this post was submitted on 26 Oct 2025
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The thing is, the people would still be making a profit under socialism and communism.
The difference is it wouldn't be at the expense of others, it wouldn't be to a point they can hoard necessities from others, and it wouldn't all be funneled to some trust fund rich kid asshole who's provided nothing of value to this world.
How is that possible? Isn't "profit" defined as value you get in excess of the value of the thing you traded for? Isn't profit "at the expense of others" by definition?
If I buy a bunch of seeds, plant them, grow a bunch of vegetables, and sell the vegetables for more than the price I paid for everything (seeds, fertilizer, tool wear and tear, and any other expenses related to the garden), I have made a profit. It doesn’t come at the expense of anyone.
It wouldn’t be fair to insist I sell the vegetables at exactly the cost of everything I put into them. I put my own labour into growing them and bringing them to market. If I couldn’t profit by selling them then I wouldn’t sell them, I’d just eat them myself or not even bother growing them at all.
"Profit" is after labour costs. If you are the one selling the seeds, or managing the operation, you pay yourself for that work before profit.
It's a funny example, because many of the "farm coops" that actually sell seeds and agriculture supplies are already non-profit structures.
Even debts to creditors supplying capital are before profit. Profit is the surplus that is un-earned, and the direct result of charging more than necessary, or under-paying for supplies, labour, or capital.