We're waiting. Moderately patiently. Please answer Invictus's questions.

Well? Why was David Ricardo the first Marxist?

Why won't you answer?

Do I have to start another thread?

Free trade is socialist because it globalizes the trade market, rather than nationalizing it. This opens the door to international trade agreements, which leads to international unions, which leads to a global government.

Putting aside the economic illiteracy and paranoia, I still don't see how free trade is socialist. Explain it. I think what you really mean to say is that globalization is socialist, which is also crazy.

@invictus, globalization could be socialist, or capitalist... surely that just depends on how you're doing it.

I think people who have opinions without even the fundamental knowledge base requisite for claiming intellectual autonomy (most of whom apparently claim permanent and legal residence on these forums) should be bludgeoned. Where does this belief fall on the political quadrant?

Globalization is one of the main goals of socialism

"Globalization is one of the main goals of socialism"

What? Then why do they protest trade summits? Are you just confusing globalization with world revolution? Or are you really this insane?

@jacobfries, it's on the intellectual smug end of the spectrum.

Invictus, are you just bumping because (someone i've muted, i'm not sure who) wouldn't answer your simple question? That they keep failing and you want people to see?

Cause, if so, i think that is a little cruel, and you should mute them. Leave things in peace rather than kicking them while they're down...

Haha, I haven´t read anything of this whole discussion except the last few posts, and I especially love Sbyvl's one. Even though he seems to be serious...

Sbyvl, globalization is a capitalistic thing, and then I mean the liberal/conservative (whichever was the opposite of social in America?) thing. Socialism is actually not good for globalization. Salaries go down, bussinesses usually cost more, so things are more expensive to produce, so your export is worse (as a country). Of course, if you bypass the system and move to places that don't have any reasonable socialism, like China ironically, it's better, but that has little to do with socialism anymore. That is again about capitalism.

@Ora,
He's trying to get an answer out of Sbyvl for some point I don't really understand. Can't we all just let this god-forsaken thread die a horrible death?

@orathaic Calling that notion smug (minus the obvious rancor) is reductive and broaching a rights vs. responsibilities debate. I don't much care what someone's politics are, assuming they have a basic understanding of whatever it is they voice an opinion on. Specifically, some quantitative measures would be ideal (yes, yes, hard to implement). But it's a tragedy that the idea of a well-educated citizenry being a prerequisite for democracy is dead and buried. Even sadder than to mourn for that notion is smug intellectualism.