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The left wing Hill pokes holes in NPR's claims that it is not reliant on government funding. It funds them indirectly by giving money to local stations which then have to buy their programming. If the government just funds 1% then it shouldn't be too difficult to tighten their belts a tiny bit.
The world is moving on and NPR will need to determine whether its current thought space is economically viable without government supports. MSDNC, CNN and others will have to make similar calculations.
The speaker rightly implies that oligarchy/rule by billionaires is bad, as the oligarchs/billionaires use government to unjustly exploit and unjustly suppress the common man...
What he does not say is that Socialism/Marxism is equally bad, as it unjustly discourages hard and smart work while foolishly encouraging pleasure-prioritization and laziness in society. The only fair for all government system is Libertarianism!
"Socialism/Marxism: .....bad......it unjustly discourages hard and smart work while foolishly encouraging pleasure-prioritization and laziness in society."
Question:
Do you ChessTalkers agree with Dilip's definition?........is this what is true, or, is this just a platitudinous smear used by all who want DM equated with Communism?
Hi Bob A,
Please correct me if I have misunderstood Democratic Marxism:
The government dictates to its citizens what they can do (work in government owned businesses) and what they cannot do (cannot take home a big chunk of what they earn)...
The government is the owner of almost all businesses, and hence those who 'run' it, in order to keep their government given jobs, have as their priority the pleasing of their political masters, which is why government-owned businesses have always been politically correct but economically disastrous and extremely inefficient...
The citizens are expected to comply with the myriads of laws passed by successive governments, even as lawyers keep on fighting with each other in the courts of law to establish what these laws actually imply...
Only the government has real access to capital, and when they cannot grab enough from those who actually earn it (as the earners gradually become impoverished), they have to keep on printing lots of it, resulting in the currency becoming valueless as in the Soviet Union and Venezuela (where the circulating money was not matched by growth in GDP)...
In contrast, Libertarianism:
The government tells its citizens: Live your lives the way you want to, either on your own or in co-operation with others, so long as you do not violate the perfect and simple Natural Law!!
And everyone has access to capital, with the only condition being that they pay it back with interest!!
Communism & Democratic Marxism do have some commonalities, both being different forms of "socialism".
But there are two dramatic differences:
1. Marx was a democrat (Plurality in Democracy); you must win fairly at the ballot box. Communism is not democratic; one - party system - you get to chose Black X or White X.
2. Marx trusted the worker (Not only to vote for worker policies); he respected "workers' rights". Communism, under Lenin, after the worker revolution, turned the revolutionary guns back against the worker to keep them in line, advised them that they would be ruled by "The Vanguard of the Proletariat" (Definitely not in Marx), and breached normal worker rights.
So you are correct.........you do NOT know the difference between Democratic Marxism & old-style USSR Communism (Now China, North Korea, Vietnam, Cuba, etc.). But you are also not alone ........that is why Democratic Marxists are spending a lot of lead time at the moment on "education" rather than in organizing.
Also, there are opponents of all socialism's who DO know the difference between the different types. They deliberately and dishonestly lie that various socialism's are all Communist or Lead to Communism (Obfuscate, confuse, send up smoke screens, smear, etc.).
I will deal with some of your specifics the next time I'm back here.
Bob A (DM'er)
Last edited by Bob Armstrong; Sunday, 23rd February, 2025, 10:30 AM.
Communism & Democratic Marxism do have some commonalities, both being different forms of "socialism".
But there are two dramatic differences:
1. Marx was a democrat (Plurality in Democracy); you must win fairly at the ballot box. Communism is not democratic; one - party system - you get to chose Black X or White X.
2. Marx trusted the worker (Not only to vote for worker policies); he respected "workers' rights". Communism, under Lenin, after the worker revolution, turned the revolutionary guns back against the worker to keep them in line, advised them that they would be ruled by "The Vanguard of the Proletariat" (Definitely not in Marx), and breached normal worker rights.
So you are correct.........you do NOT know the difference between Democratic Marxism & old-style USSR Communism (Now China, North Korea, Vietnam, Cuba, etc.). But you are also not alone ........that is why Democratic Marxists are spending a lot of lead time at the moment on "education" rather than in organizing.
Also, there are opponents of all socialism's who DO know the difference between the different types. They deliberately and dishonestly lie that various socialism's are all Communist or Lead to Communism (Obfuscate, confuse, send up smoke screens, smear, etc.).
