can i replace “affordable” with “free” please? these are human basic needs. just give it to me.
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Legitimizing capitalism will not free us from our material conditions
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Personal property and private property are important distinctions. Personal property is established and maintained autonomously through social connections, while private property is maintained thru coercive systems and institutions (an invention from capitalism).
The threat of starvation and coercive violence are the main factors incentivizing people to work under capitalism.
For more - read ANARCHY WORKS by Peter Gelderloos. Chapter: Economy, “Without wages, what is the incentive to work?” (pg. 61)
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Hm I wonder how that’s possible… You’re really close to understanding how imperialism, colonialism and the war machine works
Capitalism isn’t broken, you’re right. The misery of 90-95% if society is expected under capitalism. It’s not a sign of capitalism being broken but for it working as intended.
There’s no such thing as a free market. It’s a myth. I’d rather believe in unicorns.
Okay, but unless healthcare workers, teachers, First Responders, construction workers, you, me, and everyone else is willing to work for free, it still has a cost, even if the government pays it. I agree that it should be a basic human right though…
EDIT:
Clarification: OP is asking for these things to be “free”. Free is if I start handing out hamburgers on the street, no strings attached. We already pay for these services, we pay the most of any country in the world, and we get worse results.
Are you… Hm… Where to start… Do you know the concept of taxes?
Taxes which… pay for all of those. Not sure why you have to jump to condescension, I’m not being obtuse. Things cost money, and we pay for it either way, that’s my only point.
But… Maybe I’m the one being obtuse here. What was your point? Even though you pay for it either way, the difference for how that works out with taxes or direct expenses is the whole point of taxes
When someone says “college is free in most of Europe”. It’s wouldn’t be a counter argument to say “well, it’s not free is it, because its paid for with taxes”. The people who would (without it being “free”), need to pay for college themselves, are not in the position to possibly cover that cost (college funds are irrelevant). But, since a skilled labour force is important and a value to society, it should be covered by everyone.
Why? What does the one thing have to do with the other? There’s always money for war, for bailing out banks, for lobbying… Thus there’s enough money for basic human needs to be met without me working for nothing. It’s a choice whom to give the money to.
But I agree to a certain point: if I don’t need to pay rent, healthcare and education, I don’t need to slave away in jobs that I don’t want.
Affordable always seems to equate to government spending
U.S. per-capita healthcare spending (including public and private as well as compulsory and voluntary spending) is higher than anywhere else in the world, with second-placed Germany trailing quite far behind.
On average, healthcare costs in the U.S. amounted up to $12,318 per person in 2021. In Germany that number stood at $7,383 - 40 percent lower. Yet, the U.S. lags behind other nations in several aspects such as life expectancy and health insurance coverage.
Doesn’t have to. Just need laws and stuff that say the owner of single family homes have to be single families (and not big corporations or landlords)
I think a lot of families can’t afford a home. This law would cause a huge amount of homelessness and lead to the suffering if many many people.
In my mind the prices would go down if you don’t have big hedge funds and shit to compete with.
Prices are primarily controlled by demand that is why properties in areas that are growing are very expensive.
Right. Block big landlords from buying up houses wholesale = less demand = lower price.
It implies the State, through the government, represents the country and deals with suppliers to achieve universal healthcare, education and housing goals.
But the State should always (must) be the primary provider for healthcare and education, although not denying private initiative but instead heavily regulating it to ensure safety and quality.
Health and Education are services, not for profit enterprises.
On the housing front, many countries own and manage large numbers of affordable housing projects and to great success. This isn’t to say the housing market doesn’t require an heavy regulatory, as it does.
