Forums » Off-Topic
while we are all red blooded meat eating gun toting americans here, let me take advantage of the unique american institution: the public discourse, to put forward the possibility that socialism's greatest ally is not agitators or rabble rousers, social chaos, or free sex. it is actually video games.
now we all love video games. we can go and kill people, race at incredible speeds, defend ourselves against wrongs and perceived wrongs, fight the unwinnable fight and win, make things right in the universe, or at least make sure we are on top of the heap.
what could be more american than that? individualism. skill. community. sacrifice. i dont know about you people but i have worn our 5 mice and have no life because of my dedication to my online clan.
but think about the world in which video games exist. think of the economy of these existences.
thats right.
it is a centrally controlled bureaucratic monopoly bent on repression of the common man's ability to indepdently make a living and thus exist on their own terms.
name one, just one, video game universe in which the 'free market' has truly been allowed to rule. there are none. do you konw why? because we have decided collectively that socialism is the only way to happiness. that centralized planning and control are the only thing that brings 'balance' to a game world.
the saddest thing is that people who play these games tend to be political so-called conservatives. yet they throw away their ideas quite quickly in the name of 'having fun'. and yet i thought the free market was supposed to bring the most happiness to the most people?
i can only wonder what our forefathers who lived and died in the cold war would think of this tomfoolery. would they gladly join a universe where a klopec will buy you a fixed amount of rozbots and no more, no less? where no matter how hard you do a certain task, the price stays fixed? that shipping product from producer to consumer is a concept as foreign as polka dots on a preacher?
to stem the rising red tide, i propose that all video games adopt free market principles.
either that or conservative acknolwedge that the free market is fucking miserable horror of barbarism and nobody likes it except a few jerks who win all the time.
now we all love video games. we can go and kill people, race at incredible speeds, defend ourselves against wrongs and perceived wrongs, fight the unwinnable fight and win, make things right in the universe, or at least make sure we are on top of the heap.
what could be more american than that? individualism. skill. community. sacrifice. i dont know about you people but i have worn our 5 mice and have no life because of my dedication to my online clan.
but think about the world in which video games exist. think of the economy of these existences.
thats right.
it is a centrally controlled bureaucratic monopoly bent on repression of the common man's ability to indepdently make a living and thus exist on their own terms.
name one, just one, video game universe in which the 'free market' has truly been allowed to rule. there are none. do you konw why? because we have decided collectively that socialism is the only way to happiness. that centralized planning and control are the only thing that brings 'balance' to a game world.
the saddest thing is that people who play these games tend to be political so-called conservatives. yet they throw away their ideas quite quickly in the name of 'having fun'. and yet i thought the free market was supposed to bring the most happiness to the most people?
i can only wonder what our forefathers who lived and died in the cold war would think of this tomfoolery. would they gladly join a universe where a klopec will buy you a fixed amount of rozbots and no more, no less? where no matter how hard you do a certain task, the price stays fixed? that shipping product from producer to consumer is a concept as foreign as polka dots on a preacher?
to stem the rising red tide, i propose that all video games adopt free market principles.
either that or conservative acknolwedge that the free market is fucking miserable horror of barbarism and nobody likes it except a few jerks who win all the time.
This is all very interesting and normally just the kind of thing I'd love to rant about, but is it really a good idea to start such a discussion? It could lead to a very heated debate.
Surely we are all open-minded and civil individuals?!
Really, no political discussion could lead to any form of "heated debate" in a civilized environment such as this one!
Really, no political discussion could lead to any form of "heated debate" in a civilized environment such as this one!
[moved to Off Topic]
What I find amusing is his totally erroneous assumption that we're all " red blooded meat eating gun toting americans". Guess good ole ananzi thinks the Internet only cover the USA, and that the rest of the world either has a whole 'nother Internet, totally unconnected to the US one, or that indeed, the rest of the world has NO Internet.
And the narrow, closed-mind drivel he spouts after his erroneous view is no bargain, either. I thought " red blooded meat eating gun toting americans" had had enough of such stupidty after McCarthyism?
