tmdblya t1_j6lbjxj wrote
Reply to comment by Gulbahar-00 in TIL that between 1895 and 1908 the population of the Belgian Congo declined by between 2 and 13 million due to colonial brutality and diseases caused by colonialism. by hetkleinezusje
Always gotta have that one guy “but Communism!”
Gulbahar-00 t1_j6lh39b wrote
I wasn’t talking about Communism, just sharing information about similar authoritarian regimes.
Yes, Pol Pot was communist and Leopold was capitalist. The issue is that they were both authoritarian, not their economic system.
WR810 t1_j6lvul6 wrote
> Leopold was capitalist practiced mercantilism.
There are plenty of bad things you can say about capitalism but when you have state monopolies, captured markets, and lack free trade that's mercantilism.
Edit: do you really believe the overseas private property of a European monarch was practicing capitalism?
CanadianGurlfren t1_j6m5idz wrote
Imperialism is the armed wing of capitalism
WR810 t1_j6nayjm wrote
Imperialism isn't unique to capitalism.
CanadianGurlfren t1_j6nlgsn wrote
But it is heavily correlated.
WR810 t1_j6nsueb wrote
It's takes a special kind of tunnel vision to look at all the wars of conquest and say "privately owned means" is at fault. It's as ridiculous as the "I did that" Biden stickers on gas pumps.
Yosemitejohn t1_j6mxzl0 wrote
What the hell is that even supposed to mean?
CanadianGurlfren t1_j6n2tmr wrote
Do you know who Smedley Butler is?
Yosemitejohn t1_j6n6qz8 wrote
Yes, I do. Do you know what Smedley Butler has nothing to do with the Belgian Congo and the Belgian monarchy?
CanadianGurlfren t1_j6najmz wrote
"I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents."
LTG Smedley Butler, USMC
[deleted] t1_j6m5hyf wrote
[deleted]
Yosemitejohn t1_j6my17b wrote
You're on a mainstream subreddit, and you are using words that people don't understand. Good on you for trying, though.
WR810 t1_j6nra93 wrote
Redditors when they learn there are more economic systems than capitalism & communism and socialism.
The-albatroz t1_j6lux2w wrote
Always gotta have some communist who take every comment as an attack on his beautiful and very functional political system
FoetusScrambler t1_j6m77e1 wrote
Communism can never be truly tested as a system because communist nations always seem to collapse before full implementation
The-albatroz t1_j6ma5oo wrote
That’s weird 🤔
BrownMan65 t1_j6mgtoo wrote
Yeah almost like capitalist nations wage war on the communists every chance they get.
Pay08 t1_j6mhtap wrote
It's almost like communism is impossible to sustain on a scale that involves more than 50 people. Especially if these people are forced into it. The USSR destroyed itself, it had nothing to do with any other country.
BrownMan65 t1_j6mij56 wrote
It’s crazy how little people know about history but still make such know it all statements.
Wodan1 t1_j6mjlqt wrote
The USSR did collapse because of its own actions. It's dishonest to point fingers and blame capitalist nation's over the failure of the bloc, when it's clear that the USSR was never going to be sustainable, based upon the internal problems it had with economics and bureaucratic government.
zebulonworkshops t1_j6mnscl wrote
No dog in this fight, but didn't the US have kinda a lot to do with it failing as well as its internal greed and corruption? I seem to remember an extended, but cold war...
Pay08 t1_j6muti1 wrote
The cold war was both countries trying to get ahead of each other and be ready for a possible war. This didn't have an impact on the general population and there's no evidence (that I know of) of a large and successful destabilisation campaign within the USSR.
zebulonworkshops t1_j6mw2k3 wrote
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB107787406695041047
>The USSR destroyed itself, it had nothing to do with any other country.
The capitalist western world certainly stifled any vestige of communism. It's not like, up for debate, it's historical fact. The USSR had tons of their own problems and very well might have failed on its own, but I was responding to the quoted statement.
