US poverty level highest since the mid 1960s

[Pebble]

[The Dharma Bum]

[Pebble]

[The Dharma Bum]

There was communal ownership of those lands for tens of thousands of years before the process of statism was used to take them for private use via the process of enclosure in the 16th and 17th century. This is a matter of historical fact.

I didn't refer to feudalism specifically in any of my statements but yes, it was the beginning of a process of the ruling class taking the people's ancestral, commonly held land that occurred for a few hundred years, and which later developed into capitalism. If you are suggesting the aristocracy was in complete control the whole time I suggest you review your history. Their control was sporadic at best and individuals actually had more individual freedom than they do today in many respects, due to their rights to the common land. For example a peasant could build a cottage on any unused common land until 1588.

Feudalism was never fully successful, it was extremely unstable and the political tides shifted constantly as the families of the ruling class fought for dominance and it wasn't until the 16th and 17th centuries that feudalism's direct descendent, capitalism, succeeded in removing the last of the people's right to millions of commonly owned acres in the British Isles. And despite their best efforts some commonly held land still exists in the UK, although the commoners mostly no longer find it worth it to exercise their traditional rights and have moved to urban areas.

[exploited]

I think the question of what human beings are like "naturally" is totally irrelevant. Outside of basic needs, there is a vast spectrum of personalities that, in my opinion, discounts any notion of behavioural uniformity. I know people who are naturally cooperative and pleasant... I know people who are paranoid and distrustful... there is genetic variance for each person, and on top of that, we are informed by different experiences.

Point being, we are capable of defying our natural programming. We do it everyday of our lives. Our original nature matters not... what matters is what we are like now, and how we can continue the remarkable achievements of those before us. We have stalled on competition and profit-making, despite the fact that our advances have cleared the way for better things.

[The Dharma Bum]

The rather lengthy process of expropriation of land and creation of a landless workforce, the proletariat, is referred to as the primeval accumulation of capital. This process and others like in in a hundred different lands is the source of wealth that is now being enjoyed by the capitalist class.

It should be reappropriated and returned to it's rightful owners, the people of the earth, to be held as the common heritage of all humanity.

[The Dharma Bum]

[exploited]

[eynon81]

(checks back on poverty thread after nice weekend out in nature)

what the? OH SON OF A BITCH! Guys are we talking about Communism? Why are we talking about Communism? See, this is why we can't have nice things.

[Spider]

Aw come on. Nothing like a little Bourgeois ass-kicking to solve all our problems. Its the 19th century, after all.