And the narrow, closed-mind drivel he spouts after his erroneous view is no bargain, either. I thought " red blooded meat eating gun toting americans" had had enough of such stupidty after McCarthyism?
I endorse free-market principles. (Even though I am sure that a hearty portion of us are NOT Americans, not all of us may eat red meat, and possibly only a few of us are both old enough and so inclined to tote firearms IRL...)
Individualism. Skill. Community. Sacrifice. Yes!
And, I think the devs DESIRE a free market economy, unfettered by price controls, tariffs, or the "SEC". It would be a nice gift to the UIT folks since they've been excluded from BP (mostly).
Individualism. Skill. Community. Sacrifice. Yes!
And, I think the devs DESIRE a free market economy, unfettered by price controls, tariffs, or the "SEC". It would be a nice gift to the UIT folks since they've been excluded from BP (mostly).
Speaking of firearms, I recently went trap shooting, and I found myself mentally inserting a little "booop!" every time I hit the target.
Is that wrong?
Is that wrong?
Yes.
start flames. in. five....4....three....23R VBGweF 1 GO!
I bet there actually _are_ people who think the way ananzi was being funny. It has been my pleasure to never meet them face to face. :)
As a "counter" challenge: name _one_ system in our universe, historical or current, that has employed a market completely free from government regulation. ;)
As a "counter" challenge: name _one_ system in our universe, historical or current, that has employed a market completely free from government regulation. ;)
Og see Mog have meat. Og take meat. Og give Mog club. To head.
Speaking of firearms, I recently went trap shooting, and I found myself mentally inserting a little "booop!" every time I hit the target.
Is that wrong?
Say it out loud next time.
Is that wrong?
Say it out loud next time.
...
*fires up Omega Sarcasm/Irony Detector*
*asplodes*
*fires up Omega Sarcasm/Irony Detector*
*asplodes*
Tyrdium, not even that is 'government-free'. Because basically, a government is only a way to denote a hierarchy. By establishing the fact that Og is stronger than Mog, Og also establishes a hierarchy. Governments, or hierarchies, are so deeply intertwined with human thinking and (subsequently) history that it is impossible to decouple the two.
Unfair challenge, margoth :P.
Unfair challenge, margoth :P.
We'd have to define government a little better. The definition Toshiro is using includes hierarchy, which extends into animal behavior (apes, chimps, orangutans, and several types of monkeys have a hierarchy and do trade food and other items). That's way too broad to be useful IMO.
Hmm. Good point. But in my opinion, hierarchy is an important part of 'government', if not among the most important ones.
Because, really, what other things do governments do than provide 'protection' of entire groups of people who cannot provide such protection for themselves, and being therefore 'weak(er)', and, by consequence, the government is 'strong(er)'?
I do see what you mean, ForMod, at least I think I do. But I was trying to think in the most basic terms. Maybe (and probably, too) that doesn't work on systems as complex as governments.
On a sidenote: Why would it invalidate the approach I took if apes showed such behaviours, too?
Because, really, what other things do governments do than provide 'protection' of entire groups of people who cannot provide such protection for themselves, and being therefore 'weak(er)', and, by consequence, the government is 'strong(er)'?
I do see what you mean, ForMod, at least I think I do. But I was trying to think in the most basic terms. Maybe (and probably, too) that doesn't work on systems as complex as governments.
On a sidenote: Why would it invalidate the approach I took if apes showed such behaviours, too?
I was just trying to get back on topic. The "lesser" primates tend not to play online video games, nor is a animal hierarchy relevant to ananzi's premise:
"it is a centrally controlled bureaucratic monopoly bent on repression of the common man's ability to indepdently make a living and thus exist on their own terms."
This all ignores the fact that the whole thing is likely a troll.
"it is a centrally controlled bureaucratic monopoly bent on repression of the common man's ability to indepdently make a living and thus exist on their own terms."
This all ignores the fact that the whole thing is likely a troll.
Come see the violence inherent in the system! Help Help I'm being repressed!
Bloody peasant!
ForMod: Of course it's an attempt at trolling. But who's to say we can't have fun and drag it so far into off-topicness that noone even remembers what it was about (things like cheating and reading the starting post don't count, of course).