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Forums - General - Socialism and communism

Mr Khan said:

Its all about post cold-war paranoia, basically. The majority of adults today remember growing up hearing about "Red Joe" and what the russkies were going to do to them. Socialism is as much of a buzzword as "Hardcore" is in our own lexicon. It has a root in a realistic meaning, but its been debased of its value

 

Keynesian Economics has many similarities to socialism, but Keynesianism is merely the path of the world that cannot accept the brutal consequences of Laissez-Faire capitalism, nor wants to go full-blown Socialist or Communist. Real Communism only really exists in North Korea, Cuba, and possibly Laos nowadays. Even Vietnam has a stock exchange.

 

Also: The issue with the Detroit 3 is the fault of both Management and Labor, really. The whole Detroit corporate culture is too focused on the companies fattening their own wallets, for both groups, and not focusing on the consumer. Ultimately its a culture of stagnation, both management and labor like where they are, and neither really want to have to sacrifice anything to push the companies themselves forward

Real communism exists nowhere.  It never has.

They never got past the brutal murdering and brainwashing phase.



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akuma587 said:
Well, we all know you would never go around and say things without facts to support them, Mafoo, so its alright.

Ahh, that's why you never admit when you're wrong on this site. You just assume some dick will slap you in the face for it.

 



TheRealMafoo said:
akuma587 said:
Well, we all know you would never go around and say things without facts to support them, Mafoo, so its alright.
Ahh, that's why you never admit when you're wrong on this site. You just assume some dick will slap you in the face for it.

I like the cleverness of this remark, no sarcasm. 

Anyway, the truth prevailed, so it's all good.  And best of all you found out for yourself instead of having to have reality shoved down your throat. 

[edit:  emphatically NOT trying to continue the metaphor!]



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Final-Fan said:
TheRealMafoo said:
akuma587 said:
Well, we all know you would never go around and say things without facts to support them, Mafoo, so its alright.
Ahh, that's why you never admit when you're wrong on this site. You just assume some dick will slap you in the face for it.

I like the cleverness of this remark, no sarcasm. 

Anyway, the truth prevailed, so it's all good.  And best of all you found out for yourself instead of having to have reality shoved down your throat. 

25% still does seem rather high considering the lack of benfit the government gives us in many areas.  I'd be interested to see it compared with others.

 



Kasz216 said:
mrstickball said:
Kasz216 said:
mrstickball said:
Final, no, it was more at saving the industry.

America will always need cars. If the big 3 collapsed, people would still buy cars. Just not from the big 3. There *are* other car manufacturers out there, and with their increased demand, they would hire some of the unemployed.

And given how atrocious the UAW is at managing employee benefits, the big 3 had done far too much to deserve an auto bailout. Why aren't Nissan, Toyota, or Honda looking for handouts, too?

They are actually.

Or at least it's expected. 

I don't know how you can blame the UAW... the Big 3 are the ones who granted them those benifits.  The UAW weren't the ones who were supposed to handle the money that pays for the retirees and employees benfits.  The Automakers were supposed to handle all that.

http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/daily-news/090304-Toyota-Honda-Mazda-May-Ask-for-Government-Bailout/

Toyota wants $2 billion in loans from Japan vs. GM wanting $2 billion per month. Pretty large difference, no?

And yes, the automakers were supposed to handle all of that. They failed. So did the unions for asking for too much, and striking when they couldn't get their way. Auto employees are some of the laziest, most useless workers in America, and the UAW got them into a very cushy position using their brokering power(s). Because of that, the auto companies should file for Chapter 11, re-organize with new employees, and go forward, rather than the Big 3 keeping employees that are just too overpaid vs. the foreign rivals.

That's not to say that UAW workers are the only issue. It's the Big 3's fault for making inefficient, unreliable, bad cars year after year, while foreign rivals kept doing better. Their plants are also a mess in functionality. Why is it that GM, Ford and the rest can make money overseas, and lose so much here in the US?

That was true in the 80's.

If you've ever been to a modern car plant though... you'd see there are very few lazy workers there anymore.

The problems aren't with the workers... it's with the Management.  They run bad parts that they know can't be used for anything, and do all sorts of other usless moves to keep production up even when it's on scrap because you get judged on how many parts you stamp... not how many parts are actually usefull.

