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MineralMan

(146,192 posts)
66. Uff da! In that case, they're more irrelevant than I thought.
Sat Jul 7, 2018, 12:41 PM
Jul 2018

I just wrote the content for a website. A guy who had been working for an HVAC company started his own heating and air conditioning company, after learning that business as an employee. Now, he may or may not succeed in going out on his own, but that is his dream. He wants to own the business, not just work for someone else.

The United States is full of small businesses that started just that way. Most are sole proprietorships, whether they do business as an LLC or S corportation. If they succeed, they hire other workers, some of whom will eventually do the same thing and start their own.

Restaurants and many other businesses get their start that way. A person works for others until he or she feels capable of starting a business for him or herself.

That's a fundamental, core value in this country. If you're arguing for government ownership of the means of production, you're arguing against the entire history of this nation, which has always championed individual entrepreneurship.

It's a stupid idea to try to push. It will not win elections. It goes against too many people's dreams.

Have you asked a Democratic Socialist what it means? n/t leftstreet Jul 2018 #1
I don't know any. n/t MichMary Jul 2018 #8
If you have Google, you can look up their platform leftstreet Jul 2018 #11
So how does a business make money if there is not profit? Adrahil Jul 2018 #29
"Mom and Pop" vs Pharmaceutical Corporation leftstreet Jul 2018 #71
Well, we need pharmaceutical companies. We can't get drugs from Mom and Pop operations. pnwmom Jul 2018 #117
They don't have to be privately owned leftstreet Jul 2018 #119
OR we could have government researchers ALSO developing drugs. pnwmom Jul 2018 #120
THAT would be a huge step forward leftstreet Jul 2018 #121
I'm so sick of this socialism vs capitalism debate. Only a healthy, dynamic blend works. DemocracyMouse Jul 2018 #129
Volume. NT mahatmakanejeeves Jul 2018 #108
0% on 100 items 0% on 10,000 items. Adrahil Jul 2018 #112
They conflate the roles of government and private business. Blue_true Jul 2018 #31
Their position is no business owners or profit Lee-Lee Jul 2018 #110
That is a ridiculous viewpoint. Blue_true Jul 2018 #115
DAMN!! lark Jul 2018 #2
I checked their Twitter feed MichMary Jul 2018 #5
Looks like a winning platform...../s comradebillyboy Jul 2018 #9
Really, are you making joke? lark Jul 2018 #12
note the /s comradebillyboy Jul 2018 #18
Sounds reasonable! Oneironaut Jul 2018 #57
I've been thinking this as well fallout87 Jul 2018 #131
This message was self-deleted by its author sfwriter Jul 2018 #80
I don't think it means that MichMary Jul 2018 #81
I wonder why they pick up on the republican accusation that Democrats want "open borders"? George II Jul 2018 #96
It's not quite this simple JackintheGreen Jul 2018 #36
I get your point, but still think attacking it from the profit end is not productive in an election. lark Jul 2018 #142
I actually agree JackintheGreen Jul 2018 #143
well, no profit doesn't seem like a working system, or rather, it comes with all kinds of JCanete Jul 2018 #130
To be their own boss, to bring a product or service to a wider market, to fill an otherwise unfilled WhiskeyGrinder Jul 2018 #3
Does that mean no more stock market? n/t MichMary Jul 2018 #7
Really bad slogan lamsmy Jul 2018 #88
But Northern European nations are not socialist. GulfCoast66 Jul 2018 #99
????? lark Jul 2018 #15
I really don't understand this MichMary Jul 2018 #19
Depends on whether they mean 'gross profit' or 'net profit' ... (nt) mr_lebowski Jul 2018 #20
