• Spuddaccino@reddthat.com
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    1 year ago

    If a country ever implements true communism it will experience extreme brain drain and be left with only the most unskilled people.

    I’m not sure where you got this idea from. I’m not particularly informed on the subject, but when I look up the dictionary definition of communism, I get this:

    a political theory derived from Karl Marx, advocating class war and leading to a society in which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs.

    Emphasis mine. If people with more ability are paid more, then they shouldn’t be flocking out of the country, right?

      • Spuddaccino@reddthat.com
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        1 year ago

        My understanding, however limited, is that “property” means something different in this context. Essentially, it means things like real estate and businesses, things that make money. You can own food, clothes, a TV, watches, a car, whatever you want, as long as it doesn’t make money.

        If you wanted to start a business, you probably could, and you wouldn’t need to pay for it. The State would own the business, and you would be paid to run that business. This absolves you of all the risk associated with it, and you get paid more than a grocery store shelf stocker because you’re doing a harder job, and thus demonstrating greater ability.

          • irmoz@reddthat.com
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            1 year ago

            So you’re dependant on the government

            How, exactly?

            can’t (not allowed to) do anything about it

            What do you mean by “do something about it”?

            My car can make money, my computer can make money

            …From you using it. That’s not private property. That’s a tool. It only becomes private property if you plan to rent it out or employ others to work it for you.

            but i guess im not allowed to do it if big daddy Lenin doesn’t want me to.

            ???

            People who can will leave in flocks.

            Leave what? You didn’t even describe a system, there. Those were vague buzzwords.

        • deafboy@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          But that degrades a person to a child. A child can own a trinket or two, but for anything of real value, there’s mommy and daddy.

          Which fits perfectly well with my hypothesis, that the majority of people actually don’t want a government. They want a babysitter to watch over them.

      • Grayox@lemmy.mlOP
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        1 year ago

        I hear Dubai is looking for day laborers! Im sure the lack of regulations make it a great place for workers!

        • deafboy@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          And yet, people are still coming there voluntarily. But that word is missing from the communist dictionary.

          The will of a worker is nothing under the communism. It’s always about some abstract mythical collective.

          • Grayox@lemmy.mlOP
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            1 year ago

            Yeah because they are promised gainful employment to escape tge Material Conditions capitalism created for them. Then they get to Dubai have thete passports taken by their employer and are effectively slaves. You really dont know jack shit about Communism do you? 🙃

      • floofloof@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        “Communism won’t work because I only work for selfish gain so everyone else must be the same as me. Anyone who says they’d work for non-selfish reasons must be lying because I’m selfish and everyone else must be just like me. And if they set up a society where selfishness wasn’t the main motivator, I’d be out of there to go where I could still be selfish. Therefore communism is bullshit.”

        Communist societies have had their problems but this has never been a good argument.

      • irmoz@reddthat.com
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        1 year ago

        cant spend the money to own something/start a business.

        Of course you can. Why would you assume otherwise?

        Oh, I see now…

        By “own something”, you mean private property, don’t you? The freedom to extract rent is important to you, I’m guessing?

        And by “start a business”, what you mean is “exploit people for profit”, am I right?

          • irmoz@reddthat.com
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            1 year ago

            So, exactly what I said. Noted. You want the “freedom” to survive off someone else’s work, while not having to work yourself.

            Freedom to me is being able to own your own home, and not having the wealth you created stolen by some absent owner.

              • irmoz@reddthat.com
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                1 year ago

                First off, that wealth being stolen comment is about capitalist extracting surplus value from workers.

                Also, the state is forcing me to rent, or otherwise live on the street. I am unable to mortgage due to bad credit. Renting is the only option.

    • Kalcifer@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      I believe you may be misinterpereting “from each according to his ability to each according to his need”. It’s not about giving those with more ability more than those with less ability but instead to redistribute the fruits of labour, generated by those according to their ability, to those according to their need.