New study/experiment. Uber conservatives now get a diagnosis?

[DanaC]

In other words, redistribute wealth so that no one has more than Dana?

That's not what I said. I am talking about a change in the balance of redistributive taxation, not instituting a communist revolution. In my own country we used to have a system of 'super tax' for the highest earners. That supertax had those earners paying £0.90 in every £1 that they earned above the threshold.

Even I think that's too much. It damaged the country and led to problems. But, I think we've now gone too far the other way, with the highest earners paying ( I believe) £0.40 in every £1. What I am in favour of is an increase in the current level without going as high as we did in the 70s.

Like I say, what I am talking about is changing the balance of that taxation system, not abandoning capitalism in favour of a workers' state.

As to the 'marxism' thing. Yes, he saw revolution as a necessary phase to go through in order to achieve a workers' state. But that was in a particular time and place and yes I think he got that part wrong. When I say I take a marxist analysis, I am talking about a way of looking at the relationship between the owners and the producers of wealth. Like many 'marxists' or 'socialists' in Europe I believe that perspective still has much to tell us about the world and is still relevant.

You mentioned Aristotle. Another philospher whose thoughts on the world still have relevance today. But also, like anybody writing in a different era to our own there will be elements of his thinking which do not apply to the modern world (read 'Politics' and how it deals with the issue of slavery and the role of women in society) which were central parts of his worldview and which if we follow your logic should mean we cease to apply all his logic/philosphy to the modern world.

The world changes. People write and philosophise to the world as it is to them. Some of what they write and philosophise still applies to our world, some of it is consigned to the point in time when they were writing.

Another pipe dream. Attitudes like that will make you fresh meat.

Attitudes like that underpin much of what has been termed European Socialism.