5 ms·

My local library has even made a tech push, not just with computers available, but also has a couple of 3D printers and offers classes on using them. Or you can

My local library has even made a tech push, not just with computers available, but also has a couple of 3D printers and offers classes on using them. Or you can bring in finished .STL files for printing, for the cost of the material used.

pbhjpbhj 8y ago
Is this in USA, how does state provision of such services pair with USAmerican hatred of communism? Libraries, tool-shares, hackerspaces and such seem to be the epitomy of communism.
- st26 8y ago
  It's the co-op model, which USA generally has no problems with as long as it's elective, e.g. you aren't forced to depend on it.
  - pbhjpbhj 8y ago
    It's different to a co-op model as you don't have to individually buy in, it's provided as a function of the state, no? Are their commonly private [non-state run] libraries in USA that you can become a member of, I'd guess not, which makes your claim about election/forced dependency seem strange (in context, though it might work more generally).
    - st26 8y ago
      Yes, it's a little bit different than a regular co-op, but: 1) it's paid for mostly by your local government, not the federal government, so there's some self-determination. 2) You can get your books there, but you don't have to get your books there, and you can still have your own collection.
- zbentley 8y ago
  Because a lot of the anti-communist sentiment in the US tends to be directed at communism-the-system-of-government as epitomized by several present and past countries (i.e. it's more of a nation-vs-nation dislike of communism--you can see that even in the nationalistic rhetoric the was laced through McCarthyist media). Meanwhile, many US citizens, even conservative ones, enjoy and endorse some ideals that are communitarian or were popularized under communist societies (state-endorsed curricula, vaccination/healthcare/drug treatment, and more). A lot of people like to decry that as hypocrisy, but I see it simply as a difference in perception/definitions of communism instead. I find both viewpoints in myself. I think it's important to be able to pick and choose tactics and governance techniques without committing a state to a heavily ideological philosophy of order. Not that I think the US is currently doing too great a job at either of those.
- 0xcde4c3db 8y ago
  Reflexive hatred of socialism/communism has been on the way out for a while. The Cold War has been over for decades, and so there's a lot less national interest in demonizing the USSR and its policies; that stuff is now endemic to a narrower political circle. Even if that weren't the case, it arguably never really applied to local shared spaces like libraries, churches, schools, and so on. None of that stuff looks like our idea of a Soviet-style command economy to anyone except the most zealous anticommunist crusaders.
- dominotw 8y ago
  US has one of the highest spend on social services in the world/citizen.
- flyinghamster 8y ago
  Communism? When did communism enter the picture? This is in Illinois; the public library district is primarily funded by local taxes within its service area, and referenda on such were passed on multiple occasions. Some state and federal grants have also funded tech improvements. Its current land was purchased from the local school district in the 1970s. Overall, regardless of today's bullshit political climate on the national level, there's a great deal of local civic pride here. The local government (which is separate from the library district) runs a balanced budget, the municipally-owned water system charges significantly lower rates than a neighboring town's privately-owned water system even though both of them get their water from Chicago, and the village has (when it made sense to do so) entered into electrical power purchase agreements that have resulted in lower electrical rates for residents. There's also a long tradition of reusing civic buildings; the village hall is a former school building, and the original fire station became the police station when the fire district expanded to three stations to deal with the town's growth.
  - pbhjpbhj 8y ago
    Libraries are inherently anti-capitalist; they make knowledge available to all regardless of ability to pay. A system of community ownership of resources in order to benefit all members is the definition of "communist": that's where it enters the picture. >the municipally-owned water system charges significantly lower rates than a neighboring town's privately-owned water system // Which, as far as stereotypes goes at least, is "un-American, are you some sort of commie?" because it's a cooperative governmental system in which state ownership reduces costs and prevents a private enterprise from profiting from it. Some interesting answers, including yours, thanks.
    - int_19h 8y ago
      > A system of community ownership of resources in order to benefit all members is the definition of "communist" The definition of socialism is shared ownership of the means of production. A public park isn't socialism. A nationalized industry is. The definition of communism is socialism + post-scarcity, ostensibly making economic classes redundant.

