Why do people get so worked up over their preferred economic system? -

[ProgKing of the North]

At the end of the day, all socialism vs capitalism (vs whatever else) really boils down to is "I think this economic theory theory would be best for me and the people around me". Why do people essentially treat this as some vitally important issue that will even come up when they're simply choosing who to be friends with? I'm pretty capitalist but some of my best friends are borderline commies economics-wise, why should I give a shit?

 

[Murmur]

I think most people just want a reason to fight. It's one of our base human instincts. Look at what we as humans have always done throughout history: Eating, fucking, and fighting. We're more civilized now so the fighting part mostly manifests itself through mean words. Some people don't really care, others do. A lot. Maybe those ones are less evolved. I don't know, I just want to eat pizza and fuck.

 

[It's HK-47]

It's likely not so much that they have undue reverence for their preferred system then it is that they see the opposing systems as the source of so many problems. Communists view Capitalists through the lens that depicts them all as corporate, all-consuming pigs whose sole interest is amassing all the wealth that they possibly can, heedless of how many people or communities or countries they beat into abject poverty by doing so, and Capitalists view Communists as propagators of a ruthless political pipe dream that's never succeeded in doing anything other than crushing entire countries and installing a murderous dictator.

The ironic part is that there's a lot of truth to both of those beliefs, but you've a snowball's chance in Hell if you want to try to explain one side's economic system to the other without kicking off a slap-fight. It certainly doesn't help that either side willfully ignores all of the problems in its own systems, either. Communists refuse to acknowledge that Communism has failed spectacularly every time it's been attempted, and Capitalists typically could not give less of a shit when it comes to monolithic corporations essentially controlling the flow of all goods in the global market so long as Netflix and the Big Mac keep rolling their way.

 

[wylfım]

Eh, most of the time the differences between different economic systems are negligible.
Unless you're a commie. In which case you're retarded.

Spoiler

 

[Vorhtbame]

It boils down to the question of whose a thing is. Individualist formulations say that what you earn is yours; collectivist formulations hold that what others earn is yours. To profess the opposite position of yours is to tell you that you haven't a right to a thing you think is yours.

And if raising toddlers has taught me anything, it's that "MINE!" is a hill human beings are willing to die on.

 

[Yellow Yam Scam]

money is how people feed their children.

 

[NOT Sword Fighter Super]

Better dead than red!
REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

 

[Y2K Baby]

This applies to literally every belief, you stupid frogposter.

 

[ZeCommissar]

The main reason is that these people probably see the other side as the source of most of the ills in their world. If only those damn capitalists stopped being so greedy and selfish we could all live in perfect utopia with no want or need.

OR

Maybe if those damn naive communists stop daydreaming we can finally get some work done around here. Communists want to also take my freedom away!

These economic systems are usually divided by political lines as well. Left vs Right. When these economic systems are divided in such a way it becomes far easier to polarize them.

Same things applies to racism as well. It's like when a white person blames Jews and Blacks as to why their country is getting worse, or a SJW blaming white men for all the oppression in society, or maybe a black man that thinks his life sucks because the white man hates him and wants to keep him down.

This is also true for other beliefs as well not just racial and economic.

It is far easier to blame someone else for your shitty life, than it is to look inwards and realize you are the only one holding yourself back.

I will personally say that communism is worse than capitalism though. This is only because of the body count and track record of the former.

 

[LaysGuy]

People think they deserve things without having to work for it, and like to blame successful billionaires for their own poor financial situations.

 

[tuka]

Given an equal (initial) opportunity, political motivations diverge along pereto distribution in talent, risk aversity and industriousness.

The top 20% own 80% of capital, and want capitalism.
The bottom 80% own 20% of capital, and want socialism.

In pure democracy, socialism would always win. Luckily, the top 20% always fudge the 30% of the vote with vote buying, pitting the bottom 80% one against another, pretty much all the tactics frequently ascribed to jews (who do indeed excel at it, but aren't the only ones).

Now and then, mass chimp out happens, and some genius has idea to start with real communism on square 1. Needless to say it doesn't last, as communism utterly disenfranchises the "top" 20% kulaks, leaving the economy uncompetitive. So things quickly fall back to optimal pereto economic pattern of cumulative advantage and capital derived master/slave relationship.

While the pereto game is far from nash optimal, it's the best you can get with only vaguely cooperative agents of global market. Socialism works better in small tribal settings - altruistic cooperation is far more consistent and the top 20% are motivated for the sake of their near kin.

