Rise Of The Faux-Bolsheviks
Communism In The Comment Section
Over the past few years there has been a rise of “anti-capitalist” sentiment across the internet. Many an internauter decrying the rise of the billionaire class over the proletariat. Seemingly attributing every conceivable evil on the planet to certain others. Never themselves. Additionally, the many missteps of various corporations has lent credence to these online movements. At the very core of this manufactured outrage is the deceitful seed of covetousness. Desiring that which others have and forcefully attempting to bequeath it to ourselves under the guise of equity. Bolshevism in everything but name. These movements do not benefit the proletariat. They score political points. Farming outrage only yields a weak harvest at best. The billionaires are still billionaires and the corporations are still corporations. Many of these would be labourers benefit greatly from capitalism and its fruits. However, it does seem that they suffer from the Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde syndrome. Immediately forgetting who they are they turn into rampaging mobs once they log on to the internet.
These movements do not benefit the proletariat. They score political points. Farming outrage only yields a weak harvest at best.
When Xbox-Microsoft raised its Game Pass subscription prices, many videos went up on YouTube decrying corporate greed. Reported comments from Xbox-Microsoft executives didn’t help as it seemed they were chasing unrealistic profit margins in their respective industry. What may seem like greed on the surface was simple economics. In order for goods and services to exist they need to be running at a healthy profit margin. These are not charities. They cannot run on subsidies unless they are being run as loss leaders. In addition, market forces often decide whether a product or service is viable. What was seen as greed could be better interpreted as gross mismanagement and incompetence amongst Xbox-Microsoft executives. The laws of economics finally caught up to them. The indelicate manner the price increase was handled shocked the masses who were used to great value from the service. Unfortunately, Microsoft may have not only priced certain consumers out, they priced themselves out of the market. Perhaps many will realise that better value is now found in ownership rather than product rentals.
In a 2024 op-ed for his website, Senator Bernie Sanders(Independent, Vermont) decried the vast income inequality in America. Particularly targeting Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and President Trump. He asserted that their vast wealth was unfair compared to that of the average American. There is only one Jeff Bezos on the planet and he is worth however much he is worth because of his unique talent and skills. More importantly, he is one of the founders of one of the planet’s most valuable resources: Amazon Inc. He earned his billions and for the most part is irreplaceable. There are thousands of Amazon employees who can be swapped out one for the other. As callous as these may seem this is their economic value. Amazon was started in a garage and grew to what it is today. It was not handed to Mr. Bezos from the heavens. Desiring to take from Mr. Bezos what is rightfully his and then redistribute it among the proletariat is Bolshevism. It doesn’t care for how this wealth was obtained. It cares not for how this wealth has been able to supply employment and generate wealth for many. Simply having more than the average person is proof positive of guilt warranting swift execution. This pursuit of equity is naught more than a religious crusade.
Noble desires don’t necessarily lead to noble ends.
As is with anything on the internet one can’t help but wonder if there is an astroturfing campaign afoot. Video after video recommendation on YouTube all decrying the ills of corporate greed and the various failures of capitalism. Many of these videos seem to paint an unflattering portrait of Elon Musk. Could it be for his prior engagement in politics? Perhaps a targeted influence campaign aimed to cripple his reach and likability amongst his fans and supporters? Capitalism enables private ownership and is a celebration of individuality. Communism celebrates the commune and erases personality. No independent thought, purpose or drive. Ironically, the end result is a suffering proletariat elevating the perceived present day aristocracy. Away from the virtual reality of the internet, in the real world, countries that embraced communism failed for the most part. The greatest communist nation of all time ultimately embraced capitalism. Noble desires don’t necessarily lead to noble ends. As the adage goes, the road to hell is well paved with good intentions. In this case, seeming malicious intentions masquerading as care and concern for the common man.
Image credits in order of appearance:Image par OpenClipart-Vectors de Pixabay; Image par OpenClipart-Vectors de Pixabay