Quote from: K-Dog on Jun 01, 2025, 11:43 AMIt is childish to confuse need and want.  An order of magnitude more than average keeps the wolf from the door and satisfies all needs.  If you think money is only for toys, and you do.  That is childish.

I do not think money is only for toys. Again, please point claims without merit at others. Neither have I ever confused need and want. Once you learn this young, it sticks. Irritates the crap out of the wife, all the decades we've been married.

Quote from: K-DogIn capitalism wages are driven down to subsistence levels, enough for workers to survive and keep them working.

So, in America, after centuries of capitalism....why are my wages not at subsistence levels? Why are my kids wages not at subsistence levels? Why were my parents wages not at subsistence levels? Does this rule only apply to minimum wage workers....one of the clues in capitalism being the title "minimum wage"? Which is to say....there are still plenty who make more than this number and therefore capitalism STILL after centuries hasn't driven wages down to subsistence levels.

Is there a timeframe for your statement to take effect? Because within the advocates to the ideals of Marx, who then used that idea to run countries, those countries seemed to get to subsistence wages far faster than America.

Quote from: K-DogAnd perhaps just enough to keep them passive.  Capitalists compete by lowering wages.  Fair pay is not achievable under capitalism, and only under socialism can workers receive the full fruits of their labor.

I dispute that fair pay is not achievable in American capitalism. I have been paid fair wages for most of my career. The wife is paid fair wages, no college degree, out of the work force until the kids went to college, and learned her way up the pay scale starting at age 40. Took her less than a decade to go WAY past fair pay.

So no, not ONLY under socialism can workers receive the full fruits of not JUST their labor, but can do the same with their brains and the ability to USE them while doing that labor.

Quote from: K-DogYour claim is that this clear headed explanation results from my 'relative position' in life, and you spew childish right wing propaganda back at me in response.  To which I say, fuck you.

As someone who happily assigns every fault you can enunciate of your world view to me, I don't know what to do other than...sigh? As a registered independent, I see points on both sides of the aisle, and certainly don't espouse right wing propaganda. But if it makes you feel better to have a target, and vent, well then good for you, having a punching bag to let off some steam.