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Anything written about "Ending Capitalism" will remain speculative fiction for the foreseeable future. Capitalism has become humanity's majority religion--peopl

Anything written about "Ending Capitalism" will remain speculative fiction for the foreseeable future. Capitalism has become humanity's majority religion--people believe in it almost without question. Ending capitalism as about as likely as ending Christianity or ending Islam. I don't think it's possible to have enough utopian fiction to cause us even envision ending it.

worldsayshi 2y ago
I think we can't see past because we rely on it for how we live today. But if that reliance went away we would drop it in a heartbeat. Like imagine if we suddenly got access to replicator technology. Why would we need to care about the stock market? No more factories or shipping, just throw in your old bike and get a new back. Not saying that this is a likely scenario, but there's a sliding scale of far-fetchedness between having replicators and having no difference from today that Sci-fi can explore.
- ryandrake 2y ago
  If someone suddenly invented the Star Trek replicator, it would be instantly outlawed. The entirety of Corporate America would dump $ billions into lobbying for the harshest possible penalties for producing, selling, owning, or using one.
  - indoordin0saur 2y ago
    But the corporation who invented the replicator would have trillions and would theoretically be able to out lobby them.
    - ryandrake 2y ago
      I supposed we'd reach the inevitable equilibrium: Corporations are allowed to use and profit from replicators, but individual people are not.
      - worldsayshi 2y ago
        Eventually replicators that can make other replicators would get invented and then who can or would care to enforce those laws?
        ryandrake 2y ago
        Everyone has access to the "copy / cp" commands, yet the USA to this day criminalizes its use on certain digital files, at the behest of the (relatively small) Copyright Industry. I have no doubt that a working "copy, but for physical stuff" would be criminalized in the same way, this time with massive physical goods industries pushing for legislation. Enforcement would be draconian.
        indoordin0saur 2y ago
        > Enforcement would be draconian. Or at least some industry advocacy group would resurrect the "You wouldn't download a car!" ad campaign.
        deleted 2y ago
        [deleted]
  - worldsayshi 2y ago
    If it was an almost-replicator big corps would mass produce it and sell it. If it was an actual replicator that can also make other replicators you'd only need a few of them before anyone can get one from their neighbour.
    - deleted 2y ago
      [deleted]

worldsayshi 2y ago

I think we can't see past because we rely on it for how we live today. But if that reliance went away we would drop it in a heartbeat. Like imagine if we suddenly got access to replicator technology. Why would we need to care about the stock market? No more factories or shipping, just throw in your old bike and get a new back. Not saying that this is a likely scenario, but there's a sliding scale of far-fetchedness between having replicators and having no difference from today that Sci-fi can explore.

ryandrake 2y ago
If someone suddenly invented the Star Trek replicator, it would be instantly outlawed. The entirety of Corporate America would dump $ billions into lobbying for the harshest possible penalties for producing, selling, owning, or using one.
- indoordin0saur 2y ago
  But the corporation who invented the replicator would have trillions and would theoretically be able to out lobby them.
  - ryandrake 2y ago
    I supposed we'd reach the inevitable equilibrium: Corporations are allowed to use and profit from replicators, but individual people are not.
    - worldsayshi 2y ago
      Eventually replicators that can make other replicators would get invented and then who can or would care to enforce those laws?
      - ryandrake 2y ago
        Everyone has access to the "copy / cp" commands, yet the USA to this day criminalizes its use on certain digital files, at the behest of the (relatively small) Copyright Industry. I have no doubt that a working "copy, but for physical stuff" would be criminalized in the same way, this time with massive physical goods industries pushing for legislation. Enforcement would be draconian.
        indoordin0saur 2y ago
        > Enforcement would be draconian. Or at least some industry advocacy group would resurrect the "You wouldn't download a car!" ad campaign.
      - deleted 2y ago
        [deleted]
- worldsayshi 2y ago
  If it was an almost-replicator big corps would mass produce it and sell it. If it was an actual replicator that can also make other replicators you'd only need a few of them before anyone can get one from their neighbour.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]