The year 2000 elections with Bush vs Gore going to the courts far too distant in history for you to remember?No it hasn't. — counterpunch
You increase fairness by expanding access and opportunity. Redistribution does not work. People have to do it (succeed) themselves in order for it to be sustainable. — synthesis
that the Invisible Hand at the heart of capitalism is a miracle that affords personal and political freedom — counterpunch
Do you mean a literal miracle, i.e. an act of God? Do you consider the literal hand of God to be involved in the market? — Echarmion
Danger for whom? The superior person?Don't you see any dangers in a sense of superiority? — Jack Cummins
Two things:Of course, I would guess that it does depend on how you understand the idea of superior and my own working definition is of is of being intrinsically better.
That is the whole point of superiority. There is no reason to think that a sense of superiority is not evolutionarily advantageous. Life is a struggle for survival, and in that struggle, deeming oneself superior to others is advantageous to one's survival.Nevertheless, the point which I feel that you are missing is that a sense of superiority can be a way of putting others down. It may bolster the ego but it is an aspect of power dynamics and I would say that it lies at the heart of oppression.
After all, the number of white people out there who buy into this self-hatred thing must be waning fast. — synthesis
What is this belief based on?I believe that everyone is equal in worth and value. — Jack Cummins
Then what about the evolutionary struggle for survival? Do you just dismiss it?I would argue that this is the basis for opposing oppression which has its roots in people ranking themselves as superior.
You increase fairness by expanding access and opportunity. Redistribution does not work. People have to do it (succeed) themselves in order for it to be sustainable.
— synthesis
But noone succeeds all by themselves, do they? They all rely on good parenting, education, opportunity afforded by outside sources.
People can make more or less out of what they're given, but no-one is an island. — Echarmion
Adam Smith described it as an invisible hand. It would be madness of the highest order to dispense with it. — counterpunch
No. I don't suggest there's anything supernatural going on, but it's strange and wonderful how the rationally self interested actions of individuals conspire to produce and distribute the goods and services people want and need without any over-arching authority. — counterpunch
There is a significant percentage of the black community that are already there, so it's just a matter of time before the rest are pulled-up, but it is the black community that will do the pulling. — synthesis
After all, the number of white people out there who buy into this self-hatred thing must be waning fast.
— synthesis
I never encourage collective guilt feelings or collective self-hatred. It's tedious; it's unproductive; sometimes it is pretentiously faked. Individuals ought to feel guilt for acts they have committed with malice and forethought. I don't feel guilty when white police kill blacks. It might have been just plain murder, and if so the officer should be punished. Or it might have been accidental; inadvertent; not intended. Investigations can sort it out. Consequences should follow.
We can, we should, we must understand how our history unfolded. Not just our personal history; but our national history. From at least a general understanding we should see some large trends that have been at work for a long time. No one should feel guilty about the epidemics which resulted from Columbus's search for a westward route to Asia. No one should feel guilty about British colonialism. No one should feel guilty about slavery. Or the industrial revolution. Or the millions of Native Americans' deaths caused by American westward expansion. We were not there.
I recommend reading about the urban history of the US, not so that people can find more reasons for self hatred or collective guilt, but for an understanding of how it unfolded, how we got to where we are. Once understanding is obtained, one will see how difficult it will be to undo the past.
If an individual is working to harm other people, they have reason to feel guilty, and they should stop doing it. There are plenty of crooks out there, some on street corners, some in elegant office suites. — Bitter Crank
I can assure you this has a long tradition in the US.But never before 2016 have I been aware of claims the process was rigged, or a widespread refusal to accept the result. — counterpunch
How terrible insurrectionists would be those violently protesting the events then? — ssu
I just wonder why you'd be against helping them? Like we can disagree on the right approach, but certainly there is something that can be done. — Echarmion
BLM seems to be a Marxist political group — synthesis
you just can't say, "Look at that problem, obviously everybody is racist." — synthesis
...thought that creating a welfare state would do anything but end-up as it always does, creating massive dependency... — synthesis
Hence discretion, reasoning and knowledge is important. Many don't have that.It seems quite consistent to be in support of some violent insurrections and not in support of others. Neither the violence nor the insurrection parts of it are inherently wrong, it's a matter of how it's done, why it's done, and what're the consequences. — fdrake
And Adam Smith was referring to God. He was a religious person, and it's not exactly subtle. — Echarmion
The thing is, though, that there has always been an over-arching authority since capitalism began. Capitalism developed under historically strong states. — Echarmion
Adam Smith? Wealth of Nations? 1776? Thought God was producing and distributing goods and services? Did he? — counterpunch
you say so dude! — counterpunch
I thought he thought it was the rationally self interest economic decisions of individuals in a free market. — counterpunch
(...) by directing that industry in such a manner as its produce may be of the greatest value, he intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention.
It's fascinating, that you would comment on something you don't understand at all. — counterpunch
BLM seems to be a Marxist political group — synthesis
...de-platformed by left wing, political correctness nutters who have no interest in free speech — counterpunch
It's fascinating that you would write two paragraphs that have nothing to do with what I wrote. — Echarmion
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