CHOMSKY Archives

The philosophy, work & influences of Noam Chomsky

CHOMSKY@LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG

Options: Use Forum View

Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
William Meecham <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
The philosophy, work & influences of Noam Chomsky
Date:
Tue, 15 Jun 1999 10:29:49 -0700
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (87 lines)
>What can one say to Mr. Show?  The infinite effort (though not fully
professional) to debunk the socialist system, which had no base 100 yrs
ago and now governs half of mankind.
wcm
> The Martin William Smith Show wrote:
>
> >Suppose we have a
> >socialist system that makes bicycles. Surely it is possible to have a
> >socialist system that makes bicycles.  Hammers are not required to
> >make bicycles, so why must this socialist system own all the hammers
>
> Bicycle makers will need tools though and materials. Being socialist this
> bicycle maker produces bicycles for use, not for sale. Most of the users
> live in a capitalist system and are unemployed (many having been retrenched
> from the capitalist bicycle manufacturer, put out of business by the
> socialists.) Many of the end-users of the bicycles indeed live in
> third-world countries and were previously unable to afford a bicycle, their
> needs were of course seen as a priority by the collective and thousands are
> shipped to India (until the shipping company suspends the collective's
> credit). Many end-users choose, or are not able to contribute any tools or
> materials?
>
> But there's a problem, I think you can guess what it is. The bicycle
> manufacturing collective finds that the local supermarket is not socialist,
> hence it is unwilling to supply the collective members food simply because
> they need to eat. Same story with their landlords. Down at the workshop
> meanwhile, parts are becoming increasingly difficult to source, as the
> collective's debtor and creditor policy of "from each according to their
> abilities, to each according to their needs, become more widely known in
> the trade.
>
> The Fraud squad move in, it turns out that running a socialist bicycle
> manufacturing sub-system is not strictly legal. The National competition
> watchdog is also investigating complaints about the collective's "predatory
> pricing policy". Indian manufacturers have also alerted the World Trade
> Organisation about the dumping of large quantitites of effectively free
> bicycles in their market.
>
> Stay tuned for more exciting developments! Will India threaten Australia
> with nuclear first strike? Will the multi-national retail chain have a
> change of heart? How come the Salvation Army is allowed to get away with
> this sort of nonsense? Where will it all end?
>
> OK, I know its not up to your standard Martin, not in the same league
> really, but I thought I'd have a go anyhow.
>
> [...]
>
> >The armed forces, which are a subset of what we are referring to as
> >the military, are composed of individuals, ie people.  The term
> >"equality of individual wealth" applies in the not so obvious way.
>
> Yes Martin, do go on. I agree so far - it isn't obvious. But you are going
> to explain it to us, right? I can't wait.
>
> [...]
>
> >For the record, a "Whatever" is an acknowledgement by wave off of a
> >certain correctness of the argument being waved off.
>
> He's got you there Alister, choose your words carefully.
> >
>
> [...]
>
> >A subsystem is a system that forms a part of a larger system.  It may
> >or may not depend on the larger system for its survival.  Norway
> >trades with Australia.  Norway is a subsystem of the trading system
> >formed by Norway and Australia.  Norway does not depend on that
> >trading system for its survival.
>
> I'm willing to bet it does depend on trade for survival, you can't all live
> on raw fish and melted ice. :-)
>
> > Norway *is* a separate system from
> >Australia. Some subsystems can run on their own, and some can't.  For
> >centuries, millenia even, Australians didn't even know Norway existed.
> >Bartlett still doesn't know much about it.
>
> I don't even believe in it. Far as I'm concerned stories about Norway and
> Father Christmas are all capitalist imperialist propaganda. People living
> in the north pole! Pull the other one. ;-)
>
> Bill Bartlett
> Bracknell tas.
>

ATOM RSS1 RSS2