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Anyone who knows that an industry is uneconomic, but wants the gov to own and run the industry, just to lose taxpayer money and pay wages to his union is a comm

Anyone who knows that an industry is uneconomic, but wants the gov to own and run the industry, just to lose taxpayer money and pay wages to his union is a communist. (The barrier for gov ownership is slightly lower than a capitalist, because the gov has to pay transitory unemployment benefit to those put out of work, and it was still not economic). Actually, that person is not just a small-c communist interested in the community, but a big-C Marxist, who wants the gov to lose money for his selfish reasons. Are you perhaps, tentatively, obliquely, hinting, in a roundabout fashion, with elliptical prose, that Arthur Scargill was not a communist..... fascinating. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Scargill#Socialist_Labour_Party_and_retirement https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Scargill#Socialist_Labo...

defrost 3y ago
Riiiiight. (yawn). Have you ever done any manual work for a living? Worked with any miners in trade unions? Met any actual communists? Maybe worked in Rio Tinto as a labour negotiator? Some of that might help you sound more grounded an less disconnected from the world as it is. Scargill was a commnist in his youth, he veered elsewhere on the left later in life - but more to the point here, Scargill was not the trade union, he was a single human being. Not all miners in trade unions are communist, far from it; and not all actual communists are miners (likely very few), we're in a world of Venn diagrams here and broad reductionist brush strokes don't achieve much beyond polarisation
- mikhailfranco 3y ago
  Are you talking about profitable RIO mines? Then there is an argument to be had about how those profits are split between shareholders, workers (incl managers), and the national gov in royalties. Off-topic and this margin too small ... etc. But that was not the case in the British coal industry in the 1980s. Only a handful of marginal mines survived into the 2000s. The last coal-fired power stations will close this year. No profits, no discussion (except the offer I mentioned above, which is the only true test of whether it is really profitable, on a risk-adjusted basis, judged by those with the most information).
  - mistrial9 3y ago
    maybe the particular case you state is accurate - no idea here. But a summary report after the COP 28 event in December stated clearly that there will be no policy action to stop coal extraction and use. It is my understanding that very large "modern" economies in various parts of the world are absolutely continuing. Profit and loss can be gamed. Old generals always fight the previous wars.
walthamstow 3y ago
> Anyone who knows that an industry is uneconomic, but wants the gov to own and run the industry, just to lose taxpayer money and pay wages to his union is a communist Doesn't this also apply to public transport, roads, waste collection, education, and most other public goods?

defrost 3y ago

Riiiiight. (yawn). Have you ever done any manual work for a living? Worked with any miners in trade unions? Met any actual communists? Maybe worked in Rio Tinto as a labour negotiator? Some of that might help you sound more grounded an less disconnected from the world as it is. Scargill was a commnist in his youth, he veered elsewhere on the left later in life - but more to the point here, Scargill was not the trade union, he was a single human being. Not all miners in trade unions are communist, far from it; and not all actual communists are miners (likely very few), we're in a world of Venn diagrams here and broad reductionist brush strokes don't achieve much beyond polarisation

mikhailfranco 3y ago
Are you talking about profitable RIO mines? Then there is an argument to be had about how those profits are split between shareholders, workers (incl managers), and the national gov in royalties. Off-topic and this margin too small ... etc. But that was not the case in the British coal industry in the 1980s. Only a handful of marginal mines survived into the 2000s. The last coal-fired power stations will close this year. No profits, no discussion (except the offer I mentioned above, which is the only true test of whether it is really profitable, on a risk-adjusted basis, judged by those with the most information).
- mistrial9 3y ago
  maybe the particular case you state is accurate - no idea here. But a summary report after the COP 28 event in December stated clearly that there will be no policy action to stop coal extraction and use. It is my understanding that very large "modern" economies in various parts of the world are absolutely continuing. Profit and loss can be gamed. Old generals always fight the previous wars.

walthamstow 3y ago

> Anyone who knows that an industry is uneconomic, but wants the gov to own and run the industry, just to lose taxpayer money and pay wages to his union is a communist Doesn't this also apply to public transport, roads, waste collection, education, and most other public goods?