• Cowbee [he/they]@lemmy.ml
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    19 hours ago

    We can absolutely analyze historic trends to see where countries are heading, and to refuse to do so is again the same type of vulgar materialism that pre-evolutionary biologists were guilty of. History is not a series of static snapshots.

    Finland in particular was largely agrarian in the beginning of the 20th century, but had become entrenched within the imperialist core by the time the PRC was founded, and was still more developed than China at the time of the PRC’s founding.

    I have no idea why you keep dodging the imperialism point and acting like it doesn’t exist, that should disqualify a country from being included. If your cushier lifestyle is dependent on the immiseration of foreign countries then that isn’t a meaningful way to tell if capitalism works as a better system. Further, safety nets in Finland and the Nordics in general are eroding as imperialism is faltering. China isn’t imperialist, its gains come from its own working classes and not foreign plunder.

    • Saapas@piefed.zip
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      18 hours ago

      I mean you’re free to speculate about the future. Economists do it all the time and I don’t really trust that much, personally. Let’s talk when that speculation is actually true and China does beat the Nordics imo.

      • Cowbee [he/they]@lemmy.ml
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        18 hours ago

        You’re taking a vulgar empiricist approach and denying the ongoing material processes and trends that point to decay in imperialist countries and the rise of socialist countries. If you only trust what you can directly see with your own eyes, then you deny evolution, geographical shifts, and other phenomena that require observation over an extended period. Again, you’re also choosing to ignore imperialism, that’s like saying capitalism works great because capitalists live great while ignoring the necessity of worker exploitation.

        • Saapas@piefed.zip
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          18 hours ago

          I’m sure your theory and methodology is fine. I just don’t trust much in that sort of speculation tbh.

          • Cowbee [he/they]@lemmy.ml
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            18 hours ago

            Are you denying evolution, geographical shifts, and the process of imperialism, or are just taking an agnostic stance while doubling down on ineffective methodology?

              • Cowbee [he/they]@lemmy.ml
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                18 hours ago

                The fact that some predictions are wrong doesn’t mean we can’t analyze trends and trajectories, nor does it mean taking the opposite approach and focusing on static snapshots is better. Again, vulgar empricism denies evolution, geographic shifts, and imperialism. Are you denying evolution, geographical shifts, and the process of imperialism, or are just taking an agnostic stance while doubling down on ineffective methodology?

                • Saapas@piefed.zip
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                  17 hours ago

                  I didn’t say you weren’t allowed to do your predictions. I’m sure they’re good predictions. I just don’t put much faith in them.

                  • Cowbee [he/they]@lemmy.ml
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                    17 hours ago

                    Are you allergic to giving a clear answer? Being extremely vague about your claims and refusing to address points I’ve made isn’t helping your case here.