this post was submitted on 26 Sep 2023
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Reading about FOSS philosophy, degoogling, becoming against corporations, and now a full-blown woke communist (like Linus Torvalds)

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[–] [email protected] 191 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (9 children)

I was feeling the last part had some more story behind it so I went ahead and found this:

Seems like I'm a full-blown woke communist too

[–] [email protected] 70 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Doesn't read like he's an actual communist, more insulting people (rightly so) that would call liberals communists.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)
[–] [email protected] 52 points 1 year ago (1 children)

er... did torvalds just say trans rights? based alert

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I think he said trans rights in the wording that >90% of people would agree with.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

God I wish that were true but there are a LOT of people (well, conservatives) who are vehemently against wider society allowing cross dressing or medical transition. It's not 90% :(

[–] [email protected] 39 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's strange to me that any of the things he said is controversial.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I don't think it's that controversial unless you're hardcore conservative. Realistically he just laid out the view of most of the Libertarian party. Nothing he said denotes woke or communist except for the part or him claiming to be one. I'd like to see the full context, because that woke communist comment probably wasn't directed at Linus’ views

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

The communist part reads as sarcasm because he was accused of being one

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I'm definitely woke af. And proud of it.

I have come to think that when profits are at odds with health, happiness, the good of society and humanity, then either a non profit foundation needs to be running it or it needs to be in the hands of the government—but a much less corrupt one. And I believe oligopolies need to be broken up and anti trust laws greatly expanded and enforced. Then we can deal with the oligopoly / plutocracy. We set a maximum wage (including all earnings) and tax 100% above that. Penalties for regulatory breaches include jail time. For corporations. With corporations reigned in, oligopolies and oligarchies crumbled, we can prevent regulatory capture and corruption. Campaign finance is abolished and it is paid for out of public funds. We abolish first past the post voting in favor of scientifically determined better alternatives to ensure voters actually have a variety of choices.

Idk wtf that makes me except maybe a ranting lunatic lol

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago

In my mind, "woke" has two meanings that apply to this context:

  • positive: aware of the hardships different groups of people might face
  • negative: overboard political correctness, cancel culture

It's entirely possible to be pro-woke and anti-woke at the same time because of this.

[–] [email protected] -4 points 1 year ago

As a full fledged Ancapper, I respect your opinion

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago

Just when I thought I couldn't admire him more...

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago

Common sense on the internet in this economy 😮

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

Where do I sign up for my Atheist card?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (4 children)

I personally think communism especially Marxism sounds really good on paper. The problem is that just about every time it has been attempted things didn't really seem to work like they are supposed to.

Its like every state that attempts communism just ends up being a perpetual Vanguard state, and it ends up being authoritarian and terrible.

I really think there are several good ideas in Marx theories, but the actual implementation of those theories needs some work to figure out how they should be incorporated without being corrupted and overtaken by tyrants.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Capitalism didn't appear over night. It took several attempts and iterations to get it anywhere near what it is today. Most modern theories on the implementation of Marxism focus less on centralized government authority and more on democracy in the work place, and eliminating 3rd party shareholders' control. Much of the struggle with implementation of this, is that the existing financial structures aren't set up to handle this type of thing well.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

What we have today isn't really even capitalism anymore. It is becoming something else. We don't have free markets, for example, because large corporate players are not allowed to fail. Under a central banking system, the state can simply print money to fund its corporate protectorates while artificially suppressing interest rates to avoid paying any interest on the debt. And then we use tariffs and policy to pick and choose winners, suppressing competition. This is about as far from capitalism as one can imagine.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Can you point me to a time when capitalism did happen? Where governments and outside forces weren't picking winners and losers in the market? In such a time what was the plight of the common worker? Did we see overwork, workplace safety, and child labor issues?

Third wave communism doesn't seek to abandon the "free market" (which is free within bounds), it instead favors democracy in the workplace. Where all members of the organization are employee-owners including ceos and middle management and the "Board" is dissolved into either a representative or direct democracy made up of employee-owners. In this way one increases the incentives for each individual to perform and see the company perform well. This also mitigates much income inequality by allowing the workers a say in the compensation of middle and upper management.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You're right. Communism is like the greatest social form a society can possibly achieve. The Problem is, that humans are dumb and will always try to get the best out of it for themselves so the concept of communism is ruined by those people. It maybe is practicable in small "society's" (your family as example) but fails in big societies like states.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Yes, Communism fails to acknowledge human psychology and will therefore never work. People are individuals with self interests. This can never be controlled (without violence) by a socialist/communist society. The good news is you only need selfishness in a free market society. In order for people to get their needs met they need to offer value. Value exchange means all people are better off (on average).

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

That's why no country has achieved communism they are all authoritarian!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I personally think communism especially Marxism sounds really good on paper. The problem is that just about every time it has been attempted things didn’t really seem to work like they are supposed to.

Boy, that's the understatement of the century. Not only did it not work, it often results in mass murder and the ushering in of a totalitarian regime.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

In German we call it "Links Grün vesifft"

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Aber die Grüneeeeeeeeennnnnn!!!!!