The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #86026   Message #1602404
Posted By: GUEST,rarelamb
11-Nov-05 - 12:08 PM
Thread Name: BS: Paris Immigrant?Riots
Subject: RE: BS: Paris Immigrant?Riots
"
Yeah whatever, Rarelamb, get back to the pasture and wait on the farm truck bound for the abbatoir. If you are a labourer and a capitalist, then I own a capital and I don't, most of my income comes from selling my labour and most of it comes from profits."

When you talk about capital, you are talking about the financial and physical means of production. Within the financial, you can capitalize a firm with either equity or debt. Anyone with a pension plan or with financial assets, is a capitalist. I own equity shares of a number of corporations. I am the 'owner' of these companies. I am a capitalist. I also labor every day to generate an income. I am a laborer. I expound on this because it is apparent that you lack some fundamental understandings necessary for us to have an intelligent and informed discussion.

"Maybe you like being a factor of production, being forced to labour on threat of poverty, not possessing the things you produce, having to support a parasitical class of those who own and control the means of living. I would rather be involved in the democratic decision making process that drives production to meet self-defined human needs."

I would prefer to be retired if that is your meaning. Who wouldn't? Even if it meant that you enjoy working so much that even with financial independence you would continue to work.

I am confused with "democratic decision making". Democratic is usually referred to when discussing a form of government. But you have made it plain taht you are hostile to governments, and in particular governmetns of nations who are the tools of capitalists. Considering that democratic governments tend to be capitalistic, this usage of democratic seems contradictory. Furthermore, how does democratic and self defined exist? If you mean that a democratic society would provide for greater self interest then I agree with you. This self interest, or as Adam Smith is known to refer to as self love is a fundamental premise behind economics. If you mean something else then please elaborate.

"Capitalism rewards capital" True! But it takes risk and effort. Capitalism also rewards labor. Their is a substantial return on an investment in a college education. And not all degrees by either institution or subject is rewarded the same.