It’s a description of any firm in any money-using system with scarcity of necessary goods. It can apply to Soviet command economies as much as socialist market economies, feudal regimes, capitalist states… it’s so vague as to be nothing more than a condemnation of human greed. Which, while fair, is not exclusive to capitalist elites, and certainly isn’t an explanation of capitalism as a system.
In a Soviet command economy the state would be running the business where they restrict something humans require to live and then sell it. It’s not much more than a monopoly with total vertical integration and low responsiveness to price signals. The advantage is that the state can set priorities independent of profits; it still remains a money-oriented system on the consumer level.
The two people discussing starting a business to do it though…
[taps market socialism example]
[taps feudal economy]
[taps the fact that even in command economies decision-makers in the state must make the decision to begin and monopolize the industry at some point, it just doesn’t have any competitors; this very scenario must happen at the start of every industry in a command economy]
You’re just going too hard here Pug my man it’s a meme
It’s a political meme. If it’s not being fought over, is it even worth the name?
I think the “start a business monopolizing necessities to exploit people” part of this is pretty capitalistic
It’s a description of any firm in any money-using system with scarcity of necessary goods. It can apply to Soviet command economies as much as socialist market economies, feudal regimes, capitalist states… it’s so vague as to be nothing more than a condemnation of human greed. Which, while fair, is not exclusive to capitalist elites, and certainly isn’t an explanation of capitalism as a system.
Really in a “Soviet command economy” private citizens could create a business to monopolize necessities as implied above?
In a Soviet command economy the state would be running the business where they restrict something humans require to live and then sell it. It’s not much more than a monopoly with total vertical integration and low responsiveness to price signals. The advantage is that the state can set priorities independent of profits; it still remains a money-oriented system on the consumer level.
Right I get that but I don’t think that applies to the meme as above and you come of a bit “well actually”
🤷♂️
The two people discussing starting a business to do it though…
You’re just going too hard here Pug my man it’s a meme
[taps market socialism example]
[taps feudal economy]
[taps the fact that even in command economies decision-makers in the state must make the decision to begin and monopolize the industry at some point, it just doesn’t have any competitors; this very scenario must happen at the start of every industry in a command economy]
It’s a political meme. If it’s not being fought over, is it even worth the name?