pbhjpbhj 8y ago

Is this in USA, how does state provision of such services pair with USAmerican hatred of communism? Libraries, tool-shares, hackerspaces and such seem to be the epitomy of communism.

st26 8y ago
It's the co-op model, which USA generally has no problems with as long as it's elective, e.g. you aren't forced to depend on it.
- pbhjpbhj 8y ago
  It's different to a co-op model as you don't have to individually buy in, it's provided as a function of the state, no? Are their commonly private [non-state run] libraries in USA that you can become a member of, I'd guess not, which makes your claim about election/forced dependency seem strange (in context, though it might work more generally).
  - st26 8y ago
    Yes, it's a little bit different than a regular co-op, but: 1) it's paid for mostly by your local government, not the federal government, so there's some self-determination. 2) You can get your books there, but you don't have to get your books there, and you can still have your own collection.
zbentley 8y ago
Because a lot of the anti-communist sentiment in the US tends to be directed at communism-the-system-of-government as epitomized by several present and past countries (i.e. it's more of a nation-vs-nation dislike of communism--you can see that even in the nationalistic rhetoric the was laced through McCarthyist media). Meanwhile, many US citizens, even conservative ones, enjoy and endorse some ideals that are communitarian or were popularized under communist societies (state-endorsed curricula, vaccination/healthcare/drug treatment, and more). A lot of people like to decry that as hypocrisy, but I see it simply as a difference in perception/definitions of communism instead. I find both viewpoints in myself. I think it's important to be able to pick and choose tactics and governance techniques without committing a state to a heavily ideological philosophy of order. Not that I think the US is currently doing too great a job at either of those.
0xcde4c3db 8y ago
Reflexive hatred of socialism/communism has been on the way out for a while. The Cold War has been over for decades, and so there's a lot less national interest in demonizing the USSR and its policies; that stuff is now endemic to a narrower political circle. Even if that weren't the case, it arguably never really applied to local shared spaces like libraries, churches, schools, and so on. None of that stuff looks like our idea of a Soviet-style command economy to anyone except the most zealous anticommunist crusaders.
dominotw 8y ago
US has one of the highest spend on social services in the world/citizen.
flyinghamster 8y ago
Communism? When did communism enter the picture? This is in Illinois; the public library district is primarily funded by local taxes within its service area, and referenda on such were passed on multiple occasions. Some state and federal grants have also funded tech improvements. Its current land was purchased from the local school district in the 1970s. Overall, regardless of today's bullshit political climate on the national level, there's a great deal of local civic pride here. The local government (which is separate from the library district) runs a balanced budget, the municipally-owned water system charges significantly lower rates than a neighboring town's privately-owned water system even though both of them get their water from Chicago, and the village has (when it made sense to do so) entered into electrical power purchase agreements that have resulted in lower electrical rates for residents. There's also a long tradition of reusing civic buildings; the village hall is a former school building, and the original fire station became the police station when the fire district expanded to three stations to deal with the town's growth.
- pbhjpbhj 8y ago
  Libraries are inherently anti-capitalist; they make knowledge available to all regardless of ability to pay. A system of community ownership of resources in order to benefit all members is the definition of "communist": that's where it enters the picture. >the municipally-owned water system charges significantly lower rates than a neighboring town's privately-owned water system // Which, as far as stereotypes goes at least, is "un-American, are you some sort of commie?" because it's a cooperative governmental system in which state ownership reduces costs and prevents a private enterprise from profiting from it. Some interesting answers, including yours, thanks.
  - int_19h 8y ago
    > A system of community ownership of resources in order to benefit all members is the definition of "communist" The definition of socialism is shared ownership of the means of production. A public park isn't socialism. A nationalized industry is. The definition of communism is socialism + post-scarcity, ostensibly making economic classes redundant.