this post was submitted on 27 May 2025
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Communism
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I'm with you, but it's very hard to find a consensus on what is work and what isn't. What if someone decides to be a musician who makes music that no one else wants to listen to? What if someone wants to build sand castles in Antarctica? What if someone wants to be a landlord or a CEO? If you asked landlords or CEOs in today's system, I'm pretty sure they'll see themselves as (hard) working people which probably many folks in this community would object.
I think in capitalism and socialism you have contributers and profiteers. IMHO, the difference isn't about people working for others or not, but the level of inequality.
PS: Don't get me wrong. I'm not arguing against socialism, but specifically against the point in the meme.
Socialism isn't about validating people's random desires as labor, but collectively running the economy to meet as many people's needs to the best ability possible. It's about moving beyond competition and profit into cooperation and fulfilling uses and needs. We would not support someone wanting to build sand castles in Antarctica unless we had hyperabundance and it didn't matter, or if there was legitimate scientific need. Same with landlords, whose economic basis is entirely usury and thus unproductive. Administration will be a necessity, so functions similar to CEOs will exist even in higher stages of Communism, but not just because people want to.