jmyeet 13 hours ago

Nobody wants to address the real problem here, just like with homelessness where the biggest contributor to and solution for is housing affordability. Why? Because that goes against vested interests in raising house prices.

Marx created an analytical framework that perfectly describes what's going on here. Specifically, we're talking about the workers relationship to the means of production.

A family farm is an inherently socialist construct because the workers, being the family that works that farm, is typically the one who owns that farm. They own the means of production. Consumers love this too, generally. Farmers markets, local produce and so on.

So why don't we have that? Because of capitalism. Giant agribusiness corporations are set up to make family farming impossible to force consolidation. It's every aspect too. Seed subscriptions (essentially, GM crops), farm equipment maintenance (eg John Deere), even the lack of accessible healthcare.

I'm really not sure people think about the impact on farming of the US not having accessible and affordable healthcare. There are many negative effects. This is just one of them. But farmers will often work a second job just to get insurance.

Giant corporate farms? That's capitalism. Family farms? That's socialism.

Walmart? Capitalism. Local mom-and-pop stores? Socialism.

Comcast? Capitalism. EPB Internet in Chattanooga? Socialism.

That may confuse you. You may be tempted to object because we've been sold on this idea that small business, in particular, is capitalism. It is not. If you still want to argue with that, why? Again, Marx describes this perfectly through the workers relationship to the means of production, regardless of your position on capitalism or socialism.

Our entire economic system wants to coerce you into working for as little money as possible without you owning anything. That's the end-state of capitalism.

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docandrew 12 hours ago

If family farms are socialism why did the bolsheviks kick family farmers off their land and collectivize the farms?

yoyohello13 11 hours ago

That’s communism not socialism.