Atomik's Philosophy
 

How many others shared that philosophy on a perfect society before reading the book? I did. And I berate myself every day for not working harder to bend my life and others' towards that Utopia-like state. So... post!

barnaby36

Actually, I found it kind of funny that Superion was basically forcing that kind of idealic society on people by giving them a figurehead blindly follow and the only one who wasn't affected is is Sparky. All I can really agree upon, because of the limited information about his project, is that the world would be a better place if people weren't such assholes and were motivated to do what they love instead of trying to make money. Though for many people those are the same thing. I also like the idea of using our high-speed communication systems for a direct democracy, but there must be some kind of check in system to prevent fraud and non-citizens from messing it up. I disagree with the Prof for giving him a C. He didn't say design a workable system of government.

Well it wouldn't work for the same reason communism dosn't work, Greed. So no, I never really had that or any philosophy on a more perfect society...

Actually, one of the main reasons communism doesn't work is that not everyone is as equal as we make them out to be. And they certainly aren't equal in talents arbituarily assigned to them.

barnaby36

I thought the reason Communism didn't work was because the philosphy is "Everyone is Equal except leaders, who are Superior(tm).

Pretty much, the proletariats/ bourgeoisie hierarchy was simply replaced with a government members/citizen hierarchy, and became a totalitarian regime. It may have worked out if Lenin lived longer, but that is just my speculation.

Actually, the reason communism doesn't work is because there is no personal motivation. Capitalism has succeeded the way it has because people know, "There will be direct and personal consequences to me if I don't meet the minimum standard of performance I have agreed to." Human self-interest (not greed, not selfishness - self-interest) is the most dependable thing in sociology.

Well, they almost had a closer form of communism before Stalin took over. Of course, that growth of communism allowed Stalin to come to power in the first place. In general, communism is a highly unstable form of government because if just one person doesn't subscribe, whole heartedly, to the basic principle (that everyone should work hard for the good of the whole regardless of the self) then the system collapses.

Not just one person, I think, but a portion that is still pretty small but nevertheless unsustainable. I mean, even Keynesian welfare capitalism can support a lot of people who don't subscribe to the principle that everyone should work hard (for their own good, of course, but motivations are usually irrelevant in the grand scheme of things).

A communist system can support many people who don't subscribe to the principle, but for how long?

Imagine Commrad Bob and Commrad O'Brianskysonsmithstein are working on a communal farm and one day Commrad Bob realizes that even if he doesn't work so hard he will get the same reward. So, he doesn't work hard, ever again. Week after week, month after month, Commrad O'Brianskysonsmithstein sees Commrad Bob sitting under a shade of a nearby tree while he, the good little communist, toils away in the fields. How long will Commrad O'Brianskysonsmithstein put up with the unfairness of it all? Soon, we wont work so hard either. It is a chain reaction, eventually corrupting the entire system (and that is what we like to call a slippery slope, though perhaps not too slippery)