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- Thread starter Merciedez
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^^WTF you talking about?
Another possibility that will never happen is that if the top 225 richest people in the world gave 4% of there income a year, world poverty would end.
"Our society has an obscene gulf between rich and poor. The private assets of the 200 richest people are more than the combined incomes of the poorest 2.4 billion people - almost half the world's population.
The UN "estimated that the additional cost of achieving and maintaining universal access to basic education for all, basic health care for all, reproductive care for all women, adequate food for all, and safe water and sanitation for all is roughly $40 billion a year... This is less than 4% of the combined wealth of the 225 richest people."
Another possibility that will never happen is that if the top 225 richest people in the world gave 4% of there income a year, world poverty would end.
"Our society has an obscene gulf between rich and poor. The private assets of the 200 richest people are more than the combined incomes of the poorest 2.4 billion people - almost half the world's population.
The UN "estimated that the additional cost of achieving and maintaining universal access to basic education for all, basic health care for all, reproductive care for all women, adequate food for all, and safe water and sanitation for all is roughly $40 billion a year... This is less than 4% of the combined wealth of the 225 richest people."
Yep - the old give a man a fish and he can eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he can eat forever. It's not only material possessions that homeless people lack - nor is it just skills required to find a job. I think they also need to change their mind-state, which isn't easy when they're getting constantly screwed by greedy fuckers.
Hella true, many states just opened their institutions and let them out on the streets. I'm sure everyone's encountered a homeless person who they thought might be a little pschizo.
As far as the top 225 richest persons donating 4 percent of their income to end world poverty, it would never happen. Just like the United States could never engage in any progressive policies such as universal health care due to the incredible increase in taxes. No American wants to pay some 50% in taxes bro. Besides, most people are so well misinformed they think it's just paying for "lazy" people who want a "hand out". Even minorities: I work with about 80% blacks in the DC area and they're fed false information about welfare, medicare etc etc that they hate paying those taxes. Even so, the way these systems are set up today, they don't help much anyway.
The invisible hand of Capitalism..
As far as the top 225 richest persons donating 4 percent of their income to end world poverty, it would never happen. Just like the United States could never engage in any progressive policies such as universal health care due to the incredible increase in taxes. No American wants to pay some 50% in taxes bro. Besides, most people are so well misinformed they think it's just paying for "lazy" people who want a "hand out". Even minorities: I work with about 80% blacks in the DC area and they're fed false information about welfare, medicare etc etc that they hate paying those taxes. Even so, the way these systems are set up today, they don't help much anyway.
The invisible hand of Capitalism..
I completely disagree.
Marx explained that "conditions determine consciousness". In other words, our environment determines our mentality.
You have to remember that humans got where we are today not by crushing and killing each other, it's more about communication and working together. Only by cooperation have we been able to hunt successfully, build shelters/cities, and advance.
Under capitalism, the ruling class does everything they can to affect the way we think. Through media, education, religion, etc. we are raised with values of a capitalist system, which is that 'dog eat dog', 'every man for himself' mentality. This isn't human nature; this is something we have been conditioned to think.
This kind of mentality doesn't benefit the common man...only the very rich. It's amazing how some people think this is fair, we produce the wealth socially, but the profit goes into private hands.
I believe this mentality would slowly go away under a truly communist society. Since conditions determine consciousness, new generations would see the world entirely different. Think about when babies are born. They do not know about race, violence, sexual harassment, being materialistic etc. they only learn these things later when they are pointed out.
You have to remember that Human nature, like all things, in a constant state of change.
You also have to remember that under communism, the incentive is different. The incentive to come up with more efficient ways to do things is that we'd have to work less time to do the same amount of work, which means, more free time, vacation, more time for research etc. "The amount of NECESSARY labor needed to produce the things we NEED"
Why work more efficiently at work if you know you have to be there for 8 hours no matter what? I know I don't.
One other thing I’d like to point out is the millions and millions of people worldwide who donated money to the Tsunami victims. Where is the greed in that?
Marx explained that "conditions determine consciousness". In other words, our environment determines our mentality.
You have to remember that humans got where we are today not by crushing and killing each other, it's more about communication and working together. Only by cooperation have we been able to hunt successfully, build shelters/cities, and advance.
Under capitalism, the ruling class does everything they can to affect the way we think. Through media, education, religion, etc. we are raised with values of a capitalist system, which is that 'dog eat dog', 'every man for himself' mentality. This isn't human nature; this is something we have been conditioned to think.
This kind of mentality doesn't benefit the common man...only the very rich. It's amazing how some people think this is fair, we produce the wealth socially, but the profit goes into private hands.
I believe this mentality would slowly go away under a truly communist society. Since conditions determine consciousness, new generations would see the world entirely different. Think about when babies are born. They do not know about race, violence, sexual harassment, being materialistic etc. they only learn these things later when they are pointed out.
You have to remember that Human nature, like all things, in a constant state of change.
You also have to remember that under communism, the incentive is different. The incentive to come up with more efficient ways to do things is that we'd have to work less time to do the same amount of work, which means, more free time, vacation, more time for research etc. "The amount of NECESSARY labor needed to produce the things we NEED"
Why work more efficiently at work if you know you have to be there for 8 hours no matter what? I know I don't.
One other thing I’d like to point out is the millions and millions of people worldwide who donated money to the Tsunami victims. Where is the greed in that?
Yes. Do you think any of the companies who donated tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars in the name of tsunami victims would have given one cent if they couldn't write it off at the end of the year? The texas millionaire who won the lottery and rehired all his employees in a PR move got to write THAT off at year's end too. I donated cellphones to a battered wives' shelter, got certificates of donation, attached receipts from OG purchase, and wrote that off. Am I a champion for feminism?
I can't think of one example of anyone who donated to the tsunami victims who didn't get a big tax break out of it, Clinton and Bush Sr. included.
I can't think of one example of anyone who donated to the tsunami victims who didn't get a big tax break out of it, Clinton and Bush Sr. included.
You know, I used to never believe this until I read the memoirs of an anarchist who was homeless. There's a sizeable subculture of Punk/Anarchist homeless in Canada who squat because they don't believe in the ownership of property. Sizeable = more than you'd like to think exist. He wrote that almost a majority of the homeless in Ottowa are vegan, and refuse food from shelters based on the meat.
I don't think anyone would choose to starve to death, but a ton just don't want to conform in the SLIGHTEST to rejoin society. I'm not ashamed to dehumanize them as "throwaways."
I don't think anyone would choose to starve to death, but a ton just don't want to conform in the SLIGHTEST to rejoin society. I'm not ashamed to dehumanize them as "throwaways."
I'm not talking about companies or rich people. I'm talking about the millions of average people across the world who donated $$$$.
LMAO, you got to be kidding me. I donated scrill and I never wrote it off. A grade school near my house raised over $10,000 from the KIDS, and I know little Billy at age 8 didnt write his lunch money off.
LMAO, you got to be kidding me. I donated scrill and I never wrote it off. A grade school near my house raised over $10,000 from the KIDS, and I know little Billy at age 8 didnt write his lunch money off.