@bebadefabo @Radical_EgoCom @srijit
On incremental change, I worry about the uppers having great opportunities to circumvent it. This doesn't mean revolution is the answer. Positive incremental changes have proven possible.
Look at the bank runs & starvation endured by the low and middle classes during the Great Depression.
We have implemented changes to our economic (& agricultural) system through regulations which have safeguarded us against similar levels of suffering.
Historically, incremental change has never abolished capitalist exploitation. It has always been stopped by capitalists or co-opted by them to further their causes. Also, historically, revolution has been able to abolish capitalism and, by extension, capitalist exploitation. Even if you don't agree with what came after these revolutions, the fact is that revolution has been proven to work, while incremental change (viz., reformism) hasn't.
#socialism #capitalism
@Radical_EgoCom @bebadefabo @srijit
1/3
The improvements to our economic system have been numerous when viewed with the perspective of which all economic systems should be viewed: Hundreds of years.
The form of capitalistic system we have today gives more economic freedom to the poor than the same very same system did 500 years ago.
@Radical_EgoCom @bebadefabo @srijit
2/3
Revolutionaries were undeniably impactful but incremental change has made its mark. With that change still positively improving the lives of many of us today.
@Radical_EgoCom @bebadefabo @srijit
3/3
To highlight some recent wins of the peaceful incremental change:
Voters-1890s: in the US, the mega capitalists were reigned in by the masses through democratic means, even if under a Roosevelt.
Voters-1930s: The Creation of Social Security in the US and the development of Workers rights
Voters-1940s: in the UK, the development of the Welfare State
Political Pressure-1940s, 1950s: land reform in Korea, Japan and Taiwan
I have no idea what point you're trying to make. If your point is that incremental change has had some positive effects on workers, I never said that they didn't nor have I ever tried to claim the contrary. If you're trying to claim that capitalist exploitation can be eradicated through peaceful incremental change, then you still haven't proven that.
@Radical_EgoCom @bebadefabo @srijit
My bad, I had deleted my opening paragraph, intending to rework it.
"Historically, Incremental change has never abolished capitalist exploitation"
Look beyond a struggle against capitalism, and instead look at the precedent from when we changed from Feudalism to capitalism. Political change was built slowly, with small wins. Could we not be surfs saying the same thing in the year 1400?
The improvements to our economic system...
There's nothing beyond a struggle against capitalism from a social perspective. The antagonism between the capitalist class and the working class permeates throughout every aspect of society. Racism, sexism, environmental problems, homophobia and transphobia: they're all affected, amplified, or caused by capitalism, and while abolishing capitalism won't solve all of these problems, its abolition is a prerequisite for dealing with them. #socialism #capitalism
@Radical_EgoCom @bebadefabo @srijit
It doesn't make sense to limit our perspective to as short a timeframe as you're allowing for in the context of system change. If we account for technological and social differences we have all history to learn from.
RE Capitalism can & has at times amplified the 5 issues you recognised. I believe over time even within capitalism (but hopefully not) and its characteristics, all but environmental issues be solved successfully.
Fine. Just keep reforming capitalism until you die, achieving nothing. I'll be focusing on actually changing the world.
Luke Leal Barros
𝗖 𝗔 𝗧