I will deal with some of your specifics the next time I'm back here.
Bob A (DM'er)
Let us not worry about the nomenclature, Bob. The fact remains that despite being democratic (and being against the 49% is not something to be proud of anyway), DM is Marxism with all the characteristics that I listed and to which you are yet to respond...
Complete Refutation of Dilip's False Characterization of Democratic Marxism
See Dilip's post # 54 above. I will give Dilip's quote, and then the refutation.
1. "The [DM] government dictates to its citizens what they can do.....and what they cannot do"
Refutation: DM implements a democratic form of government, based on the rule of law - it does NOT dictate - as an elected government it will pass laws for the common good. If the citizens see it otherwise, they can throw the rascals out in the next multi-party election.
2. "[workers must] work in [DM] government owned businesses"
Refutation: DM implements a society where there are government-owned businesses, privately-owned businesses, in the forms of private corporations, non-profit businesses, and cooperatives, and community-based non-profit organizations. Amazing!.......looks exactly like what we have now under Democratic Capitalism!
3. "[workers] cannot take home a big chunk of what they earn"
Refutation: Progressive taxation allows that the poorer you are, the smaller the chunk of the workers' monthly income becomes "tax". It is reasonable that those making the most, are benefiting the most from the economic system, mostly paid for by the average citizens, and therefore they should pay back into the system more (Yes, a bigger chunk as tax). Paying tax is the way citizens pay for the expenses associated with having a livable society. Taxation is not "theft", despite Dilip & his ilk constantly repeating such tripe.
4. "The [DM] government is the owner of almost all businesses"
Refutation: See item # 2 above. The determination of whether a government should own a business is often decided by the fact that the service is a necessary one for society, but it is almost impossible to keep it afloat with profit in the competitive marketplace (Which, by the way, also exists in DM, just like in DC!).
5. "those who 'run' it [the DM government-owned businesses, whatever they may be], in order to keep their government given jobs, have as their priority the pleasing of their political masters"
Refutation: viability is not determined by the whims of politicians; government-owned businesses are to "deliver the goods" & if successful, then are kept alive to continue good service to the citizens.
6. "[DM] government-owned businesses have always been politically correct but economically disastrous and extremely inefficient."
Refutation: this is true, sometimes, of capitalist government-owned businesses. A DM government will have to do better, if it is to get re-elected for more than a once-in-a-lifetime term.
7. "lawyers keep on fighting with each other in the courts of law to establish what these [myriad of] laws actually imply..."
Refutation: welcome to the real working of society, even under Capitalism. It is not easy to draft perfect laws. When they are ambiguous, then courts must interpret them......good for lawyers (I happen to have been one in Ontario). It will be no different under a DM Government (Nor a Libertarian one - in fact it will be worse, because the Natural Law is the vaguest of laws having to have one set of words apply to galaxies of different situations of dispute).
8. "Only the [DM] government has real access to capital"
Refutation: A DM Government will establish "Capital for Workers Institutions" to lend money for all kinds of worker start-ups. It takes the same view as Libertarianism - capital is needed by workers to continue to provide goods and services for the society.
9. "they [the DM government] cannot grab enough from those [workers] who actually earn it; the earners gradually become impoverished".
Refutation: The progressive tax law will be fair, and will have been chosen by free election of the citizens. No one will be pushed into bankruptcy through the payment of tax under a progressive system.
10. "they [the DM Government] have to keep on printing lots of it [money], resulting in the currency becoming valueless.....[example:] the Soviet Union and Venezuela (where the circulating money was not matched by growth in GDP)..."
Refutation: A DM government will have no desire to create a basket-case country.
1. "The [DM] government dictates to its citizens what they can do.....and what they cannot do"
Refutation: DM implements a democratic form of government, based on the rule of law - it does NOT dictate - as an elected government it will pass laws for the common good. If the citizens see it otherwise, they can throw the rascals out in the next multi-party election.
What you are saying is that the DM government will dictate by passing laws! Don't try to hide facts by playing with words, Bob...
2. "[workers must] work in [DM] government owned businesses"
Refutation: DM implements a society where there are government-owned businesses, privately-owned businesses, in the forms of private corporations, non-profit businesses, and cooperatives, and community-based non-profit organizations. Amazing!.......looks exactly like what we have now under Democratic Capitalism!
It is impossible to compete with government owned businesses, as the latter can accumulate huge losses in order to provide free or cheap goods. The net effect: In whichever field the government starts a business, the others just cannot. And Marxism does favor the government controlling many fields of business.
