Sprout: The Wright brothers indeed. What would have happened to them under communism?
SDF: First Sprout tells us with glee that "As you admit, there has never been a succesful communist society," then he wants to make some serious argument about what the Wright brothers would be "under communism." If communism has never been successful anywhere, and if you still think it never will be successful anywhere, Sprout, then what is the point of imagining the Wright brothers "under communism"? We might as well imagine what would have happened to the Wright brothers if some aliens from outer space had come down to teach them the secret of faster-than-light travel, or some other such fantastic possibility. All I'm pointing out here is that your argument is becoming inconsistent. According to you, is "communism" possible, or not? According to you, was "communism" possible in the Wrights' time, or wasn't it? Try not to answer both "yes" and "no" at once.
Sprout: Would they have bothered to innovate? Why would anyone take a risk if there was no potential for reward?
SDF: The idea that there are risks and rewards to invention does not imply the whole capitalist system. As Simon Kongshoj pointed out, invention has existed long before capitalism came about. Some inventors, such as Albert Einstein (whose theories made the Bomb possible), escaped from capitalism (taking up a job with the Swiss goverment postal service) in order to find an appropriate place to invent. At any rate, the debate about whether capitalism is necessary for invention has been carried on in this Debating Forum beforeSprout: Through history, humans have always shown a desire to increase living standards. There is an inherant desire to become better off, be it to increase power, finances, health, knowledge, or otherwise.
SDF: Yes, and this is what keeps people looking for alternatives to capitalism that are safe and democratic. For under capitalism, the environmental and social living standards of the world's people, the power and finances of the working class, the health of the collective, and the knowledge of our television-addled children will continue to decline. Most of this decline has to do with the fact that the above resources are (under capitalism) to be milked for profit by the world's entrepreneurs, but that abovesaid entrepreneurs have no interest in TAKING RESPONSIBILITY for the WELL-BEING of the above strivings of humanity.
None.
