there are definitely a lot of tech bro type people who want to be an entrepeneur in order to be the boss and make a bunch of money, so I guess I'm just talking about people who want to do it for its own sake.

    • Llituro [he/him, they/them]
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      4 years ago

      That's the point though right? The question is, can socialism allow for people's "sense of enterprise?" The answer is "sure, if it's not being the oppression part that they're into." The nature of the current system doesn't really come into it.

      • CommieElon [he/him]
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        4 years ago

        I’m using “entrepreneurial spirit” in the context of taking ownership of your labor by fulfilling a need in society. I’m trying to differentiate between entrepreneur in a capitalist society which is “I want to make a lot of money by hiring, directing, and managing people.”

        I think everyone has a small sense of enterprise, it just can’t be harnessed correctly with our structures. I think socialism can redirect an entrepreneurial spirit into something better.