Subject:
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Re: Pay It Forward
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Mon, 27 Aug 2001 15:03:59 GMT
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Viewed:
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424 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Larry Pieniazek writes:
> > > In short, take the example of Communism. Great idea, never worked well in
> > > practice.
> >
> > How about Cuba?
>
> Are you saying that Cuba's systems are working well in practice?
It would certainly depend on how you defined "working well." There are a large
number of Cuban citizens who are quite content with their situation. Only the
wealthy oppressors of the common man who have mostly come to the US were
unhappy with their communist movement.
> Are you saying Cuba is an example of Communism?
I think it is a fair example. Probably the best modern example available. I
certainly think that Castro is corrupt, but the class of ruling elite is pretty
small which means there is less theft from the people than most modern
communisms.
The USSR was not communist. It was a centrally planned economy in place to
benefit only the party elite. In the USSR, the group of priviledged was so
huge that paying for them was a real burden.
> Not clear what you're saying,
> exactly. I would say that it's not working well at all and isn't a very good
> example either.
Why would you say that?
> David E. makes a common assertion, that Communism is a good idea that we
> never have been able to make work.
I don't have references, but many small tribal cultures are basically working
communes and I have read that the Hopi were a large communism that worked well
for a long time. I think communism is a nice idea, but I'm not sure if it is
possible.
> I've disputed that assertion before, and
> I hold that it is a fundamentally flawed idea that never WILL be able to be
> made to work, precisely because it is flawed. The very nature of the flaw
> ensures that whenever it is tried it sooner or later will mutate into
> something else, usually (but not always) nasty, IMHO.
I think the key here is the 'O' at the end. Unless you can support it, of
course.
> The "pay it forward" idea seems interesting (good topic, Dan!) but as was
> pointed out, if you're "banking" good work in order to "collect" later, it's
> not quite charity. More like insurance. That doesn't necessarily make it a
> bad idea though.
Agreed.
> The charity work I do, though, I do for my own reasons, not in hope of
> future repayment. (you could argue that giving to the Nature Conservancy
> means I will have lands to go enjoy later, I guess, but that's not exactly
> why I give). I suspect most others think that way about charity too.
Me too. I give to causes with which I feel aligned. If they stop behaving in
a way that I feel good about I'll stop giving. But I'm not entitled to their
certain behavior.
Chris
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Pay It Forward
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| (...) Are you saying that Cuba's systems are working well in practice? Are you saying Cuba is an example of Communism? Not clear what you're saying, exactly. I would say that it's not working well at all and isn't a very good example either. David (...) (23 years ago, 26-Aug-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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