solar energy is not a perpetual motion machine

railroads were left to rot, because there was no more money in them, even though they were essential

as we automate more and more, more parts of the economy will enter this twilight zone of "absolutely necessary, not worth any capitalist's effort"

so like railroads those sectors will become wards of the state. not because "evil communists destroying economy" but "financially mediocre economic sector needs to be on life support"

there are no checks and balances

all markets will gravitate to monopoly/ oligopoly naturally

this quasireligious notion that markets will remain balanced and fair and virtuous by magic free market fairy is an insane belief on the order of antivaxxers and creationists, directly contrary to economic facts and economic history

he's a genuinely low iq loser

he's exactly the sort of low brain wattage propaganda victim that helps keep the corrupt in power. the "useful fools"

easily manipulated, fucking stupid

exactly

it's rather incredible how stupid and propagandized people can be that those who are abusing them are seen as another victim

and the only tool they have against plutocrat abuse, the government, is somehow the ultimate, cartoon villain cause of their victimhood

the plutocrats corrupted your government you morons!

insanity

Only if those who benefit most from that switch are the ones in control of the state

we are in control of the state. the people. at least we should be, we're not to the extent to which the plutocrats corrupted it

so i don't understand this treatment of government as "evil bad guys want to steal your freedom for shits and giggles like a bad cartoon villain" and plutocrats as "innocent capitalists driving the economy" (as they rent seek and block economic progress with monopolies/ oligopolies). what is the only tool you have against plutocrat abuse? the government. but the propaganda has so many morons backwards on that

the railroad became a ward of the state not because "evil communists stealing" but "capitalists treat it likes its radioactive"

but its vital to the economy. the state won't take it over to hurt people because they are a james bond villain in some demented fantasy life. but to prevent people from being hurt by lack of vital infrastructure

obama is perhaps our most cerebral president ever, or the second most, after wilson

but then again, what do we expect from a communist muslim atheist born in kenya. right?

i'm not clicking a mystery link

make your case plainly in your own words or don't bother posting at all

"here, read this indoctrination without any motivation" is not how real life works

true, good point

but if costs and profits approach each other so close the uncertainty of a profit looms large and its just a hassle, static well-established commodities would be abandoned to the state to manage

moved to the state to manage not as in communist take over

more like railroads: "not profitable and no one wants to deal with it, but it's still vital"

nothing is truly free. just like we can never have absolute zero or a true vacuum

but we get to a point where cost in capital and effort is so low, compared to vast production, that it is virtually free

right wing is indeed anti-progress according to a number of different malicious and/ or low iq theories. correct

sums up what? the tax code is complicated because the economy and is complicated. if you had a flat tax you would crush certain sectors of the economy and let other ones off scott free, no tax

the flat tax is a laughable joke sold by propaganda con artists and believed by completely deluded morons

of course the tax code is overly complicated and needs reform, but you have to genuinely be a low iq tool to believe a flat tax is somehow better. it's not. it's grossly unfair

and this whole " You need to go out of your way to try to force equality of outcome" is some retarded right wing fearmongering douchebaggery. taxing people is about making everyone equal? seriously? where do you fucking morons come from?

capitalism is about maximizing profit. you just listed a bunch of ways to maximize profit and said that's not capitalism

what is this virtuous restrained concept of capitalism you speak of that has never existed and never will?

i'm sorry, but if you want to say greed and capitalism are different unrelated topics, you're trolling badly or you're dumb

This is a Republic - not a Democracy

i'm sorry, i stopped reading there

this comment causes me instant rage and instantly makes me disrespect the person. i can't interact with you any further

it's a constant comment, you see it all the time on the topic of government

it's like "correlation is not causation"

a phrase originally meant to be about keeping an open mind, but now a phrase constantly kneejerk parroted by morons to close their mind against proof that contradicts their prejudices. correlation is actually the first step in establishing causation. correlation does not mean causation does not exists. but that's how people use the phrase! it's incredibly stupid

likewise, "the usa is a republic not a democracy" is similar. a constant comment by low effort low iq people who want to seem discerning and knowledgeable but only reveal themselves to be fucking dumb

it's like saying "the usa is a mode of transportation, not an automobile"

we're a republic that elects our representatives democratically you dumb fuck

we're BOTH

it is completely accurate to call the USA a democracy. it doesn't mean we are not a republic. these are different descriptors for different aspects of our government structure you stupid shit

to not understand that, and to think saying this kneejerk dumb comment is important or wise, instantly makes you completely not worth any further interaction

please mod this comment +500 insightful and burn it across the front page of slashdot

still won't save us from the steady rain of "the usa is a republic not a democracy, the usa is a republic not a democracy, the usa is a republic not a democracy" from dumb assholes for years

i'm not a conspiracy theorist, but if we ever get to the point where everything is mostly automated, i wouldn't put it past plutocrats to simply kill us all off with a contrived war and/ or some plague

simply because we represent excess unneeded capacity

only a few rich human remain, vast billions of us simply removed as redundant and too much drama and hassle