Senate College: Free Exchange of Ideas or Liberals Cancelling Chicken Sandwiches?

Regarding the general "capitalism is EVIIIIIIIL"

Can I just point out Nordic capitalism? Fantastic public services, small gap between rich and poor, more equal society, universal welfare programs and (in the case of Norway and Sweden) an economy more open and liberalised than the United States.

China pumps its wealth into infrastructure spending, Norway funds generous welfare programs and the US buys a big army.

Blame the decisions of the governments, not the means which created the wealth.

 

I think you're right to bow out now, being as how you know nothing and have probably run out of memes/quotes to use. And when you're lagging behind J-Rod on the "sounding like a bit of a pillock" index, you should quit - so I support your decision.

http://www.economist.com/news/speci...s?zid=293&ah=e50f636873b42369614615ba3c16df4a

Now the axis is looking wonky at both ends. Labour shortages and increases in minimum wages have pushed up manufacturing salaries by a factor of four in the past ten years (see chart). They are now considerably higher in China than in South-East Asia or India. At the same time the rich world’s appetite for imports from China has been kept in check by years of stagnation, and there are now fears that its enthusiasm for free trade may be waning.
This problem faces industrial exporters across the mainland, but it is most acute in the delta. Hourly wages in Guangzhou are about a third higher than the national average. In response, the PRD’s resilient manufacturers are performing a neat pivot. They are shifting some of their manufacturing to cheaper regions nearby, and they are redirecting exports to the huge and growing mainland market. “China 2.0 has emerged,” declares Marshall Fisher of the Wharton Business School. Until about 2010, the region’s labour-intensive factories (which he dubs China 1.0) operated on labour-cost arbitrage. When wages shot up, many pundits predicted a bleak future for the delta, with factories decamping en masse to cheaper places in Asia. Instead, says Mr Fisher, the PRD’s companies diversified and adapted.

high wages, a defined and strong foundation of infrastructure and know-how, and diversification. SUCH EXPLOITATION.

EDIT: DanielUK, you're talking to people who would argue everyone should buy the Big Issue but themselves don't and won't. The kinds of people who would vocally support Corbyn without reading that manifesto. Nuance has no place here. Nor do facts. It's all about taking a trendy position into an echo chamber and trying to out blue steel the other "radicals" there.

 

Is it just me or is this thread a lot more entertaining when it's not actually about the thread topic?

 

This isn't debate club. There are no points (but if there were I'd presently be winning, it looks like). It's not a competition. I said a thing. Some people agreed with that thing. You--the exploitation enabler that you are--did not. Which was not unexpected. So. Yeah. I'm "bowing out" until I feel like saying some more things.

 

You said a thing that was breathtakingly stupid, as you are wont to do. You did no research on this point. It's basically idiotic copypasta. You're a transparently derivative living meme, and because you played to emotion it resonated (or, in other words you read the back cover of the populist's guide to populism, and gave it a try). Also, if you played to facts you wouldn't sound like a rampaging spanner but you probably wouldn't tug at heart strings either. And not in the "this is a legitimate outrage" way. In the "your dead dad loved the Filet-o-Fish too!" kind of way.

Given this is broadly how your country elected Trump, it explains why Americans are in such a sorry state on questions of basic equality, basic services and an actual functioning society; but also conversely why we've seen global inequality and poverty drastically reduced by people who know what they're doing.

 

The US is basically Italy with nuclear weapons and poor taste in fashion.

This thread got more entertaining, when the author unknowingly sided with the Left.

 

Oh there's also a lot of fascist economics in there too. He just went full on protectionist. No pretenses to the contrary.

 

Well, most fascist economic thought, particularly the BUF, was Marxist at the core with a very strong dose of xenophobia and nationalism. But, that topic point is likely to start the mother of all political fights on JCC.

 

Eh, yes and no. You have to remember they might have those centrally planned aspects but were scared silly of Marxists touching their bottom.

Like J-Rod.

 

Love the last bit - and why not? We've already invoked Stalin and Hitler, may as well throw Saddam into the mix. Likely to be accurate too.

 

Ender Sai. Man. Lol! a star war hits you in the head with a club. You respond by surgically removing her heart with a scalpel so sharp it doesn't even leave a scar. Then proceed to eat the heart. And you still lost on points...?

Lots of reading. You and I have butted heads a million times. And I know better than to suggest my own home grown education is as effective or complete as yours. It ain't. I've spent the first 23 years of my life digging a hole that I would spend much of the rest of my life fixing. Yet somehow I'm still the most successful member of my family and as such been blessed with the responsibility to help them keep their heads above water as well.

My point? I've spent much more time with a sword and shield in my hand than a pen and paper. A curious mind and a willingness to learn has helped me gain a level of knowledge that is, frankly, above that of many of my peers.

And that's why I come here. To be challenged. I enjoy it. Especially when it can remain logical and not personal.

My ideas, expressed in the last several pages, had specific goals.

1) Level the global playing field for workers and for corporations that stayed in the US.

2) I'd like to see Corporate America behave more responsibly as they do business outside the US. And while I understand that a livable wage in developing countries is much less than in the the First World, to the company paying that wage, the parity disappears. They get to create hardships in the US while taking advantage of a lack of health, safety, pay and environmental regulations in many of those other countries.

One of the few complaints about the US I can't effectively counter is the behavior of Corporate America around the world. This would correct that.

 

We'll still make a leftist out of you!

 

Well, he is advocating corporatism currently instead of socialism. Still has a long way to go, before he becomes a card-carrying socialist party member...

 

Thank you, Daniel.

 

Maybe this is how the thread ends. J-Rod tearfully embraces socialism and the spirit of Marx appears to him...

 

I believe that even Ender admits that Marx's analysis was flawless, even if he disagrees with his proposed solutions.

 

That kind of made me shudder. Lol!

 

Haha, but you'd be surprised at the number of conservatives I've seen eventually tolerating if not outright embracing Marxist viewpoints! Especially Christian working-class folks!

 

Well, there were plenty of commentators who said Trump's inauguration speech was Marxist.

 

Yeah, and that Obama was born in Kenya. Dumb people are dime a dozen, what else is new.

 

Weirder things have happened.

Remember when Espaldapalabras showed up one day going "Yeah I'm an atheist now."

 

Remember when that 9 year old angry catholic converted to an angry scientist? What was that kids name.

 

That's like the JCC's version of the angel Moroni appearing before Joseph Smith. J-Rodder Day Saints.