Why Socialists Don't Believe in Fun (1943) • Hacker News Board

Re: Why Socialists Don't Believe in Fun (1943)

#271

Post by GFischer » Wed, Sep 12, 2018, 9:09 PM UTC

SOMMS wrote: post #233

RangerScience wrote: post #221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> [Burning Man] I completely disagree with your impression, but that all is beside my point. The part of the Burning Man culture I'm pointing to is the one where people go co-create all this shit anyway, when they don't have to, when it doesn't solve any need, when it's not about a contrast with somewhere else. Not everyone needs a problem to solve to get off their arse and make something amazing, and you can see tha…

The point still stands: soldering-iron wielding neo-hippies having an orgy in the desert for a week isn't a model for society. It's more of an indication of boredom in a society blessed with extreme abundance, yet lacking a clear sense of purpose.

Funnily enough, the second part of your post could serve as a one-line description for Iain Bank's "Culture" ...

Re: Why Socialists Don't Believe in Fun (1943)

#272

Post by beaner » Thu, Sep 13, 2018, 10:43 PM UTC

fucking_tragedy wrote: post #56

beaner wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many do not. There is a theory of something called the Power Process, which states that for people to be happy, they need goals which require effort, and need to achieve at least some of those goals. The lack of meaningful goals which require effort in the first world may be responsible for much of the depression, suicide, and other issues that plague us today. I found this Medium post which quotes the relevant parts…

> There is a theory of something called the Power Process, This is not a theory in the scientific sense. It's an idea Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, wrote about in his manifesto.

Ok, not sure how that changes the point.

Re: Why Socialists Don't Believe in Fun (1943)

#273

Post by conanbatt » Tue, Sep 18, 2018, 3:22 PM UTC

smsm42 wrote: post #265

GabrielBen wrote: post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is one of the great debates of our generation wether democratic socialism will show plenitude or the road to serfdom. Although I am not as grim as classical libertarians, im not positive those organizations will last.

It is profoundly sad that after all that happened in 20th century it's still a debate. The biggest history's lesson seems to be that nobody ever learns from history.

So far the scandinavian countries have shown success, while still keeping liberty indexes very high. The US is not the free-est country in the world.