[quote=@mdk] (snipped image) My point is the American Dream is totally achievable. see also: that's not "the black science man," wtf, that's Don Lemon. (edit: right, right, not US-based, I knew that, sorry) [/quote] It is achievable, that doesn't mean it's realistically achievable, or in essence what darcs posted. [@Dynamo Frokane] You got me [quote=@Vilageidiotx] Echh, this sounds a bit like the law of the jungle tbh. If it is determined that your success is a detriment to your society, then it is reasonable to curb that success. The purpose of a government by the people is that we as a group determine what produces the greatest benefit to the group with the least harm to individual interests. This balancing act is true for pretty much everyone but the most nutty an-cap. The illegality of a ponzi scheme, for instance, is public regulation that curbs the success of an individual for the benefit of the masses. Upward mobility in itself isn't new, it has existed since the days of Imhotep. That the US and democratic values in general has improved upward mobility from where it was before is absolutely true, but this doesn't mean we have reached the peak. We should do everything we can as a society to ensure that none of our talent gets wasted trying to clear basic hurdles in poverty. That means keeping social stratification from ossifying and creating some sort of neo-feudal situation like what happened to, say, the Romans. [/quote] [quote=@Vilageidiotx] Echh, this sounds a bit like the law of the jungle tbh. If it is determined that your success is a detriment to your society, then it is reasonable to curb that success. The purpose of a government by the people is that we as a group determine what produces the greatest benefit to the group with the least harm to individual interests. This balancing act is true for pretty much everyone but the most nutty an-cap. The illegality of a ponzi scheme, for instance, is public regulation that curbs the success of an individual for the benefit of the masses. Upward mobility in itself isn't new, it has existed since the days of Imhotep. That the US and democratic values in general has improved upward mobility from where it was before is absolutely true, but this doesn't mean we have reached the peak. We should do everything we can as a society to ensure that none of our talent gets wasted trying to clear basic hurdles in poverty. That means keeping social stratification from ossifying and creating some sort of neo-feudal situation like what happened to, say, the Romans. [/quote] While I usually disagree with most of the bullshit you got to spew I can agree with this. In late stage capitalism protectionism becomes the norm and while the best are supposed to shine in it, they don't and get stomped aside by those who don't want to lose their shit. Late stage capitalism is a ticking bomb destined to collapse under it's own weight into either ancap, ancom or some sort of fascism. To at least prolong it's lifespan for a little bit, capitalism should take some socialist policy to help those who've been proverbially fucked by the system. Really any society should take at least some socialist policy if they don't want random fucks to start bitching and moaning; free shit and gibs make people pretty happy. [@MyCatGinger] You're part of Middle-East/North Africa, at most your part of Asia Minor. When people say Asia they usually mean the Orient.