 

[Corbin Dallas Multipass]

Because fuck you dad!

No really, I'm pretty sure that's most of it.

Then you've got the actual for real super egalitarians. They certainly mean well, but I think they underestimate both natural human greed AND human empathy.

To me, it's not even a debate between capitalism vs communism. Capitalism isn't a thing you choose to do, it's what happens when humans have stuff and want stuff other people have. The question is how much regulation is the right amount, and people call their preferred level of regulation "free market" or "socialist" or even "communist". But it's all just levels of regulation imposed on the natural capitalism that happens by itself.

Another reason is that communism is billed as a magic fix for social ills, and a very shallow take on it would indicate it should work. So people who have taken that shallow take as truth just see a bunch of assholes standing in the way for their own possible enrichment.

The idea that the wealthy don't want socialism and the non-wealthy do isn't borne out in reality. Kids from wealthy families go to fancy schools and talk up how great communism is. The dude who went right from high school to a full time job is probably not agitating for communism.

 

[tuka]

Kids from wealthy families go to fancy schools and talk up how great communism is.

Don't mistake liberal guilt for bona fide "we want same shit the reach people do" sentiment of the bottom 80%.

The dude who went right from high school to a full time job is probably not agitating for communism.

Unions.

 

[The best and greatest]

At the end of the day, all socialism vs capitalism (vs whatever else) really boils down to is "I think this economic theory theory would be best for me and the people around me". Why do people essentially treat this as some vitally important issue that will even come up when they're simply choosing who to be friends with? I'm pretty capitalist but some of my best friends are borderline commies economics-wise, why should I give a shit?

Because while it may not be readily apparent here, there's a lot of people who stand a lot to lose/gain by changing the way the game is played. It also doesn't help that Youtube and the internet have made instigating our political discourse by agitators a lot easier.

 

[Lemmingwise]

At the end of the day, all socialism vs capitalism (vs whatever else) really boils down to is "I think this economic theory theory would be best for me and the people around me". Why do people essentially treat this as some vitally important issue that will even come up when they're simply choosing who to be friends with? I'm pretty capitalist but some of my best friends are borderline commies economics-wise, why should I give a shit?

Honest answer. The question about what economic theory is followed is a question about how should we organize property and capital in society. Which theories prevail changes according to what principles economic part of life is organised. You're presuming an essentially selfish motivation for everybody, but that does not necessarily follow.

Economic part of life governs a lot of our lives; it governs economic opportunities, it governs how you'll live after you're able to earn money, it governs how you're able to earn money when you still are able to earn money to some degree. That's why it's an important thing. That some people check out on the competition between theories is a side-issue.

As to how it affects friendships, people tend to enjoy affiliating with like minded individuals. Yes, some divergence and spice of difference is usually appreciated, but overall people choose similarity over difference. Similar age, similar background, similar outlook, similar morals, similar experiences, similar race, similar nationality and so on.

Of course there is always the offshoot groups that are more mixed, but that is to some degree by necessity rather than choice and in the long term unstable due to the differences.

 

[1864897514651]

Neither capitalism or communism are going to be used as we move into a future neo-Sodomite economic environment. So, this discussion does not matter.

 

[Vorhtbame]

Neither capitalism or communism are going to be used as we move into a future neo-Sodomite economic environment. So, this discussion does not matter.

This is literally the gayest post on this thread.

 

[spurger king]

Neither capitalism or communism are going to be used as we move into a future neo-Sodomite economic environment. So, this discussion does not matter.

Stupid. However, you are correct in a broad sense, specifically in claiming that neither pure capitalism nor pure communism are the future. Literally every developed country on the planet has some kind of mixed-market scheme going on, and I see no reason that that should change anytime soon.

I think the reason that people are getting so angry about their macroeconomic system of choice is that they fail to make the distinction between "The government should do something" versus "My people, generally, should do something". For instance, welfare is just charity, but enforced by threat of violence by the state. I have no problem allowing people to pay money to help out the poor and destitute, but I have a huge problem with people being forced by the government to support niggers on welfare. Therefore, when anyone advocates for social safety nets, you should simply point out that if we as a society actually gave a shit about the poors, we'd just give them money ourselves, without having the ZOG as a middleman.

 

[Y2K Baby]

Literally every developed country on the planet has some kind of mixed-market scheme going on, and I see no reason that that should change anytime soon.

I do so therefore, wrong.

 

[ToroidalBoat]

The economy has a pretty big impact on everyday life.

Also, Americans always get worked up over everything -- politics, economy, religion...