I don't disagree with any single point that you've made. I agree with most of them.

But you mentioned linux. Tell me again, Linus Torvald, was he employed under a capitalist country when he created linux? How about most of its contributors?

Your point is easily defeated. Please make a better argument.

Well, no. Paying professors isn't free. Some places just hide their salaries in their tax money. But sure. Everyone gets education (I agree with this). Some people choose to be artists and... I guess they just fend for themselves?

Now, let's be absurd. Pretend I'M a artist. I made a blank canvas, and I'm willing to sell it.

Yes, I think I've already agreed to that fact. Which brings us back to: how should we pay for those people to be educated? Who should we choose to create things? What should we do with everybody else?

No, and I never said that I did. Do I think that people are motivated to be educated and create things by capitalism? Yes, of course. It's provably happened on both of our lifetimes.

Does that make capitalism the best solution? No. But obviously you're gonna need to provide more data against it to convince other people. This is a weak argument.

what does education have to do with inventing anything?

• db0 (paraphrased)

How will we educate those workers, in order to produce better things? I guess some "workers" will be smarter than others. More intelligent. Should we send those stupider workers to the fields? Make them work off their stupidity while the genius, better workers invent new machines?

Absolutely not! I'd ask why they should, and obviously there are many reasons.

.......you do know what engineering is, right? It's... Definitely not a magic ghost inhabiting halls. It's learning physics, electronics, programming, and, well, engineering to create novel solutions to problems people have.

My point is that capitalism, for all of its failures, does indeed sometimes produce better things. You unequivocally hating on it, for no discernable reason; I I can't find a reason for that.

It's coming from someone who dedicated their entire life to being smarter than you or me about electronics.

Go on. Give your opinion.

So it's been a month. Care to link to your article about dating?

... It's coming from the culmination of, like 5 decades of absurdly educated engineering. If you want to call them workers, then sure.

Okay, sure, I'll play devil's advocate. The engineering that goes into a single iPhone is unfathomable. It would take an entire lifetime of study to even try to produce something close.

But Apple pays about a jillion engineers about a jillion dollars each, and so they're able to create new iPhones every year or so. That was 100% powered by capitalism.

Yeah, workers physically put the pieces together. Do you think any of them could design an iPhone without any help or reference? Or a single body to tie it all together?

Yeah, I'm sure that's accurate and complete information, and not just a shock horror show fishing for attention.

Yep. "Us" v "them". I wish it could be better.

Yeah, when it comes to Israel / Iran, I don't have much to say. I'm willing to say that the USA fucked it up so much that morals are out the window.

I don't know if religious differences would have led us here eventually, regardless, but I honestly don't think so.

Sanctions are meant to prevent a current action. Reparations are meant to pay for past atrocities.

If you were asking the USA, Germany, France, etc. to pay reparations, I'd see your point. But currently Russia is killing Ukrainians because they want more land. Sanctions are, sadly, one of the best ways to prevent more innocent deaths.

Oh, absolutely. The USA's war(s) in Afghanistan and their role in the middle east are abhorant and unforgivable. Just like their roles in destabilizing South America, etc.

And Russia should also be sanctioned, banned, etc. for attacking Ukraine. Just like they should've for Crimea.

That's an interesting point, and human rights are certainly into question, but I'd ask when the last time Germany, France, USA, etc, declared war and invaded a sovereign nation.

Oh, I got this. The "enemy" is the one who invaded the sovereign nation of Ukraine without provocation. Good job finding an entirely new topic to talk about. Distract. Good tactic.

You're... Aware that Russia invaded Ukraine, right? And all of this bloodshed, all of these senselessly sacrificed lives, could've been avoided if Russia just DIDN'T invade Ukraine?