EPTAsk and answer stupid questions here! - Page 186
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KwarK
United States43464 Posts
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Amanebak
Czech Republic528 Posts
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Yoav
United States1874 Posts
On January 26 2015 01:10 KwarK wrote: Communist countries also started at a fairly extreme disadvantage. The only ones that fell to communist revolutions were the ones already suffering from economic and military weakness and those revolutions, and the counterrevolutions, foreign interventions, civil wars and division of the country into several new countries (N/S Vietnam, N/S Korea, PRC/Taiwan, USSR/Finland/Poland/Ukraine etc) weakened them further. Comparing them to, for example, the United States is always going to be an unfair comparison unless you're comparing them to the US in the 1860s in a counterhistory when Britain and France intervened in the civil war. Sure, but isn't it fair to compare North to South Korea? The North started out more industrialized. How about Taiwan/China? Whenever we do have head to head comparisons of divided countries, the communists managed to fuck things up royally compared to the natural trajectory of growth. | ||
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Nyxisto
Germany6287 Posts
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KwarK
United States43464 Posts
On January 26 2015 03:53 Nyxisto wrote: You can also take East and West Germany, it wasn't much better. East Germany was systematically deindustrialised by the USSR for reparations and future security. As for North Korea, I'm not sure how that fits any existing definition of communist. It's a military dictatorship in which a military elite exploit the people and resources to live lives of luxury at the expense of the poor. | ||
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Thieving Magpie
United States6752 Posts
On January 26 2015 03:05 Yoav wrote: Sure, but isn't it fair to compare North to South Korea? The North started out more industrialized. How about Taiwan/China? Whenever we do have head to head comparisons of divided countries, the communists managed to fuck things up royally compared to the natural trajectory of growth. Its mostly about *amount* of power given to one system over another. Pure communism, much like pure capitalism, gets screwed over by the individuals within the system that does not conform to, but happens to maintain too much power (Governmental or Corporate) It really isn't fair to say an attempt at an idealized goal fails compared to the current non-idealized goals of capitalist countries. | ||
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corumjhaelen
France6884 Posts
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Thieving Magpie
United States6752 Posts
On January 26 2015 04:50 corumjhaelen wrote: And I'll add I don't see what the Eastern block had to do with "Marx's utopia", if there is indeed such a thing, because I have read quite a long bit of Marx and the descriptions of such an utopia I've encountered must amount to something like 2 pages out of 1500. And it beared little resemblance to Staline's or Mao's realization. I thought most of his utopia speech was in the manifesto and not as much in his actual works. My main memory of Das Kapital is not really about idealized societies. | ||
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farvacola
United States18845 Posts
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SoSexy
Italy3725 Posts
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GreenHorizons
United States23580 Posts
On January 26 2015 09:25 SoSexy wrote: Weed is now legal in some states of the US: how does this relate to tourists? Can they buy it? Can they smoke it but not buy it (i.e. an American buys it for you?) could you please shed some light on the process? Depends on the state but the basics go that you can buy smaller amounts ~$60 worth with non-resident proof of age. You just go in and buy it like you would any other controlled substance (like alcohol) besides the quantity rules. This goes for places that have legalized "Recreational cannabis". Merely medically legal states would obviously be different. | ||
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SoSexy
Italy3725 Posts
On January 26 2015 09:30 GreenHorizons wrote: Depends on the state but the basics go that you can buy smaller amounts ~$60 worth with non-resident proof of age. You just go in and buy it like you would any other controlled substance (like alcohol) besides the quantity rules. This goes for places that have legalized "Recreational cannabis". Merely medically legal states would obviously be different. Thanks. Apart from the legal notes, how is this considered socially? Are people smoking on the streets or is it still a private practise (like I buy it, put it in my bag and only smoke at home)? | ||
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GreenHorizons
United States23580 Posts