Partially, I agree. lark Jul 2018 #22
Adequate gross profit can look obscene, whe in fact it is not. Blue_true Jul 2018 #47
we have lots of non-profits doing really great things scarytomcat Jul 2018 #33
I have worked for non-profits MichMary Jul 2018 #41
OMG. What, did you have to sell candy bars door to door or something like that? kcr Jul 2018 #91
My employment experience MichMary Jul 2018 #92
Yeah. Relying solely on donations to provide services is a pretty sucky way to do things. kcr Jul 2018 #95
I can't imagine MichMary Jul 2018 #105
Local and state governments do so all the time. kcr Jul 2018 #118
No problem with real non-profits. lark Jul 2018 #42
I think the question becomes how much profit is right scarytomcat Jul 2018 #86
This isn't about salaries, it's about profit. lark Jul 2018 #94
Sane businesses shoot for a gross margin in the 65% range. Blue_true Jul 2018 #40
pay, salary, wages, etc... handmade34 Jul 2018 #114
You aren't thinking broadly enough. lark Jul 2018 #125
You're missing a ton of stuff, though.... Adrahil Jul 2018 #32
Bizam, Bingo. Some simply can't grasp that. I think that EVERYONE that hate the concept of profit, Blue_true Jul 2018 #49
you sure it wasn't edhopper Jul 2018 #4
See the Tweet linked above MichMary Jul 2018 #6
That sign and text looks like "abolish profit from prisons" muriel_volestrangler Jul 2018 #51
Exactly how does that work? Blue_true Jul 2018 #52
i don't know, edhopper Jul 2018 #97
I was curious, so I looked at it. Yonnie3 Jul 2018 #10
But, MichMary Jul 2018 #13
Including you, obviously. ret5hd Jul 2018 #14
Well, MichMary Jul 2018 #17
You wrote that you read the platform said abolish profits. Yonnie3 Jul 2018 #21
The platform didn't say the words in the OP? american_ideals Jul 2018 #30
I made a stupid assumption MichMary Jul 2018 #37
It is difficult. Yonnie3 Jul 2018 #46
So your OP is fake news it seems. Kingofalldems Jul 2018 #70
Feel free to do so. nt Yonnie3 Jul 2018 #38
Just noting that this is the day Skidmore Jul 2018 #89
I couldn't agree more. Yonnie3 Jul 2018 #90
The selection of phrases is important. Blue_true Jul 2018 #53
What does this mean? MichMary Jul 2018 #50
Or to put it another way wellst0nev0ter Jul 2018 #100
They are socialist? GulfCoast66 Jul 2018 #102
Boom! Thanks, OP is made up. Kingofalldems Jul 2018 #74
It's a stupid unsellable slogan Loki Liesmith Jul 2018 #16
What if it's targeting for-profit prisons and the like? wellst0nev0ter Jul 2018 #101
Sure Loki Liesmith Jul 2018 #106
I'm a firm believer in source documents. Igel Jul 2018 #23
Maybe no one will be in business Yupster Jul 2018 #24
Come on. DSA is center-left on a world scale american_ideals Jul 2018 #28
I taught history in high school and college Yupster Jul 2018 #43
You almost have it right- the DSA holds one difference Lee-Lee Jul 2018 #72
Can't think of anything Yupster Jul 2018 #98
Profit is "surplus value appropriated from labor." yallerdawg Jul 2018 #104
You gotta be kidding..... Adrahil Jul 2018 #34
they might run a business to earn a living (a pay check) scarytomcat Jul 2018 #25
What about funding future inventory, unexpected expenses? nt Blue_true Jul 2018 #55
bank loans personal capital scarytomcat Jul 2018 #87
Are you a business person? Blue_true Jul 2018 #93
Post a link to their platform if you think it's important? american_ideals Jul 2018 #26
Again, sloppy phrasing. Blue_true Jul 2018 #27
It's a simplistic slogan. MineralMan Jul 2018 #35
As I posted above, MichMary Jul 2018 #39
W-2 Workers Often Don't Think about Profits MineralMan Jul 2018 #44
When I worked W2, I cared a great deal about profits fescuerescue Jul 2018 #116
To continue - Most of my work is for clients who own and operate MineralMan Jul 2018 #48
