Book Review: ‘Capital in the Twenty-First Century’
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Following is a discussion on the page titled: Book Review: 'Capital in the Twenty-First Century'.
Below is the discussion so far. Feel free to add your own comments!Thomas Piketty was sent a copy of this review. Here is his reply:
Quote:Sorry that you found my preferred tax policies too weak! Most people usually feel the opposite. Best, ThomasWe had already concluded that he didn't think there was much chance of his tax reforms being adopted.
i think he has made an assumption that we advocate another form of taxation …just differ on the amounts or application
He is just another plastic surgeon of the capitalist society
Our comrades in Italy have translated the review into Italian and published it on their blog here:http://socialismo-mondiale.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/il-capitale-nel-xxi-secolo.html
He's realistic about what might be done and at least will show up politicians as not really wanting to improve things.
Quote:If liberty and equality, as is thought by some are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in the government to the utmost. AristotleI'm intrigued by this quote which seems to suggest that Aristotle was a supporter of democracy as "rule by the people" whereas he wasn't:http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/greekfeatures/a/democracyaristl.htmI don't doubt the quote is genuine but I've not been able to find the source (not that I've tried very hard) since the context would be relevant to what he might have meant. I suppose he is saying that if you are in favour of democracy (which he wasn't) this would be the best form (even though he doubted it was practicablel). Having said that, while it might not have been practicable in his day, that doesn't mean it isn't today. Hence the popularity of the quote today.
ALB wrote:Quote:If liberty and equality, as is thought by some are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in the government to the utmost. AristotleI'm intrigued by this quote which seems to suggest that Aristotle was a supporter of democracy as "rule by the people" whereas he wasn't:http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/greekfeatures/a/democracyaristl.htmI don't doubt the quote is genuine but I've not been able to find the source (not that I've tried very hard) since the context would be relevant to what he might have meant. I suppose he is saying that if you are in favour of democracy (which he wasn't) this would be the best form (even though he doubted it was practicablel). Having said that, while it might not have been practicable in his day, that doesn't mean it isn't today. Hence the popularity of the quote today.
Most of the Greek philosophers supported slavery, and the slave master, and they were part of the Nobles class. it was a society whereas the slaves did all the works, and the nobles never worked. The so called Greek democracy is only a myth, like the myth of the so called founders and fathers of the US of North America. They supported slavery, they had slaves, they supported discrimination, racism, land robbery, and terrorism. The first terrorists was George Washington and the Puritans. Blacks slaves escaped to Haiti where they had better legal protection under the society of the Black Jacobins. PS Hatii had one of the most advanced bourgoise Constitution in the Americas,it was a real anti-slavery revolution. Historians have tried to diminish their contributions because it was a black republic, they had nothing to envy to the US constituion
mcolome1 wrote:Most of the Greek philosophers supported slavery, and the slave master, and they were part of the Nobles class. it was a society whereas the slaves did all the works, and the nobles never worked.Message from comrade NW (who is not on this forum): "Most of the Greek philosophers supported slavery". -I don't think we can say that, for one thing, we don't know enough about the lives of most of them. Although certainly Aristotle, Plato and even Socrates had no problem with it, but the Cynics, Diogenes, for example, made a big thing of their poverty.He also writes 'It was a society where the slaves did all the work and the nobles never worked'. That's wrong too. In his book, Athenian Democracy, AHM Jones disagrees with this common view. He writes, (about slaves) "They were owned in the main by the 1,200 richest families and in decreasing numbers by the next 3,000 or so. It is unlikely that any slaves were owned by two-thirds to three-quarters of the citizen population. The great majority of the citizens earned their living by the work of their hands, as peasant farmers, craftsmen, shopkeepers, seamen and labourers". (Page 17) – and he writes plenty more along the same lines. And there is plenty of evidence in Athens various museums to show there was a large population of very poor citizens.
Socialist Party Head Office wrote:mcolome1 wrote:Most of the Greek philosophers supported slavery, and the slave master, and they were part of the Nobles class. it was a society whereas the slaves did all the works, and the nobles never worked.Message from comrade NW (who is not on this forum): "Most of the Greek philosophers supported slavery". -I don't think we can say that, for one thing, we don't know enough about the lives of most of them. Although certainly Aristotle, Plato and even Socrates had no problem with it, but the Cynics, Diogenes, for example, made a big thing of their poverty.He also writes 'It was a society where the slaves did all the work and the nobles never worked'. That's wrong too. In his book, Athenian Democracy, AHM Jones disagrees with this common view. He writes, (about slaves) "They were owned in the main by the 1,200 richest families and in decreasing numbers by the next 3,000 or so. It is unlikely that any slaves were owned by two-thirds to three-quarters of the citizen population. The great majority of the citizens earned their living by the work of their hands, as peasant farmers, craftsmen, shopkeepers, seamen and labourers". (Page 17) – and he writes plenty more along the same lines. And there is plenty of evidence in Athens various museums to show there was a large population of very poor citizens.
I did not say all the philosophers, I said most of the philosophers. Artisans, and farmers were not free peoples, they were also attached to the system of slavery
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