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Oh my goodness. I was comparing the argument you were making to the arguments of those who supported the war. I was not comparing the Iraq war to capitalism. A

by rquantz 12y ago

Oh my goodness. I was comparing the argument you were making to the arguments of those who supported the war. I was not comparing the Iraq war to capitalism. Again, you've offered no alternatives, just complaining. Yeah, that argument. This isn't kindergarten, every criticism does not have to come with some uplifting solution. I'm pointing out the system is broken. That's a necessary prerequisite to making something better. Also: a capitalist system that has raised the standard of living to every individual who participates in it Come now, capitalism destroys plenty of lives. It may well be the "least worst system," but claiming it doesn't have casualties is either propaganda or survivorship bias. Still, the complaint, as you put it, is not about capitalism itself, but that in its current form it reduces our lives to a monetary "standard of living." I am not necessarily advocating the end of capitalism, just the end of its deification.

bsbechtel 12y ago
>>I was comparing the argument you were making to the arguments of those who supported the war. I should have been more specific. Yes, the arguments made by those who supported the war. What are those arguments? Are you saying that there were no better solutions to the Iraq War? Really? Not invading, withdrawing troops sooner, there were plenty of other options. I don't see how this is analagous to an argument about capitalism. You said: >>But that doesn't mean we shouldn't also point out that there are better ways to live. My point is, what are your better ways to live that you are supposedly pointing out?
- rquantz 12y ago
  What are those arguments? The one I keep pointing out you're using over and over. The one where you say "You're just complaining, not offering a better solution, therefore your criticism should be ignored." People said this over and over again when the war was in full throttle. It was too late to not do it in the first place. You'll notice I mentioned that option before: "My response was that there were no good options (other than not having gone there in the first place)" Withdrawing was not a good option, look how we just had to go back there again a year later! We were between a rock and a hard place, and there was no good solution. But that does not mean that criticizing the war was an invalid endeavor. My point is, it doesn't matter that I'm not giving you an example of better ways to live. The issue at hand is that the system as it stands is broken. Whether or not there are better options (I contend that there are, but that's not the conversation we're having right now), that does not make my criticism invalid. Feel free to respond, but at this point this conversation is going in circles.

by rquantz 12y ago

bsbechtel 12y ago

>>I was comparing the argument you were making to the arguments of those who supported the war. I should have been more specific. Yes, the arguments made by those who supported the war. What are those arguments? Are you saying that there were no better solutions to the Iraq War? Really? Not invading, withdrawing troops sooner, there were plenty of other options. I don't see how this is analagous to an argument about capitalism. You said: >>But that doesn't mean we shouldn't also point out that there are better ways to live. My point is, what are your better ways to live that you are supposedly pointing out?

rquantz 12y ago
What are those arguments? The one I keep pointing out you're using over and over. The one where you say "You're just complaining, not offering a better solution, therefore your criticism should be ignored." People said this over and over again when the war was in full throttle. It was too late to not do it in the first place. You'll notice I mentioned that option before: "My response was that there were no good options (other than not having gone there in the first place)" Withdrawing was not a good option, look how we just had to go back there again a year later! We were between a rock and a hard place, and there was no good solution. But that does not mean that criticizing the war was an invalid endeavor. My point is, it doesn't matter that I'm not giving you an example of better ways to live. The issue at hand is that the system as it stands is broken. Whether or not there are better options (I contend that there are, but that's not the conversation we're having right now), that does not make my criticism invalid. Feel free to respond, but at this point this conversation is going in circles.