I hate the whole publicly traded model of companies. I hate capitalism. But have to engage in trading stocks (I mostly do Mutual Funds and a small quantity of direct stocks) so that my money doesn’t lose value by sitting in a bank or cash.

Same thing with credit cards, don’t like taking loans and getting marked on a centralised list for that but it’s a safer option than using your own money.

Fortunately I don’t do crypto so that’s a plus.

  • leftofthat [he/him]@hexbear.net
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    9 months ago

    If the only two options for investing are “become a ghoulish rent seeker” or “don’t do that” then yeah that’s where it would come down

    You didn’t mention “become a landlord” as an option. Why not? That’s a perfectly viable path for many working class Americans to retire into.

      • leftofthat [he/him]@hexbear.net
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        9 months ago

        What does that even mean? I think people should not invest their money in rent seeking and should put it elsewhere when they can, even if it means receiving less of a return on investment.

        Are we just debating ethics and morality? It’s pretty boring ngl

            • TheLepidopterists [he/him]@hexbear.net
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              9 months ago

              So instead of a stock index fund, which is where a pension would have put the money anyways if I were lucky enough to have one, I should give the money directly to the US government to hold onto so they can ensure that they can afford Israel’s bomb budget? That’s way more ethical?

              EDIT: like the ethics gap is so big that anyone who just puts the money in the stock index instead of choosing to give it to Uncle Sam is a “rent-seeking ghoul” who should “feel dirty?”

                • CannotSleep420@lemmygrad.ml
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                  9 months ago

                  In an economy based on generalized commodity production, you actually do need a certain amount of money to sustain yourself.

                • TheLepidopterists [he/him]@hexbear.net
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                  9 months ago

                  Whatever helps you sleep at night while paying not only taxes into the US military’s budget, but voluntarily buying bonds to fund them.

                  Do you see how this conversation is asinine? There is no ethical choice under capitalism.

                  • leftofthat [he/him]@hexbear.net
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                    9 months ago

                    There’s a moral difference in owning a savings bond and being a landlord. Sorry if you don’t want to engage with that and think it’s all a wash because nothing is ethical under capitalism.