this post was submitted on 02 Oct 2023
1165 points (90.5% liked)
Memes
45475 readers
1116 users here now
Rules:
- Be civil and nice.
- Try not to excessively repost, as a rule of thumb, wait at least 2 months to do it if you have to.
founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
That doesn't make landlords the origin of high rents.
If people want less rent, it doesn't help to oppose landlords. All it does is reducing the number of participants which worsens the situation.
Renters can decide elections. Unionize and negotiate with the parties how many construction sites they will create. Then vote accordingly. Then rent will go down.
No, it has nothing to do with how landlords are parasites, it is just explaining that it isnt the voters fault that parasitism is allowed.
It helps to oppose the landlord class and abolish the idea of rent.
The US is empirically not a democracy. Is this going in one ear and out the other?
It is the voters fault.
Voters are responsible for politics.
Even if they are manipulated, it's still their fault. Like drunk driving.
You are empirically incorrect, studies show the US is an oligarchy. Bribery is literally legal in the US as long as the right procedures are followed.
Yes. As long as you don't believe in Santa Claus, who is there to make a change?
I would maybe research historical examples where land reform has worked instead of continuing to pester me.
Give me a hint. Are there reforms without staging a revolution? How can you dream of revolutions without believing in voters?
You're the one who doesn't believe in the masses.
I don't believe in revolutions, that's a difference.
Let me ask again:
How can you dream of revolutions without believing in voters?
Like, that they historically exist and have resulted in massive gains for the working class, or what?
Do you think not believing voting can affect change is the same as thinking the masses aren't capable of affecting change?
Revolutions needed 2% of the population to fight. Voters are 50% and you need a majority, so in total 25% of the population.
That made revolutions easier historically because you just needed guns and food for those 2%.
Now look at Ukraine, are guns and food enough?
You have to convince the population anyway or there will be a counter revolution. So I think if something is worth changing, it should be changed by voters.
That said, let me ask again, why do you prefer revolutions?
I didn't say I prefer them, I said that historically over and over again they get the goods. The problems you're asking about are questions all successful revolutions have succeeded at grappling with.
What does that mean? Should we perceive landlords as members of the ruling class and make owning property as difficult as possible because rising rent will lead to the revolution which will ultimately reduce rent?
Or should we perceive landlords as cogs in the capitalistic machine and increase their supplies to increase their output to reduce rent?
These both are relying on thinking you're the person in charge of the economy in a system were you aren't.
Then why bother at all?
You have a serious poverty of imagination. Think about how you can do things if you had an organization of people in your same class position.
I don't have much imagination. What can I do?