• dohpaz42@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    If we’re forced to have capitalism, can we at least use the social kind?

    A social market economy is a free-market or mixed-market capitalist system, sometimes classified as a coordinated market economy, where government intervention in price formation is kept to a minimum, but the state provides significant services in areas such as social security, health care, unemployment benefits and the recognition of labor rights through national collective bargaining arrangements. Source

    • Kecessa@sh.itjust.works
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      2 months ago

      I personally have no problem with capitalism dealing with non essentials, but essentials should be nationalized.

    • Dagwood222@lemm.ee
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      2 months ago

      In my opinion, using terms like ‘capitalism’ or ‘socialism’ or ‘fascism’ is a losing game for anyone except the Right.

      The second you use those terms you get forced into a fight about the definitions and get sidetracked from the actual issues at hand.

      Substitute other terms instead. Don’t say “Why can’t we have Socialist healthcare like Sweden?” say “why can’t we have the kind of health care Eisenhower offered in 1956?”

      • FrowingFostek@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        I agree with this approach, most people hate politics. They either have an aversion to words like these or, use them incorrectly.

        I think a very large part of educating, agitating and organizing is meeting people where they are. Once they get over their aversion, one would hope they will become class conscious.

        • Dagwood222@lemm.ee
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          2 months ago

          Exactly. Trying to force people to use your terminology only makes them resent you.

          Put your argument in terms they understand.

      • dohpaz42@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        I am going to disagree with you on this. Here’s why:

        No one forces anyone to fight about anything. It’s a choice you make. If you find yourself in a conversation with someone who is unwilling to hear reason, then you can choose to continue or you can walk away.

        I also disagree with avoiding certain words simply because you’re concerned how other people will react to them (of course exceptions apply). Now if you can find a simpler, less controversial, way to express yourself, by all means keep it simple. Using “$5 words” in an attempt to make yourself sound smart or better than somebody else is counterproductive. And, in most cases whether you talk about “Socialist healthcare in Sweden” or “health care Eisenhower offered” is moot, because a bad actor is going to twist your words regardless.

        Finally, in the context of this thread, we are specifically talking about Capitalism, so it makes little sense to skirt around the term. Some might as well embrace it and explore it as far as we can.

  • doingthestuff@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    The way I see it is that we don’t have enough anti-monopoly legislation. If we guaranteed small businesses could get products at the same prices as megacorps and we broke up businesses that took too much market share we could have small business again. Regulation is also too punitive. Lower taxes, lower compliance and permit fees. The government has a spending problem and the people need to tell them to fuck off and cut their spending in half, then add half of what they cut back into public services, not spending on wars or deep state letter orgs dedicated to spying on its own citizens.

    • basmati@lemmus.org
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      2 months ago

      So instead of the simpler system, we pass millions of layers of more bureaucratic laws that will require even more expensive legal teams for companies to parse, resulting in even fewer companies existing and monopolizing markets all to save billionaires and the failed ideology of capitalism?

      Great work.

  • Rivalarrival@lemmy.today
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    2 months ago

    Rent. Rent needs to die in a fire.

    Landlording needs to be less lucrative than a private mortgage or land contract. Jack up the taxes on all residential properties, and grant steep exemptions for owner-occupants only.

    • psud@aussie.zone
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      2 months ago

      Jacking up taxes jacks up rental prices

      Rent control has worked, but it stopped those places getting needed maintenance

      My town is trying land tax discounts to landlords that rent out their place sufficiently below market rate

      • Rivalarrival@lemmy.today
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        2 months ago

        Read my comment again: I am trying to eliminate the concept of renting. Practically nobody should be renting residential property, or property used as a residence. A hike on rent prices would be a good thing, as it would drive tenants away from renting and toward the better option I have been alluding to.

        Tax discounts to lower rent prices only incentivize the worst, most negligent slumlords, in a race to the bottom for housing quality. That is not a viable long-term strategy.

        I want to replace “renting” with “land contract”.

        A land contract is a type of purchase agreement that starts off similar to a rental. They aren’t used very often because they are somewhat complex, and they put a lot of power in the hands of the buyer/tenant rather than the seller/landlord. Land Contracts have a fixed monthly price: there is no year-to-year price hike.

        Most importantly, they gain equity for their tenant/buyer.

    • pivot_root@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Be very careful with the wording of those exemptions, or you’re going to have an owner living in a tower with 230 roommates.

      • Rivalarrival@lemmy.today
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        2 months ago

        True. I would only allow the exemption on 1-4 unit properties. I would allow an on-site landlord to rent out the remaining 1-3 units without losing the exemption.

        Renting should be a wildly atypical housing arrangement. “Land Contracts” should replace virtually every circumstance where renting currently makes sense.

  • PieMePlenty@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Problem is class, not race. A capitalist profiting from other peoples labour is the problem, may they be black or white. Pinning the problem on blacks or whites or men or women or straight or gay is just turning the proletariat against each other. Instead of attacking the few capitalists, we look at what they look like and attack those who look the same. Class, not race. Class, not gender. Class, not serual orientation.