Free Stuff Makes Us Free

A person I often debate with on face-we dont sell your secrets to the highest bidder- book, said this to me, as part of a defence of capitalism in the USA:

“…this is a society that loves new products, remember….so consumer driven… so people are constantly getting rid of good stuff… craigslist: free stuff, The free cycle network, just type in “free stuff….people give away free computers…free furniture,..cars….this is the country of surplus….” and they go on to see this as a defence of capitalism, and left wing Americans as being biased, with an unrealistic view of how good things are in the USA, with an especial attack on Noam Chomsky.

So, here, is my reply. As always, folks, too long — but I try to make it as short as i can while covering all the points:

​It’s almost certain that lefties are also biased, and that even Chomsky makes mistakes (i myself in a talk in Tokyo to some anarchists had to make a criticism of something he said at the same event a month before). However, that bias or mistakes on some aspects does not mean capitalism is therefore ok. That is a very basic important point. You seem to think that because lefties are wrong on X point that their whole view is rotten. This is not realistic. The basic thing is that capitalism is not a good enough system, and we can do better. THAT is the essential left view and despite any mistakes left wing people may make along the way, I think it is accurate.

Giving away free things because they have plenty and no longer need it. Ok, now i understand what…