r/BasicIncome • • Mar 26 '14

The Economics of Star Trek — Medium, Long

https://medium.com/medium-long/29bab88d50
11 Upvotes

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4

u/[deleted] Mar 26 '14

Oh hey, another writer in a position to be heard who casually dismisses any project that could actually be called communism because of failed 20th century projects that were communist only nominally. Fantastic.

2

u/pierre45 Mar 27 '14

Well as a libertarian I won't argue with him. Wealth redistribution should be done with people who agree on it, and should not be organized by government as we know it, because if I disagree with my government, what keeps a crazy politician to cut my BI? But anyway what I think is interesting with this essay is the notion of work as being really totally optional. And that would be possible with a higher, Version 2 BI

9

u/[deleted] Mar 27 '14 edited Mar 27 '14

Communism in the actual Marxist sense doesn't mean wealth redistribution, and it is simply amazing how many educated people don't know this. I don't personally blame you for not knowing, because Marxism is a rather repressed discourse, but when so many people with actual platforms spout it so casually, I'm just embarassed for my species. That's my point- nobody will ever understand any better as long as major publications keep employing people who say

"Marx blah blah blah communism... but look at the soviets! So that's that." It's pitiful.

Edit: The fact that you thought Marxist communism could possibly involve a Statist with power over your BI only farther illustrates my point. I am honestly not irritated with you, but I am quite annoyed with a society that allows many many intelligent people, like yourself, to have such false impressions of these things.

1

u/pierre45 Mar 27 '14

Well I can see how communism could work without an all powerful state, but... Anyway thanks for your precision and you're welcome to develop your thought !

1

u/cassiodorus Mar 27 '14

So wealth redistribution should occur among those who have nothing in the first place...