r/Anarchy101•
funpunk

Thoughts on wealth?

Is it ever alright?

Posted May 20, 2015, 3:29 AM UTC

46
dirtysquatter•

Yes, in the abstract sense. Anarchists do not have an issue with wealth, where we take issue is when wealth is concentrated in the hands of a minority, often as a result of theft and exploitation. Capitalism is built upon a foundation of stealing wealth from those who toil to create it. In an anarchist society the wealth created through the social process of production would be put to social ends to increase the wealth of the entire community. Wealth isn't bad, unequal distribution of wealth is.

16
funpunkOP•

Thanks.

1
deparaiba•

Yes, in the abstract sense. Anarchists do not have an issue with wealth

.

we take issue is when wealth is concentrated in the hands of a minority

I guess It would be better to say: Yes, anarchists have a huge issue with wealth.Most people who describe themselves as anarchists want wealth to be equally distributed.

Only anarcho capitalists don't have any problems with wealth.

1
seek3r_red•

Depends on the definition of wealth.

Having what you need for basic survival, plus having some extra to be a bit more comfortable than bare survival, is okay, plus maybe being able to actually effectively assist others that might be in need, is what I would consider real "wealth". Nothing wrong with that.

Having an excess or abundance of anything that is way beyond what you could ever possibly use in any realistic fashion, merely for the sake of having it, so you can say "I have more than everyone else, therefore I must be better than everyone else", or variations thereof, is absolutely not okay, especially if this was gained by taking advantage of others (either through their lack of knowledge, or by exploiting their labor).

Merely having a bunch of crap, or a butt-ton of money, is not "wealth". That's just the false impression that most people have of what it is to be wealthy.

And, the common individual strives towards this in a vain attempt to generate some kind of self-esteem or good feelings about themselves .... largely because they are afraid to face the real reasons of their anxieties, and the accumulation of material goods/possessions seems to be an easier "fix" than trying to deal with or solve their mental/emotional shortcomings.

1
Sihplak•

Depends on how you define it.

If it's excessive waste and/or ownership of items which otherwise could or would be used for productive purposes, or the materials themselves could've been used to work on something else, then that's bad, but I don't think that specifically is "wealth" itself, but it's wastefulness due to excessive wealth.

If it's used in order to obtain control, blackmail others, oppress others, or otherwise then it's bad, as it basically is creating a coercive hierarchy through wealth.

If it's just having more luxury items than an "average" person, but those were obtained rightfully through work or perhaps even casual means such as betting, then it would be fine, as it demonstrates no excessive waste and/or disregard for their luxuries nor the possibility of use of them by others.

As an example of each of these:

  1. Owning multiple houses but only ever using one primarily is wasteful and excessive, similarly with cars, having 5 separate cars but only using two primarily again is wasteful and excessive, and the other houses/cars in these examples could've otherwise been used more productively.

  2. Lobbyist using money to gain special privileges for capitalist businesses or the richest of people using money as a way to exempt them form normal societal rules/law, or using money as a way to control someone (I.E. wage slavery under capitalism) are forms of coercive hierarchy that uses wealth as its means of oppression

  3. Someone owning a flat-screen T.V. or owning a luxury vehicle as a result of working (via arts, manual labor, or otherwise) is fine, as they had earned either some form of currency (weather it be money, labor vouchers, or some other economic "credit"), made the item(s) themselves, or had obtained them in some other meaningful way.

1
Gordyman•

I believe in being wealthy as long as it isn't at other people's expense.

1