Seize the Means of Production
Seize the Means of Production
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Marxican stand-off
Potentially controversial opinion: Just like capitalism, communism also needs to be regulated so as to not get exploited by a powerful few.
Any political system requires vigilant population, which needs education, which means we're fucked no matter the system we're living under because most people rather tune out 'the noise' and live their lives being blissfully ignorant.
Ding ding ding! Communists like to blame capitalism for everything (and vice versa), but anybody not blinded by ideology can understand that the problem is the human element. People like to imagine perfect systems, but those cannot exist with flawed creatures within them, especially when the flawed creatures operate the system. All of those systems require constant vigilance.
the problem is the human element
I absolutely agree. The difference is that the incentives of capitalism virtually guarantee exploitation and inequality. It's a system that encourages the concentration of wealth and power. Antisocial and anticompetitive tactics maximize returns and ensure that bad actors willing to put profit above anything else benefit the most and rise to the top as leaders and bosses. It relies on competition and, assumes "market forces" will self correct an imbalanced system... eventually.
Unless you want a brutal, unstable system where power and wealth accumulate and get concentrated until a violent shift (hopefully) collapses that power and eventually market forces pick a new "winner" you need regulation to keep the profit motive in check and competition fair. Still, the rules of the system encourage regulatory capture as competitive actors try to gain advantage however they can, regardless of the impact on the general population.
Socialism, honestly, has become a weird catch-all term for critiques of capitalism looking to align the goals of society toward democracy and equality. There is a ton of theory and different methods of achieving or implementing such a society but that's kind of where I see things.
Within that eventual ideal society there is still the ability for people to exploit each other for power. The human element doesn't disappear. The idea is that it is harder when the goal of the system is to ensure everyone has what they need and everyone gets a say in how things are done. The system needs to be built and tweaked with checks and balances to ensure that power doesn't get concentrated without the ability for the greater population to redistribute that power.
Basically, unless you are a proponent of laissez-faire capitalism (no government involvement) then you recognize the danger posed by unfettered capitalism. Socialism attempts to change the incentives so that society can be designed, fundamentally, to minimize the danger posed by that human element. It recognizes that a democratic and fair capitalist society is an oxymoron.
I have a challenge for you. Again, assuming you are not a proponent of laissez-faire capitalism, think about the ways that our capitalist society could be improved by new regulation or the removal or adjusting of existing bad regulation (Edit: regulation is meant to include laws, taxes, etc). How many of those regulations don't exist - were proposed and shot down - because those empowered by capitalism (Edit: **who have achieved disproportionate wealth and power via capitalism and wish to maintain their status) have fought tooth and tail to prevent them? How many of those bad, restrictive, existing regulations were implemented, or twisted, by those empowered by capitalism?
Edit: Look around the world at the questionable actions performed by the United States and ask why did the US do that? What was their incentive? More often than not, it involves preserving and furthering the power of those who already hold a disproportionate amount of power in that capitalist society.
This is the reason I'm a Mutualist/Market-Socialist.
I think that its a system that metaphorically is trained in Aikido against some of human's worst elements and maximizes the positive of human being's behavior.
It's hardly controversial. Marx envisioned that a revolution would happen when the working class (the majority of any society) becomes class conscious and usher in socialism. That in essence would be a vigilant population.
The issue with popular presentation of Marxism is that what is presented is actually Leninism. Lenin is the one who thought proletariats can't become class conscious (or vigilant) on their own and instead require a vanguard party of revolutionaries to lead the proletariat into communism. How that worked out is evident from the USSR.
Communism is a stateless, classless and moneyless society. Of course there need to be structures in place to ensure it stays that way, because having a powerful few would have reintroduced classes. Thats why you need stable, democratic governance, for example federated councils or something similar.
most people rather tune out 'the noise' and live their lives being blissfully ignorant
I'd argue that's not an intrinsic feature of humans, but the result of capitalist alienation. On the one hand, the individual has very little chance to participate in the decision making process, and people are overworked so they barely have the energy or time to do so, even if they wanted to
What about social democracy?
What about it makes it so special that it can exist and not get exploited without vigilant population?
Every system needs awareness from people to keep functioning.
Social democracy seems to be working better than most systems, including keeping the people interested in politics. Because the democracy works reasonably well. Scandinavian countries that have social democracy also have high election participation.
People are aware, that's not the problem IMO.
Every system needs to adjust when people are aware, that's why democracy works and autocracy not.
People are aware
Are they really?
They are aware something is wrong. Not what's causing it. The powerful have learned to scream "immigrant, immigrant,trans, gay, black!" when anyone looks their way, and assure you their big pile of cash is actually helping you by getting bigger.
Not everyone ofc but there are always people who are.
this. I want socialism and capitalism balanced. things that everyone needs should be available to everyone and not left to the market but unnecessary things like media and toys and whatnot the government should not be concerned about. Then there should be plenty of regulation to keep things safe. but when it comes down to democracy vs autocracy I want as much democracy as possible.