Originally Posted by
fastair
While frequent flyer socialism is a nice concept, and some actually practice it, what is good for the group is not always good for the individual. I believe the phrase "1k lite" is an example. 1K's that "earned it the hard way" were peeved that some were given the same status by taking a late developing short cut to their same status, thus having new competition for the same finite perks. Few got to the top of the food chain by thinking of "the rest of you", not Rockerfeller, not Vanderbilt, not Gates, not Buffett, certainly not Tilton. It's only in their later years, after they were done being "top dog" that they thought about the common man. How many posts have we seen where FT members complained that the GA didn't enforce the boarding order and the lesser man was permitted to board with the FT elite, and sometimes, even ahead of them?
One can't fault someone for being a capitalist in a capitalistic society. As long as benefits can be scarce, many people will behave like their instincts, being territorial, protective, and fighting to do what benefits themselves best. All those that claim loyalty to UA and are saying they are leaving...are they doing it to give back to the other guy, or to get what they think is best for them?
FT as an info sharing site is very socialist, but individual posters in their actual behavior are not as self-sacraficing as their theoretical rants/ discussions. There are many exceptions to this, but as a whole people's individual actions are geared to toward their own best interests, and after that, the charity starts. Many offer expiring SWU's for very little, but few offer fresh ones they may use to others for the same "karmic" feedback.
You had a really good thing going until the very end. I don't think people give away/sell cheap soon-to-expire SWUs believing they're doing something for the common good. Rather, they're doing so because they believe them to be worthless to
themselves at that point (no itins within the remaining life of the SWU, so there's no expense in being "nice" to someone...) and/or believe they're "sticking it to the man" because by gum they were meant to be used and they
will be used! Actually, that last part is a bit of a stretch, but I seriously doubt that people here believe they're doing something good for humanity, at their own expense, when giving away soon-to-expire SWUs. Unless someone is claiming the expiring SWU to be some grand gesture on their part, it's nothing more than helping it find a home where it has more value, like sorting out your recycling from the rest of the trash.
Also, I think we need to understand the distinction between respect, socialism and capitalism. Out of respect for others and for the rules, I wouldn't do something that might cheat someone else out of an upgrade they were more qualified to get. I believe there are many others here that feel the same way, while there may be an equally-large number that feel, if you're smarter at gaming the system than the other guy, you deserve to win and he deserves to lose. Is that really capitalism? Is the former socialism? I'd suggest no for both questions.