within_epsilon

joined 1 year ago
[–] within_epsilon 19 points 6 months ago (17 children)

I must be a collaborator. Democrats campaigned in 2020 to shut down camps at the border, reasonably support the conclusion of the pandemic, fund infrastructure and restore state/union support. When did "stop the fascist" become a political platform? Why are Democrats not complicit in mass murder?

[–] within_epsilon 18 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I agree. Any transition away from capitalism should not involve a dictator.

[–] within_epsilon 5 points 1 year ago

A federated direct democracy with any delegation of power coming from the bottom. Supporters reserve the power to fire the delegate. Delegation of power should be allowed to rotate through the federation providing each member with experience.

Anyone can propose rules. Decisions are made via direct democracy scoped to effected parties. The goal of any decision is consensus.

Efficiency will be an issue since consensus and direct democracy require input from more people. Tools can help alleviate inefficiencies. Computers and artificial intelligence are examples of such tools. Voters would choose which tools to use.

[–] within_epsilon 4 points 1 year ago

Owners, workers and profit sharing exist under capitalism. Profit sharing is not the same as being an owner due to decision making power and ownership of capital i.e. private property. Workers can benefit from profit sharing, but are excluded from the owners black box for determining profits. The worker keeps their job by producing more value than their labor cost.

I am looking for a system where workers get to make decisions regarding their labor and own the tools by which their labor produces value.

[–] within_epsilon 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Owning stock in Disney would give me a share in the profits. I could also possibly vote when Disney lets shareholders do so. As a worker for Disney, I could receive money for selling my time and a portion of the profits via shares. I would thereby be a worker/owner. I would reduce that to worker, but lets entertain worker/owner as a class.

However as a worker/owner, I would not be able to make decisions that change cost. I would not own anything other than the share which is placing faith in the company. I would still try to do as little work as possible for as much compensation as possible since I am still primarily a worker.

Maybe my passive income stream will someday overcome the cost associated with meeting my material needs. I could then graduate from worker/owner to owner.

[–] within_epsilon 1 points 1 year ago

I would build software even if I was not being paid for doing the work. I am lucky to trade my time for money in something I would be doing anyway. I have less say over my projects than I would like, but at least I get to make projects that make me happy.

I seem to be bad at making money when owners make my yearly salary per hour.

[–] within_epsilon 8 points 1 year ago (5 children)

The best capitalist society still imposes a class division between owners and workers. Owners want to maximize profit by paying as little as possible for labor. Workers want to get paid as much as possible for doing the least work.

I am looking for a system where workers gets to keep the value of their labor. Owners lack a place in such a system.

[–] within_epsilon 1 points 1 year ago

Absolutely. Capitalism enforces a different heirarchy where power resides with owners. The owners then suppress the power of the workers.

Can we do better? I hope so.

[–] within_epsilon 4 points 1 year ago

I want to own the value I produce. Currently I sell my time to an owner. The value I produce through my work is sold by the owner. Any excess after costs goes to the owner. The owner did not work to produce the value.

Why should owners be supported by the excess value produced by workers?

[–] within_epsilon 4 points 1 year ago

I want more candidates like Cornel West.

I am excited to vote. Maybe another candidate can catch my attention too.... please? The one party system outside of swing states is boring. Biden was a not Trump vote which is also boring. We can do better than the current voting arrangement.

[–] within_epsilon 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

If I spent the time to dump the human boss off my back, I would not turn around and give that power to a computer. Worker controlled labor puts the power in workers' hands.

Computers can help with communication of needs, but power should stay with workers.

[–] within_epsilon 7 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Star Trek is an example of a post scarcity society. I worry about persisting military rank instead of a horizontal power structure.

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