A friend steeped in Anti-Capitalism/Communism/National Democracy/Socialism
Had a walk and talk with a friend from the neighborhood. He’s a great guy, and I love the guy. But man, everytime I walk with him, I feel like I’m steeped into a lecture about Communism and why capitalism is the root of all evil. Lecture because he has a lot to say about it, and less of an open dialogue because it’s mostly him who’s talking. But if you’re reading this man, I don’t blame you, and I’m not trying to be rude. I’m just honestly saying that you’re hard selling the solution to the plight of Filipinos to me.
I’m not against you, but I’m not sure your opinions and the overall theory of communism is correct.
Take the following as my defense against Communism (because that’s the basic philosophy)
- Animal Farm: where the pigs who overthrew the farmer became the farmers themselves.
- My grandfather, a former farmer, turned Communist, and then left the communists in the community because he realized it was stupid. “Ano bang ginagawa ko sa buhay ko? Sabi ng ama ko: kung mamatay ka, ako nalang ang papatay sayo.” — Tatay Tacio
- “Buti kung lahat may chance maging CEO" I think that’s a pretty erroneous thought experiment if you take it as: oh why don’t we take the intern and make him CEO for the day?
There is a reason, why people are in positions of power, usually because they deserve it, and sometimes because they took it by unethical means.
But I really think you’re taking on the problems of the world on your shoulders instead of working on yourself.
You say that capitalism causes all this strife. But you haven’t let me explain the theory of the dominance hierarchy.
It’s not that I don’t care for the workingman. But I think that toppling the ruling class is
#1 untenable unless you truly create a communications system for all the underpaid workers to overthrow the “top" whoever that is (how do you define top even? Because it seems that in your worldview whoever is on top got there and is now lazy and not doing the “real work" ex: the analogy of NBA owners, who aren’t doing the playing but getting most of the money, but you realize: they take the RISK of owning the enterprise. Therefore, they lose more in monetary proportion vs if their players lose. It’s the principal Agent problem. Yes they’re not doing the manual work, but they’re doing the knowledge work.
#2 even if the Philippine farmers and mechanics hypothetically overthrew the ruling class and killed all of them, what happens? French Revolution stuff man. Same shit, different people at the top. How is bloody revolution the long term solution?
To conclude, I’m pretty pro-capitalism, in the sense that you can and should accumulate wealth. I’m anti unethical labor practices of course. But I’m not going to say that free markets should be abolished. What’s the standard for excess and who sets that, another form of government? Most of what you enjoy is a product of capitalism and the free markets. I can only fully respect your position and beliefs if you do renounce your lifestyle in favor of becoming and commiting to be a true socialist without the things you enjoy now.
In the meantime, unless I see you fully commit, then I can respect your position and stance.
Finally,
Working isn’t bad. And I don’t think you working for a company is bad either. Everyone starts at the bottom. Some people die. Some people stay at the bottom forever.
Equality of opportunity I can take. It’s equality of outcome that I find absurd.
