Comments by "Michael Mappin" (@michaelmappin1830) on "Capitalism Vs. Socialism Debate: Arthur Laffer \u0026 Richard Wolff" video.

  1. ​ @Dan16673 , under the capitalist system the vast majority of people are poor. We now have a situation where the riches 1% now has almost as much wealth as the poorest 91% of the American population. USA now comes in at number 27 on the social Mobility index. That's even worse than Portugal and Lithuania. Obviously if you had an economic system where people had to work for a living Baxley got to keep the wealthy work for, that would be more conducive to a free-market and thriving economy. And that environment labor-saving technology would decrease working hours while increasing prosperity for everyone.
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  2.  @Dan16673  , dude, the richest 1% has almost as much wealth as the poorest 91% of the American population. Your average American to no longer afford a family on a single income. The United States number 27 on the social Mobility index. The simple fact is that under capitalism most of the capital owned by the richest members of society. That's why they get most of the wealth produced by labour and why they get to make most of the decisions. That's why most things are made in China. Capitalism is basically ruled by the rich.
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  3. ​ @aktube9084 , that simply isn't true. Where do you read that crap?
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  4. I guess it depends on what side of the fence you're sitting on. If you have enough Capital, then you don't have to work for a living. You can just live off of other people's labour in perpetuity. However, if you're a worker, what are the people being exploited, then capitalism really sucks.
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  5.  @sten260  , well you can call them whatever you want. The simple fact of the matter is not all the economies require markets. Also, if you really believe in free markets, then you would be anti-capitalist. Capitalism is not conducive to free markets are thriving economies because the goal is to maximize profit. Profit is maximized by getting workers to produce as much as possible while paying them as little as possible. With every passing day more and more of the GDP goes to the owners of capital rather than the workers. If 70% of the wealth that comes from goods and services goes to the owners of capital, then the workers are only going to be able to afford 30% of what they produce. In order for the economy to expand worker purchasing power has to increase. Why do you think there's so much debt? Workers either need to be paid more or you have to increase access to Credit in order to keep the economy expanding. You see, there's a natural ceiling limit to how much wealth you can extract from labour. But capitalism necessitates ever increasing profits. How do you break through that ceiling limit? Debt. Capitalism requires boring ever-increasing amounts of money from the future. Otherwise once the ceiling limit is hit the economy becomes stuck. Workers under capitalism are basically human livestock.
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  6.  @JumpJolpes_23  , ideal capitalism in the United States was back in the days of jpmorgan, carnegie, rockefeller, etcetera. There were nine year old children working 6 to 7 days a week, 14 hours a day, there were no worker safety standards, no old age pensions, no consumer safety standards, no unemployment insurance, Etc. There was widespread poverty with massive profits for the owners of capital. Thousands of people would die from basic food and water contamination because there were no consumer safety standards. Thousands died on the job because there were no occupation regulations. That's the ideal capitalism that the owning class wants to return to. That's why they prefer having production in countries with the fewest regulations. Capitalism is not about working. It's about accumulating wealth without working. Capitalism is literally the economic system of parasites. The idea is to get Workers to produce as much as possible while paying them as little as possible. And then you take what the workers produce and sell it for as much as possible.
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  7.  @JumpJolpes_23  , and what do you mean socialism continues to be envy? What are you talking about? That doesn't even make any sense. Socialism is the collective ownership of the means of production by the workers. Why do so many prefer working at a socialist company rather than a capitalist company? For one, the workers get all of the wealth of their labor produces. Two, they own the product of their labor. 3, they get to make the decisions in regards to what is produced, how things are produced, where things are produced, etcetera. That's why statistically speaking workers at socialist companies are happier, more productive, more creative, there's less incidents of mental illness, workers take fewer sick days, there's less incidence of spousal abuse, suicide, substance abuse, etcetera. But when you work at a capitalist company everything you produce belongs to someone else. The boss gets to decide when you work, how hard you have to work, what you can wear, when you get to eat, when or if you even get a coffee break, they can even tell you when and how long you get to go to the washroom. As a result of workplace stress in the United States and because the United States is number one when it comes to First World countries regarding the number of people working low-wage jobs, over 25% of the population now has a mental illness. It's speculated that 50% of the population at some point in their lifetime will develop a mental illness. United States comes in at number 27 on the social Mobility index. There are more people in the US relying on food stamps than the entire population of canada! 1 and 6 of American children doesn't get enough food to eat. 27 on the social Mobility index! That's even worse than Portugal and lithuania. Things are so bad now in the United States that literally over 54% of the population can't even read or write. Now in the United States the richest 1% has just about as much wealth as the poorest 91% of the American population. The US is basically a third world country for many of its citizens
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  8. And what do you base that opinion on? He's a snake for telling workers that they would be better off if they own their own company so that they could keep all of the wealth that their labour produced? Yeah, what a horrible snake.
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  9. Art is a scientist? Yeah, a scientist that thinks George Bush Senior was a socialist. I can't tell whether or not he's just a lying propagandist or if he's just stupid. Maybe a combination of both.
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  10.  @ExPwner  , I don't even think you know what a fact is. You're constantly stating assumptions as fact. For example you said you know that Richard Wolff is not a member of the working class. But as usual, you failed to support your point of view with any citations. You also said that wolf was a millionaire. But again, no citations. So don't talk about facts to me because you're a liar and a hypocrite. 😀
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  11. If people are naturally greedy then that's all the more reason to establish socialism. Socialism is a bottom-up, democratic non-hierarchical system of organization. You don't have one individual at the top that has massive power over those underneath as you do under a capitalist system. Socialist companies are not prone to corruption or greed the way capitalist institutions are. This is why https://youtu.be/-VdbFzwe8fQ
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  12. ​ @ExPwner , you're the one that constantly lies and produces Straw Men arguments. You made a claim that Richard Wolff wasn't a member of the working class. You didn't state that claim as an assumption. You stated as a fact but then failed to actually support your accusation. That's the type of person you are. So I'm going to ask you again. Can you support your position or not? Or do you concede that you're a liar and a hypocrite? 😀
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  13. Yes, anyone that actually lives in the real world and works for a living knows that wages have not kept up with the cost of living.
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  14. ​ @Dan16673 , you don't know what a tankie is? My God, if you know anything about Richard Wolff you should know that he's an advocate of workplace democracy. That is, direct worker ownership of the means of production. Not state-owned means of production. Why even bother commenting if you don't understand the terms or the argument?
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  15. ​ @ExPwner , why do you keep embarrassing yourself? Most Americans can no longer afford a family on a single income. Why is it that you are so oblivious what's going on in the real world?
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  16. ​ @ExPwner , why do you always make claims if you can't support? Why do you try to actually support your position for once? You can't. You're a liar and a hypocrite
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  17. ​ @ExPwner , what are you babbling about now? Still waiting for an argument
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  18.  @ExPwner  , you just described yourself. That's all you do. You run around and lie and then accuse people of doing exactly what you're doing. You get off on that for some reason. You must have one boring life.
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  19. ​ @ExPwner , after talking with you on and off for years I've gotten the impression that you've been looked after your entire life by your parents or relatives. If you're the average person that works for a living, then there's no way you could possibly not be aware of the fact that wages have not kept up with inflation.
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  20. Capitalism is not about Humanity. It's about maximizing profit and the maximization of capital accumulation.
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  21. @karleells6540  , your comment doesn't make any sense. Socialism is when workers get together collectively for the purpose of owning their own means of production. What's wrong with that? Would I like to have a socialist economy? Of course! What's wrong with having an economy where people actually have to work for a living rather than accumulating welth from capital without working? What's wrong with workers actually owning the product of their labor and getting to keep all of the wealth of their labor produces? When wealth flows to the workers, they spend that money into the economy creating more demand. But if you have most of the wealth going to a small Rich minority at the top of the apex, then most of that wealth doesn't get spent into the economy. You end up with a situation where goods and services are increasing at a faster rate than income. That's not conducive to a free market and thriving economy
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  22. @karleells6540  , of course co-ops are legal. What are you talking about? Yeah, of course it's legal to start a business. I just explained to you what socialism is. Socialism is the worker ownership of the means of production. You should be able to substantiate that fact within minutes. Anyway, is there anything else I can help you with?
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  23. Why would you say that? We don't need capitalism in order to have businesses, markets, innovation, production, Etc. Capitalism is about accumulating capital so that you can get an income without having to do any work. Why do you think Bill Gates is now the largest owner of Farmland in the United States? Why do you think he now owns a big chunk of the Canadian Railway system and wants to own the rest of it? Under the capitalist system the richest members of society own most of the capital. So if you want food, clothing, Medical, housing, you have to pay extra money to people like Bill Gates. Capitalist increase the cost of living and the amount of work the rest of us have to do. If you have to pay an extra $100 to Bill Gates every time you get a blood test, that's $100 you no longer have to spend in the economy. With socialism you still have businesses, production, markets, Etc, without the parasites! Yeah, that really bums some people out because in that environment if you want something, you actually have to work for! In that environment you just can't simply go out and purchase shares and collect money while you're sleeping. Thinking that we need a combination of capitalism and socialism is like thinking that hosts need parasite. Regulated capitalism and faux socialism (progressive taxation/ social programs) within the capitalist framework is just a strategy to maintain a balance between host and parasite. The capitalist class wants to extract as much blood as possible without actually killing the host. That's the trick.
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  24. Capitalism is such an inefficient and wasteful system. So much so that roughly a third of the world's food is ultimately discarded before consumed. This amounts to about 1.3 billion tons a year. Meanwhile, billions of people struggle with food insecurity. Food waste and food insecurity is a well-documented global issue. Check the most up-to-date and reliable sources for this information: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the World Food Programme, and various academic research articles related to food waste and food insecurity.
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  25. He thinks Joe Biden is a socialist? Is he a liar or just stupid?
