jamyskis: The problem is that without the corrupting influence of capitalism, communism works just fine. ....
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... When people strive collectively to achieve a greater goal than accumulating wealth, the system works beautifully. ...
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... there has to be a legal system in place to protect the greater good, and of course it's going to punish greed.
Define greed please. I doubt you actually know any human that is solely concerned with accumulating wealth a la Scrooge McDuck without any concern for any of: family, sex, creative expression, safety, curiosity... and I could go on and on...
The ways the product of our labor directly allows us to procure / obtain / produce any of the above is obvious, and the problem with communism is how it assumes the collective (it's in the name even...) knows better, can direct your productive choices, and should do so for everyone. This is called the knowledge coordination problem I think and any discussion of communism as economic system that ignores it is in practice dishonest by omission.
I do find the greedy boogeyman propaganda amazing in its effectiveness. Granted it touches on deep, deep stereotypes of othering about usury and cruelty which are millenia old. Still more amazing that anyone really into communism can be dishonest enough to pretend there is not a fundamental conflict between moral conceptions of individual freedom and any sort of economic system (not to say political) based on communism. Because the only way communism can work without coercion is if humans are angels. But we aren't and never will.
It's a catch 22 really. If communists (socialists, redistributionists, etc...) actually gave up on trying to impose their non greedy, pure snow white, obviously better values on the rest of us individualists, they would take a huge step towards making humanity more angelic, and providing a great example to the rest.
So, please don't take me wrong, because I'm not saying you are intent on any sort of totaliarian foolishness, but I would kindly ask you to examine the assumptions on what exactly is wrong with greed, and why the desire of the many for X isn't greedy, whereas the desire of the one for X is. Basically, your definition of the greater good is begging the question as to distribution of wealth, and if you'd define greater good in other ways, for example about reducing poverty, then maybe, just maybe, if you take an objective look around the world then capitalism is doing much better than communism ever did at achieving the greater good. And it doesn't even need angels to work! Imagine that...
Judas, please stop stealing my thunder :D
Here I am writing for 30 min, and you greedy mofo just come along and are all ninja man...
Also you're ableist since I am physically unable to post short concise stuff like that ;)
PS: I'd actually disagree on your final point. When the basic needs are met the barriers to generosity lower. In fact a lot of what others call greed is just unexamined priorities like I tried to point out. Maybe someone's experiences make them believe they need a lot more money to be safe or something.