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Re: The Last Communist City
The economic aid makes it worse(See Dutch disease.). Sanctions punish economic activity across the board. "Aid" is not going to be broadly distributed to a valuable labor force. Its just going to concentrate economic power for doing nothing. So the US helps starve the population in turn helping the Soviet Union aid go father in crushing any rival.
Then what was the Cold War about? Why did "Star Wars" supposedly bankrupt the Soviets?
...And Again the Nordic states prove that "socialism" does not destroy a nation just because of socialism. China is a centrally planned state so the USSR comparisons seems more hollow. Besides that, the Russian Empire arragement also failed, meaning the Soviets did no better or worse. It isn't a viable empire. The USSR is not evidence socialism fails , its evidence empires fail. The same empire failed twice with 2 different political systems. I might add that socialism and empire is the worst combination imaginable.
Imagine your extended family and mine. I imagine a traditional extended family could be very social. Children for example would not be considered economic inputs. The elders would also be managed differently, and not held to a standard where they must raise a barn like a 25 year old. Lazy, able bodied members would be easy to detect and managed...aka socialism would work for the same reason tribalism and family works. Between our extended families we would engage more efficiently with a capitalism flavor, leaving the social support at the extended family level while putting competitive pressure on each other. This would be why I am of the opinion, along with notable political philosophers, that federated states and confederations are the most effective large states able to have the common defense but without exploiting social safety nets. This is why Finland can be a more effective social state. Its small with lots of competitive pressure beyond its borders.
The US is , unfortunately, heading for the big multi-ethnic state . Social responsibility will wane as we abandon the state and local level for a winner take all national level. The social safety net is just a vector of exploitation with a convenient excuse Social distrust is increasing as is any form of internal competitive pressure. We are becoming what was the Russian or Soviet empire. It goes hand in hand with the ills of communism because the social safety net just becomes an interface to exploit the rest.
Empires have been failing in this way for thousands of years. What need have I to embrace a theory not 200 years old that social safety nets are a primary cause? Did the Hapsburg empire fall apart from a social safety net? Did Rome?
Originally posted by vt
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The economic aid makes it worse(See Dutch disease.). Sanctions punish economic activity across the board. "Aid" is not going to be broadly distributed to a valuable labor force. Its just going to concentrate economic power for doing nothing. So the US helps starve the population in turn helping the Soviet Union aid go father in crushing any rival.
"The USSR failed miserably without any sanctions. "
Then what was the Cold War about? Why did "Star Wars" supposedly bankrupt the Soviets?
...And Again the Nordic states prove that "socialism" does not destroy a nation just because of socialism. China is a centrally planned state so the USSR comparisons seems more hollow. Besides that, the Russian Empire arragement also failed, meaning the Soviets did no better or worse. It isn't a viable empire. The USSR is not evidence socialism fails , its evidence empires fail. The same empire failed twice with 2 different political systems. I might add that socialism and empire is the worst combination imaginable.
Imagine your extended family and mine. I imagine a traditional extended family could be very social. Children for example would not be considered economic inputs. The elders would also be managed differently, and not held to a standard where they must raise a barn like a 25 year old. Lazy, able bodied members would be easy to detect and managed...aka socialism would work for the same reason tribalism and family works. Between our extended families we would engage more efficiently with a capitalism flavor, leaving the social support at the extended family level while putting competitive pressure on each other. This would be why I am of the opinion, along with notable political philosophers, that federated states and confederations are the most effective large states able to have the common defense but without exploiting social safety nets. This is why Finland can be a more effective social state. Its small with lots of competitive pressure beyond its borders.
The US is , unfortunately, heading for the big multi-ethnic state . Social responsibility will wane as we abandon the state and local level for a winner take all national level. The social safety net is just a vector of exploitation with a convenient excuse Social distrust is increasing as is any form of internal competitive pressure. We are becoming what was the Russian or Soviet empire. It goes hand in hand with the ills of communism because the social safety net just becomes an interface to exploit the rest.
Empires have been failing in this way for thousands of years. What need have I to embrace a theory not 200 years old that social safety nets are a primary cause? Did the Hapsburg empire fall apart from a social safety net? Did Rome?
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