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  26. Who said anything about a factory owner giving you a say in what is produced? 😀 Richard Wolff is referring to businesses that are owned and operated by workers. He's pointing out that when workers own the company then they get to make the decisions regards to what is produced, how things are produced, where things are produced, Etc. If you own the company then you get to make those decisions. Pretty basic. But since you mentioned it, yeah, there are some billionaires actually give control of their companies to their employees. And you know what the results are? Productivity increases. Worker creativity increases. Work has become more efficient. There's less incidence of substance abuse, mental illness, employees take fewer sick days, workers are happier and more engaging, Etc. This is not my opinion it's a documented fact. https://youtu.be/35epDjB_7WE
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  27. ​ @ExPwner , why do you keep lying? You said that you know that Richard Wolff is not a member of the working class. You also claimed that he's a millionaire. Why would you state those things as fact if you can't back up what you say? And you don't know what Socialism or capitalism is. When I first started talking to you you thought socialism was just when the government did stuff. 😃 you were even aware that over 54% of the American population can't even read or write. I think you're among those individuals. I believe you use a program to interpret and write text. You're definitely politically and economically illiterate. That's for sure.
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  28.  @ExPwner  , your comment doesn't make any sense. It doesn't matter who is conducting the interview, what matters is the fact that when workers own the company equally and have equal voting power and they get all of the wealth and they get to make the decisions. How can you possibly be too stupid to understand the point? 😃
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  29.  @ExPwner  , yeah, of course it doesn't make any sense to you because you don't know what capitalism is and you don't know what socialism is. But let's get back to your hypocrisy and constant lying. You made an accusation what you stated as a fact regarding how Richard Wolff was not a member of the working class. Were you lying or can you actually support your accusation? Yes or no?
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  30. ​ @kungfoofighter66 , George Bush Senior was a socialist!😂 if it wasn't for fools such as James Adams, that's the actual little goof hiding behind anarcho-capitalist flag, then those frauds wouldn't have any audience.
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  31.  @ExPwner  , now I'm catching you lying again. If you backed up your claims that Richard Wolff is not a member of the working class, prove it! You can't. You are a liar and a hypocrite. I have established that as a fact.
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  32.  @ExPwner  , no you didn't. Caught lying again! How do you know that Richard Wolff is not a member of the working class?
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  33.  @ExPwner  , and now you're saying that I commented on hundreds of threads? You just got caught lying again! I made about 23 or 24 comments. 😀 you offered absolutely no proof that Richard Wolff is not a member of the working class. You're such a pathetic liar. 😀 owned again
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  34.  @ExPwner  , no. You didn't offer any proof at all. You making blind claims is not proof. So you don't even know what proof means? Like I told you before, you don't know how to differentiate between facts, assertions and opinions. Obviously I'm right. I'm going to ask you again. What proof do you have that Richard Wolff is not a member of the working class? 😀
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  35. Of course people are drowning in debt. You can't have an economic system where production output increased at a faster rate than income. Capitalism violates basic market and economic principles. For example, one of the central goals of Economics is to achieve equilibrium. But the goal of capitalism is to maximize profit by a getting workers to produce as much as possible while paying them as little as possible. The more successful capitalist company is at maximizing profit, the less person our workers have. That creates a situation where workers will never be able to afford all of the goods and services they put into circulation. If you want the economy to expand you have to increase versus Empower. You can't actively be working at eroding decreasing purchasing power. 😂 decreased purchasing power has to be offset with increased access to credit. Otherwise the economy would contract. When the economy contracts, people get laid off. When people get laid off they can't consume. You're a capitalist? Why would you support an immoral system that's based on exploitation? Sure, I can understand that we all like free stuff and it's nice to be able to accumulate wealth without actually having to work. And that might be okay if a person could do it without consequence. But anytime someone ends up with a dollar they didn't work for, somewhere else you have someone who work for a dollar that they didn't get. The only way for investors to get out more than what they put in is by ensuring that workers put in more than they get out.
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  36.  @ExPwner  , no. It's not a lie. It's just that you don't understand how economics works. And everything you don't understand you call a lie. You're the one that lies. I'm still waiting for you to back up your statement when you said that Richard Wolff is not a member of the working class. You see how you keep lying? Then you go around accusing other people of lying. You are what they call a congenital liar.
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  37. ​ @ExPwner , no. You are the liar. I caught you lying the other day when you try to claim that Richard Wolff wasn't a member of the working class.
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  38. ​ @ExPwner , your comment doesn't make any sense. If the workers on their own means of production then they get to keep all of the wealth and they get to make the decisions. Having an economic system where the richest 1% has more wealth than the poorest 91% of the population doesn't make any sense. If all of that wealth was flowing to the workers they would have dramatically more purchasing power. They would be dramatically more demand in the economy which would make it easier for people to start their own businesses.
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  39. Professional managers are workers. Capitalist hire workers to run the economy. The economy is the sum total of all our work. Capitalists are unnecessary middlemen that rely on workers. Labour includes both mental and physical efforts. Capitalism is not about work. It's about accumulating capital for the purpose of extracting wealth from labour and resources without doing any work. A capitalist is someone who gets his wealth from capital. Workers their income from working. Even honest billionaire capitalists will confess that its workers that actually run the company and are responsible for all of its profits. https://youtu.be/35epDjB_7WE
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  40. I don't know what you base that opinion on. Capitalism is not a rational system. Logic and reason are on the side of the Socialists. So why bother appealing to emotion when it's not necessary? That's what capitalists to do. There's a reason why the capitalist class has to spend billions of dollars annually producing propaganda.
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  41. ​ @ExPwner , like you do constantly? Tell me again how you know for a fact that Richard Wolff is not a member of the working class and has a million dollars? You see you lie all the time.😂
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  42.  @ExPwner  , that's another lie. You're not just a liar, You're A congenital liar. 😃
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  43. ​ @ExPwner , are you now making up your own definition of what proof is? You've never proven anything. You never support your claims. How do you know Richard Wolff is a millionaire? How can you say he's not a member of the working class when he teaches for a living? Do you have anything at all actually support your accusations? Anything? 😀
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  44.  @ExPwner  , yeah, you don't make up anything. Just your own reality. You're A congenital liar. And you know you are.
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  45. ​ @ExPwner , oh my god! I knew it! You don't know the difference between a capitalist and a worker. Labor includes both mental and physical efforts. A member of the working class gets his income from labor. A capitalist gets his income from capital, not from his own labor. Richard Wolff gets his money primarily from writing textbooks and teaching. Both writing and teaching are forms of Labor. 😃 how can you not know this. Even if Richard Wolff was retired, even if he has several million dollars, if he's living off of his earnings, then he's still considered a member of the working class. 🙂 So, do you know admit that you have no proof to back up your claim that Richard Wolff is not a member of the working class? This is your thread that you started. Here's your big opportunity to prove that you're not a liar. 😃
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  46. ​ @ExPwner , obviously you're the one that doesn't know how to read. 😃 I've taken the screenshots of what you said. Now we know you don't understand the difference between a capitalist and a worker. You don't know what capitalism is. You don't know what socialism is. You've proven that you're a liar and a hypocrite. Now I'm going to ask you again. Do you have any proof at all, anything, that shows that Richard Wolff is not a member of the working class? Yes or no. 😃
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  47.  @ExPwner  , oh, so now you're deleting your comments? Too late. I took the screenshots. 😃 owned again! I'm starting to think your purpose in life is to entertain me.
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  48.  @ExPwner  , yeah, you provided a definition. But All you've done is prove that you don't even understand simple definitions. If you write a book, that takes work! That's a form of Labor! If you teach, that's a form of labor. You don't even know what labor is? 😃
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  49.  @ExPwner  , okay. So now that you know that writing books is work and teaching is work, do you have any proof or evidence at all to support your claim that Richard Wolff is not a member of the working class? 😃 no. I didn't think so. So which is it? Are you a liar or just stupid? 😀
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  50.  @ExPwner  , yeah. That's what I thought. Thank you again 😀
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  51.  @ExPwner  , dude, I know you're a little slow. But you posting a definition is not proof that wolf actually matches that definition. 😃 you don't even know what proof is? I'm going to ask you again. Do you have any proof that Richard Wolff is not a member of the working class? Yes or no?
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  52. ​ @ExPwner , it's been several hours. You still found no evidence to support your claim that Richard Wolff is not a member of the working class? So you lied. 🙂
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  53.  @ExPwner  , you didn't offer any proof at all. How do you know that Richard Wolff is not a member of the working class? Where's your proof? Either provide the proof or live with the fact that you've been caught lying again. 😃
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  54.  @ExPwner  , no. You didn't offer any proof at all. Thank you very much for showing that you don't know what proof is, what an argument is, what capitalism is, what constitutes as a member of the working class, Etc. Next time don't State an assumption as fact if you don't have some kind of evidence to back it up. 😀
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  55. Yeah, and that's a consequence of capitalism. When capitalists own the means of production and the capital, they get you decide what is produced, how things are produced, where things are produced, how much workers get paid, Etc. That's why most things are made in China and why wages are so low. That's why the richest 1% now has almost as much wealth as the poorest 91% of the American population. However, if most of the GDP were coming from worker-owned companies, then most things we made it home and most of the wealth would be flowing to the workers would spend that money into the economy.
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  56. The capitalist guy shot himself in the foot over and over again. According to him, wages have kept up with increases in productivity even though most Americans can no longer afford a family on a single income. According to him George Bush Senior was a socialist! This isn't a debate, it's a comedy.
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  57. Hillary Clinton and the rest of the politicians represent the capitalists. That's the function of a capitalist government. It's their government. Regular working-class citizens can only fight for protections and privileges under the law. That's about it.
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  58. ​ @ExPwner , yeah, tell me again how capitalism is nothing but free markets. 😀 tell me again how free markets and capitalism are synonymous. And tell me again how Richard Wolff is not a member of the working class even though he gets his income from being a school teacher. 😃
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  59. ​ @ExPwner , why do you parrot me? Why do you pair other people? The other day I asked you what you were babbling about. And now you repeat the exact same thing, verbatim. Why do you do that? 😃
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  60.  @ExPwner  , 😃 you are one weird duck.
