I don’t like how the comic seems to encourage a violent takeover of property like this.
May have something to do with the fact that the capitalists have armies of state-funded paramilitaries called “police” that makes any kind of peaceful takeover utterly impossible.
Out-competing and out-organising them. Decommodifying things, e.g. things like housing cooperatives and similar are an antidote to the real-estate market. Also, capturing even state structures, replacing hierarchical power into horizontal relations where you can, no topic is too small there. If the stars align just right simply changing the way the city’s road planning authorities communicates, how it comes to decisions, can cause a cultural shift making the electorate want to have more of that stuff. With a thousand little things organised that way it becomes harder and harder for the people at large to not ask “hey why aren’t we doing this big thing like that”.
Ultimately, the enemy is not one particular thing but the idea that organisation necessarily involves hierarchy and domination.
A Care Bears episode.
Any attempt at solidarity with the police ends with them turning on the rest of us. It’s how they got unions and everyone else still had to fight to get them
Where I live, The police are generally worse armed than the population. They’re also haven’t been any unwarranted police shootings in my memory. The only police shooting that I can remember happening in the came with a whole firefight. Unfortunately, this is generally uncommon in the more authoritarian states.
A peaceful takeover would in my mind involve a democratic decision to do the takeover - I don’t see how the police would stand in the way of that. The bigger issue would seem to me to be convincing people to vote for such a democratic decision. But at least that is a peaceful path.
That’s why you are not allowed anything that remotely resembles democracy - instead, you get an interactive horse and pony show every few years where you are allowed to choose which gang of racketeers gets to represent the rich’s interests.
u don’t see how the police would stand in the way of that.
They are standing in the way of that right now. It’s their only function - it’s the only function they have ever had and ever will have.
But at least that is a peaceful path.
There is no peaceful way to dismantle capitalism. The capitalists and their cronies has seen to that.
The monarchy is slightly controversial but the majority of danes like it. There are certain benefits - if we didn’t have a king, we’d need a president instead who would be a much more politically divisive figure than the king is. As it is, the king is a much more uniting figure. We also don’t need to have elections for the president or any of that stuff.
And no, of course he has no real power. Which is honestly good, cause a president would have more power than that. I personally prefer the situation as it is right now. The king stays because the people say so - that is also democracy.
So it’s fine if I murder your family and take everything your children have so that my children can live in luxury?
In the US, mobsters kill with impunity while their family gets reality TV (Mob wives) showing off their life of luxury. The “children are innocent of their parents crimes” is unjust because the victims’ children suffer.
The King is the child of a mobster. His luxury life came from violence. Your children will have to work their entire lives in part because of what the King’s ancestors stole from them.
Codetermination: German law specifically mandates democratic worker participation in the oversight of workplaces with 2000 or more employees. Similar laws exist in Denmark for businesses with more than 20 workers and France for businesses with more than 5000 workers.
There is no way to peacefully dismantle capitalism
Just stop using money. Don’t engage with billionaires. Go live off-grid on a tiny plot of farmland and get it registered as a church so you don’t pay taxes. Tada, you are now free of capitalism.
If you have enough money to buy a tenth of an acre of land ($500) and a tent, then stop pretending like your continued engagement with billionaires is anyone’s fault but your own.
But I don’t want to live in a tent
Living in a tent is far better than our early ancestors lived, but alright. Find someone willing to build you a house for free, then. Or you can barter it for a goat.
But my living in a tent won’t end capitalism
Yes, you cannot end capitalism on your own. Unless you’re suggesting that you should you have the authority to stop others from doing capitalism just because you don’t like it?
But if everyone lived off grid, the government would come in and kill them
Millions of people are currently living off-grid in the US and the government has protected and continues to protect their right to do so. Don’t assume that everyone in the US (or wherever you are, Russia probably) is a capitalist just because you surround yourself with capitalists.
But historically the government has killed people
“The government” is not an entity. There are tons of different governments at all different levels, and you need to look at their behavior in aggregate rather than looking at individual examples. In aggregate, most people find that democratic governments keep them safe, fed, and healthy.
If the little piggy were a capitalist instead of a libertarian, he would have a pack of wolfhounds who would fuck that wolf up if he came near the piggy’s house.
Without a government to keep them in check, the wolfhounds would be the ones in charge, and everybody would have to pay them or their shit would get wrecked.
Yep. That’s why the piggies set up a system of government. If the wolfhounds start going back on their word, society collapses and the wolves move in. With an orderly system, enforced by the wolfhounds who themselves are subject to the democracy set up by the piggies, everyone’s house stays up and wolves are kept back.
May have something to do with the fact that the capitalists have armies of state-funded paramilitaries called “police” that makes any kind of peaceful takeover utterly impossible.
What would a “peaceful takeover” even look like?
Out-competing and out-organising them. Decommodifying things, e.g. things like housing cooperatives and similar are an antidote to the real-estate market. Also, capturing even state structures, replacing hierarchical power into horizontal relations where you can, no topic is too small there. If the stars align just right simply changing the way the city’s road planning authorities communicates, how it comes to decisions, can cause a cultural shift making the electorate want to have more of that stuff. With a thousand little things organised that way it becomes harder and harder for the people at large to not ask “hey why aren’t we doing this big thing like that”.
