Remeber -- Adilbrand Noblesword's Hall of Warriors

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Date Posted: 17:42:29 04/24/04 Sat
Author: stu
Subject: Remeber
In reply to: Adilbrand 's message, "Re: LOL" on 23:00:47 04/22/04 Thu

that communism can be considered an ideology of sorts, but it is primarily an economic system. So your self-esteem, your personality - your identity are completely your own. The problem is, in this system, a consumer system, people think that their identity is somehow made up of the things that they own. You may think that the car you own is a statement about your identity but, check it out, your neighbor has the same car. You didn't make that car. The people that did make it did not have you in mind. I would aver that a person's identity goes much deeper. It is your genetics and the way your individual brain interprets your experience. The more you can think critically, not simply relying on excepted norms and general assumptions, the more of an individual you become. This seems obvious to me.

Let's jump ahead to a communist society that is working. When basic needs are taken care of, people can actually spend their time doing something that is really meaningful to them. In our consumer society, it is necessary to create jobs. This is really silly if you think about it. Shouldn't a need necessitate a job? A need other than "so-and-so needs a job?" Whole businesses are formed around the mass production of some new pointless nick-nack. It helps our economy by creating jobs. And you don't want to make anything that might last too long. It has to break in a few years so that they will have to buy a new one. This is all good capitalism. Move the factory to Mexico - pollute the environment - all very good for business, right? Well, not forever. I think we can see now that Adam Smith's invisible hand is truly invisible. It does not exist. Instead there is the ever-present fist of the rich and powerful.

"Why," people inevitably ask me "would anyone work hard anymore if there were no incentive?" Is the profit motive the only motive you can think of? How about, because it brings you satisfaction? Perhaps it is your calling. In our society, people are not encouraged to discover and to develop their aptitudes. Rather, the all-important profit-motive alone determines the attractiveness of any given profession. Everyone wants to be a doctor or a lawyer but no one wants to be a school teacher. Consumerism takes the essence out of everything. The Backstreet Boys are successful musicians, even though they no nothing about music. Compare that with someone who practices 16 hours a day and composes real music. This person is probably starving and will soon give it up to persue a career as a real-estate agent.

I could go on and on.

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Remeber -- stu, 17:42:47 04/24/04 Sat