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  61. Thomas Sowell would never debate Someone Like Richard Wolff. Just like how Jordan Peterson wouldn't debate him. Those individuals have no idea what they're talking about. They just act like they do. Thomas Sowell tried to convince the public that Obama was a socialist. He said the Civil Rights Movement was a communist plot. It would take hours to list all of the ridiculous claims Thomas Sowell has made over the years.
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  62.  @monkusbee  , yeah, in the United States there's a lot of loopholes. That's why the working class has to pay so much tax. As the rich become more successful at avoiding tax, as their tax decreases, ours goes up. That's one of the functions of the capitalist government. Their job is to create an environment that's most conducive to profits. Profits are maximize by paying workers as little as possible and getting them to pay for as much of the infrastructure as possible. The functions of workers in the capital economy are that of slaves. Farmers don't push the plow, they get the cow or the horse to do it. Workers under capitalism are human livestock. Just another form of capital. The reason there used to be such high Progressive taxes in the United States is because of the labour movement. The New Deal was a compromise. It was to pacify the workers. But the ruling class was very clear that eventually they would take back all of those Progressive gains. The rollback started in earnest with the appointment of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher in the UK.
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  63. ​ @ExPwner , yeah, and we're just supposed to take your word for it? You probably sleep with a million dollars under your pillow too. 😃 why are you always spouting nonsense that you can't support? Tell me again how you know Richard Wolff is a millionaire? Where is your source?
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  64. ​ @ExPwner , your comprehension abilities leave a lot to be desired. 😃
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  65. George Bush Senior was a socialist! 😂 he completely destroyed his credibility many times over with such statements. I love how Richard Wolff throughout the video makes an effort not to laugh. 😀
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  66.  @sten260  , you don't need markets in order to have an economy. Subsistence Economy, Traditional Economy, Command Economy, etc.... And you don't need capitalism in order to have markets.
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  67. ​​ @Lurch685 , you think just because people have TVs and air conditioners that capitalism is good? Thanks thanks to capitalism the United States has more people on food stamps than the entire population of Canada! Homelessness is rampant. Thanks to capitalism the vast majority of the people on the planet are poor. Even in the United States most Americans can no longer afford a family on a single income. Why? It's not hard to track where the wealth is going. With every passing day more and more of the GDP go to the owners of capital rather than those that actually work to produce it. Now the richest 1% has almost as much wealth as the poorest 91% of the American population. The United States is basically a third world country for many of its citizens. What good is a TV or air conditioning if you're not getting enough food to eat? Or a statistically speaking you're going to die 20 years earlier because you can't afford healthy food? United States comes in the number 27 in the social Mobility index. That's even worse than Portugal and Lithuania. ▪ As of 2020, According to the U.S. Department of Education, 54% of U.S. adults 16-74 years old - about 130 million people - lack proficiency in literacy, reading below the equivalent of a sixth-grade level. ▪ USA #1 for mental disorders. about 1 in 4 adults. about 60 million people. ~ (Archives of General Psychiatry, 2005.) ▪ Published studies report that about 25% of all U.S. adults have a mental illness and that nearly 50% of U.S. adults will develop at least one mental illness during their lifetime. ~ cdc gov - mentalhealthsurveillance-fact sheet ▪ Over 40 million Americans receive Food Stamps because they can't afford enough food to eat. ~ The New York Times. That's more people than the entire population of Canada! ▪︎ The 1% grabbed 82% of all wealth created in 2017 ~ CNN ▪ The two richest people—Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates—possess almost the same amount of wealth as the poorest half of the population. ▪ The richest 5% of the population owns 67% of the wealth. The poorest 60% of the population owns 1% of the wealth. ~ Forbes ▪ The richest 1% now owns almost as much wealth as the entire middle class! ~ Forbes ▪ The wealthiest Americans live on average 20 years longer than the poorest Americans. ▪︎ The number of homeless children in the United States is at its highest in more than a decade, according to a recent study by the National Center for Homeless Education. 2019 study ▪︎ 44% of US workforce aged 18-64 makes less than $16 per hour! ~ The Wall Street Journal 30% of the low-wage workers live below 150% of the federal poverty line, or $36,000 per year for a family of four. 26% receive safety net assistance such as food stamps, welfare benefits, federal housing assistance, and other programs, which have been cut back throughout the years by successive Democratic and Republican administrations. ▪︎ 44% of fully employed people make $18,000 a year or less. ~ brookings_edu/2019 ▪︎ Low-Wage Jobs are the New American Normal. Low-wage workers make up nearly half of the American workforce, and many of them are the sole breadwinners for their families. ~ legalreader. ▪︎ more than one-third of us healthcare costs go to bankruptcy! ~ reuters ▪ over 40% of u.s. households are one paycheck away from poverty. ▪ Banks have foreclosed on over 7 million homes since 2004. ▪ There are 554,000 homeless people on a given night. ▪ The United States, the wealthiest nation in the history of the world, has a larger percentage of low-income workers than any other developed nation. ~ Wall Street Journal ▪ 3% of American adults—6.8 million people—are either in jail or prison or on parole or probation.😮
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  68.  @ExPwner  , dude, most Americans can't even afford a family on a single income now. How can you not know this? 😀 yes, for a small minority wages have increased. But not when it comes to the vast majority of Americans.
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  69.  @ExPwner  , you're the one that doesn't support their point of view. You made an accusation claiming that Richard Wolff wasn't a member of the working class. What do you base that opinion on? You're just a congenital liar. Going around constantly claiming that you're right and everyone else is wrong, that's not an argument. Going around lying while accusing everyone else of line, that's not an argument. What Richard Wolff is saying is very simple. When workers own the factory then they get all of the wealth and they get to make the rules. When they don't own the factory, then they don't get all of the wealth and they have to follow other people's rules. If workers owned all of the capital then they would be getting the wealth instead of having a situation where the richest 1% has more wealth than the poorest 91% of the population. You just contradict yourself constantly and make statements that don't make any sense. 😀 I think one of the reasons that you're not aware that's how much the cost of living has increased in relation to wages because you don't work for a living. You must have a very boring life when you got nothing better to do than make comments on YouTube all day. 😀
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  70.  @ExPwner  , yeah. You lie all the time. For example. You stated as a fact that Richard Wolff was not a member of the working class. You can make the assumption that he's not a member of the working class. But you do not know. If you know, State your proof. You see? You are A congenital liar. I have no motive to lie. I don't give a damn whether or not you choose to work with somebody or have the brains to work for yourself. Why would I care? If someone doesn't want to own the product of their labour, why should I care? I believe that your motive is the fact that you just like to live off of other people's labour so you justify it. But if I had my way, if everyone on the product of their labour, that wouldn't serve me because then if I wanted to have employees to exploit I wouldn't be able to have them! But you see, I don't need employees. I prefer to do my own work.
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  71.  @ExPwner  , what you just said makes no sense. You never proved anything. You just say that you do. What's my motive to lie? Hypothetically, if every workplace was owned by its workers, how would that be to my advantage? What is my motive? Where are the one that lies and cannot backup what they say. Case in point, you made the accusation that Richard Wolff is not a member of the working class. Now can you pack that up or not? You can't. You see, I got you once again. Owned. But of course you'll just continue to lie and say that it's not true. 😀
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  72.  @ExPwner  , first, just because someone is a millionaire doesn't mean you're not a member of the working class. Richard Wolff does work. Second, now you're making the claim that he's a millionaire. What do you base that Clement? I love how you just make accusations that you can't support. Where is your evidence? You see, as usual, you got nothing. You just lie and lie and accuse other people of doing what you do.
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  73. Misguided moral position? What are you talkin about? Socialism allows workers to own their own means of production. When workers own their own means of production they also own the product of their labour. When they own the product of their labour they get to keep all of the wealth they produce. They also get to decide what is produced, how things are produced, where things are produce, Etc When rich people control the means of production, they get to decide what is produced, how things are produced, where things are produced, how much workers get paid, Etc. That's why the richest 1% has more wealth in the poorest 91% of the American population and the eight richest people have almost as much wealth as the poorest half of the Earth's population and why most things are made in China.
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  74. If you work at a capitalist company and they want you to take the vaccine, then you would have to do it. Or work somewhere else. At a capitalist company the boss not only gets to decide when you work, how hard you work, when you get to eat, they can even decide when and how long you get to go to the washroom. It's a dictatorship. Yeah, if you worked at a socialist company then you wouldn't be able to have everything your way. If you want to be dictator, then you have to own your own company.
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  75. Why are you talkin about government when neither individual in the debate is in favour of government?
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  76.  @Rob-fx2dw  , you don't need government funding. There are many different sources of funding. There are even cooperatives that own their own banks. Here's an example of Communism at the micro-level in the United States https://youtu.be/wBJADlN2Bic Here's an example of socialism at the micro-level in the United States https://youtu.be/-VdbFzwe8fQ In Europe there are even far better examples.
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  77.  @Rob-fx2dw  , no. Communism doesn't have anything to do with the state. Technically speaking, communism is a moneyless, classless and stateless society. But yeah, that video I showed you, that's indicative of Communism. Communism comes from the word community. It's Collective Community ownership. Look it up. Keep in mind that there are different types of cooperatives. Cooperative just means cooperation. A socialist Cooperative is one where the workers own the company equally and we have one share per worker. Workers are doing their own work. They're not capitalizing on other people's labour for profit. Everything produce belongs to the workers. Technically speaking, there's no such thing as state socialism. Socialism requires Direct ownership by either the community or the workers. Do you have any other questions?