Ultimately, the enemy is not one particular thing but the idea that organisation necessarily involves hierarchy and domination.
None of that sounds impossible. Housing cooperatives (“andelsbolig” in Danish) are quite common in Denmark - I even live in one myself.
A Care Bears episode. Any attempt at solidarity with the police ends with them turning on the rest of us. It’s how they got unions and everyone else still had to fight to get them
Probably something like this.
It’s hardly been peaceful, though.
Where I live, The police are generally worse armed than the population. They’re also haven’t been any unwarranted police shootings in my memory. The only police shooting that I can remember happening in the came with a whole firefight. Unfortunately, this is generally uncommon in the more authoritarian states.
A peaceful takeover would in my mind involve a democratic decision to do the takeover - I don’t see how the police would stand in the way of that. The bigger issue would seem to me to be convincing people to vote for such a democratic decision. But at least that is a peaceful path.
That’s why you are not allowed anything that remotely resembles democracy - instead, you get an interactive horse and pony show every few years where you are allowed to choose which gang of racketeers gets to represent the rich’s interests.
They are standing in the way of that right now. It’s their only function - it’s the only function they have ever had and ever will have.
There is no peaceful way to dismantle capitalism. The capitalists and their cronies has seen to that.
I don’t agree with that. I think the Danish democratic political system is functioning quite well, all things considered.
Don’t you guys still have a King who was born into wealth because his great great great great grandfather killed the most people and took their land?
The monarchy is slightly controversial but the majority of danes like it. There are certain benefits - if we didn’t have a king, we’d need a president instead who would be a much more politically divisive figure than the king is. As it is, the king is a much more uniting figure. We also don’t need to have elections for the president or any of that stuff.
And no, of course he has no real power. Which is honestly good, cause a president would have more power than that. I personally prefer the situation as it is right now. The king stays because the people say so - that is also democracy.
That you accept the child of the wolf as your king doesn’t change that your King was born into wealth because of the violence of his ancestors.
That’s fair, but his ancestors crimes are not his to bear or be blamed for.
And again, it doesn’t change that the people still want to keep the monarchy. So democracy has spoken.
So it’s fine if I murder your family and take everything your children have so that my children can live in luxury?
In the US, mobsters kill with impunity while their family gets reality TV (Mob wives) showing off their life of luxury. The “children are innocent of their parents crimes” is unjust because the victims’ children suffer.
The King is the child of a mobster. His luxury life came from violence. Your children will have to work their entire lives in part because of what the King’s ancestors stole from them.
You don’t have to agree with it… reality is not on your side.
You can’t even tell what qualifies as democratic or not - how can you tell if there is anything democratic about Denmark?
Have you even bothered to check how many factories and workplaces in Denmark are democratically run?
Yes? No?
Damn that wasn’t hard to find
It’s 35 employees in Denmark, btw.
But yeah… “industrial democracy” does exist in some places in Europe.
Just stop using money. Don’t engage with billionaires. Go live off-grid on a tiny plot of farmland and get it registered as a church so you don’t pay taxes. Tada, you are now free of capitalism.
If you have enough money to buy a tenth of an acre of land ($500) and a tent, then stop pretending like your continued engagement with billionaires is anyone’s fault but your own.
But I don’t want to live in a tent
Living in a tent is far better than our early ancestors lived, but alright. Find someone willing to build you a house for free, then. Or you can barter it for a goat.
But my living in a tent won’t end capitalism
Yes, you cannot end capitalism on your own. Unless you’re suggesting that you should you have the authority to stop others from doing capitalism just because you don’t like it?
But if everyone lived off grid, the government would come in and kill them
Millions of people are currently living off-grid in the US and the government has protected and continues to protect their right to do so. Don’t assume that everyone in the US (or wherever you are, Russia probably) is a capitalist just because you surround yourself with capitalists.
But historically the government has killed people
“The government” is not an entity. There are tons of different governments at all different levels, and you need to look at their behavior in aggregate rather than looking at individual examples. In aggregate, most people find that democratic governments keep them safe, fed, and healthy.
Oh look… a liberal arguing with itself!
How are those millions coming along, temporarily embarrassed billionaire?
Oh look, someone who thinks they’re being clever embarrassing themselves in public
I’m not the one arguing with myself on a public forum, genius - you are.
That doesn’t even make sense. You’re very bad at this.
Again, liberal… I’m not the one arguing with myself on a public forum, genius - you are.
If the little piggy were a capitalist instead of a libertarian, he would have a pack of wolfhounds who would fuck that wolf up if he came near the piggy’s house.
The moral of the story:
Liberal > anarchist > libertarian
Without a government to keep them in check, the wolfhounds would be the ones in charge, and everybody would have to pay them or their shit would get wrecked.
Yep. That’s why the piggies set up a system of government. If the wolfhounds start going back on their word, society collapses and the wolves move in. With an orderly system, enforced by the wolfhounds who themselves are subject to the democracy set up by the piggies, everyone’s house stays up and wolves are kept back.