Brilliantly illustrated analysis of why Capatilism screws us.

[Cobblestones]

http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/04/reality_check_on_the_record_of.html

This article is so funny, it's really sad.

Two comments:

1) look at the date of publication: November 2010
then look at the last dataset they used: 2007
Hm, what happened in 2008 which could affect the conclusions?
And don't tell me data for 2008, and 2009 were not yet available to the author.

2) Once, you have pondered the first comment, check out this essay. Make sure to read at least up to figure 2.

Here are the cliff notes (very apt for today):

Imagine that a turkey is born on a farm. Every day, it is fed regularly and has a shelter to sleep in. For 1,000 days, the turkey has a very happy and perfectly content existence. The turkey wakes up on the 1,001st day and expects more of the same. However, that day is Thanksgiving and the turkey finds himself on the chopping block. The turkey used inductive reasoning to conclude that because every day so far had been happy, the next day must be happy as well, and his conclusion was obviously false.

Now go back to the 'American Thinker???' article and imagine why this guy left out data for 2008 and 2009. You see why it's utter cr@p? Ok, then let's flush it down the drain.

Happy Thanksgiving!

ETA: and +1 on rhubroma's explanation of Marxist analysis.

 

[Hugh Januss]

No religious debate in here. Keep it on capitalism

Capitalism is some people's religion.

 

[Darryl Webster]

I'm not sure if he intended this or if his solution was more of a first step toward resolving the rebus, which is the Economy itself.

It has always seemed to me that Marx was a visionary and thus his plan, to have been realized, would have meant nothing less than a total change of heart (and mindset).

Otherwise, that is without a total chang of heart, it becomes merely instrumental as a means to effect a totalitarian regime. Exactly as what actually took place. But this is not the fault of Marx.

Essentialy I think this is what Ken Wilber is putting forward in this work:

http://www.amazon.com/Eye-Quest-New-Paradigm/dp/157062741X

Revolution is Evolution at work.. and Evolution is more a quite background than in your face...as a species we need a better mindset.

 

[Barrus]

Capitalism is some people's religion.

A discussion between capitalism, socialism, communism and other economic models is possible, even with the effect they may have on peoples motives. HOWEVER, do not make this a discussion concerning religions and their merits. A possibility of religious views on economics, such as the influence christianity had on the structure of the economic model of the middle ages and on the system of supply and demand in those days, is possible. And I do realize that communism is actively and aggressively atheist, however keep on the economic part of it and the influences this has on life.

 

[Hugh Januss]

Where Capitalism ultimately falls down is in that the old adage "it takes money to make money" is 100% true. When that is coupled with basic human nature and let run unfettered we get to where we are now, a few people holding all the money, in essense a new ruling class. "Trickle down" does not work, any better than taking all the money in the world and dividing it evenly between all the citizens of the world would work. In the words of Monty Python "this redistribution of wealth is harder than I thought".
Bottom line, only thing that will work is a system of balance between rewarding Capitalists and requiring them to help in a big way to ensure that everyone is brought along for the ride. If nobody got a welfare check anymore McDonalds would go out of business.

 

[rhubroma]

Essentialy I think this is what Ken Wilber is putting forward in this work:

http://www.amazon.com/Eye-Quest-New-Paradigm/dp/157062741X

Revolution is Evolution at work.. and Evolution is more a quite background than in your face...as a species we need a better mindset.

Thanks for the link.

 

[Skandar Akbar]

I'm pretty sure it is not a reportable offense if it is a fact.

hey I was only just joking about the Reported comment. Take it easy Hugh I did not intend to give the wrong impression.

 

[Hugh Januss]

hey I was only just joking about the Reported comment. Take it easy Hugh I did not intend to give the wrong impression.

Oh I think most got the correct impression.

 

[Skandar Akbar]

socal bike shop

Oh I think most got the correct impression.

Sorry If I gave you that impression. My apologies to you directly.

Where I come from the money from the sale of a very useful natural resource is distributed to the people of my country through various social programs. Maybe other countries should take note.

 

[rhubroma]

New York Times
November 26, 2010
Winning the Class War
By BOB HERBERT

The class war that no one wants to talk about continues unabated.

Even as millions of out-of-work and otherwise struggling Americans are
tightening their belts for the holidays, the nation’s elite are lacing
up their dancing shoes and partying like royalty as the millions and
billions keep rolling in.

Recessions are for the little people, not for the corporate chiefs and
the titans of Wall Street who are at the heart of the American
aristocracy. They have waged economic warfare against everybody else
and are winning big time.

The ranks of the poor may be swelling and families forced out of their
foreclosed homes may be enduring a nightmarish holiday season, but
American companies have just experienced their most profitable quarter
ever. As The Times reported this week, U.S. firms earned profits at an
annual rate of $1.659 trillion in the third quarter — the highest
total since the government began keeping track more than six decades
ago.

The corporate fat cats are becoming alarmingly rotund. Their profits
have surged over the past seven quarters at a pace that is among the
fastest ever seen, and they can barely contain their glee. On the same
day that The Times ran its article about the third-quarter surge in
profits, it ran a piece on the front page that carried the headline:
“With a Swagger, Wallets Out, Wall Street Dares to Celebrate.”

***

What’s really needed is for working Americans to form alliances and
try, in a spirit of good will, to work out equitable solutions to the
myriad problems facing so many ordinary individuals and families.
Strong leaders are needed to develop such alliances and fight back
against the forces that nearly destroyed the economy and have left
working Americans in the lurch.


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