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  78.  @Rob-fx2dw  , dude, a socialist economy is simply an economy where most of the GDP come from worker-owned companies instead of capitalist companies. When the richest members of society own the capital then they get to decide what is produced, how things are produced, where things are produced, how much workers get paid, Etc. That's why they get most of the wealth produced by labour, why the riches 1% has almost as much wealth as the poorest 91% of the American population and why most things are made in China. But when the workers own the capital, then they get to keep all of the wealth of their labour produces. They get to decide what is produced and how. You have most things being made it home with most of the wealth flowing to the workers at spend that money into the economy. That creates more demand making it easier for other people to start their own business. There's hundreds of thousands of worker-owned companies all over the world. We know exactly how well they compare to capitalist Enterprises. Here's a socialist printing press and a socialist restaurant. https://youtu.be/oH81zuMf_Co
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  79.  @Rob-fx2dw  , workers are the ones that produce everything in the first place. Keep in mind that labour includes both mental and physical efforts. Workers of the ones that invent the machines, build the machines, operate the machines and maintain the machines. They are the accountants, the engineers, the scientists, the managers, Etc. Capitalists are just unnecessary middlemen that are parasites. Here's a capitalist multi-billionaire of a multibillion-dollar company admitting that it's his workers that produce all of the wealth and are responsible for the success of his company. https://youtu.be/35epDjB_7WE That's why he gave the workers half of the company! Guess what the results were? The company became 10 times more successful. The workers became 10 times more productive. Now he's going to give them the other half of the company! Capitalism is an extremely archaic system of organization. The world doesn't need capitalists. No more than we needed Kings or Queens.
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  80. But competition doesn't work that way under capitalism. Whoever has the most capital and wealth has the most power. Competition and markets only working a democratic environment. Capitalism is one of the most undemocratic systems. Rich people can afford state-of-the-art technology, they can utilize slave-labour from third world countries, they have endless access to wealth which they can use to undercut small businesses, Etc. Let's say you're an expert piano player and he want to start a business where you go to people's homes giving piano lessons. You have to charge at least $20 an hour because it's the only way you can afford to live. Do you think you would be able to compete against someone like Bill Gates if he wanted to open up private piano schools all across the country? He has the wealth to be able to operate below cost until you're driven out of business. He could also afford multimillion-dollar commercials to advertisers lessons along with thousands of prizes. competition -> winners -> competition between winners -> stronger winners -> .. -> big corporations -> state is corrupted by economic power ->
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  81.  @selfsovereign1995  , most Americans can't even afford a family on a single income. Most people have no choice but to buy the cheapest stuff possible from companies such as Wal-Mart and processed crap from China. But hey, if you think the people can control the system voting with their dollar, then I'm sure things will turn around anytime now. The fact that the United States comes in at number 27 on the social Mobility index, that's probably a temporary anomaly. Meanwhile, Bill Gates is now the largest owner farmland in the United States. The concentration of capital ownership continuous to intensify. The richest 1% now has almost as much wealth as the poorest 91% of the American population. How much worse can things possibly get? You can't have an economic system where production increases at a faster rate than income. If most of the wealth goes to the owners of capital, then obviously the workers are not going to be able to afford all of the goods and services they produce. If you want the economy to expand, you have to increase purchasing power. The goal of a capitals company is to maximize profit. If the top 1% gets 75% of the wealth, the workers are only going to be able to afford 25% of the goods and services they produce. When consumption slows down, people get laid off. People to get laid off can't consume. That's why there's so much debt. The only way to expand the economy without paying workers more is by pumping more debt into the system. That is also another way of transferring wealth from those that work to those that do not.
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  82.  @selfsovereign1995  , well the simple fact of the matter is capitalism is a system where the richest members of society own most of the capital. That gives amounts of control advantage over everyone else. But when workers control their own means of production, everything they produce belongs to them and they get to keep all of the wealth their labour produces. Workers don't have to worry about being forced to work in unsafe working conditions. They don't have to worry about being forced to pollute their own environment, Etc. But when someone like Bill Gates owns and controls those things, then he can do what he wants. Why should he care if he pollutes your community? Not only is Bill Gates the largest owner of Farmland in the United States, even owns a big chunk of the Canadian Railway system. Him and other capitalists are pushing for privatization all over the world. They basically want to own as much as the world as possible. If you have to give Bill Gates an extra hundred dollars in order to get a blood test, that's $100 you no longer get to spend into the economy. That's not conducive to free markets or thriving economies. That's what capitalism is all about. It's not about working, it's about owning Capital so that you can collect wealth without having to work. It is literally the economic system of parasites. One group of people, the largest group, they have to do all of the work and they get the least amount of money and they have to follow all of the orders. The other group of people, the smallest group, they get most of the money, don't have to do any of the work, and get to give the orders. There's been numerous studies that show when people have that much power they generally become corrupt. Now if you're okay with having a society structured that way, fine by me. Me, I prefer a real economic system where people actually have to work for a living can citizens actually have control over their own labour, resources and means of production.
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  83.  @selfsovereign1995  , you see, had a socialist company you don't have to worry about people with low morality having mass of control and influence over the majority of the people. It's not possible. That's why so many people actually prefer socialism. Why can't a moral people get away with improper Behavior at a socialist company? This is why: https://youtu.be/-VdbFzwe8fQ
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  84.  @selfsovereign1995  , of course those people are forced to work for someone else. Under the capitalist system most of the capital owned by the richest members of society. That's why they have most of the wealth. The richest 1% now has almost as much wealth as the poorest 91%. If you have 100 chairs and 100 people. And one person owns 90 of those chairs, leaving ninety-nine percent of the people to compete over the remaining 10 chairs, obviously not everyone is going to be able to have a chair. Not everyone is in the position where they can just get up and start their own business. That's why people do that collectively. That's why it's easier to form a Cooperative than a traditional business. Billionaires can buy up railroads, electric companies, grocery stores, and then charge as much as they want. Your average citizen is not in a position to do that. That's why they get together collectively, socially. But again, if you like an economic system where the richest members of society own and control most of the world. Fine by me.
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  85.  @selfsovereign1995  , who's telling you how to live? Yeah, you own your own business, so? You don't need capitalism in order to have a business. Again, no one's telling you how to live. Richard Wolff is just pointing out some simple facts. Under capitalism most of the capital is owned by the richest members of society. Those who own the capital get to decide what is produced, how things are produced, where things are produced, how much workers get paid, Etc. That's why most things are made in China and why the richest 1% has most of the wealth while Americans can no longer afford to live on a single-income. That's why United States comes in at number 27 on the social Mobility index which is even worse than Portugal in Lithuanian. Richard wolf is simply pointing out that if you increase the number of worker-owned companies in the country, at the same time increasing the number of things being made at home and the amount of wealth going to workers who spend that money into the economy as opposed to a small Rich minority where the wealth doesn't trickle down. I don't know where you're getting this idea about people telling you how to live. Dude, if you're happy with the status quo, well, keep it up.
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  86. That's what capitalism is all about. The richest members of society own the capital. If you want a job, housing, food, clothing, Medical, then you have to pay extra money. Bill Gates didn't become the largest owner of Farmland in the United States for no reason at all. He didn't buy a big chunk of the Canadian Railway system for no reason at all. The more Capital the rich own, the more money they get without having to do any work. What that increases the cost of living in the amount of work the rest of us have to do.
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  87. You mean George Bush Senior wasn't an actual socialist? Trickle-down economics doesn't work? Just because the richest 1% now has almost as much wealth as the poorest 91% of the American population, I don't know if that's a good indication that trickle down economics is a complete failure.
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  88. A lot of people don't even recognize capitalism as being a religion
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  89.  @ExPwner  food waste is lower under capitalism? I love how you just make stuff up. You behave like a child. Yeah, one minute you're saying that food scarcity is indicative of socialism and now I guess they have so much food they're throwing it away. 😀
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  90.  @ExPwner  , what does Russia have to do with socialism? Did the workers own the means of production in Russia? No. How many times does Richard Wolff have to mention the difference between state-owned Enterprises and worker-owned Enterprises? Just how stupid are you?
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  91. ​ @ExPwner , I thought you said you read Richard Wolfe's books? Richard Wolff explains in detail over and over again how the Soviet Union Had State capitalism, not socialism. Richard Wolff points out that some socialists refer to State ownership of capital is being a form of Socialism. Richard wolf does not. Even Vladimir Lenin said that the Soviet Union was State capitalist. Look it up! Now you can call State ownership of capital a form of Socialism if you want. But that's not the type of socialism that Richard Wolff is talking about. He's talking about democratic workplaces which are owned by the workers directly. You know this because I've explained it to you. You see why I call you a congenital liar? At first I just thought you were a pathological liar.
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  92. You need to listen to the debate again. This time more carefully. Socialism doesn't require a state. Most forms of Socialism or to eliminate the state completely.
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  93.  @arthurzetes  , I wouldn't care at all if it didn't affect me. If it didn't affect the economy driving so many people into poverty. What do you think people do with that wealth? Sit on it? No. Capitalism necessitates that you use that wealth to accumulate more capital. You know, just like in the Monopoly board game. Why do you think Bill Gates bought up as much of the Canadian Railway is he could? Why do you think Bill Gates is now the largest owner of Farmland in the United States? Why do you think he's buying up as much stock as possible at newly privatized labs in Canada where people get their blood tested? If you have to pay an extra $100 to fill Gates every time you get a blood test, that's $100 you no longer get to spend into the economy buying goods and services from your fellow workers. If you have to give up the vast majority of your income to a landlord then you're purchasing power for goods and services is going to be limited. Billionaires drive up the cost of living and the amount of work the rest of us have to do. That's why I care. Do you have any idea how many Canadians and Americans are actually moving to China? 😀 https://youtu.be/2vXjQHNfiW8?si=5B430U2agiWD1c_y
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  94.  @JumpJolpes_23  , am I envious of JP Morgan exploiting workers, working people to death, having workers being burned alive and unsafe working conditions, buried alive in his mines all over the USA and Canada? Exploiting children in order to maximize profit. Oh yeah. 😀 he even took the nickel used for making armor piercing bullets and sold it to the fascists in Germany. And then when the Mine Workers fought the Germans they end up being shot with their own nickel plated bullets. Oh yeah, JPMorgan does it better.
