Communism in a Nutshell/Capitalism in a Nutshell (two original stop-motion shorts)
Collectivist systems such as communism and socialism, indeed statism itself, are doomed to fail for one simple reason:
They refuse to acknowledge the necessity of private property. The most fundamental manifestation of this is refusing to acknowledge that each individual human being owns themelves. From this self-ownership extends property rights and norms which are objectively shown to be necessary to a maximally peaceful society in view of the scarcity of resources.
Some argue, almost unbelievably, that they don't own themselves. This is more of a semantic argument than anything. Performatively, each human being on the planet shows that they hold life as a value, and believe, in some form or another, in private property.
Not everybody holds the sustenance of life and peaceful existence as a value? Fine. Why are you still breathing?
You don't own yourself? Fine, go to work for me and then give me the money when you are done.
Since we know that these values are shared throughout humanity (even in murderers who, though they kill, prefer to stay alive, and in the suicidal who, though they would kill themselves, require life to do so) there must be a way to organize society which can be empirically and objectively shown to be best fitted to this desired outcome (minimalization of violent conflict/maximum peace).
The system which fits the bill is Voluntaryism.
Voluntaryism is in line with nature in that it allows each individual mind, body, and will it's independent function and property, this minimizing the potential for violent conflict.
Collectivist systems always involve one small group of people, or one person, choosing what is "proper" for others, arbitrarily allocating resources, and using violence to force compliance. The results in even more violent conflict and suffering, and can objectively never produce a maximally peaceful society, as violence itself is held as a necessary prerequisite for "order."
I hope you enjoy these short videos.
Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist residing in Niigata, Japan.
Thanks for the short videos. Very fun. I have been learning about something called a Gifting Economy recently. Which still exists in isolated pockets of the world.
I understand it existed everywhere before the barter system. Everyone lived in abundance so they willingly gave to others that which they did not need themselves. And there was no word for 'please' or 'thank you.' No need in this kind of society. LOVE for all people was simply taken for granted.
One day we will get back there again :)
Looking toward an anarcho-capitalist future, there will still be people who wish to act as a group (aka collectively) in order to effect the world around them - groups that will accept the market as the best method of distributing wealth, and who have no desire to challenge the reality of private property.
I posted about this recently - we have to be careful not to oversimplify or entirely sideline legitimate aspects of other perspectives just because they are not entirely in-line with our own. The reasons the early anti-collectivist thinkers were so rabidly opposed, was based on their personal experience - things have changed quite a bit since then, and will continue to do so.
AnCaP Future: Collective Action Will Continue to Exist - Cooperation Based on Shared Values Will Be Necessary
It is very simple, collectivistism is feasible as long as it is not coercive. I have never, in this piece or elsewhere, argued anything to the contrary.
Ah .. I see that now, I jumped to a conclusion based on the simplistic videos. Yes I agree, non-violence should be a shared value, amongst all those who desire a stateless future.
hi,
I wrote a cute little story about a baby dolphin and all the posts he read on steemit
and your post is in it
have a look, I hope you like it
thanks
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