3. "[workers] cannot take home a big chunk of what they earn"
Refutation: Progressive taxation allows that the poorer you are, the smaller the chunk of the workers' monthly income becomes "tax". It is reasonable that those making the most, are benefiting the most from the economic system, mostly paid for by the average citizens, and therefore they should pay back into the system more (Yes, a bigger chunk as tax). Paying tax is the way citizens pay for the expenses associated with having a livable society. Taxation is not "theft", despite detractors constantly repeating such tripe.
Forcibly snatching money from someone in order to give freebies to someone else who would vote you to power, does sound like theft. Livable societies existed more happily and more progressively before the system of taxation was invented.
4. "The [DM] government is the owner of almost all businesses"
Refutation: See item # 2 above. The determination of whether a government should own a business is often decided by the fact that the service is a necessary one for society, but it is almost impossible to keep it afloat with profit in the competitive marketplace (Which, by the way, also exists in DM, just like in DC!).
Bob, if a service is necessary, customers prioritize paying for it, and is the most likely service to stay afloat, without the government bringing its inefficiency into running it. Marxism just loves having the government do most of the stuff that citizens can do for themselves...
5. "those who 'run' it [the DM government-owned businesses, whatever they may be], in order to keep their government given jobs, have as their priority the pleasing of their political masters"
Refutation: viability is not determined by the whims of politicians; government-owned businesses are to "deliver the goods" & if successful, then are kept alive to continue good service to the citizens.
If that were the case, why is the Health-care system in such a mess in Canada, spending humongous amounts for the very little it really achieves?
6. "[DM] government-owned businesses have always been politically correct but economically disastrous and extremely inefficient."
Refutation: this is true, sometimes, of capitalist government-owned businesses. A DM government will have to do better, if it is to get re-elected for more than a once-in-a-lifetime term.
When the government grabs from the minority to give freebies to the majority, the majority continues to vote for it despite the system being economically disastrous and extremely inefficient (Trump voters seem to be an exception to this general rule).
7. "lawyers keep on fighting with each other in the courts of law to establish what these [myriad of] laws actually imply..."
Refutation: welcome to the real working of society, even under Capitalism. It is not easy to draft perfect laws. When they are ambiguous, then courts must interpret them......good for lawyers (I happen to have been one in Ontario). It will be no different under a DM Government (Nor a Libertarian one, for example - in fact it will be worse, because the Natural Law is the vaguest of laws having to have one set of words apply to galaxies of different situations of dispute).
Everybody can understand the Natural Law very clearly (though lawyers don't like that :-)) .
8. "Only the [DM] government has real access to capital"
Refutation: A DM Government will establish "Capital for Workers Institutions" to lend money for all kinds of worker start-ups (It takes the same view as Libertarianism - capital is needed by workers to continue to provide goods and services for the society).
Good for DM!
9. "they [the DM government] cannot grab enough from those [workers] who actually earn it; the earners gradually become impoverished".
Refutation: The progressive tax law will be fair, and will have been chosen by free election of the citizens. No one will be pushed into bankruptcy through the payment of tax under a progressive system.
There will be many who decide that it is better to be the recipient of freebies, than be a provider of freebies to people you do not even know, leading to impoverishment of the entire society.
10. "they [the DM Government] have to keep on printing lots of it [money], resulting in the currency becoming valueless.....[example:] the Soviet Union and Venezuela (where the circulating money was not matched by growth in GDP)..."
Refutation: A DM government will have no desire to create a basket-case country.
They may not desire it, but their policies will inevitably lead to it, as history has repeatedly shown! You are again trying to defend the indefensible, Bob!
Bob A (DM'er)
Thanks Bob, for trying to explain DM. It will help readers realize, as per the comments in bold italics after each point above, that hardly any goodness can come out of DM (the exception being point no. 8 above). You now have the option of rooting for Libertarianism in a circles within circles system instead, wishing society lots of progress in the right direction...
1. "The [DM] government dictates to its citizens what they can do.....and what they cannot do"
Refutation: DM implements a democratic form of government, based on the rule of law - it does NOT dictate - as an elected government it will pass laws for the common good. If the citizens see it otherwise, they can throw the rascals out in the next multi-party election.
What you are saying is that the DM government will dictate by passing laws! Don't try to hide facts by playing with words, Bob...
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