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  95.  @JumpJolpes_23  , and if you actually believed in free markets, then you would be anti-capitalist. Capitalism destroys markets. How can you have a free market when most of the wealth producing resources, wealth producing technology and modes of production are privately owned by a small Rich minority? ▪ The 1% grabbed 82% of all wealth created in 2017. ~ Wall Street Journal ▪ During the last 20 years over 90% of newly created wealth went to the top 1%. The Top 1% of Americans Have Taken $50 Trillion From the Bottom 90% ~ Time Magazine ▪ The two richest people—Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates—possess almost the same amount of wealth as the poorest half of the population. ▪ the richest 1% has almost as much wealth as the poorest 91% of the American population. ▪ The wealthiest Americans live on average 20 years longer than the poorest Americans. ▪The number of homeless children in the United States is at its highest in more than a decade, according to a recent study by the National Center for Homeless Education. ~2017 stat ▪ The United States comes in at number 27 on the social Mobility index! That's even worse than Portugal and Lithuania! Never mind trying to start a business either cooperatively or individually. At 27 a person would be lucky just to be able to retire debt free. There's a reason why most Americans can no longer afford a family on a single income. Anyone can start a business? I think not. ▪ over 40% of u.s. households are one paycheck away from poverty. ▪ Banks have foreclosed on over 7 million homes between 2004 and 2015. ▪ There are 554,000 homeless people on a given night. ▪ The United States, the wealthiest nation in the history of the world, has a larger percentage of low-income workers than any other developed nation. ▪ As of 2020, According to the U.S. Department of Education, 54% of U.S. adults 16-74 years old - about 130 million people - lack proficiency in literacy, reading below the equivalent of a sixth-grade level. ▪ 30% of the low-wage workers live below 150% of the federal poverty line, or $36,000 per year for a family of four. 26% receive safety net assistance such as food stamps, welfare benefits, federal housing assistance, and other programs, which have been cut back throughout the years by successive Democratic and Republican administrations. Millions of workers in “the world’s wealthiest country” are forced to sell their blood in order to survive. The Washington Post featured a 41-year-old teacher with a $50,000 salary who sells plasma twice per week to get by. “I never thought I would be in a position where I would have to sell my plasma to feed my children,” said Christina Seal of Slidell, Louisiana. “I’ve applied for every government program that I can think of. I don’t qualify for food stamps, I don’t qualify for any programs.” The Post explained that plasma donations “have quadrupled since 2006.” ▪ more than one-third of us healthcare costs go to bankruptcy! ▪ A study conducted by researchers at Harvard University found 45,000 Americans die each year from preventable causes because they can’t afford healthcare. But, we do have a $1.5 trillion jet fighter that can’t fly in cloudy weather. Go ‘Murcia! ▪ In 2017 Over 30 million Americans had no health insurance and even more are under-insured with high deductibles and co-payments. As of May 2018, the numbers of people in the U.S. without health insurance have risen to 15.5%, up from 12.7% two years ago, according to the latest Commonwealth Fund tracking survey. This translates to an increase of four million uninsured people nationwide. ~ forbes. ▪ "the US tops all European countries in terms of the percentage of workers and family members who avoid necessary trips to the doctor because they fear financial ruin from the inflated costs of their private health care." ~ Prof. James Petras (the American Sociological Review, British Journal of Sociology, Social Research, and Journal of Peasant Studies) ▪ Millions of Americans – as many as 25% of the population – are delaying getting medical help because of skyrocketing costs. ▪ more and more Americans are selling their blood for extra money. over 40 million Americans, many of them full-time workers, require food stamps in order to get enough food to eat. That's more people than the entire population of Canada! When you're desperate enough, you'll even sell your blood! "With 58% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck, corporate America is exploiting poverty through blood and plasma donations while most other countries have banned the practice on ethical and medical grounds." ▪ economic insecurity and workplace stress is destroying the mental health of Americans. USA #1 for mental disorders. about 1 in 4 adults. about 60 million people. ~ (Archives of General Psychiatry, 2005.) ▪ Published studies report that about 25% of all U.S. adults have a mental illness and that nearly 50% of U.S. adults will develop at least one mental illness during their lifetime. ~ cdc gov - mentalhealthsurveillance-fact sheet ▪ and as people become more desperate we see crime rates increasing. ▪ 3% of American adults—6.8 million people—are either in jail or prison or on parole or probation. ▪ A third of states have a form of debtor’s prison, where the poor are locked up for failure to pay fines or debts. ▪ There are 1.2 million police officers in the US—almost equal to the population of the state of New Hampshire. ▪ The police have killed 15,000 people since 2000. ▪ There are 55,000 children presently in juvenile detention.
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  96.  @JumpJolpes_23  , what are you talking about? There's hundreds of thousands of worker owned companies all over the world. We know exactly how well socialist companies compared to capitalist companies. Of course socialism works. Capitalists are unnecessary middlemen. They hire workers to run everything. If the capitalist disappears, it's not like the workers are not going to be able function. The economy is the sum total of all our work.
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  97. Show me a socialist country that hasn't either been bombed or sanctioned. Which country would you prefer to live in? The one being bombed or the one doing the bombing? https://youtu.be/CuYR-_tfWFw
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  98. Yeah, but capitalism is where the ruling class gets its power. If the rich didn't own the capital in the first place, then they wouldn't be in a position to control the government or the economy. Under capitalism richest members of society own the capital. They own the means of production. Those owners get to decide what is produced, how things are produced, where things are produced, how much workers get paid, Etc. That's why most things are made in China and why the richest 1% now has almost as much wealth as the poorest 91% of the American population. Capitalism is the root cause of the problem.
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  99. ​ @ExPwner , what are you talkin about? Your comment makes absolutely no sense. If a motive production is collectively own instead of privately owned, that doesn't mean they can't sell the product of their labour into the market. Of course the collective production is going to be more conducive to free markets because the workers are getting all of the wealth which they will spend into the economy. And where do you get this weird idea about people being prevented from making free exchanges? How many times do I need to explain this to? If workers have the the option of working at a socially owned company but instead decide to work for you because you can pay them better, because they like taking orders from you for some strange reason (maybe they're masochists 😃), then there would be nothing wrong with that. Because it would be a choice. Richard Wolff has never said anything about forbidding people from working for someone else or hiring other people. If you're going to make such an outrageous claim, provide a timestamp in a video where Richard Wolff has made such a statement. Richard Wolff has pointed out repeatedly that if most of the GDP were coming from worker-owned companies, 10 most things we made it home instead of China and more of the wealth would be going to workers. That would make it easier for other people to start their own small businesses because there would be more demand in the economy. He's encouraging people to start their own businesses. If you can hire other people to do the work for you even though they have the choice of working at Democratic companies that are worker-owned, then that would be amazing! Why don't you actually go to your public library and get Richard Wolf's book and read it! Democracy at work. Don't be so bloody lazy.
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  100. You didn't listen to the debate? Do the workers in North Korea actually own their own means of production? Do all of the workers own the product of their labour? No. The type of socialism Richard Wolff is talking about this when the workers own their own means of production. Why are you suggesting that he moves to North Korea? This is the type of socialism that Richard Wolff is talking about. https://youtu.be/-VdbFzwe8fQ
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  101. Depends on what you mean by contradictory. Hegel lived prior to the development of socialism.
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  102.  @marcionphilologos5367  , yeah, okay. But that doesn't mean that capitalism and Socialism are not antithetical or contrary to one another. Capitalism is a system. Of course it is. It is a specific mode of production.
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  103. One person actually believes George Bush Senior was a socialist and that trickle down economics actually works. 😀
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  104. Richard wolf is simply pointing out when workers own their own means of production then they get to make the rules and they get all of the wealth of their labour produces. When capitalists own the means of production, then they get to make the rules and they get most of the wealth produced by labour. That's why most things are made in China and why the riches 1% now has almost as much wealth as the poorest 91% of the American population. That's why your average American can no longer afford a family on a single income. So, it's most of the GDP you were coming from worker-owned companies, then most things we made it home and most of the wealth would flow to the workers who would spend that money into the economy creating demand. But most of the wealth goes to the richest 1%, the workers don't have adequate purchasing power to buy all the goods and services they produce in the first place. You think there's no alternative to capitalism, if you don't think people owning the product of their labour and their own means of production is a better alternative, well then I guess you'll just have to get used to the status quo. I hope you've been saving your pennies for a rainy day.
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  105. What does government have to do with anything? Richard Wolff is talking about workers owning their own means production and the product of their labour, getting to keep all of the wealth of their labour produces. When workers and communities own their own means of production and capital, that makes them less dependant upon government and capitalist corporations when it comes to jobs and consumer goods. Workers / communities have the power, not government or capitalists
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  106.  @ExPwner  , what Richard Wolff is saying is very simple. When workers own the company then they get to make the rules, they get to own the product of their labour and to get all of the wealth of their labour produces because they own the tools. Do you understand? Richard Wolff is not saying that workers should have a right to dictate how you operate your company. Don't be stupid.
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  107.  @ExPwner  , that simply isn't true. Sure, you can make up your own reality if you want to. But what does it matter? If Richard Wolff is telling you to give your company to your workers, don't do that. Simple. If you disagree with something that Richard is say, that's fine. All I'm saying is that when workers own the company then they get to be in charge and they get to keep all of the wealth that their labour produces because they own the tools that they're working with. The workers are doing their homework without capitalizing on other people's labour for profit. Very simple. 😀
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  108. ​​ @ExPwner , no, you didn't refute anyting. You're simply not dealing with what I said. Just another example of how you lie. When the workers own the factory then they get all of the wealth. When they don't own the factory then they don't get all of the wealth. That's because they don't own the tools. Why do you have to be such a liar? 😃 you can't refute simple facts.
