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Nihilism is useless. We've made enormous progress since the first human stepped on this planet so I would say we've disproven nihilism for good. Modern governme

by oblio 1y ago

Nihilism is useless. We've made enormous progress since the first human stepped on this planet so I would say we've disproven nihilism for good. Modern governments are definitely not purely tools for the owner class to enrich themselves.

fooblaster 1y ago
He's talking about the trump administration, not making a general point about all governments.
- squigz 1y ago
  GP made no indication it was about this specific administration and not about government in principle.
  - tobr 1y ago
    It’s abundantly clear from context.
    - andrewflnr 1y ago
      I don't think it was. Certainly that's a position that people have held since long before Trump.
      - fuzzer371 1y ago
        [flagged]
        andrewflnr 1y ago
        I might just be arguing to argue, but it did read to me like "nothing has really changed"-style cynicism. (I don't personally agree, but that's a different question.)
rixed 1y ago
I don't see the contradiction between the two propositions "government is for the ruling class" and "there have been some progress". There are even economic theories that start from that tenet (globally referred to as "trickle-down-economics").
- oblio 1y ago
  > There are even economic theories that start from that tenet (globally referred to as "trickle-down-economics"). Those economic theories are not proper economic theories. As in, mainstream economists don't support them. That theory is propaganda in service of some specific political parties. > I don't see the contradiction between the two propositions "government is for the ruling class" and "there have been some progress". "There has been some progress" is a gross understatement considering the age we're living in. There has been tremendous progress and the lifestyle difference between the poorest members of a developed country and the richest ones is much, much smaller than that between the poorest and richest members of a country 200+ years ago.

by oblio 1y ago

fooblaster 1y ago

He's talking about the trump administration, not making a general point about all governments.

squigz 1y ago
GP made no indication it was about this specific administration and not about government in principle.
- tobr 1y ago
  It’s abundantly clear from context.
  - andrewflnr 1y ago
    I don't think it was. Certainly that's a position that people have held since long before Trump.
    - fuzzer371 1y ago
      [flagged]
      - andrewflnr 1y ago
        I might just be arguing to argue, but it did read to me like "nothing has really changed"-style cynicism. (I don't personally agree, but that's a different question.)

rixed 1y ago

I don't see the contradiction between the two propositions "government is for the ruling class" and "there have been some progress". There are even economic theories that start from that tenet (globally referred to as "trickle-down-economics").

oblio 1y ago
> There are even economic theories that start from that tenet (globally referred to as "trickle-down-economics"). Those economic theories are not proper economic theories. As in, mainstream economists don't support them. That theory is propaganda in service of some specific political parties. > I don't see the contradiction between the two propositions "government is for the ruling class" and "there have been some progress". "There has been some progress" is a gross understatement considering the age we're living in. There has been tremendous progress and the lifestyle difference between the poorest members of a developed country and the richest ones is much, much smaller than that between the poorest and richest members of a country 200+ years ago.