Black Markets Are A Feature Of Communism

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MSimon
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Black Markets Are A Feature Of Communism

Post by MSimon »

This is well known from those paying attention in the USSR days.

In America Progressives institute them and "Conservatives" wind up their last supporters. See the election of 1932.

A commentary on that was done quite some time ago:

The whole modern world has divided itself into Conservatives and Progressives. The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of Conservatives is to prevent mistakes from being corrected. Even when the revolutionist might himself repent of his revolution, the traditionalist is already defending it as part of his tradition. Thus we have two great types -- the advanced person who rushes us into ruin, and the retrospective person who admires the ruins. He admires them especially by moonlight, not to say moonshine. Each new blunder of the progressive or prig becomes instantly a legend of immemorial antiquity for the snob. This is called the balance, or mutual check, in our Constitution. — G.K. Chesterton

And yet "Conservatives" claim to be staunchly anti-Communist. Heinlein had some words about that:

“Political tags–such as royalist, communist, democrat, populist, fascist, liberal, conservative, and so forth–are never basic criteria. The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire. The former are idealists acting from highest motives for the greatest good of the greatest number. The latter are surly curmudgeons, suspicious and lacking in altruism. But they are more comfortable neighbors than the other sort.” – Robert A. Heinlein

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Roughly 90% fall into the "control" category. They do differ on what ought to be controlled. Thus we have a two Party system differing only about the fields for control. The idea of control itself is not in doubt.
Engineering is the art of making what you want from what you can get at a profit.

choff
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Re: Black Markets Are A Feature Of Communism

Post by choff »

What category do the people who only want to use common sense fall into?
CHoff

krenshala
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Re: Black Markets Are A Feature Of Communism

Post by krenshala »

choff wrote:What category do the people who only want to use common sense fall into?
Those would be the "... surly curmudgeons, suspicious and lacking in altruism ..."

MSimon
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Re: Black Markets Are A Feature Of Communism

Post by MSimon »

krenshala wrote:
choff wrote:What category do the people who only want to use common sense fall into?
Those would be the "... surly curmudgeons, suspicious and lacking in altruism ..."
Yes. And I hope I fill the bill.
Engineering is the art of making what you want from what you can get at a profit.

choff
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Re: Black Markets Are A Feature Of Communism

Post by choff »

We're going to have to see if a black market appears in Alberta, hell has officially frozen over this weekend.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/elections/albert ... -1.3062605
CHoff

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Re: Black Markets Are A Feature Of Communism

Post by MSimon »

choff wrote:We're going to have to see if a black market appears in Alberta, hell has officially frozen over this weekend.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/elections/albert ... -1.3062605
I'm not familiar with the nuances of Canadian politics. Could you explain?
Engineering is the art of making what you want from what you can get at a profit.

choff
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Re: Black Markets Are A Feature Of Communism

Post by choff »

Alberta is considered the bedrock of the Canadian right wing, approx. 40 consecutive years of Conservative rule. Before that, maybe 30 years of consecutive far right rule(Social Credit). So all of a sudden they have this provincial election and the Socialist New Democratic Party won. Nobody outside that province was paying any attention until the results came in, as mentioned, hell frozen over! The U.S. equivalent would be Fidel Castro being elected Governor of Texas.

You could say they've got a black market(tar sand oil).
CHoff

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