When Gandalf first revealed he was a socialist, I asked what kind. It turns out he is the capitalist kind. It's hasn't really progressed from there. I think it's a bit like being a peace-loving Muslim.
He won't say if he made this crap up himself or is just parroting it from somewhere else. Perhaps he is embarrassed about where he got it from:
polite_gandalf wrote on Mar 13
th, 2019 at 7:20pm:
freediver wrote on Mar 13
th, 2019 at 6:23pm:
Gandalf, have you figure out yet whether "not starving" is the best that capitalism can offer?
Capitalism offers a lot FD, so long as you are the one at the top of the food chain. The veritable "one percenters" For everyone else? Not so much.
Yes, Gandalf did actually ponder that:
polite_gandalf wrote on Mar 12
th, 2019 at 3:00pm:
The point is, if the best capitalism can offer is "not starving", then its hardly a great selling point for it is it?
Gandalf the exploiter:
polite_gandalf wrote on Mar 12
th, 2019 at 9:57am:
And yes I would prefer the Bangladeshi garment workers are able to get slave-like work if it prevents them starving. And I would definitely continue to do my part to exploit them by buying my target shirts - so that at least something ends up in the meagre pockets of the exploited worker - as opposed to, you know, dying.
Oh no, Gandalf is taking their freedom:
polite_gandalf wrote on Mar 8
th, 2019 at 7:43pm:
How is a garment worker in Bangladesh "free" when her choices are a) for her and her family to starve to death and b) work at unregulated exploitative shithole a, b or c that will pay you no more than you need to stay alive?
I note you mentioned previously non-slaves even have the option to travel to work. Wow, lucky them! Hey, half starving garment worker with no savings and the sole income for your whole family - you are free to take that non-existent car of yours and spend half your day driving yourself God-knows how many miles on unsealed dangerous roads- just so you can find a job just as crappy as the ones available in your village!