Camping Trips and Socialism Society

Having just returned from a flyfishing/camping trip, I found this article, Can Society Be Organized Like a Camping Trip?, which was written by David Gordon, addressing G.A. Cohen’s musings on the moral desirability of Socialism and his use of a theoretical camping trip in support of his musing.  From Gordon’s piece.

In Why Not Socialism? Cohen explains in a clear and accessible way why he thinks that socialism is morally desirable. In doing so, though, he leaves himself open to a challenge, and of this he is fully aware. Even if he could demonstrate that socialism is a morally superior system to capitalism, it might turn ought that socialism is impossible to establish. He endeavors to meet the difficulty but, as we shall see, he fails adequately to confront the principal reason that would derail a socialist economy.

I will state that though there are aspects about camping which are communal in nature, at my trout camp, I always set the rules.

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 04/28 at 08:28 AM

  1. Work is demonstrably finite, and in a productive economy it shrinks over time.  Ergo it is a “commons” area and subject to a tragedy of the commons.  This is why Keynes was right.

    You and Beck just don’t get it yet.  It’s like arguing with flat-eathers.  Your model of the world never existed and never will, yet you insist it does.

    Oh, well.

    Posted by Browrad  on  04/29  at  01:41 AM

  2. You and Beck just don’t get it yet.  It’s like arguing with flat-eathers.  Your model of the world never existed and never will, yet you insist it does.

    I think, Broward, that it is you who does not “get it,” as you say.  Have Billy Beck and I created a model of the world, or have you simply projected your lack of understanding of how men interact when coercion is not present, as is indicated in your one true faith embracement of Keynes?

    I have created no “model of the world,” nor have I collaborated with Billy Beck to create such a model.  I have exchanged ideas with Billy Beck, expressed in plain words which apparently you are unable digest.

    If you see no value in my words, then do not seek to voluntarily trade with me.

    Posted by John Venlet  on  04/29  at  06:31 AM

  3. A camping outing is a VOLUNTARY experience.  Socialism as directed by government is involuntary, i.e. even if the founders of a system are volunteering, the following generations are not volunteers.

    I am fine with entering into sharing workload and resources voluntarily - I am married with a child and also employed in a workplace wherein workloads are distributed and shared - but these are VOLUNTARY engagements.

    People that poo-poo the metaphor are not stupid.  Nor are we flat-earthers.  We just disagree with you.

    “Work is demonstrably finite, and in a productive economy it shrinks over time.”

    BULLSHIT.  Try creating something for once.  You’ll find that work never ends if you don’t want it to.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  04/29  at  05:36 PM

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