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  109.  @ExPwner  , dude, I just caught you in another life. You stated as a fact, not an assumption, that Richard Wolff was not a member of the working class. You make accusations like that all the time and don't back them up because you can't. So here is your opportunity to prove that you're not lying again. How do you know, not assume, that Richard Wolff is not a member of the working class? See? You congenital liar 😀
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  110. ​ @ExPwner , no. You are the liar. You're lying right now about Richard wolff. You also lied claiming that you know for a fact that Richard Wolff is a millionaire. Where's your proof? Prove right now that you're not a liar. Go for it. Show us your source that Richard Wolff is a millionaire. You see, you get caught lying all the time. Caught you again. Owned 😀
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  111. In many countries, socialist businesses can have similar legal protections as capitalist companies, including limited liability. Limited liability is a legal concept that falls under the category of business law and corporate governance. It is a protection for business owners and shareholders that limits their financial liability to the amount they have invested in the business. This means that in case of financial troubles, creditors and legal claims cannot typically go after the personal assets of individual owners beyond their investment in the business. The specific legal frameworks and regulations can vary depending on the country and the nature of the business. The key distinction is often in the ownership and operational structure, with socialist businesses being collectively owned or worker cooperatives, whereas capitalist companies are typically privately owned or publicly traded. Legal protections are typically designed to ensure fairness and accountability regardless of the business model. https://youtu.be/-VdbFzwe8fQ
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  112. Wasn't exactly civilized but certainly very educational
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  113. ​​ @coopsnz1 , when workers collectively own a company then they can't afford to be lazy. Statistically speaking, workers are much more productive at socialist companies compared to capitalist companies. https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxTxO7Ms1BZ-J9CDLHBbwirGcRA6JCYCxJ?si=_Bt7r6ABxryLu3xj
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  114. ​ @ExPwner , well then you simply haven't looked at the data. https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkxyjl0-aDukfWwMC5iq5KkHSaXfhuNZp7X?si=w34djOHvYmNFD5Je
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  115. ​ @ExPwner , the middle class got richer? You don't know how much the middle class has shrank over the last 30 years? Dude, most Americans can no longer afford a family on a single income. How can you not know this? Yes, a small minority of the middle class got a lot richer! But the vast majority of them took a huge hit. Do you have a wife, kids? Do you live on your own? Do you own your own place? If you do own your own place, I'm willing to bet you had help paying for it. You told me that you're retired and that you're in your thirties. Yeah, if you were able to accomplish that with your own earnings without any help, I'll eat my shirt😃 the United States is now 27 on the social Mobility index. The richest 1% has almost as much wealth as the poorest 91% of the American population.
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  116. Yes! The USA days of imperialism are coming to an end. Let's see what happens when they no longer control the reserve currency. The USA is already number 27 on the social Mobility index which is worse than Portugal and Lithuania. How many members does BRICS have so far? 😂 yep, only a matter of time now. If Americans think things are bad now, they haven't seen anything yet!
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  117. It's amazing how many Canadians and Americans or actually moving to China! The communist government of China keeps the capitalists in check, making sure they pay their fair share and can't get away with violating regulations. I'm actually thinking about moving there myself like my next door neighbour. 😀 https://youtu.be/OIWyIPLcNRg?si=Cu2cyUIh6tB562Fi
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  118. Yep! It's amazing how many USA citizens don't know basic history. According to government Statistics, over 51% of the population can't even read or write
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  119.  @ExPwner  , you are a case in point. "As of 2020, According to the U.S. Department of Education, 54% of U.S. adults 16-74 years old - about 130 million people - lack proficiency in literacy, reading below the equivalent of a sixth-grade level." I'm sure it's even worse today! You're a by far one of the most uneducated individuals that I've ever spoken with. Here in Canada, you wouldn't have been able to make it past the 7th grade.
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  120. ​ @ExPwner , you're the one that lies. You actually tried to say that Richard Wolff was a member of the working class even though his income comes from teaching. 😀 you also claimed that markets and capitalism are synonymous.
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  121.  @ExPwner  , yes I would deny it as well. 😀
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  122.  @ExPwner  , owned again!
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  123. ​ @ExPwner , so now you had a whole day but you still can't back up your accusation regarding Richard Wolff not being a member of the working class. Why do you keep making false claims for? What's the point of doing that? You see, you're a congenital liar. Most people lie only when there is significant motive. You lie for the most trivial of reasons. Only young children do that and people with disorders.
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  124.  @ExPwner  , what is your proof? How do you know that Richard Wolff is not a member of the working class? 😃 do you think people are not capable of reading the comments in the thread? Do you enjoy making yourself look stupid,? 😃
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  125.  @ExPwner  , you didn't offer any proof at all. Saying that you did over and over again doesn't mean that it's true. How do you know that Richard Wolff is not a member of the working class? You have no proof. You don't even have any anecdotal evidence to even make such an assertion. 😀
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  126.  @ExPwner  , Richard Wolff gets his money from teaching and writing books. Both of those are a form of labor. So how can you say that he's not a member of the working class? Where's your evidence that he's not a member of the working class? You don't have any. You are A congenital liar. You'll sit there and say that you offered proof even though you haven't. 😀 hey, if you want to live in your own reality that's up to you. As long as you're having fun.
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  127.  @ExPwner  , yes, you provided a definition of what a working class person is. And a working class individual gets his income from the work that he does. That makes Richard Wolff a worker. So can you explain how he's not a worker yes or no. 😃 you can't. Because you have no basis for your assumption. You state assumptions as fact all the time. You have absolutely no evidence whatsoever that Richard Wolff is not a member of the working class.
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  128.  @ExPwner  , I guess you think a teacher isn't a worker. 😀 yeah, that's right. There's no work involved in teaching. I love how you constantly show people how stupid you are
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  129.  @ExPwner , you provided a definition regarding workers being people that work for a living. Now I'm going to ask you again for the millionth time. Do you have any evidence at all to support your accusation that Richard Wolff is not a member of the working class? Is a teacher not a worker? 😀 "Members of the working class encompass a diverse range of professions and occupations, including teachers, writers, carpenters, scientists, and various others. The working class is defined by individuals who earn their living through labor, be it physical or mental work, and typically have no ownership of the means of production." ~ Merriam-Webster Dictionary
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  130.  @ExPwner  , what are you talking about? 😀 some dictionaries, like Pocket dictionaries, only give brief definitions. Are you honestly going to sit there and try to not argue that teachers are not workers? 😀 what class do you think teachers belong to then?
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  131.  @ExPwner  , paste the definition again. Are you now trying to clean that the definition that you used excludes School teachers as members of the working class? You got caught lying so now you're trying to actually argue that teachers are not members of the working class? Okay, show me a definition that says School teachers belong to their own special class. Go for it
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  132.  @ExPwner  , seems you deleted your comment with the definition. Why did you do that? 😃 Post the definition again and then explain to me how it excludes School teachers from being members of the working class. And if they're not members of the working class then what class do they belong to? I guess they belong to the school teacher class. LOL
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  133.  @ExPwner  , so you don't want to post the definition again? Why is that? 😀 you can repeatedly paste long Scripts on multiple channels and YouTube videos, but now you can't paste one small definition which contained only about six words? 😃 Dude, can you actually support your accusation or not? You said that Richard Wolff is not a member of the working class. Prove it. Prove that you weren't lying again and actually provide some evidence. Yes. Teachers are workers. Stop trying to pretend that you posted some definition that said otherwise. And if teachers are not workers, then what are they? Capitalists?
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  134.  @ExPwner  , I don't remember the exact wording of the definition you posted. are you like 5 years old or something? 😀 You can't backup your position so now you're going to claim that you did something that you didn't actually do. There was no definition that excluded teachers as members of the working class. Can you prove your claim or not? Of course you can't. Thank you very much.
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  135.  @ExPwner  , no? come on. Tell me again how you proved that teachers are not members of the working class. So now that you've proved in your own mind the teachers are not members of the working class, now can you explain with your Infinite Wisdom, if teachers are not members of the working class, which class do they belong to? 😀 you're such an uneducated fool.
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  136.  @ExPwner  , so the definition you supposedly put proves that teachers are not workers? Okay then. 😃 good job. Keep up the good work
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  137.  @ExPwner  , you're the one that's deflecting. First you try to claim that Richard Wolff is not a member of the working class, which he is. You couldn't prove it. So then you changed your position trying to claim that teachers are not members of the working class because that's what he is. So now you're caught between a rock and a hard place. Either you have to admit that you were lying or you have to admit that you were too stupid to know the difference between a worker and a capitalist. Teachers are members of the working class. Thanks for exposing yourself as both a moron, liar and hypocrite. Good job. Keep up the good work. 😀
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  138.  @ExPwner  , you're not making any sense. Richard Wolff is a teacher. That is his profession. He's still working as a teacher to this very day. A teacher is a member of the working class. If Richard Wolff is not a member of the working class, what class does he belong to? 😀 as usual you don't have any argument. You see now why you don't State assumptions as fact?
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  139.  @ExPwner  , who cares about the definition you provided. You stated as a fact that Richard Wolff was not a member of the working class. But you are wrong! He is a teacher a teacher is a member of the working class. Thanks for displaying how stupid and dishonest you are. 😀
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  140.  @ExPwner  , so you honestly don't understand how and why a school teacher is a worker. 😀 Okay, again, for your own personal edification. A capitalist is someone the gets wealth without working. They get it from capital. A worker gets his wealth from earnings. From work. Labor includes both mental and physical efforts. If you work for a living, then you are a worker. If you get your wealth from capital, then you are a capitalist. Do you understand? Please. Write that down. Try to learn something for a change.
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  141.  @ExPwner  , yeah. The difference between worker and working class. That's right, being a worker doesn't make a person a member of the working class. If a person is making a million dollars with their labor, then it's no longer considered work. 😀 I'm really glad that you're willing to make these threads so everyone can see what level are functioning on.
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  142.  @ExPwner  oh, and where is your proof that Richard Wolff has millions of dollars? Again, you're making assumptions. Even if you're absurd statement was true that school teachers are not actually workers if they're earning enough money, you still can't prove how much money he's actually earning. 😀
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  143.  @ExPwner  , you're even dumber than I thought. A member of the working class gets his income from working. That is independent of socioeconomic class. "A person's income source, especially if it comes from working, is more closely tied to their occupational class rather than their socioeconomic class. Socioeconomic class encompasses various factors, including income, education, and social status, while occupational class is primarily related to the type of work someone does. These two concepts can overlap but are not the same, and it's possible for someone from a lower socioeconomic class to work in a high-paying occupation and vice versa."
