• bridgeenjoyer@sh.itjust.works
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    1 day ago

    This is what pisses me off about capitalism.

    If they want to make new scam tech data stealing planned obsolescence trash, fine, and idiots can buy that shit. But then they have the audacity to FORCE us all into it by outright destroying anything else.

    Best example, cars. You cannot buy a good car anymore. They are rolling malware that is unfixable by the user and planned to fail. Not to mention, controlled fully by the government/billionaires.

    Thats why ill be keeping all my old cars and repairing them, probably forever, since there will never be a good new car again.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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      7 hours ago

      Best example, cars. You cannot buy a good car anymore.

      India and China produce whole fleets of “dumb” cars. Tata Motors is at the forefront of these dirt cheap little modular vehicles. Low cost, cheap to repair, very ergonomic. Virtually impossible to get in the US, though.

      The joke of American capitalism is that it needs these enormous trade firewalls to keep rival industrialized nations from bankrupting their domestic industry.

    • merc@sh.itjust.works
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      1 day ago

      But then they have the audacity to FORCE us all into it by outright destroying anything else

      That’s because there’s no competition. Capitalism requires competition. Adam Smith thought it was the job of the state to step in and ensure that monopolies were broken up so that capitalism could work.

      You cannot buy a good car anymore

      There are only 2 US car manufacturers, 3 if you want to count Tesla.

      rolling malware that is unfixable by the user

      Because they’re weaponizing section 1201 of the DMCA to prevent people from competing with them.

      What you hate isn’t capitalism, it’s that you can’t even get capitalism because the government refuses to regulate businesses. For capitalism to work, the state has to ensure that there’s healthy competition in the marketplace. But, when there’s competition a rich person who owns capital might lose. So, a rich person much prefers feudalism or a corporatocracy to capitalism.

      • bridgeenjoyer@sh.itjust.works
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        1 day ago

        So really its corporatism we should hate and not capitalism?

        There are TONS of people who would go buy a non-computerized car in a SECOND. I have money, I am one of them. But they refuse to give us a product ? Its baffling!

        • merc@sh.itjust.works
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          24 hours ago

          It’s not baffling when you realize that there are only 2 remaining car manufacturers in the US, and fewer than 20 worldwide.

          Look at the number of car companies established just in 1900:

          • Auburn: 1900 to 1937
          • California Automobile Company: 1900 to 1902
          • Massachusetts Steam Wagon Company: 1900 to 1901
          • Dodge: 1900 to 1928
          • Friedman Automobile Company: 1900 to 1903

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Vehicle_manufacturing_companies_established_in_1900

          When there are only 2 manufacturers in a space, it’s no surprise if they ignore certain consumers. If there were a hundred different manufacturers like there were in the early 1900s, then there would almost certainly be someone offering something closer to what you want.

      • Grandwolf319@sh.itjust.works
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        22 hours ago

        If capitalism will always naturally morph into this late stage that seems similar to feudalism, then that’s part of capitalism.

        It’s like saying you like playing monopoly but then after all the properties are bought out you turn around and say it’s no longer monopoly.

        • merc@sh.itjust.works
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          16 hours ago

          Nothing is inevitable. Backsliding is always common. Most forms of government tend to backslide towards a strong-man at the top who is above the law. This is exactly what’s happening with the American democratic republic that was previously a mix of capitalism and socialism. That doesn’t mean that a strong man is a natural element of capitalism or democracy or republics or socialism or capitalism. It’s that a strong man who’s above the law is a common feature of human communities.

          Pretty much every form of government that allows for more participation by the people being governed tries to put constraints on the rulers. The US called theirs “checks and balances”. The British started with the Magna Carta.

          It’s like saying you like playing monopoly but then after all the properties are bought out you turn around and say it’s no longer monopoly.

          You’re talking about monopoly, the board game, previously called “the landlord’s game”, a game designed to teach about the dangers of monopolies?

          • Grandwolf319@sh.itjust.works
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            7 hours ago

            So just because it’s possible for any system to become corrupt that means they are all the same?

            I’m claiming that capitalism in particular is one of the most corruptible systems, it’s basically by design.

            It tries to harness the power of greed and turn it into positive sum games, which don’t seem to work in practice after early stage capitalism.

            It’s an optimization problem, how can we minimize corruptions by changing what forces drive our society. I think greed driving society maximizes corruption and think we should replace that with something else. Saying all systems can become corrupt doesn’t add anything to the task at hand.

            • merc@sh.itjust.works
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              4 hours ago

              You’re claiming that if capitalism tends to backslide into X, then X is part of capitalism. My point is that every system can backslide into something more primitive where a strong man makes the rules. They’re not all the same, so your idea that X is an inevitable part of capitalism is wrong. Capitalism is what we call it when it has a certain set of characteristics. If it no longer has those characteristics it’s no longer capitalism.

              I’m claiming that capitalism in particular is one of the most corruptible systems

              And you’re wrong. There’s nothing about capitalism that makes it more corruptible than feudalism or oligarchy. In fact, those systems are much more corrupt in general.

              It tries to harness the power of greed and turn it into positive sum games

              Whereas feudalism doesn’t even try to do that. It just skips the positive sum games part and accepts greed. At least with capitalism there’s an attempt to make things better.

              I think greed driving society maximizes corruption

              Maximizes corruption? You think capitalism is more corrupt than a strong man system where everybody is forced to constantly flatter and pay tribute to the strong man? A system where the rules are whatever the strong man says, so bribery is baked into everything?

              think we should replace that with something else

              Sure, let’s do it, what do you propose? And how do we get there from here?

    • FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      Same, also why I always buy old and used. Thankfully still a lot of low mileage used cars out there, but they’re getting more expensive because it’s no secret that older stuff works better.

      • bridgeenjoyer@sh.itjust.works
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        1 day ago

        Yeah, makes me extra angry about yhe government destroying millions of great cars for the “cash for clunkers” debacle. Looking at the list of destroyed cars infuriates me. All for the billionaire car mfgs to bail out because they’re products are shit.

    • ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works
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      1 day ago

      I sold my 2015 but I kept my 2004. That things fully manual and just keeps going. It’s growing things inside and out from being street parked but there’s no computers, no fobs, no screens.

      I’ll invest thousands keeping that thing going until I can bridge the gap to EV. It still gets 35-45 MPG which is better than what’s out there anyway, even most hybrids

      • bridgeenjoyer@sh.itjust.works
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        1 day ago

        If only they made an all analog EV. Id get one so fast. No GPS, no screens.

        Its SO EASY to do. They just refuse.

        Guess I can always build my own.

        • BreakerSwitch@lemmy.world
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          1 day ago

          I’ve been wishing for modular EV parts that can be build it yourself for ages. I’ve been TOLD that the problem is street legality: parts don’t come with a VIN, parts don’t assure required safety systems. It would be amazing, but for street driving we’d need a massive shift in the legal system to accommodate them