I don’t think of it as capitalism, which is just a system, and much like a gun, the system’s wickedness is determined by how it’s used. What the US has is corporatism. No capitalism involved really. It’s not a competitive economic system, it’s simply government bail out after government bailout, with all the money funneled to the top people who then buy more politicians with that money in order to get more wars started here and there so they commission more war machines to be made which we will “sell” to the countries we’ve started wars in and “loaned” billions to, to buy the these armaments, thus transferring more billions from the treasury to the corporations. I think this is called a Ponzi scheme.
Agreed. Maybe it’s a Mafia Ponzi. 🤯. I’ve been reading—well, actually wading thru—Whitney Webb’s incredible work One Nation Under Blackmail, and its a wonder the country has withstood the onslaught of these nefarious actors for this long. It’s why I’m so annoyed when people advocate not voting—it’s exactly what they want us to do—just surrender the field and leave it all to them.
I’m a very slow reader, mostly because this book is so dense with information, so no I’m only on the 1st volume, 1/2 way thru, but even that is enough to make many historical blocks fall neatly into place that I’ve wondered about for years, decades really.
As to voting—I agree with you that making the vote elect the politicians and policies I’d like to see is a lost cause right now, but letting the corporations and fascists take away my vote when I worked so hard to get the vote for Black people in the ‘60’s—well, it ain’t gonna happen. But then, because I’m a Libra I can make both sides of any argument—I realized that voting for Dim damn Dems has lead to one of the great goals I’ve had since Viet Nam: the demolition of the Empire. Biden is accomplishing this like a boss, like a master. He and his handlers are so incredibly arrogant and incompetent that with every war they start, the US defeat is more imminent. Putin and China are more popular than ever. And this has come about by people not voting! Letting the PNAC goals be implemented by miserable losers who defy what 80% of Americans want from their government. So in the best traditions of non violence, maybe not voting has defeated the empire more than voting! At any rate, I may vote for Joe again ‘cuz he’s doing such a good job of destroying the MIC.
i agree, capitalism corrupts. we in the US benefited for a long time by some trickle down effect, and the main effects of that corruption were borne by what was then called the third world. but once other nations started catching up, americans are increasingly feeling the effects as the US can't exploit other countries as effectively as it used to.
Yes. And after offshoring all our manufacturing to maximize profit, and building our economy around guns and ammo, we have to keep the wars burning in those catching up nations or we collapse. That’s what I think is so powerful about Hamas—they have exposed this grim reaper culture of ours (and Israel’s) and left us with fewer toadies, thus less chance to start wars.
The tables have turned for some countries, Indonesia has an uncrewed ( for now ) space program, as an instance. But for an archipelago that huge it's a necessity even if it's only data for now. A country that big should have DRONES, just IMHO.
Profits over innocent lives. That's rampant capitalism at its most DEPLORABLE.
I don’t think of it as capitalism, which is just a system, and much like a gun, the system’s wickedness is determined by how it’s used. What the US has is corporatism. No capitalism involved really. It’s not a competitive economic system, it’s simply government bail out after government bailout, with all the money funneled to the top people who then buy more politicians with that money in order to get more wars started here and there so they commission more war machines to be made which we will “sell” to the countries we’ve started wars in and “loaned” billions to, to buy the these armaments, thus transferring more billions from the treasury to the corporations. I think this is called a Ponzi scheme.
Te late great Professor Sheldon Wolin explained exactly what it is:
Democracy Incorporated: Managed Democracy and the Specter of Inverted Totalitarianism
https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691178486/democracy-incorporated
It's Abusive and Dysfunctional and the people have Enabled it for over 50 years. THe masses need to Grow up! Take responsibility
Professor Sheldon Wolin explained exactly what it is:
Democracy Incorporated: Managed Democracy and the Specter of Inverted Totalitarianism
https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691178486/democracy-incorporated
Certainly seems not to be a Democracy. Looks like an interesting book. Thanks
Agreed. Maybe it’s a Mafia Ponzi. 🤯. I’ve been reading—well, actually wading thru—Whitney Webb’s incredible work One Nation Under Blackmail, and its a wonder the country has withstood the onslaught of these nefarious actors for this long. It’s why I’m so annoyed when people advocate not voting—it’s exactly what they want us to do—just surrender the field and leave it all to them.
I’m a very slow reader, mostly because this book is so dense with information, so no I’m only on the 1st volume, 1/2 way thru, but even that is enough to make many historical blocks fall neatly into place that I’ve wondered about for years, decades really.
As to voting—I agree with you that making the vote elect the politicians and policies I’d like to see is a lost cause right now, but letting the corporations and fascists take away my vote when I worked so hard to get the vote for Black people in the ‘60’s—well, it ain’t gonna happen. But then, because I’m a Libra I can make both sides of any argument—I realized that voting for Dim damn Dems has lead to one of the great goals I’ve had since Viet Nam: the demolition of the Empire. Biden is accomplishing this like a boss, like a master. He and his handlers are so incredibly arrogant and incompetent that with every war they start, the US defeat is more imminent. Putin and China are more popular than ever. And this has come about by people not voting! Letting the PNAC goals be implemented by miserable losers who defy what 80% of Americans want from their government. So in the best traditions of non violence, maybe not voting has defeated the empire more than voting! At any rate, I may vote for Joe again ‘cuz he’s doing such a good job of destroying the MIC.
i agree, capitalism corrupts. we in the US benefited for a long time by some trickle down effect, and the main effects of that corruption were borne by what was then called the third world. but once other nations started catching up, americans are increasingly feeling the effects as the US can't exploit other countries as effectively as it used to.
Yes. And after offshoring all our manufacturing to maximize profit, and building our economy around guns and ammo, we have to keep the wars burning in those catching up nations or we collapse. That’s what I think is so powerful about Hamas—they have exposed this grim reaper culture of ours (and Israel’s) and left us with fewer toadies, thus less chance to start wars.
The tables have turned for some countries, Indonesia has an uncrewed ( for now ) space program, as an instance. But for an archipelago that huge it's a necessity even if it's only data for now. A country that big should have DRONES, just IMHO.
In view of contemporary events . . .
A brief history of the genocides and Scientific Racism of The Anglosphere.
The present is written in the past.
https://les7eb.substack.com/p/genocide-and-economics