Is anyone here getting any help from NAS ?

This is a very interesting debate, and I am enjoying  reading it, and participating.

Zone-tripper: I am glad you identify as 'left-wing', but I am saddened that you think it is ok for people to earn astronomical sums of money for doing things that are questionable from both an ethical, ecological, and humane perspective. Like yourself, I have dappled with the SWP, and while I agree with its values, I think it is too black and white in its analysis of society. However, I identify as 'far left', if being so means that you question the societal system as a whole (namely the logic of Capitalism) and not just parts of it.

Communism, as practiced in the 20th Century,  was a dictatorial system which caused immense suffering, and it mocked the genuine, humanitarian, ideals of progressive Communist thinkers prior to its actualisation. I am anti- Communist, if by that you mean being against the regimes of the last century. However, I do believe in the progessive ideas of a Communitarian society, which has never yet been actualised. I prefer to identify as a democratic, humanist, Socialist.

Most, if not all, of the millionaires you mention have not done the majority of the hard work themselves - I am surprised that you should think this. In fact, a lot of their success comes down to luck, being in the right place at the right time, and having useful contacts; although I agree that you have to have a certain personality and motivation to successfully exploit these factors. Secondly, many millionaires employ workers to do the dirty work for them, and these workers create surplus value that is  turned into profit by their bosses. As an ex Marxist,  you would already know this.And thirdly, many important jobs, such as caring and nursing, are very low paid: the inverse logic of value. I agree that doctors and surgeons should be paid a generous salary, to reflect the training and importance of the work they do. I agree that some jobs should be paid more than others. HOwever, I do not agree that people should be paid ludicrous amounts of money to wreck the environment, fund their super cars and mansions, and profit off the backs of the workers. There should indeed be a maximum wage.

This is a very interesting debate, and I am enjoying  reading it, and participating.

Zone-tripper: I am glad you identify as 'left-wing', but I am saddened that you think it is ok for people to earn astronomical sums of money for doing things that are questionable from both an ethical, ecological, and humane perspective. Like yourself, I have dappled with the SWP, and while I agree with its values, I think it is too black and white in its analysis of society. However, I identify as 'far left', if being so means that you question the societal system as a whole (namely the logic of Capitalism) and not just parts of it.

Communism, as practiced in the 20th Century,  was a dictatorial system which caused immense suffering, and it mocked the genuine, humanitarian, ideals of progressive Communist thinkers prior to its actualisation. I am anti- Communist, if by that you mean being against the regimes of the last century. However, I do believe in the progessive ideas of a Communitarian society, which has never yet been actualised. I prefer to identify as a democratic, humanist, Socialist.

Most, if not all, of the millionaires you mention have not done the majority of the hard work themselves - I am surprised that you should think this. In fact, a lot of their success comes down to luck, being in the right place at the right time, and having useful contacts; although I agree that you have to have a certain personality and motivation to successfully exploit these factors. Secondly, many millionaires employ workers to do the dirty work for them, and these workers create surplus value that is  turned into profit by their bosses. As an ex Marxist,  you would already know this.And thirdly, many important jobs, such as caring and nursing, are very low paid: the inverse logic of value. I agree that doctors and surgeons should be paid a generous salary, to reflect the training and importance of the work they do. I agree that some jobs should be paid more than others. HOwever, I do not agree that people should be paid ludicrous amounts of money to wreck the environment, fund their super cars and mansions, and profit off the backs of the workers. There should indeed be a maximum wage.