Pay08 t1_j6mwt08 wrote
The Soviet economy was failing pretty much immediately after WW2. Sure, it was somewhat accelerated by outside powers, but the USSR would have collapsed anyways. Especially seeing as the main reason for its collapse was them conquering every Eastern European and Central Asian country.
zebulonworkshops t1_j6mxz59 wrote
Holy shit you people in this sub love your downvotes. And sure, whatever. That wasn't my statement. I'm no tankie or Stalinist or whatever. But it's frustrating seeing someone claim that only faulty ideology caused that downfall. Life isn't nearly that black and white, and capitalism in history has very notably sought to snuff out socialism and communism whenever possible and by whatever means was feasible. It makes sense, it's a threat to their system of governance. It's why FDR was literally called a class traitor for implementing the New Deal. And why the far left at the time were against it because it was a band aid and not a cultural shift. The USSR sucked. Agreed.
Hambredd t1_j6mot0o wrote
You understand what a 'cold' war is right? They didn't fight.
zebulonworkshops t1_j6mpk28 wrote
I never said they did. But the cold war certainly constrained their growth/opportunities. Why did you think I believed it was a 'hot war'? It wasn't anything I said... Or are you under the impression that only open warfare can negatively affect a country?
Hambredd t1_j6mps6d wrote
>Yeah almost like capitalist nations wage war on the communists every chance they get.
Jeez why did I assume you were talking about a conflict.
That was the comment you were defending, maybe read it next time.
zebulonworkshops t1_j6mq2dq wrote
I was more responding to the comment after that, but... again, you can wage economic warfare. Don't simplify yourself.
>The USSR destroyed itself, it had nothing to do with any other country.
Hambredd t1_j6mqbv7 wrote
I'm guessing your a Yank? American exceptionalism at it's finest to believe they brought down the USSR with a few spies.
Besides you can flip the question, why wasn't USSR able to bring down capitalism during the cold war?
zebulonworkshops t1_j6mqteo wrote
No point in continuing this, you're not interested in learning. Stick to Tolkien and 40k, you have a lot of reading to do in order to shore up the blank spots in your history knowledge, but have no trouble spouting off on it apparently. And your debatelord Andy nonsense is too transparent to work.
But have a nice day, regardless.
Hambredd t1_j6mrbvc wrote
Oh piss off you really checked up on me? What's wrong with Tolkien and 40k, not written by Americans so worthless?
I'm interested in learning, what would you suggest I research something by Michael Bay?
I know enough to realise that the US wasn't the only country involved in the cold war for starters. And that the cold war didn't have a clear cut victor. Stick to poetry not history.
zebulonworkshops t1_j6mt21p wrote
Bro, I didn't say anything about America, nor anything negative about Tolkien or Warhammer. I clicked your profile and scrolled for a few seconds to see if you posted in some of the more outrageous subs which are especially telling that someone has major issues with reality. 40k and Tolkien are good hobbies/fandoms to be a part of (or, they can be). I subscribe to Nerd of the Rings on YouTube, it's fun. But you're having a harder time in world history, or in reading comprehension, I'm not sure which, because you keep saying I'm talking about shit that I'm not. And defending the post I was responding to, which was just me saying that the USSR didn't fail in a vacuum while acknowledging their corruption playing a big part. You're bringing your own baggage in, moving goalposts, whatabout-ing and wasting both of our time. Again, have a good day.
*edit: slight correction. I said US in that original post when I could have said western capitalist nations. But the point stands, and I didn't say 'the US alone' or anything like that.
Hambredd t1_j6mtiyr wrote
Well why mention my hobbies if you weren't trying to make a point? You failed to find out that I was a Nazi or something so you were working with what you had.
Okay the USSR didn't fail in a vacuum — wow what a groundbreaking point. You sure showed the other guy.
I'm not even sure what your argument is at this point. Bar trying to make smug comments about my 'baggage' whatever that means.
zebulonworkshops t1_j6mu51u wrote
>The USSR destroyed itself, it had nothing to do with any other country.
Hambredd t1_j6oqxpg wrote
When did I say that? Now you are making shit up
Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments