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Monopoly was invented to demonstrate the evils of capitalism (2017)

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31–40 of 374 posts

Re: Monopoly was invented to demonstrate the evils of capitalism (2017)

#32
post #4

I love how everyone who wins at monopoly acts like a right arse to the other people and it turns out it was just rolls of the dice that decided if they won... I certainly always feel like I deserve to have won.

Just like capitalism!

Re: Monopoly was invented to demonstrate the evils of capitalism (2017)

#33

[flagged]

No no no

The trend in board games right now is legacy board games, where the game maintains state after each session. What you really want is legacy monopoly. Where the winners of early games maintain their monopoly, and face a proletariat uprising in future games, making it an asymmetrical struggle for the elites to maintain power.

Re: Monopoly was invented to demonstrate the evils of capitalism (2017)

#34
Monopoly was meant to show the benefits of Georgism - essentially a flat-value land tax. Georgism is not opposed to capitalism. In fact, Adam Smith himself advocated a similar tax. So did Keynes, Friedman- nearly every economist.

However, it is likely that Elizabeth Magie herself didn't quite understand this - the Georgist set of rules in the Landlord's game doesn't quite match what Henry George was proposing. George's proposed tax intended to drive down rents by encouraging development of land. But the game flat out handed people money and kept rents the same.

Re: Monopoly was invented to demonstrate the evils of capitalism (2017)

#35
post #2

I guess that explains why it's such a terrible game. People put up with it because it was all they had. Now we have other options, fortunately. (I guess this comment could apply to either the boardgame, or to capitalism.)

This is not due to its origin. It's just not a great game due to its widely varied play time, elimination of players and other flaws.

If you're new to Euro-style games and enjoy games with some luck and rolling of the dice, check out The Settlers of Catan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catan).

Re: Monopoly was invented to demonstrate the evils of capitalism (2017)

#36
post #2

I guess that explains why it's such a terrible game. People put up with it because it was all they had. Now we have other options, fortunately. (I guess this comment could apply to either the boardgame, or to capitalism.)

> People put up with it because it was all they had.

Nominative determinism strikes again?

Re: Monopoly was invented to demonstrate the evils of capitalism (2017)

#38
I've always used Monopoly as a good way to explain inflation.

If you play by the stated rules in the game, any property landed on goes up for auction to all players if the current player doesn't want to purchase it. Imagine what happens to the purchase price of properties in this scenario if every player started the game with 10 times more money...

Re: Monopoly was invented to demonstrate the evils of capitalism (2017)

#39
post #10

Monopoly teaches people a view of economics being a zero-sum game and too many people learn the wrong lessons from it. Real life isn't a zero-sum game.

Once we hit the limits of eternal growth (if not by CO2, then by something else) it becomes one.

Re: Monopoly was invented to demonstrate the evils of capitalism (2017)

#40
post #10

Monopoly teaches people a view of economics being a zero-sum game and too many people learn the wrong lessons from it. Real life isn't a zero-sum game.

Depends. If earth overpopulates and there is lack of resources it will be even less than zero sum.

You cannot mention this on HN. Mr Graham Himself has declared that the pie always grows.
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