Most W2 employees only think about their pay checks. Blue_true Jul 2018 #58
No, they mean all profit. See my explanation below. Lee-Lee Jul 2018 #56
You have to understand Marx to understand the DSA and what they want Lee-Lee Jul 2018 #59
Then they're ignoring American entrepreneurship altogether. MineralMan Jul 2018 #60
Agreed. But that's their vision Lee-Lee Jul 2018 #63
Uff da! In that case, they're more irrelevant than I thought. MineralMan Jul 2018 #66
I can understand the reasoning behind it. Though the specifics of implementation Lint Head Jul 2018 #45
Any business person that is making a $10 billion profit, or even a $100 million profit, Blue_true Jul 2018 #61
"rich people being more vocal and politically active than poorer people". Exactly. Most of the poor Lint Head Jul 2018 #84
Here is how a very active DSA type explained it to me. Basically abolishing private business owners Lee-Lee Jul 2018 #54
Silly concept. In worker owned businesses, why should an owner even bother? Blue_true Jul 2018 #64
In thier vision that's all done collectively Lee-Lee Jul 2018 #65
Not workable. Where has true Marxism ever worked? Blue_true Jul 2018 #67
You have to understand Marx to understand what they want and mean Lee-Lee Jul 2018 #62
So why did Marx write the manifesto? n/t discntnt_irny_srcsm Jul 2018 #68
Why? Lee-Lee Jul 2018 #69
So, he was paid to? discntnt_irny_srcsm Jul 2018 #77
My guess is that it is supposed to be "abolish for profit prisons" and the last word got dropped grantcart Jul 2018 #73
No, they mean profit Lee-Lee Jul 2018 #76
I didn't read your comments because they assert a definitive grantcart Jul 2018 #78
Here is one link for you: Lee-Lee Jul 2018 #82
Your patronizing "spoon fed to them" is noted. grantcart Jul 2018 #113
That disproves your point muriel_volestrangler Jul 2018 #123
It is in how they define profits Lee-Lee Jul 2018 #132
Is there anything to indicate the DSA define "profit" like that? (nt) muriel_volestrangler Jul 2018 #135
Read Marx, it's where all their base economic beliefs originate Lee-Lee Jul 2018 #136
No, I think you are mistaken in thinking they all stopped thinking 150 years ago muriel_volestrangler Jul 2018 #137
Of course they don't put the hard line stuff out there Lee-Lee Jul 2018 #139
Interesting thread eh? Kingofalldems Jul 2018 #83
Profit vs. Prosperity northremembers Jul 2018 #109
Not to be argumentative but I find these groups tedious and boring grantcart Jul 2018 #111
Here's what it means for elections... GaYellowDawg Jul 2018 #75
They also want to "abolish prisons" grantcart Jul 2018 #79
Abolish profit means "We don't ever want to win an election, ever" comradebillyboy Jul 2018 #85
that means you have a business in Arkansas WhiteTara Jul 2018 #103
the most antiamerican slogan I've heard yet AlexSFCA Jul 2018 #107
People drive innovation and the economy ck4829 Jul 2018 #124
Serious question of my own. Is this actually a concern? JHB Jul 2018 #122
It is not anywhere in the Democratic Platform Wwcd Jul 2018 #127
I know that it's not part of the Democratic party platform... JHB Jul 2018 #128
Here is my concern- when DSA members and endorsed people run on our ticket it becomes our problem Lee-Lee Jul 2018 #133
Well, what do you propose? Shut down every fringe party... JHB Jul 2018 #134
There is no good answer Lee-Lee Jul 2018 #138
I thought it was more... Crutchez_CuiBono Jul 2018 #126
On DU, it often means avoidance of relevant research in order to pretend sincerity. LanternWaste Jul 2018 #140
Can you show me where that is part of the overall platform of Democratic Socialists? NCTraveler Jul 2018 #141
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