If all basic needs were met (food, shelter, and medical), could socialism work (without the need for wars or famine to reduce the population)?

  • Worx@lemmynsfw.com
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    10 hours ago

    Fair enough, that’s better reasoning for your argument (or I just understood you better this time haha). I don’t think I agree with you, because I would share with other people even on scarcity and I like to believe that people, at their core, have the capacity for kindness even in times of stress.

    As for your other point about trade and barter, that’s fair enough. Socialism is also an economic system that involves money and trading - the difference is that the workers would cooperatively own their own shops, factories, etc. rather than having a CEO / landlord that just leeches off of the workers as it would be under capitalism.

    Gift based economies have existed and do exist, but as you say, usually within small groups. And gifts can also be used as a form of currency in people’s minds, even if there’s no concrete tokens like money that get exchanged.