I also believe that the human element might be a problem with communism. One of the ingenious things about capitalism is that it takes a terrible vice - greed - and yokes it for everyone’s benefit. I believe that our system is out of whack, though. The degree of inequality that we tolerate is outrageous - these days, the richest scoop up all the benefits and leave the workers only enough to survive (or less). The fact that 3 men control more wealth than the poorest 175,000,000 other Americans is offensive - especially when you consider that the poorest have no homes or food. It’s even worse when you look beyond American borders.

Thanks for the reply! The article you linked was very interesting. I am aware that western propaganda emphasizes the challenges and failures of communism while sweeping the manifold problems with capitalism under the rug, and it is nice to consider a different viewpoint. There is also an unfair tendency among western philosophers to link authoritarianism with communism when there is no philosophical connection. My personal belief is that authoritarianism was already pervasive in imperial Russia and China, and that better explains the brutality that has been unfairly associated with communism.

I would also like to say that capitalism is way less efficient than people are led to believe - take fast fashion, for example. Excess shoes and clothes are constantly being dumped on developing countries because the manufacturers failed to find a buyer at any price.

OP didn’t respond so I will take a shot. My understanding is that under communism, the economy has to be planned by the government. Under capitalism, the price of shoes (for example) is usually determined by the demand for shoes and the amount of shoes that can be manufactured. If demand falls, the price falls. If manufacturing capacity increases, the price falls more, etc. This mechanism has feedback loops that make it efficient. In theory, companies never make more shoes than they can sell, because if they do make too many, they can sell the excess by cutting prices. Under communism there is no free market, so the mechanics of supply and demand don’t work. Some communist bureaucrat conducts a study and estimates that the country will need 100k pairs of shoes next quarter. The government then makes those shoes in a state-owned factory. Suppose, though, that it turns out that the country needed more. With no free market, there is no competitor to step in and meet the demand for shoes - now you have a shortage. Similarly, you can have considerable waste if you grow too many apples or whatever. In true communism, there is no price to adjust - you either have an apple voucher or you don’t. Thus there is generally more problems meeting demand efficiently. This is, in fact, exactly what we saw under the Soviet Union - the stores were often stuffed with unwanted items while long lines developed for items that were in high demand. Without any consideration of authoritarianism etc., this is an often-cited reason for the failure of communism.

I am not a political theorist or an economist, so please correct me if I am wrong.

The headline should be amended to include the USA among the things Trump doesn’t care about.

Canada putting up some money in support of trans issues? take that, MAGA!

Whew! The most pressing issue in the US is finally resolved. Now that the 1-2 trans girls who live in the entire state of Georgia can’t play badminton, the government can get to work on feeding, housing, educating, and providing healthcare to all Americans.

sorry, i read my previous comments and they’re pretty aggressive. i am so raw and scared right now and i just want to scream.

the democrats have one path back to power: making a serious commitment to fixing the extreme inequalities that exist between groups: black and white, urban and rural, rich and poor.

the status quo that the democrats built and maintained created the conditions that led to trump. if the democrats were, you know, better, maybe none of this would have happened.

Fair enough. Here is my take on why a person might vote for trump (aside from bigotry, hatred of trans people, etc): I think some people consider a Trump vote a protest vote. The condition of many black people in America has been bad under both democrats and republicans (though for the last several decades, republicans have been demonstrably worse). Institutional racism is real, and people are angry about the status quo. I think many people feel like both democrats and establishment republicans have failed them, and voting for an outsider might be a way to shake up the system. However, as a protest vote, Trump is a poor choice. He is the apotheosis of white privilege. He was born rich. His family business was notorious for discriminating against black people (both under DJT and his father). His own family members have warned the public that Trump is racist towards black people. His comments and actions during his first term are not consistent with a leader who wants to help people of colour. Trump is definitely shaking things up, but it won’t be in a way that benefits anyone but straight white Christians of means.

I agree that alienating and dehumanizing voters can be counterproductive in a democracy. If democrats want to win next time, they have to persuade some portion of non-voting and republican-voting Americans to vote democrat instead. There are many methods of persuasion, though - and not all people are amenable to all forms of persuasion. No one likes to feel foolish, and surely some people who voted for Trump are feeling a bit foolish right now. Pointing out ironic examples like this guy who supported Trump and is gradually learning to regret his decision might have some merit.

The noble savage trope is about the supposed moral and physical superiority of people living in a natural, pre-industrial environment. It simply doesn’t apply. Do I think that people who vote for trump have an invalid perspective? Yes I do. Do they need to adopt my perspective? There are lots of people I don’t agree with who don’t support fascism. I am not such a believer in moral relativism to think that anyone is above criticism for their political opinions.

This has nothing to do with noble savages etc. Trump has said and done many racist things directed at black people. He has provided aid, comfort, and pardons to white supremacists. If you are part of a group that Trump targets and disdains and you still vote for Trump, it doesn’t matter how you justify it (hate for trans people, greed, etc.). It makes no sense for a non-white person to be support a white supremacist. As for white Trump voters - they finally found their hitler.

Canada alone might not win a trade war against the US. Good thing for us that Trump is on a streak for pissing off US allies. I really don’t care how bad Trump tries to make things in Canada, they are not going to get worse than they currently are in the states. Do you really think millions of Canadians would prefer school shootings to 25% tariffs? Will millions of Canadians trade in their health care and human rights for cheap iPhones? US can go fuck itself. Trump can go fuck his own face. I will die before I become a fucking American.

I think you mean melanin. racist AND stupid

A lot of the bad stuff that happens on the internet is directly related to perceived anonymity. If you want to bully, harass, make bigoted statements, disseminate propaganda, or shill for a corporation, it’s better to be anonymous. If a country gives its citizens the right to free speech and reasonable protections for privacy, a non-anonymous internet is better. Besides, anonymity on the internet is an illusion for about 99% of internet users. All of the big social media companies know who you are - their whole business depends on the data they collect on you, and that data is worth much less if it can’t be associated with an individual. They also have heavy incentives to share that information with the government. Try making an ‘anonymous’ threat against your country’s leader and see if any law-enforcement types decide to visit you.

Insanely rich, Intellect, Invulnerable. You could totally change the world - you would be like Elon Musk with a brain. When the shitty oligarchs throw you out a window, you just bounce.

The racism was there before Trump. He just gave the klan permission to ditch the sheets

Because this is Trump’s America now :(

Sir, do you have the original receipt?

Sweet! Four more years of Trump presidency, and Elon Musk can just pay for it out of pocket.

I remember when Trump joked about running for president. He also joked about sexually assaulting women. Then he joked about supporting white supremacists, undermining democracy, etc. Every Trump joke is a probe to see if his supporters will back him.

Canada: now Peterson-free!