4 ms·
> Many libraries in the US come from the hypercapitalist era of robber barons. They predate the word "capitalism". They predate the idea that there could even e
by hathchip 3y ago
> Many libraries in the US come from the hypercapitalist era of robber barons. They predate the word "capitalism". They predate the idea that there could even exist something other than capitalism.
It is very, very easy to check that this isn't true.
Capitalism was described and critiqued as such since the mid-1800s. The Communist Manifesto, published in 1848, is certainly no older than "the idea that there could even exist something other than capitalism".
Very few public libraries in the US are older than this, and the era of 'robber barons' took place after this (1860 or 1870 to 1900 or 1910).
- memefrog 3y agoThe issue is not when MOST public libraries were established but when "public libraries", as a concept, was established. So-called "capitalism" (a purely propagandistic word) has existed as long as there have existed pairs of persons A and B such that A has some X and B has some Y and A desires Y more than X and B desires X more than Y. The natural thing to do here is exchange X and Y, satisfying both A and B. We didnt need a name for "the economic system where trade is allowed" until a few insane people suggested that all trade should go through a government middleman and lack of consent should be ignored.