re: #352 The Ghost of a Flea

The Halloween Candy Socialism Story gets repeated because it oversimplifies something complicated, includes a cruel element the intended reader finds satisfying, and uses the word “socialism” to mean Taboo Bad Thing.

The point is that it’s hackneyed and shallow and thus easy to repeat, over an over, as a substitute for actually thinking. It’s affective bypass: why reason when you can feel indignant and smug, and intuitively “know” anybody that thinks otherwise is inherently dumb.

It also includes the framing of their actual worldview…stupid cruel…as a “joke,” so when it’s pointed out it’s dumb, they can be contemptuous of a serious critique because “just a joke.”

- it’s total capitalism - payment for being entertained / acknowledging the work of making the costume, etc

though we can be dark about it and realize that ‘trick or treat’ is a form of extortion

‘socialism’ dont enter into it no how