The Gini Coefficient is usually a better metric than GDP

Sure, a country's GDP may rise but if that wealth is being distributed disproportionately does it really matter?

I don't necessarily advocate for total equality in the sense that all residents of a country are earning a similar wage; what does concern me, however, is the reality of individuals making 450K living a twenty minute drive from people who cannot sustain themselves

At the very least, in wealthy countries I would expect that every individual should have the mere capacity to lead a healthy life

That's where the debate gets interesting

The huge divide is that some believe a Government simply exists to give the simplest protections (property rights, safety, and only a few more things) vs. others who believe the Government exists to ensure that all citizens are able to lead a "good" or at least modest life

How would the people/militia get access to weapons and technology?

I ask out of genuine ignorance, I have no knowledge on this topic

How is the military the demand rather than the supply? The military does not have its own will, it simply acts to ensure the will of the Government

@fannybandit Why not?

Sure, I'll search around.

Isn't a proxy war starting a war or contributing to its creation but then leaving after lmao

Well, yeah. War being being a part of culture naturally changes as culture does too

Why engage in conventional warfare when you don't need to anymore?

Hey @RobotWizard , why do you want to smash the state?

Asking for conversation purposes 😃

Ew why does the smily look like that

Understandable

Though, what is the next alternative to the current system we have?

I think the exploitation is there, but what I find weird is that a lot of people are either unaware or truly do not care

(i.e. the large percent of the population that don't both engaging in deliberation and/or political discussion)

I don't think we can smash the state without them "waking up" you could say

Haha

I would totally advocate Anarcho-Communism, and I like it from a theoretical perspective

But I doubt that we can ever transition from our current political framework to any kind of anarchist framework

Yes, the issue is getting to that transitionary period

My fear, really, is that the people will aim for a kind of revolution or restructuring and only end up more oppressed

Yeah I think leftist unity is really important, the divide we have in the left does nothing but halt progress

though, tbh, there's some things from the capitalist tradition I am interested in maintaining

I have absolutely no clue

Is "every individual having the basic capacity to pursue their interests and maintain their livelihood/be of good health" anywhere on the political spectrum?

@Nicholas91 True.

Or, at least I agree

Vanguardism?

I don't agree with that view.

(1) That's similar to Plato's view that Philosopher Kings should rule, which I wholly reject

Partially, capitalism sustains itself by the proletariat convincing the working class that capitalism actually benefits them, allowing the working class to dismiss the exploitation they face

bourgeois oops

full-time student part-time crier

@Nicholas91 I've been saying this

going to university for the sake of learning is a dying venture < / 3

still if I don't get into grad school I'll cry lmao

it's weird because if we look deeper into history the institution was a bastion of privileged and people went TO learn

in modern times it's become a means to an end to get a job : /

its

@RobotWizard Ontario by any chance?

Haha I'm near by