By investing in publicly traded stock, you’re purchasing part ownership of the means of production and making profits off someone else’s labor. I don’t see how you can even justify owning small amounts of stocks when it contributes to such awful things on a massive scale.

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

    This is just the "curious, you critique capitalism from your iPhone" argument but for retirement funds. Don't invest in literal arms manufacturers or oil companies and stop hand wringing.

  • DasKarlBarx [he/him,comrade/them]
    ·
    4 years ago

    To be your only point of income where you essentially become a member of the VC/Investment class? Yeah not great.

    To like make a little extra money so that you can retire someday or struggle a little less to survive? Who cares.

  • LibsEatPoop2 [he/him]
    ·
    edit-2
    4 years ago

    bruh, yeah, but you still live in a capitalist system. so you gotta do what you can to live.

    Think of it this way - if you're already earning enough to eat good food, live in a good place, afford a decent education for your kids, have good healthcare for you family, have a retirement plan etc etc, then don't invest in stocks if you want to say you're a leftist.

    But if you don't, and investing into stocks can help you get those things (healthcare, food, education), then don't feel guilty about it - you're not investing anywhere near the amount you would need to for it to be practically exploitative - compared to what the millionaires and billionaires are putting the workers through, you're basically an ant that bit them one time. you're being in the stock market doesn't mean shit either way.

  • deadtoddler420 [any]
    ·
    4 years ago

    I mean, when you use electricity or drive a car you're helping to burn the environment. Its hypocritical but you gotta try to enjoy life to some extent, and shit, the stock market can be a part of getting to a point where you are financially secure. I mean, I'm not doing it, but I'm also shitposting on the job when my job pays me with taxpayer money.

    In addition, whats going on now isnt really workers producing a shitload more value for Gamestop than they were a week ago. Its ghouls who directly invested in a company failing getting outghouled by redditors, which is the kind of embarassing fate they deserve. Its also the most concrete proof that none of this shit is real.

  • Bruv [none/use name]
    ·
    4 years ago

    Getting ripped off by gamestop good, ripping off people who invest in gamestop bad?

    No more lifestyle marxism, investing in stocks is amoral but better than blowing it on camgirls or cheetos. Think of it as cheap entertainment.

  • a_jug_of_marx_piss [he/him]
    ·
    4 years ago

    If all leftists stopped investing, it would not stop capitalism, and stopping investing isn't a viable way to change society. I don't think leftists should be into deontological ethics.

    But I would be suspicious of a leftist who made their living from stocks.

  • Pawgfather [none/use name]
    ·
    4 years ago

    I mean, if you're a leftist living in the west you're probably doing a million things that could be considered 'hypocritical'. While investing in stocks is less of a necessity than many of those things, I personally don't feel any way towards people who do it to reach financial security. If you're straight up investing in shit like Raytheon though, I'd say that's different.

  • Coolkidbozzy [he/him]
    ·
    4 years ago

    I think this is one of those questions where if you look at it entirely through morality you could argue for both sides. However, marx traded stocks and I wonder if he ever wrote about this

  • Saint [he/him]
    ·
    4 years ago

    My question is why leftists generally are fine with investing in stocks (see the other comments), but not being a landlord. Is it just a matter of how much income you're making, or how direct the exploitation is?

    • Sen_Jen [they/them]
      ·
      4 years ago

      Maybe it's because stocks are more impersonal than owning land? Or maybe it's because owning stocks doesn't give you power over someone else's basic right to live idk. I think both are bad

    • Stalin2024 [none/use name]
      ·
      4 years ago

      Dividends are tiny, you usually get like a few dollars a year from the amount of stock normmal people can own

  • penguin_von_doom [she/her]
    ·
    4 years ago

    Marx did it ... you are part of the system and rely on it for making a living. So no, its no more hypocritical than posting this from an iphone or whatever. Furthermore, unless you are actually owning millions in stocks I dont think it really matters.