The Machines in car plants are constantlly running there is little chance to be lazy since the machines are all automated now.  The lazy workers ended when they got rid of the button presses and made them all modernized.

An example to how it works now would be... say you Askuma and I are working on a press...

and one of us notices a part has a divit or a bend or something we know won't run.

You'll hit the light to bring your sectional guy.  Tell him the problem.... he'll call the supervisor.  The supervisor wil come over... look at the parts.  Tell you to keep running them anyway, have the lift driver take it over to "repairs" where it will just sit until it's sent to scrap.

Then once your projected number of parts is stamped, they'll switch dyes and have the dymakers fix the dye.

Rather then what would make sense.... switching the dye immediatly and/or fixing said dye in the machine while the team gets shifted over to an empty machine.

The factories do a lot of useless work because the supervisors feel the need to stand out since they can be fired rather eaisly otherwise.

My dad was a truck driver, and I had the great opportunity to tour the country, and see dozens, if not more auto plants in the midwest. I can assure you that, as of the mid 90s, UAW workers were still very lazy. You can say that there are few lazy workers there now due to automation, but guess what? They're still on the payroll. GM and others are still paying through the noze for thousands (if not tens of thousands) of workers that have no function at their plants due to modernization. They go in, clock in, play in the break room, and get paid $20+/hr. I asked my dad about them when he was on the road (between the late 80s through late 90s) and it was very persistent that many of them were still on the payroll.

 



Back from the dead, I'm afraid.

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onoze! Anyway, even if that's true your info is still a hell of a lot closer to the 80s than today -- 15 years out of date.



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My advice to fanboys: Brag about stuff that's true, not about stuff that's false. Predict stuff that's likely, not stuff that's unlikely. You will be happier, and we will be happier.

"Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts." - Sen. Pat Moynihan
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Final-Fan said:
onoze! Anyway, even if that's true your info is still a hell of a lot closer to the 80s than today -- 15 years out of date.

Not really. It's still pretty bad:

  • Jobs Bank programs. 12,000 UAW workers clock in, and do absolutely no work, whatsoever. Still get paid $31/hr + benefits. This is as of 2005, and it's still going on.
  • Commentary on GM and UAW workers with their benefits & pay vs. comparables. 

Bad stuff still goes on. I'll ask you again: Why are American cars more expensive and less reliable than foreign cars, even when both are made in the United States? Overhead, my friends. Overhead.

 



Back from the dead, I'm afraid.

Overhead doesn't explain "less reliable" AFAIK. Try again.



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My advice to fanboys: Brag about stuff that's true, not about stuff that's false. Predict stuff that's likely, not stuff that's unlikely. You will be happier, and we will be happier.

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Final, note I said more expensive and less reliable. What about the expensive part? Care to explain that one rather than attack the other argument?

If you want to fully discuss the reliability aspect, I can point to the various discussions of drunk UAW workers producing products (due to lax enforcement of policies), and many other things. Either way, I am unsure why your defending UAW workers. Unions exist as a counterbalance to corporations. If they tip in a way that gives the company a disadvantage, they should suffer, yet they are (mostly) not.



Back from the dead, I'm afraid.

Note that you said more expensive AND less reliable. If EITHER are not caused by "overhead" then your argument is flawed, I'm simply taking the admittedly easiest route of attack first.

I'm not really interested in doing the research on this to defend (or attack) the unions. I'm just poking holes in weak arguments. First you come in here with a 15 to 20 year old anecdote. I call you on it, and you come up with fresh data. Great! See, we've improved the discussion. You say that cost AND quality are both out of control due to "overhead", and I just don't see how that's true except by taking the back door (cost getting so high that they cut corners, which isn't the same as overhead directly affecting quality).

So please either modify your allegation or provide your reasoning.



Tag (courtesy of fkusumot): "Please feel free -- nay, I encourage you -- to offer rebuttal."
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My advice to fanboys: Brag about stuff that's true, not about stuff that's false. Predict stuff that's likely, not stuff that's unlikely. You will be happier, and we will be happier.

"Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts." - Sen. Pat Moynihan
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The old smileys: ; - ) : - ) : - ( : - P : - D : - # ( c ) ( k ) ( y ) If anyone knows the shortcut for , let me know!
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I have the most epic death scene ever in VGChartz Mafia.  Thanks WordsofWisdom!