this post was submitted on 20 Nov 2023
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Capitalism at its finest (mediacdn.aus.social)
submitted 11 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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A cartoon depicts a chasm with a rope bridge, once connecting both sides, cut and hanging from the side of the cliff, sabotaged by a suit standing on the well forested right side beside a spool of rope and holding a saw. The left side of the chasm is a wasteland of sawn tree stumps. There’s a sign that reads “Please return saw and rope when done”. An empty box sits beneath the sign. The suit calls out to a person in the wasteland on the left side of the chasm “BUILD YOUR OWN DAMN BRIDGE LIKE I DID!” The person in the wasteland replies “WITH WHAT?! “

Caption: Capitalism at its finest

h/t to @[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 247 points 11 months ago (4 children)

This incorrectly depicts that the capitalist built his own bridge.

[–] [email protected] 85 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, the left side of the chasm should be full of all of the workers who built the bridge.

[–] [email protected] 56 points 11 months ago

Or, hear me out, they’re at the bottom of the chasm now?

[–] [email protected] 75 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Though it is correct they would claim they did.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 11 months ago

I wouldn’t say that capitalists do no work at all, that’s just a way to exploit people in the middle class to say the people on the lower class think they do no work and they are lazy.

It perfectly fits the metaphor because while the person on the right will tell a story about how when they started all they had was trees and a vision, it’s clear to see they were able to have that vision because of the tools that were handed down to them from the people before, that they selfishly hand removed from the equation not remembering they needed at least a scrap of iron and some fibers to make the vision seem reasonable.

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

The cartoon did not show that. He's lying saying he did. He found the bridge therefore it's his and the "you made this? I made this!" meme kicks in and here we are.

[–] [email protected] 31 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (3 children)

A capitalist would keep the bridge and charge people for crossing.

[–] [email protected] 35 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Except when profit no longer rises by double digit percentages every year, then they cut the bridge.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

And then declare bridge bankruptcy, absolving them of building a new bridge.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 11 months ago

The bridge is not a literal toll road but a metaphor for economic mobility.

The capitalist has found opportunities to improve his his wealth and has now created conditions where others are barred from same opportunities.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

That's the most efficient use of capital though. Everyone building their own bridge is stupid.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 11 months ago (2 children)

No the most efficient use is the government building the bridge because they can do it most cost efficiently when they already have to build 1000 bridges.

It also works for health care. Socialism works.

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

Government costs a lot of extra money, even when the scope is just building a 1000 bridges. That's not cost efficient at all.

The capitalist alternative is worse though, because the cost for using it will be higher, even if the cost for making was lower.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 11 months ago

With your own bootstraps of course

[–] [email protected] 8 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Capitalism when life gives you lemons

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

Exactly!

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago

Just build a bridge outta love

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago (1 children)

With the pieces of the bridge that fell to your side?

I feel like the original bridge builder should have burned the bridge, not cut it away, for a more accurate description.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Yeah but he kept the tools

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

Sure, but neither of those tools will help span the gap and get the rope and precut logs back in place. Like if they were on his side would it even help?

Also, I'm still not sure how the boomer guy got over there in the first place. Like, did he just jump or something?

[–] [email protected] -1 points 11 months ago

Rawr xD

[–] [email protected] -2 points 11 months ago

I'd say this is just the inheritance problem.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Not defending capitalism, but this is not capitalism, this is just a person being a sociopath.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 11 months ago (1 children)

The capitalist stand-in character privatized common resources. Which is the definition of Capital.

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

Sure, but in every centralized political and economic system, regardless of what you want to call it, some have more control than others and will exploit when they think they can get away with it.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Almost every CEO is a sociopath. Except Costco's that man is a treasure!

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

So is almost every “leader” regardless of political or economic system.