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Politics, politics, politics (so long and thanks for all the fish)

They're the ones in the top right.

I'm only economically right wing.

Can you not see the inherent flaw in capitalism? That the winner takes all, means the winner takes all. There will be no middle class just the ultra rich and the rest of us.

The socialist approach is just as bad. Equal opportunities, but equal outcomes. No reward for working hard or being gifted. No motivation. Stagnation.

There has to be middle ground.
 
They're the ones in the top right.

I'm only economically right wing.

True, but that is the thing that counts in the end. Wanting to protect whales but also advocating for the privatization of the NHS does not make one a moderate in my book, it makes one a right wing nut job just the same
 
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Can you not see the inherent flaw in capitalism? That the winner takes all, means the winner takes all. There will be no middle class just the ultra rich and the rest of us.

The socialist approach is just as bad. Equal opportunities, but equal outcomes. No reward for working hard or being gifted. No motivation. Stagnation.

There has to be middle ground.

Socialism is about equality of opportunity, not equality of outcome. Socialism is decent health care for your kids, a school for them to get an education, universities for them to develop their intellect, a police service to keep them safe. Yeah socialism is terrible. Please get it right.
 
Socialism is about equality of opportunity, not equality of outcome. Socialism is decent health care for your kids, a school for them to get an education, universities for them to develop their intellect, a police service to keep them safe. Yeah socialism is terrible. Please get it right.


That may well be what socialism is, but no one has ever got near to actually doing it.
 
That may well be what socialism is, but no one has ever got near to actually doing it.
That's because everyone (successful) is naturally selfish.

Those who believe in that "To each according to his needs" crap usually end up as union types. Anyone who has employed people will tell you that they're utterly useless for anything other than causing trouble. The world would be in a sorry place (East Germany) if we all believed that brick.
 
Can you not see the inherent flaw in capitalism? That the winner takes all, means the winner takes all. There will be no middle class just the ultra rich and the rest of us.

The socialist approach is just as bad. Equal opportunities, but equal outcomes. No reward for working hard or being gifted. No motivation. Stagnation.

There has to be middle ground.
I am the middle ground.

Socially liberal with a view on economics that actually works. It's pretty hard to look at the last couple of centuries and suggest that capitalism hasn't improved life for the vast majority.
 
Socialism is about equality of opportunity, not equality of outcome. Socialism is decent health care for your kids, a school for them to get an education, universities for them to develop their intellect, a police service to keep them safe. Yeah socialism is terrible. Please get it right.

So social democratic coutries don't have healthcare for their kids? Schools, universities or a police service?

Would you really prefer to live in a communist country than one using the nordic model?
 
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So social democratic coutries don't have healthcare for their kids? Schools, universities or a police service?

Would you really prefer to live in a communist country than one using the nordic model?
Socialism and communism are not the same thing, nor indeed is social democracy.

However, I would agree that they seem to have got the balance more or less right in the Scandinavian countries. A version of their social democratic model would seem to be the sweet spot.
 
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That's because everyone (successful) is naturally selfish.

Those who believe in that "To each according to his needs" crap usually end up as union types. Anyone who has employed people will tell you that they're utterly useless for anything other than causing trouble. The world would be in a sorry place (East Germany) if we all believed that brick.
If you haven't noticed the world is already in a sorry place because we have not limited our consumption to our needs. I would also disagree with your assertion that everyone is naturally selfish. On the contrary, I have found most people to be decent and kind.
 
I am the middle ground.

Socially liberal with a view on economics that actually works. It's pretty hard to look at the last couple of centuries and suggest that capitalism hasn't improved life for the vast majority.
Indeed…. Though it is also destroying the only world that we have to inhabit.

What is your view on economics by the way?
 
If you haven't noticed the world is already in a sorry place because we have not limited our consumption to our needs. I would also disagree with your assertion that everyone is naturally selfish. On the contrary, I have found most people to be decent and kind.
The two are not exclusive.

Selfishness (in terms of economics) is wanting fair reward for one's ability, rather that receiving the same reward as the uneducated layabout who takes the easiest job for the least work.

Alain Ducasse can't cook every meal, Richard James can't make everyone's clothes, not everyone who kicks a ball can be Gary Doherty. Without the extremes of reward we lose the excellence that makes life interesting.
 
Indeed…. Though it is also destroying the only world that we have to inhabit.

What is your view on economics by the way?
The same as with most other walks of life. That governments should begin with an aim of doing nothing and then do the very minimum that is absolutely necessary.
 
Hopefully the big rebellion tonight signals the start of the endgame for BJ. The by-election this week could move things on a lot too.
 
Such as?….
Defence, roads, providing for those who absolutely cannot (note, not will not), upholding some of the laws we have. There's obviously a need for government, but if they start with an honest attempt to do nothing I think we're most of the way there.
 
The two are not exclusive.

Selfishness (in terms of economics) is wanting fair reward for one's ability, rather that receiving the same reward as the uneducated layabout who takes the easiest job for the least work.

Alain Ducasse can't cook every meal, Richard James can't make everyone's clothes, not everyone who kicks a ball can be Gary Doherty. Without the extremes of reward we lose the excellence that makes life interesting.
That concocted definition of selfishness is just that. If your point is that those who work harder should get more rewards then I doubt anyone would disagree. To try and make this point by warping the meaning of the word selfish is just aberrant nonsense. So no, not everyone is selfish by the generally accepted definition of the word.

I also would agree with you that those who excel in a field should be handsomely rewarded, but you are implying that reward is always what drives those that excel or indeed that reward is the goal in and of itself. That may be the case for some (let's call that group the selfish achievers or business) but it goes without saying there are other motivations beyond money. I do however think that the 'extremes of reward' as you call it should have an upper limit. As should there be a lower limit that no citizen should be allowed to fall beneath, and that should be managed by the government.
 
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Defence, roads, providing for those who absolutely cannot (note, not will not), upholding some of the laws we have. There's obviously a need for government, but if they start with an honest attempt to do nothing I think we're most of the way there.
Some laws?…. Health? Education? Standards? Regulation? Innovation and investment?
 
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