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  144. ​ @davidsmith5917 , he's not a nerd. He's an idiot. And a congenital liar. Calling him a nerd, that's insulting to nerds 😀
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  145. Experts? 😀 yeah, the capitalist wasn't even aware that productivity has increased exponentially faster than wages. He actually thought that George Bush Senior was a socialist! Kind of like calling a flat earther an expert. An expert at what? Sophistry?
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  146. ​ @ExPwner 😂
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  147. Yeah, workers owning their own means of production and the product of their labour is bad. Yes, it's very bad when you get to keep all of the wealth of your labour produces. So terrible
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  148. ​ @tarmotyyri6733 , of course capitalism is responsible for debt. It's a debt-based system. The goal of capitalist companies is to maximize profit. Profits are maximized by getting workers to produce as much as possible while paying them as little as possible. So, the more successful capitalist company is, the less purchasing power workers have. The richest 1% now has almost as much wealth as the poorest 91% of the American population. The 8 richest people have almost as much wealth as the poorest half of the Earth's population. And that's because the owners of capital get most of the wealth produced by labour. If 80% of the wealth goes to the owners of capital, the richest 1%, then the workers are only going to be able to afford 20% of the goods and services they create! In order for the economy to expand you have to increase workers purchasing power, not erode it. If consumption slows down, people get laid off. If people get laid off they can't consume. That results in even more people being laid off. That's fine for the capitalist in the short-term because those downturns allow them to buy up capital for pennies on the dollar. In order to get the economy to expand you either have to increase the purchasing power of citizens or you have to pump credit into the system. Capitalism wouldn't be able to survive without fractional Reserve banking. It's a pyramid scheme. There's a natural ceiling limit to how much wealth you can extract from labour before there's an economic downturn as a result of insufficient purchasing power.
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  149. The man doesn't even know what socialism is! I can't believe he actually called George Bush Senior socialist! Oh my God. I just don't get it. Is he being paid to lie or is he just stupid?
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  150. ​ @ExPwner , competition -> winners -> competition between winners -> stronger winners -> .. Capitalism gravitates toward monopoly for many reasons: 1. Economies of Scale: In many industries, larger companies can produce goods or services more efficiently and at a lower cost per unit. This makes it difficult for smaller competitors to compete, leading to the consolidation of market power in the hands of a few large firms. 2. Barriers to Entry: Monopolies or oligopolies arise when there are significant barriers to entry in an industry, such as high startup costs, access to distribution channels, or intellectual property protection. These barriers can discourage new competitors from entering the market. 3. Network Effects: Some industries, like social media or telecommunications, exhibit network effects. The more users a platform or network has, the more valuable it becomes. This creates a winner-takes-all scenario, where a single dominant player emerges. 4. Mergers and Acquisitions: Large companies acquire or merge with smaller competitors, further concentrating market power. 5. Regulatory Capture: Powerful corporations can influence or capture regulatory agencies, shaping regulations in their favor. This allows them to stifle competition or maintain their dominant position in the market. 6. Innovation and Patents: Companies with significant resources can invest in research and development and secure patents, protecting their innovations from competition for a certain period. This leads to monopolistic advantages in technology-driven industries. And the list goes on and on. Can you imagine how bad things would be if we didn't have antitrust laws and regulations?
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  151. He's probably getting his data from FEE 😃
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  152. ​ @ExPwner  , Richard Wolff has no motive to lie. You have any idea why it's hard to convince someone in a court of law without first establishing motive? Do you have any idea why identifying motive is one the basic tools of critical thinking? No. Of course you don't. Are you familiar with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders manual? Did you know that you have all the traits of a congenital liar? Why did you state that Richard Wolff was not a member of the working class? Do you have a basis for that opinion or were you lying again? Do you really have a master's degree in accounting?😂 yes or no. I want to know for the record
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  153. You got that backwards. Capitalists want to maximize profits by getting workers to produce as much as possible while paying them as little as possible. At a socialist company the workers are the owners. They get to keep all of the wealth that their Labour creates. There's no taking from other people. They're not capitalizing on other people's labour for profit.
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  154. Yeah, Laffer is brilliant all right. He thinks George Bush Senior was a socialist. 😀 I'm not sure if he's stupid or just a liar. It's bad enough when people call Obama a socialist. But if you think that Joe Biden or George Bush are socialists, then you've got some serious problems. The man is politically and economically illiterate. When it comes to education, the United States is basically a third world country for most of its citizens. Over 51% of Americans cannot even read or write! I wonder how many are politically and economically illiterate?. Probably like 95%
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  155. ​ @ZhenYae , infrastructure in the United States is deteriorating fast. Worse than a lot of third world countries. United States already is a third world country for many of its citizens. https://youtu.be/vQ7H_DAC464?si=6jFoyomi-Id7uap_
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  156. They don't need to yield their wealth. Who cares what they do with their wealth. When workers control their own means of production they can be independent. They won't need to rely on capitalists for jobs
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  157. Both sides are impressive? Laffer doesn't even know what a socialist is! He thinks Joe Biden is a socialist LOL. And George Bush Senior! Oh my God. Americans are so funny.
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  158. Capitalism is not the only system that has markets, classes and upward Mobility. 😀
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  159.  @ExPwner  , can't you read?
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  160. ​ @ExPwner  , you seriously don't know how it debate works? Not surprising.
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  161. ​ @ExPwner , you're the liar. I caught you lying the other day when you said Richard Wolff was not a member of the working class. Can you actually support that accusation or do you admit that you're a liar?
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  162. Why are you commenting on a video that you obviously haven't watched? Richard Wolff is talking about worker-owned modes of production. He's not talking about state-owned modes production like they have in cuba. It might be a good idea that you actually watch the videos that you're commenting on. Ignorant
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  163. Of course there wouldn't be billionaires. It's not possible to convert one's labour energy into a billion dollars. If we had a society where you couldn't capitalize on other people's labour for profit, then it wouldn't be possible to accumulate that much money. Even if a person was able to earn enough where they could save 100,000 a year, it would take 10,000 years to accumulate a billion dollars. In my opinion we should have transition to socialism a long time ago. An economic system where people are only entitled to the wealth they earn / work for. Capitalism is an insane system. Being able to accumulate hundreds of billions of dollars through Capital ownership without having to do any work just isn't rational.
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  164. Communism doesn't have anything to do with authoritarianism. Communism is a stateless, moneyless and classless society. It's a bottom up, democratic non-hierarchical system of organization. The exact opposite of totalitarianism. That's why it's on the left side of the political spectrum. Those who sat on the left in the French Parliament we're against hierarchical systems of organization. Authoritarian communism is a oxymoron. Would you say the top down systems are actually bottom up? Is it possible to have a non-hierarchical monarchy? Is it possible to have a non-hierarchical military? Yeah, the problem with militaries and monarchies is that they are too democratic. Too non-hierarchical
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  165.  @AbAb-th5qe  , I have no idea what you're talking about. Communism is a stateless and moneyless society. That's not my opinion. That's the textbook definition. There are many examples bottom up, Democratic non-hierarchical systems of organization. If there's a hierarchy, then it's not communism. Likewise, if you have rule by majority, it's not a monarchy. Where do you think the word communism comes from? It comes from the word "community". Here's an example of Communism at the micro level in the United states. https://youtu.be/wBJADlN2Bic
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  166.  @AbAb-th5qe  ," so the ones who stand most to gain would have you believe." That makes absolutely no sense at all. If someone asks you to vote for them, if someone asks you to give them dictatorial powers, if someone asks you to remove checks and balances from your government, then that's moving in the opposite direction of communism. That's moving right to the right. I might as well be asking you to give me ownership of your possessions, promising you that I'm going to give you a million dollars or something. It doesn't matter what system of organization you're dealing with. If you get rid of checks and balances within the government, if you give someone dictatorial powers, then you're asking for problems. Communism doesn't have anything to do with dictators or giving people dictatorial power. That's absolutely ridiculous. Like what the hell are you talking about? Socialism is on the left side of the political spectrum. If you continue to move to the left, then you're moving toward communism. Eventually, in theory, you end up with a classless, stateless and moneyless society. If you move in the other direction, then you're moving away from socialism and communism. You end up on the right side of the political spectrum. If you continue to move to the right you end up with fascism. And of course I'm referring to the political Spectrum that evolved out of the seating arrangement in the French Parliament after the revolution. "Oli" means few. "Mono" means one. "archy" means rule. "An" means "not" or "without". Anarchy means without rulers. Anarchy does not mean dictatorship. They're polar opposites. That's why communism and anarchism overlap and are on the same side of the political spectrum. Fascism and it's advocates, they believe that human beings are not rational and cannot govern themselves. They need an all-powerful state to do it for them. Anarchists / Communists believe that people are rational and can govern themselves. That's the point! That's the main point of contention. Here's an example of socialism at the micro level in the United States https://youtu.be/-VdbFzwe8fQ the workers own their own means of production. They own the product of their labor. They're doing their own work. They're not utilizing other people's labor for profit, which would be capitalism. The workers have sovereignty. They are their own boss. They get all of the wealth that their labor produces. If most of the GDP were coming from worker-owned modes of production, then we would have a socialist economy. A capitalist economy is when most of the GDP comes from privately owned companies that utilize wage labor for profit. The workers do not have sovereignty and do not own the product of their labor. The workers and the community do not get to decide what is produced, how things are produced, where things are produced, how much workers get paid, etc. That's why most things are made in China and why the richest 1% now has almost as much wealth as the poorest in 91% of the American population. Capitalism is freedom for the capitalist class. Markets are free for the capitalist class. And the more money you have, the Freer you are.
