this post was submitted on 18 Nov 2022
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The difference is that landlords and kings have been exchanged for large corporations and banks, with spokespersons we call politicians.
Basically, and now it's coming back full circle.
Never was an circle, power has never left the hands of the elites, more than on short occasions after a revolution, only to be seized again immediately. The population never had real sovereignty.
Having grown up in USSR, I have to disagree there. USSR had inequality, but nowhere close to the levels seen under capitalism. There also wasn't an elite class because social mobility was very high. All the leaders of USSR came from humble backgrounds and working class families. If USSR took a different turn in the 90s we could've been living in a much better world today.
You have said it yourself, the advance did not last long and we do not live in a better world, but in a world in the hands of an elite, for whom a briefcase with money is worth more than the life and well-being of the population. To quote G.Orwell in Animal Farm, when pigs learned to walk on 2 legs.
USSR was the first serious attempt at challenging global capitalism. While capitalist world ultimately prevailed over USSR, it may not outlive USSR for much longer the way things are going. Capitalism is an inherently self destructive system, and it cannot last forever. Ultimately, the elites rely on the masses being compliant in order to perpetuate the system of oppression. This contract only works as long as people are willing to put up with the class relations as they are.
The current situation is going to be a turning point, but it is still not very clear which way it is going. Normal people are very stupid and capitalism has almost all of its media on its side, unfortunately. I'm afraid they'd rather do a reset with a world war than admit that the system is a failure, as it has happened multiple times in the past, going from bubble to bubble.
Yeah, completely agree with that. We're living in very dangerous times and things can always get a lot worse than they are now.
Well capitlism was made for the wealthy by the wealthy, its purpose consisits of chanelling money which is not a lasting way to run an ecenomy.
indeed
Do you still live in russia?
I don't, my family moved after the collapse. At this point I don't see any real difference between Russia and other capitalist countries.
What makes you say that?
Russia is a capitalist state largely run by oligarchs, and as BBC reports here, there is little practical difference between the way Russian and US political systems function. Means of production are owned by the rich, and working class people are exploited by them.
Yeah ive heard, some of them rich enough that they own soccer teams. China is also having simmilar issue but apperntly xi jing ping is soon to crack down on that.
From what I've seen the big difference with China is that the rich never got control over the core economy or the government. When they pipe up then they get smacked down as happened with Jack Ma. I certainly do hope Xi follows through on the whole common prosperity thing and wealth redistribution he's talking up.
If only Yuri Andropov lived longer...
indeed