My Adventures in "Socialist Country" presented by Ben Powell

[@SPAZZYok]

This should be required listening, reading, viewing for young people in the west.

[@kylewatson5133]

Free to choose series as well would be nice. While Friedman was not perfect he's a great start.

[@speleoth]

Thanks Mr. Poopy Pants

[@AustrianEconomist]

LMAO I bet his wife wasn’t happy about the strip club thing 🤣🤣 awesome talk from an awesome economist. Ben Powell is one of the best speakers in the planet. Always a delight.

[@user-ty2uz4gb7v]

Probably the only guy in history who legitimately wanted to go to a strip club for science.

[@lisagags9751]

Christmas gifts for my millenials!

[@MrDanielfff777]

This book is too expensive

[@VLR.202]

College students are not millennials

[@brionleverich942]

27th Freest Economy? What does that mean?!

[@Geevs80]

that there are 26 more free economies

[@MrDanielfff777]

Basically means they have a good free market and promote free trade

[@yydd4954]

There's a free market ranking

[@brionleverich942]

Honestly, the itinerary alone, seriously are you bullshitting us?

[@brionleverich942]

Most countries do not strictly adhere to any single economic system. The problem arises when you so rigidly define a country. America has both socialist and capitalist systems, its just that capitalism happens to be the largest. People claim "free" healthcare and education are bad because they're socialist ideas. But Sweden has it! The nation that is NOT socialist apparently! Which is why people aren't buying into this dated view of socialism. Everything changes!

[@MrDanielfff777]

He literally spoke about this in this vid, go to 11:00 Sweden has a free market economy

[@ImGumby711]

@@MrDanielfff777 Socialism can use markets as well. Markets aren’t synonymous with capitalism.

[@robfromvan]

@@ImGumby711they are, that’s what capitalism is: markets.

[@robfromvan]

But the successful parts are the capitalist ones. That’s why North Korea is not successful: 99% socialist, 1% capitalist.

[@santosh567890]

UBI is possible.

[@Blkglssjw]

It failed in Finland. Read Antony Sameroff's book and you'll see how problematic an UBI would be.

[@vcalv9354]

@@Blkglssjw they recently did a study here in america in stockton california and it was privately funded. They gave ppl 500 a week over a year and it seemed to be relatively "successful". I don't think a govt funded ubi for everyone is feasible but privately funded programs like that but more widespread might be a good way to go.

[@jimbledsoe9083]

Still using GDP as a measure is so out of date and irresponsible. Advanced Degrees in Economics and Political Science as Adam Smith called it Political Economy create "yes men" who do not actually think critically of the results of our system. It is refreshing to see Andrew Yang who earned a Bachelor Degree in economics, so he knows the story and principles but can still think.

[@aidanaldrich7795]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@GodsRemote]

Wat. AMERICA IS NOT A SOCIALIST COUNTRY! IT'S CAPITALIST

[@MrDanielfff777]

It is mixed

[@gnas1897]

@@MrDanielfff777 who owns the means of production in America?

[@MrDanielfff777]

@@gnas1897 you do realise that in America there are public owned rail ways?

[@gnas1897]

@@MrDanielfff777 and? State owned railways aren't socialism

[@MrDanielfff777]

@@gnas1897 why?

[@KrunoslavStifter]

So he is here primarily to promote his glorified blog post, disguising as a book, while his presentation is about as sophisticated as if you were doing a presentation to high school students, first year. And this is university, interesting standards you have there. Also, the audio recording is pretty bad quality. Many of the aspects of his preservation are extremity simplified and only cover narrow point of view that does not explain many important factors why things are the way they are. Don't expect economics to explain why countries are the way the are, unless he is also historian, philosopher and anthropologist. Economy of the country cannot be explained by an economist point of view only, which seems to be the case here.

[@Blkglssjw]

"So he is here primarily to promote his glorified blog post" Sounds like you are envious that he is as productive as he is while you sit here and whine about it.

[@WeAretheWalrii]

my favorite comments are the one that provide no substantial argument whatsoever against the content of the video, just baseless attacks and claims like an economist is not qualified to talk about a country's economy. Your comment has 0 substance.

[@singaporeghostclub]

TL;DR

[@devinwegner56]

Dude can't imagine what collective ownership of production would look like without a planned economy. Trying to talk about Socialism with a Capitalist is like trying to argue color theory with a blind person.

[@PHYTEthePOWAH]

How is anything planned and done by The Collective anything other than a central plan?

[@devinwegner56]

@@PHYTEthePOWAH Market socialism is a thing.

[@saturngenesis1306]

@@devinwegner56 And market socialism (aside from being blatantly oxymoronic) still has the underlying economic dynamics of capitalism, and, more importantly, doesn’t qualify as a functionally different form of organizing the production of goods and services. Heck, even orthodox Marxists view market socialism as a contradiction in terms and, as a result, if implemented, would logically lead to the restoration of private capitalism.

[@saturngenesis1306]

How painfully ironic is it that a self-satisfied expositor of socialism fails even to understand elementary truths. Socialism ("social ownership"), by definition, literally implies a non-commodity economy whereby enterprises and organizations are interlinked in a non-market, centrally-planned system of resource allocation, resulting in a completely different set of economic dynamics (and by extension, incentives and pressures) under which individuals and organizations operate within. So, ultimately, factor markets and capital markets are phenomena specific to the capitalist mode of production. But if, somehow, in your imaginary "market socialist" paradise, these markets are retained but cooperative or state-owned enterprises utilize them, they will compete with capitalist businesses at their own game, forcing them to change their characteristics (internal organizational structure) in order to compete.

[@jimbledsoe9083]

Socially responsible capitalism, Changing the way we measure our relationship to the overall health and well being. This presenter is not actually talking about socialism he is talking about comparing authoritarian dictatorships as compared to democracies How will you use your Freedom Dividend?

[@Blkglssjw]

Democracies lead to authoritarian dictatorships since it's based on mob rule.

[@joelcoley2606]

It'S nOt REaL SoCIaLiSm!!!!!

[@WeAretheWalrii]

economic and political freedom are linked. If you're dependent on the government, your criticism of said government is going to be muted and toothless. There's a reason that socialist countries have a tendency towards authoritarianism. They remove the ability of its citizens to provide for themselves.

[@adriansmall9828]

I think he’s not explaining Socialism correctly. He using a corrupt country that has Socialism. But Canada, Norway, Denmark, Australia and New Zealand are socialism country that has less crime, better pay, higher life expectancy, education and healthcare.

[@92JinKazama]

The countries that you listed do not fit the typical definition of socialism, which is the nationalization of means of production. These countries are market economies with redistributive governments. A government official from Denmark (iirc) even asked to not call their counties as socialistic.

[@adriansmall9828]

92JinKazama That may be true, but they government operates in a better and humane way. USA politicians are corrupt and self-serving; we need new government.

[@jessicathompson3862]

Have you ever lived in Canada? If not, then go live there. I’ve lived there. The health care you speak of and living expenses is what you need to focus on. Their health care system is a joke.

[@MrDanielfff777]

Did you watch this vid?

[@WeAretheWalrii]

literally didn't watch the video, well done Adrian

[@jimbledsoe9083]

This guy seems to think America is the only measure by which to compare anything. He obviously feels we are the best way to do everything. While in fact he is a sexiest drunk.

[@WeAretheWalrii]

you guys really have the most braindead takes