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  167.  @AbAb-th5qe  , ," so the ones who stand most to gain would have you believe." That makes absolutely no sense at all. If someone asks you to vote for them, if someone asks you to give them dictatorial powers, if someone asks you to remove checks and balances from your government, then that's moving in the opposite direction of communism. That's moving right to the right. I might as well be asking you to give me ownership of your possessions, promising you that I'm going to give you a million dollars or something. It doesn't matter what system of organization you're dealing with. If you get rid of checks and balances within the government, if you give someone dictatorial powers, then you're asking for problems. Communism doesn't have anything to do with dictators or giving people dictatorial power. That's absolutely ridiculous. Like what the hell are you talking about? Socialism is on the left side of the political spectrum. If you continue to move to the left, then you're moving toward communism. Eventually, in theory, you end up with a classless, stateless and moneyless society. If you move in the other direction, then you're moving away from socialism and communism. You end up on the right side of the political spectrum. If you continue to move to the right you end up with fascism. And of course I'm referring to the political Spectrum that evolved out of the seating arrangement in the French Parliament after the revolution. "Oli" means few. "Mono" means one. "archy" means rule. "An" means "not" or "without". Anarchy means without rulers. Anarchy does not mean dictatorship. They're polar opposites. Communism in anarchism overlap. That's why they're both on the left side of the political spectrum.
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  168. Yeah! That was an amazing debate. I actually learned that George Bush Senior was a socialist! Wow! 😀 that wasn't an amazing debate. One individual was constantly acting like a child, being extremely rude and annoying. Made it almost impossible to watch
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  169. Capitalism requires progressive taxation. Otherwise the Apex becomes bloated while the foundation is sucked dry. The average American lives from check to check. But when it comes to the richest 1%, some of those individuals are accumulating hundreds of thousands of dollars a minute, even while they're sleeping. Obviously those individuals are going to need to be taxed more. We already have a situation where the rich is 1% have almost as much wealth as the poorest 91% of the population. So either we find a way to pay workers more, or we're going to have to bring back the old rates of steep progressive taxation. I think it used to be around 96%.
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  170. A lot of Americans can't accept that data. We'll have to see how bad things get before it can no longer be denied.
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  171.  @ExPwner  , you mean I don't accept any data that comes from corporations and institutions like prageru. Yeah, you actually got something right for once. And I've given you three days to actually back up your claim regarding Richard Wolff not being a member of the working class. Caught you lying again! Do you see why it's not a good idea to assumption as fact? But typical to a congenital liar, you don't seem to be embarrassed. Oh well. As long as you're having fun. Probably better than sitting around and playing video games all day. Oh, and where is your Source regarding Richard Wolff being a millionaire? He probably is, considering he's worked his entire life and was very successful, but I just wanted to see if you could back up your claim. Of course you couldn't. Even if he has more than a million dollars, that doesn't mean he's not a member of the working class. A teacher is a worker. A lecturer is a worker. Do you even know what a capitalist is? Probably not. You're probably one of the 54% of Americans that can't read or write. You probably use a program to do your reading and writing for you.
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  172. That art guy is a legend? Seriously? Where? In the United States? The guy doesn't know what capital is it is. He doesn't know what socialism is. Even thought George Bush Senior was a socialist! The political and economic version of a flat earther. Legend! Guess it shouldn't surprise me considering that over 54% of Americans can't even read or write.
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  173. ​ @ExPwner , oh yes, I remember your examples of wealth that's not created by labor. Apples and wine. 😃 and tell me again how markets and capitalism are synonymous. Tell me again how Richard Wolff is not a member of the working class even though his income comes from teaching.😀
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  174. You don't think Richard Wolff knows what capitalism is? 😃 that's like thinking a dentist doesn't know what teeth are. Obviously you haven't read any of his textbooks. He understands capitalism on a level that he will ever be capable of. The problem is most people only familiar with Richard Wolff on YouTube, where he dumbs things down to about a Grade 9 level. Read some of his Publications to professional peer reviewed economic journals. He has actually expanded economic theory.
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  175.  @jgalt308  , what aspects of Michael Hudson's work are you referring to? We most certainly do have a capitalist economy. One might argue on the type of capitalism we have. But the economy is indeed capitalist. Most of the GDP comes from privately-owned companies that utilize wage labour for profit. That is a capitalist economy.
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  176.  @ExPwner , of course we have a mixed economy. 😀 A capitalist economy is primarily defined by its prominent elements, such as private ownership of businesses, the pursuit of profit, and wage labor. While mixed economies may have various elements at play, the dominance of these capitalist features is what categorizes an economy as capitalist. I thought you had a master's degree in accounting? 😀 So capitalism has never existed, because capitalism has to be in its purest form?
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  177.  @jgalt308  , well things are definitely corrupt. I'll give you that. Stock BuyBacks, Etc. A lot of Economists argue that's sound financial management. 😀 I think it's pure insanity. Others argue that it's one of the main indicators of late-stage capitalism. Anyway, thanks for the information. I'll have to read up on it.
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  178. ​ @ExPwner , dishonest people? You're eating people such as yourself claiming that capitalism and markets are synonymous? Or how Richard Wolff is in the member of the working class even though he gets his income from teaching? Oh, maybe you weren't being dishonest. Maybe you're just stupid.
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  179.  @ExPwner  , you never gave any proof of anything. You just like to make up your own reality. 😀 you lie all the time. For example, you said you know for a fact that I'm being paid to write comments. You are A congenital liar. How do you know that Richard Wolff has at least a million dollars? Where is your source? If you have a source, why not post it in the comment? Because you don't have one.
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  180. What does government spending have to do with anything? The debate is about capitalism and socialism, not government spending. Did you listen to the debate? Did you make a mistake and comment on the wrong video by accident?
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  181. And in the United States where does most of the wealth go that's produced by workers? The richest 1% now has almost as much wealth as the poorest 91% of the American population. Not too hard to track where the moneys going.
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  182.  @killap3nguin  , crying? What do I have to cry about? Your question makes no sense.
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  183.  @ExPwner  , no, all the wealth produced by workers does not go to the workers. Are you stupid? Most of the wealth produced by workers actually goes to the owners of capital. Tell me again how you have a master's degree in accounting. How can you have a master's degree in accounting if you don't even understand basic economics? Even if you want to be a complete moron and separate capital from the labor component, that still doesn't negate the fact that workers have to produce more wealth than they actually get paid for. Again, we're talking economics 101 here. What's wrong with you? 😃
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  184.  @ExPwner  , and government spending doesn't have anything to do with Richard Wolff's argument. Richard Wolff's argument is that compared to capitalism the Socialist mode of production provides more equality, freedom and prosperity for workers. Do you have a counter argument or not? 😃
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  185. Exactly! The economy is the sum total of all our work. Capitalists are just unnecessary middlemen that increase the cost of living and the amount of work the rest of us have to do. Workers produce everything which is owned automatically by the capitalists. The capitalist maximize profit by paying the workers as little as possible while getting them to produce as much as possible. Then the workers have to take what little money they get and use it to buy back the very goods and services that they produced in the first place!
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  186. ​ @ExPwner , of course things didn't improve just for the 1%. But they benefited the most. The vast majority of people did not. Look at how the number of minimum wage jobs have increased over the last 50 years. Then look at the rate of inflation and compare it to the increase of income for the lower half of the population over the last 50 years.
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  187.  @ExPwner  , yeah, that's right. The cost of living for the vast majority of people keeps getting lower and the vast majority of people keep getting richer. 😃 thanks for proving once again that you're stupid and uneducated.
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  188. ​ @ExPwner , yeah, that's why the average American can no longer afford a family on a single income.
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  189. ​ @sten260 , no. He's not wrong. He's absolutely correct. How could you possibly judge you don't even know what he's talking about? This is what democracy looks like in the workplace. https://youtu.be/-VdbFzwe8fQ the workers actually own the product of their labour. If the company produces a billion dollars after expenses, that money goes to the workers who can then spend that into the economy creating more demand. If most of our GDP were coming from work or owned companies, then most of the wealth would flow to the workers and most things will be made it home rather than China. The goal of capitalist companies is to maximize profit. Profit is maximized by getting workers to produce as much as possible while paying them as little as possible. That means the more successful a capital company is, the less purchasing power workers actually have. One of the central goals of Economics is to achieve equilibrium. The goal of a capitalist company actually is in direct opposition to that basic principle.
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  190. ​ @sten260 , the capitalist Market drives value of Labor downward. There are more workers than jobs. Workers have to compete for those jobs. Whoever has the most education and is willing to do the most work for the least amount of money, that's the person that gets the job. The goal of capital is companies is to maximize profit. profits are maximize by keeping wages as low as possible while getting workers to Bruce as much as possible. Thanks to the capitalist Market, wages are extremely low. That's why profits are so huge. That's why the riches 1% now has almost as much wealth is of course ninety-one percent of the American population. However, when workers own their own means of production, then they get to keep all of the wealth that their labour produces. That's the point that Richard Wolff is making. Also, because worker-owned companies are tied to the community, if most of the GDP were coming from those types of companies, then most things we made it home rather than China. And with most of the wealth going to the worker instead of a small Rich minority, workers would have greater purchasing power. That's money they would spend into the economy creating more demand, making it easier for people to start their own businesses. With every passing day we can produce more and more with less and less labour. For a very long time now we've had the ability to produce far more than we're capable of consuming. People shouldn't need to work 40 hours a week. But under capitalism everything produced by workers belongs to someone else. That's why labor-saving technology led to the Advent of the billionaire class rather than reducing working hours and increasing prosperity for everyone.
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  191. Karlee, you have no idea what you're talking about. My god, you don't even understand that markets and capitalism are two different things. Capitalism is not the only economic system that utilizes markets for distribution. Also, you do not need capitalism in order to have businesses, production, people selling and trading things with each other, etc. None of those things are unique to capitalism. There are millions of non-capitalist companies all over the world. I've owned my own company for years. It's not a capitalist company. I don't even think you know what capitalism is. 😃
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  192. Honest capitalists will admit that fact. https://youtu.be/35epDjB_7WE
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  193. That's what happens when rich people own most of the capital. The richest members of society are the ones that get to decide what is produced, how things are produced, where things are produced, how much workers get paid, excetera. That's why most things are made in China and why the richest 1% now has almost as much wealth as the poorest to 91% of the American population. Richard Wolff points out that if most of the American GDP were to be coming from worker-owned companies, then the wealth would be flowing to the workers who would spend that money into the economy and most things will be made at home because worker-owned companies are tied to the community. Trickle-up instead of trickle down.
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