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I support this, and I'm a rabid leftist. Things should cost what they cost. The only time government should interfere with pricing is to force companies to pric

I support this, and I'm a rabid leftist. Things should cost what they cost. The only time government should interfere with pricing is to force companies to price in externalities.

daveslash 7y ago
"I'm a rabid leftist". I appreciate your candor, but if you think "things should cost what they cost", then you're not nearly as rabid as many of the rabid leftists that I've encountered.
- scoobyyabbadoo 7y ago
  I think what is left and right have been evolving since the 60s. Leftism is being fought over now between anarcho-capitalists vs labor while the right is being fought over between big business vs nationalists.
  - kazinator 7y ago
    What is left and right has been misunderstood in evolving ways since the 60's anti-intellectualism set in.
    - jfengel 7y ago
      "Left" and "right" have been pretty arbitrary ever since the French Estates General set up their seating plan with monarchists on the right and republicans on the left. That fight, like all fights before and since, was really divided along multiple axes with overlapping but not identical motivations. I don't think there's a single thing to be misunderstood, so much as a rough analogy between many different kinds of political battles. Anti-intellectualism does seem to present a kind of newish element to that fight, though I suspect it's always been present in various guises. (I will say that I'm particularly unhappy with the version of it that has dominated for the past 30 years or so.)
      - kazinator 7y ago
        Left and right is not really useful. The issue is that there are multiple degrees of state control. But state control comes in more than one flavor. States want either to control what everyone thinks, or to own the economic output of all individuals, or some combination of these two. The state control axis is the most relevant, and its endpoints can't be labeled left or right.
        orthecreedence 7y ago
        Right, among leftists, some want an absolute state authority controlling all aspects of the economy, and some want absolutely no government at all. The common denominator is the socialization of the means of production (for whatever that means to different people). Left/right is kind of a stupid spectrum because it's essentially compressing a great deal of dimensionality into a single dimension. And not even that, but "left" in the US means "higher taxes" where to the rest of the world it means "abolish private property and money." > The state control axis is the most relevant That's like saying "I think color is the most important aspect of art." I think different things are more important to different people, subjectively. That said, given where I land on this political compass (https://www.politicalcompass.org/analysis2?ec=-9.0&soc=-6.62 https://www.politicalcompass.org/analysis2?ec=-9.0&soc=-6.62) I'd say I do share your views on state control being important.
- orthecreedence 7y ago
  Oh, no. Don't get me wrong: I'm a communist. But in the current system, I would rather costs not be subsidized. In fact, I think costs should incorporate much more than the pricing system currently allows (pollution, recyclability, etc).
  - literallycancer 7y ago
    From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs. The aliexpress sellers need the cheaper shipping rates to be able to compete, wouldn't you say?
    - orthecreedence 7y ago
      Shipping rates? As in exchanging money for shipping? There's no money in communism.
- deleted 7y ago
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lordnacho 7y ago
That does not sound like a rabid leftist? - You don't want rent control? - I guess whatever non-Pigouvian portion of tax/subsidy is also out of bounds?
- whatshisface 7y ago
  Handing people money to pay for rent would be an equally leftist alternative to setting prices, you can be a leftist without being authoritarian.
- x2f10 7y ago
  Not every person fits into a political bucket. Please do not bait politics here.
  - lordnacho 7y ago
    There's no baiting here. The guy says he's very leftie, but says something that sounds the opposite. I was curious.
    - orthecreedence 7y ago
      Don't confuse "leftism" for "authoritarian" or "welfare capitalism." I advocate neither.
      - lordnacho 7y ago
        I think it's the word "rabid" that carries a certain cartoonish meaning. But I don't think I mentioned authoritarianism.
        orthecreedence 7y ago
        > I think it's the word "rabid" that carries a certain cartoonish meaning It does, I agree =]
- orthecreedence 7y ago

I support this, and I'm a rabid leftist. Things should cost what they cost. The only time government should interfere with pricing is to force companies to price in externalities.

daveslash 7y ago

"I'm a rabid leftist". I appreciate your candor, but if you think "things should cost what they cost", then you're not nearly as rabid as many of the rabid leftists that I've encountered.

scoobyyabbadoo 7y ago
I think what is left and right have been evolving since the 60s. Leftism is being fought over now between anarcho-capitalists vs labor while the right is being fought over between big business vs nationalists.
- kazinator 7y ago
  What is left and right has been misunderstood in evolving ways since the 60's anti-intellectualism set in.
  - jfengel 7y ago
    "Left" and "right" have been pretty arbitrary ever since the French Estates General set up their seating plan with monarchists on the right and republicans on the left. That fight, like all fights before and since, was really divided along multiple axes with overlapping but not identical motivations. I don't think there's a single thing to be misunderstood, so much as a rough analogy between many different kinds of political battles. Anti-intellectualism does seem to present a kind of newish element to that fight, though I suspect it's always been present in various guises. (I will say that I'm particularly unhappy with the version of it that has dominated for the past 30 years or so.)
    - kazinator 7y ago
      Left and right is not really useful. The issue is that there are multiple degrees of state control. But state control comes in more than one flavor. States want either to control what everyone thinks, or to own the economic output of all individuals, or some combination of these two. The state control axis is the most relevant, and its endpoints can't be labeled left or right.
      - orthecreedence 7y ago
        Right, among leftists, some want an absolute state authority controlling all aspects of the economy, and some want absolutely no government at all. The common denominator is the socialization of the means of production (for whatever that means to different people). Left/right is kind of a stupid spectrum because it's essentially compressing a great deal of dimensionality into a single dimension. And not even that, but "left" in the US means "higher taxes" where to the rest of the world it means "abolish private property and money." > The state control axis is the most relevant That's like saying "I think color is the most important aspect of art." I think different things are more important to different people, subjectively. That said, given where I land on this political compass (https://www.politicalcompass.org/analysis2?ec=-9.0&soc=-6.62 https://www.politicalcompass.org/analysis2?ec=-9.0&soc=-6.62) I'd say I do share your views on state control being important.
orthecreedence 7y ago
Oh, no. Don't get me wrong: I'm a communist. But in the current system, I would rather costs not be subsidized. In fact, I think costs should incorporate much more than the pricing system currently allows (pollution, recyclability, etc).
- literallycancer 7y ago
  From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs. The aliexpress sellers need the cheaper shipping rates to be able to compete, wouldn't you say?
  - orthecreedence 7y ago
    Shipping rates? As in exchanging money for shipping? There's no money in communism.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

lordnacho 7y ago

That does not sound like a rabid leftist? - You don't want rent control? - I guess whatever non-Pigouvian portion of tax/subsidy is also out of bounds?

whatshisface 7y ago
Handing people money to pay for rent would be an equally leftist alternative to setting prices, you can be a leftist without being authoritarian.
x2f10 7y ago
Not every person fits into a political bucket. Please do not bait politics here.
- lordnacho 7y ago
  There's no baiting here. The guy says he's very leftie, but says something that sounds the opposite. I was curious.
  - orthecreedence 7y ago
    Don't confuse "leftism" for "authoritarian" or "welfare capitalism." I advocate neither.
    - lordnacho 7y ago
      I think it's the word "rabid" that carries a certain cartoonish meaning. But I don't think I mentioned authoritarianism.
      - orthecreedence 7y ago
        > I think it's the word "rabid" that carries a certain cartoonish meaning It does, I agree =]
orthecreedence 7y ago