this post was submitted on 19 Apr 2024
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People say this but I think the actual reality of living it is a lot different. I've read accounts of a lot of people who defected from socialists countries, particularly Cuba, and lack of access to consumer goods was often the number one thing they complained about. Ive also read accounts of westerns who defected to socialist states and a lot complained about being bored as fuck cuz there wasn't much to do in their free time. Free healthcare is great but you only really worry about that if and when your sick, meanwhile the boredom of eating nothing but rice and beans gets to you every day. Now sure, I've also read a lot of those defectors ended up regretting their decisions cuz once the novelty of cheap fried chicken and good TV slop wore off the crushing weight of having to work 2 full time jobs to afford an apartment set in. And also yes a big part of the reason it's that bad in a lot of socialist nations is embargoes by the west, if they were able to trade freely you could probably do socialism with more ice cream and video games. But I do think even in the best case scenario international socialism is gonna mean there's a few generations of belt tightening for most westerns in terms of consumer goods. Free housing and healthcare may be a salve on the wound a but a lot of people are gonna be pissed about no more avocado toast in winter.
That tracks, I was exaggerating on the "everyone" line now that I think about it. Like I do like a pineapple every now and then but if there weren't any I find it hard to imagine there are people that decide they gotta
for their treats.
It's not JUST pineapple though, it's a lot of stuff. Honestly it's even stuff I don't think it's fair to categorize as "treats", doing away with unequal exchange via imperialism could even make a line of necessities, or near necessitated, less easily available. Like, ending the exploitation of workers in Bangladesh is probably gonna make my underwear more expensive which sucks for me cuz I'm always wearing holes in the inner thighs with my fat ass and then I get all chaffey at work. May seem petty me bitching about more expensive boxer briefs but you try working a warehouse floor with chaffed thighs!
No, I get that. I mean I have no clue what the scope of the reduction would be, but I get that it would extend to things I take for granted and couldn't predict. I do wonder when i'm enjoying things - what if I couldn't have this? maybe I'd have a scratched lib moment when I can't have comfortable shoes or tumeric. Or maybe i'll be dead in whatever nuclear exchange precedes that. I prefer not to think about it too much.
What actually worries me is the US has lost so much of its industrial capacity. The chuds are right about that aspect - if the US did have to trade on even terms wtf does this country have to offer that's not being stripped out by the capitalists and sold off.