Britain is more class-bound than ever before
23 February 2010, 08:52 PM
#31
At what point does "human nature" as we know it cause things to go wrong.
The invention of money perhaps?
The greed and self interest (no moral valuation implied) aspect of human nature as we know it does not seem to be that obvious in many of the over-run indigenous populations about the place.
Indeed, in my experience of Australian indigenous culture - the idea of property is pretty alien.
Jacob Bronowski said (don't quote me) that it was the discovery of agriculture that made warfare a viable (economically) way of life.
Perhaps it was agriculture that caused us to leave the "garden of Eden".
23 February 2010, 09:02 PM
#32
Scooby Regular
maybe it was a confusion with Marx's quote regarding religion being the "opiate of the masses"
BTW most people would do well to read what Marx had to say -- not what people think he said
He was first and foremost an economist and philosopher - not a demented revolutionary
his central argument was that the structural contradictions within capitalism necessitate its end, and he believed it would pave the way to socialism.
But looking at the current state of global capitalism it seems he had a point with regard to the contradictions in capitalism
His theories were appropriated by revolutionaries in the late nineteenth century primarily as a means to galvanise the popular support needed to overthrow feudal regimes such as the Tsar in Russia
a lack of education in the masses would have been an anathema to Marx
BTW most people would do well to read what Marx had to say -- not what people think he said
He was first and foremost an economist and philosopher - not a demented revolutionary
his central argument was that the structural contradictions within capitalism necessitate its end, and he believed it would pave the way to socialism.
But looking at the current state of global capitalism it seems he had a point with regard to the contradictions in capitalism
His theories were appropriated by revolutionaries in the late nineteenth century primarily as a means to galvanise the popular support needed to overthrow feudal regimes such as the Tsar in Russia
a lack of education in the masses would have been an anathema to Marx
The freeloaders and parasites will always be there to grasp everything they can, always with their hand-wringing apologists trailing behind
Kind of ironic that Marxism has become just another religion, complete with zealots ready to distort things in the name of the cause
Non taken, if that's the best you can do, you wouldn't last five minutes in our office
23 February 2010, 09:06 PM
#33
Ever since the 70,s the welfare system has been used to protect the rich, not help the poor. Governments know as long as the great unwashed have food in their bellies and 20 lambert and butler to smoke, they will not be out on the streets rioting because of lack of jobs.
23 February 2010, 09:53 PM
#34
Scooby Regular
they exist on mutual cooperation , each person bringing their particular skills etc etc to the common good of the group/society
lets face it – if two sets of 30 people were ship wrecked on a island – which group would survive, the one that cooperated with each other, or the one that exhibited all the signs of competing against each other as defined by capitalism
23 February 2010, 09:54 PM
#35
Scooby Regular
Ever since the 70,s the welfare system has been used to protect the rich, not help the poor. Governments know as long as the great unwashed have food in their bellies and 20 lambert and butler to smoke, they will not be out on the streets rioting because of lack of jobs.
23 February 2010, 11:29 PM
#36
Scooby Regular
but isn't that the point (as alluded by myself and cster) human nature in more primitive societies (aboriginal an equatorial) does not tolerate "free loaders" nor conversely do they promote rampant competition
they exist on mutual cooperation , each person bringing their particular skills etc etc to the common good of the group/society
they exist on mutual cooperation , each person bringing their particular skills etc etc to the common good of the group/society
24 February 2010, 11:02 AM
#37
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