8 Bit Philosophy: Is The American Dream A Sham?

[Strazdas]

its always been a sham. an idea sold to people so they would work had for your profits and complain less.

Amusing how it's basically an Authoritarian/Socialist dictatorship in China that is making a perfect example of the ills of Capitalism.

Yeah, the American/Western style capitalism SUCKS. But there's an honesty to it that you just don't find elsewhere, and there's a chance it'll be fixed before it implodes.

not really conidering that China is capitalist dictatorship with a fancy title. Its as much socialist as Soviet union was communist - that is in name only.

you cant fix capitalism. capitalism is broken as a concept.

You can argue about how close China is to your idea of socialism, but to say that it's not socialist is... well, frankly it's like saying that Mormon's aren't Christian. They're Christians - just not the mainstream Christians. And trying to call it a CAPITALIST dictatorship is a just a step away from utter insanity. It's barely capitalistic right now - maybe in 20 years it will be a point of legitimate debate, but right now China is still a country where a single party - the Communist Party of China - has essentially absolute power over the nation and everything in it and is merely allowing people (the "correct" people for the most part) to run aspects of the economy they are willing to be run with less oversight than other area's. And if the CPC decides that something needs to come back under CPC direct control there is little to nothing that can be done to stop it.

At best, China is trying on a Capitalist shoes to see if it's worth buying the rest of the outfit. That is the depth of the capitalism in China right now - superficial and non-committal.

It is a dictatorship because as you say a single party is ruling the country and its leader is a doctator. the fact that the party likes to call itself silly names is irrelevant. the mere fact that the party has absolute power is in direct contradiction to communism.

Now, china is very heavily capitalistic. vast majority of transactions that happen there are based on capitalism principles and thats why companies move capital there - its capitalism with less socialistic needs.

And yes, CPC being a dictatorship is what makes them able to nationalize anything.

China is more capitalist than most western countries.

And I know... "dictatorship" you will say well I agree but its a lot easier to have a dictatorship in a communist goverment, way easier they just lower the salaries of everyone else and the party members rise their own. *Bam* there you go is that easy since they control most of the economy not the private people, since there is not a private property sector.

It is impossible to have a dictatorship in communist government because dictaotrships are in direct contradiction to communism.

 

[Antidragon4185]

My ancestors were Belgium and germen immigrants who fled WWI and the German economic collapse that came later. They were destitute when they arrived. My (paternal) great grandfather managed to start a farm, and it provided a livelihood good enough for my farther to go into law school.

He's now a lawyer who represents employee interest.

I don't care how many cynical pessimists or textbook philosophers say that upward mobility is a sham; my family experienced it first hand, and it is very, VERY real.

 

[Antidragon4185]

The American Dream is the epitome of the lie that is capitalism. Work hard and it can all be yours? how exactly? are you going to pay the nurses, firemen, police, teachers, sewage workers, street cleaners, garbage men, construction workers, farmers etc $150,000pa? the people society needs to function are poor and the people who grease the wheels of capitalism like bankers, hedge fund managers and stock brokers are given in a one years bonus what a ER nurse will earn in their career.

Speaking as someone whose family had directly benefited from hard work and gained upward mobility, I find this claim hard to believe. Especially since my Grandfather is one of the "poor" people (he owns a farm on the outskirts of Milwaukee) And my father is one of the "rich" ones (A lawyer for MichaelBest&Friedrich) How would you explain two people from the same family occupying both the demographics you just mentioned?

The number of times you see human advancement held back because it would cost to much, or there's no profit in it, money is an idiotic human invention and it will probably be the death of us.

I'm sorry, but I don't think you've thought this through.

-Money is a store of value, (the value of goods deteriorate many times faster than currency inflates)
-Money allows for there to be a standard market value (there would be no price tags, and establishing a value to goods would be mush harder.)
-Money removes the need for a double coincidence in every transaction you make. (I.E You grow apples for a living, and you really REALLY need coats for the winter, but the person who sells coats HATES apples and wont accept what you offer.)

Honestly, if you get rid of money, the poor would suffer far more than the rich; the rich have trade routes and connections established, whereas buying a load of groceries would be nearly impossible.

 

[martyrdrebel27]

EVERYBODY! the picture put up right at the start when he says "white picket fence" is from an NES game called Deja Vu. it was kinda like a lucas arts adventure game, but different... i dunno, hard to explain, but it was super fun and i think it might be kinda obscure, and i was super excited to see it used, and i wanted to share that.