On January 26 2015 09:35 SoSexy wrote: Thanks. Apart from the legal notes, how is this considered socially? Are people smoking on the streets or is it still a private practise (like I buy it, put it in my bag and only smoke at home)? Depends. There are a couple bars that people smoke out in the cigarette section on busy nights (Illegal and could cost the bar it's liquor license [if local enforcers wanted to be dicks]) But the only people who ever complain are people who miss the rotation. But I went downtown (Tacoma) the other weekend and got harassed just for smelling like pot (don't think being black had anything to do with it), by the police and some old drunk lady claiming to be 'security' lol. So people don't generally walk the streets smoking, but if people are downtown and they want to smoke they just try to find a place that would be less noticeable to avoid getting a ticket. The smoke and odor itself are regarded by some as obnoxious as cigarettes so there are those social aspects. More people offended by cigarettes though if that helps. Finally there are vapor options that are not easily distinguishable from nicotine vapor delivery options which leave very little residue smell and are easily used in open air public places or wherever cigarettes are being smoked. They are just now starting to open Cannabis "clubs" where people can congregate and smoke in a public house type atmosphere. Speaking from Washington anyway | ||
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lastpuritan
United States540 Posts
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Sub40APM
6336 Posts
On January 26 2015 04:43 KwarK wrote: East Germany was systematically deindustrialised by the USSR for reparations and future security. As for North Korea, I'm not sure how that fits any existing definition of communist. It's a military dictatorship in which a military elite exploit the people and resources to live lives of luxury at the expense of the poor. so...its like every other communist country ? | ||
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Sub40APM
6336 Posts
On January 26 2015 09:35 SoSexy wrote: Thanks. Apart from the legal notes, how is this considered socially? Are people smoking on the streets or is it still a private practise (like I buy it, put it in my bag and only smoke at home)? Actually, I would not follow this guys advice. As a foreigner you are admitted into the United States at pleasure of the federal government. The federal government does not recognize the use of marijuana and still considers it a schedule 1 drug. By purchasing it or consuming it you are breaking federal law and on top of the specific penalties for doing so you would also be faced with a ban for entree in the United States in the future. (this assumes someone would care enough to catch you, try you and so forth.) | ||
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GreenHorizons
United States23580 Posts
On January 26 2015 14:17 Sub40APM wrote: Actually, I would not follow this guys advice. As a foreigner you are admitted into the United States at pleasure of the federal government. The federal government does not recognize the use of marijuana and still considers it a schedule 1 drug. By purchasing it or consuming it you are breaking federal law and on top of the specific penalties for doing so you would also be faced with a ban for entree in the United States in the future. (this assumes someone would care enough to catch you, try you and so forth.) Yeah I suppose I was thinking of out of state tourism as opposed to international. Not sure the average guy at the head shop is going to think about the federal issues for an international tourist. I don't think you would practically have anything to worry about with responsible use. I wouldn't advise pushing ones luck and breaking any laws though or posting pictures on facebook. Or even dreaming about cannabis if you are in a state like Texas. But if you are worried about responsibly smoking cannabis in a state where it is legal and getting banned from the US you probably shouldn't smoke and get even more paranoid lol. | ||
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Orcasgt24
Canada3238 Posts
On January 26 2015 14:15 Sub40APM wrote: so...its like every other communist country ? Every other country "claiming" to be communist. Actual marxist communism has never been achieved. China is as close to a real communist nation that IS NOT a military or totalitarian dictatorship. | ||
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IgnE
United States7681 Posts
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Shiragaku
Hong Kong4308 Posts
On January 26 2015 14:53 Orcasgt24 wrote: Every other country "claiming" to be communist. Actual marxist communism has never been achieved. China is as close to a real communist nation that IS NOT a military or totalitarian dictatorship. Post-Maoist China is anything but communism. Reading the quotes by Deng Xiaoping really shows how much he loved capitalism, the only thing that prevented him from being a liberal was his opposition towards democracy. In fact, I would go so far to say that China is so capitalist, that it makes American capitalism appear red to them. To get rich is glorious. A basic contradiction between socialism and the market economy does not exist. Also, is there a name for this fallacy? I hate A and I also hate B. Therefore, A is the same as B. | ||
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