No. That’s why the caption says “… capitalism must manufacture [scarcity] in order to justify its existence”
If there are enough resources for everyone, then it is difficult to make a profit. So capitalism creates artificial barriers and waste to artificially create scarcity and demand in order to maximise profits. Its most obvious with products that are deliberately designed to wear-out, or break, or degrade over time.
Making long-lasting durable, repairable, and upgradable products is not beyond us - but is harder to make a profit that way. So instead we get stuff that degrades over time.
With food it is more subtle, but what is crystal clear is maximizing profits is the top priority for the invisible hand of capitalism. Keeping everyone well fed may be a desirable side effort, but is not what capitalism is trying to achieve. And that’s why we end up throwing away huge amount of vegetables that aren’t quite the right shape for supermarkets, but at the same time as having people starving.
Yes, and when the cost of a product becomes too high for it’s true value, alternatives are created, which is why you’re probably on lemmy right now.
Right now, made to break profits are marketed to be cheaper, and while they are not, people believe it which is why they are still in high demand.
There is an abundance of supply with many options, this is very different from low supply.
Capitalism is not inherently the problem. It’s the corruption of governments that allow artificial scarcity to exist.
when the cost of a product becomes too high for it’s true value, alternatives are created
Now we discover your true understanding of “basic economics”, the magical thinking that the man on the television screen and the man behind the lectern told you was the final truth and the deepest wisdom, and that you believed because believing is what you wanted to do.
You are not meaningfully collecting different perspectives, though, if you are dismissing others as not falling inside of your own construct of “basic economics”.
I assume you are aware that economies have occurred historically not based on supply and demand.
Yes, they tend to fall under some sort of authoritarian system and usually still have free trade outside of the system. When supply and demand is discarded by government, people tend to die. So it seems to me that we can central power since the free market, while not ideal, is still better than the likely risk of corrupt power with all of the power.
People are dying because the entire economy, the entirety of processes of production and distribution, is under massively centralized control, and driven by the profit motive, which is inimical to human survival and flourishing, in a word, corrupt.
I have been browsing comments for the post quite aggressively, and have even read most of them now several times. I have found none advocating for supply and demand being “discarded by government”, nor any for expansion of authority.
I am actually advocating for supply and demand being “discarded by government” :)
Sorry, I realized after clicking “reply” that you’re already someone I’m having a (slightly heated, sorry!) discussion with. I promise I’m not following you.
But nonetheless, even Adam Smith (the founder of capitalism) had some problems with unrelated markets wrt necessities. We don’t have to go off the deep end to say “supply and demand economics should be discarded for food and healthcare if it’s the only way to stop poor people from dying inches away from trashbins full of food”
The phrasing is intrinsically nebulous and rhetorically charged, useful more as a tactic for constructing a straw man than for advocating meaningful social change.
No. That’s why the caption says “… capitalism must manufacture [scarcity] in order to justify its existence”
If there are enough resources for everyone, then it is difficult to make a profit. So capitalism creates artificial barriers and waste to artificially create scarcity and demand in order to maximise profits. Its most obvious with products that are deliberately designed to wear-out, or break, or degrade over time.
Making long-lasting durable, repairable, and upgradable products is not beyond us - but is harder to make a profit that way. So instead we get stuff that degrades over time.
With food it is more subtle, but what is crystal clear is maximizing profits is the top priority for the invisible hand of capitalism. Keeping everyone well fed may be a desirable side effort, but is not what capitalism is trying to achieve. And that’s why we end up throwing away huge amount of vegetables that aren’t quite the right shape for supermarkets, but at the same time as having people starving.
Yes, and when the cost of a product becomes too high for it’s true value, alternatives are created, which is why you’re probably on lemmy right now. Right now, made to break profits are marketed to be cheaper, and while they are not, people believe it which is why they are still in high demand. There is an abundance of supply with many options, this is very different from low supply.
Capitalism is not inherently the problem. It’s the corruption of governments that allow artificial scarcity to exist.
Now we discover your true understanding of “basic economics”, the magical thinking that the man on the television screen and the man behind the lectern told you was the final truth and the deepest wisdom, and that you believed because believing is what you wanted to do.
Capitalism made the iPhone. I’m smart.
Capitalism made Lemmy. I’m really smart.
I’m not saying or thinking any of that. I’m not talking here because i have the ultimate answer, im collecting different perspectives.
You are not meaningfully collecting different perspectives, though, if you are dismissing others as not falling inside of your own construct of “basic economics”.
I assume you are aware that economies have occurred historically not based on supply and demand.
Yes, they tend to fall under some sort of authoritarian system and usually still have free trade outside of the system. When supply and demand is discarded by government, people tend to die. So it seems to me that we can central power since the free market, while not ideal, is still better than the likely risk of corrupt power with all of the power.
People are dying because the entire economy, the entirety of processes of production and distribution, is under massively centralized control, and driven by the profit motive, which is inimical to human survival and flourishing, in a word, corrupt.
I have been browsing comments for the post quite aggressively, and have even read most of them now several times. I have found none advocating for supply and demand being “discarded by government”, nor any for expansion of authority.
waves hand
I am actually advocating for supply and demand being “discarded by government” :)
Sorry, I realized after clicking “reply” that you’re already someone I’m having a (slightly heated, sorry!) discussion with. I promise I’m not following you.
But nonetheless, even Adam Smith (the founder of capitalism) had some problems with unrelated markets wrt necessities. We don’t have to go off the deep end to say “supply and demand economics should be discarded for food and healthcare if it’s the only way to stop poor people from dying inches away from trashbins full of food”
The phrasing is intrinsically nebulous and rhetorically charged, useful more as a tactic for constructing a straw man than for advocating meaningful social change.