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symbioidljFigured I may as well post it here, since it's pretty much your typical dave rant-fare:
Yeah, and typical as always, it gets damn convoluted... So read it with a grain of salt, and mock it if you will. sigh.
********
plus, I think a lot of people tend to believe in "equality", and think it's just. not. fair. to tax rich people more... Never even thinking for two seconds about the disparity between a poor working-class person who has to work their ass off to pay rent and the bills and food and most likely, raise children, and struggle with health care and all that fun stuff... But how easy it is for a rich person, even if you tax them at an exorbitant rate, to do these things.
I think people aren't really aware of the disparity of wealth in this country.
I know I always sound communist, but I'm really not. I don't know exactly where I stand. I don't like capitalism, that's for sure, but I do understand some things about game-theory and know that there has to be some sort of balance, and I think that biologically, there can be no pure communism(both systems are essentially a religion for the party-faithful)... Pure-capitalism, as envisioned by libertarians and *real* free-marketers(not these politicians who say free-markets, but live in a mixed world), is closer to the truth of nature than pure-communism.
But I tend to believe that we, as humans, as creatures with language and a somewhat "higher" consciousness(not much mind you, but a tad) ought not be a slave to the primal territorial instincts of our progenitors, but to rise above this with our abilities to move beyond this pure darwinian approach(although it's a misapproach as it is, cuz true evolution works on two scales, competition and co-operation, and each one has their purpose and fulfills certain obligations and keep things in balance...)
Because I am aware of game theory and some of the biological interactions that it shows, I know that a "co-operation only" approach is really not possible nor necessarily desirable.
The problem with the modern capitalism is that because it devours all in it's path, and has lost a balancing opponent, it believes it is the only "one true way"(I mean, really, this is pretty much what these people think: The triumph of capitalism...)
It's the same sort of dualistic/christian thinking that arises, and seems to be uniquely american, this combination of christianity, america and capitalism that has infected the mass consciousness. Not necessarily that any of these hold total sway/dominance, but that the puritan work ethic has corrupted some of the older christian teachings on compassion, which is really what religion SHOULD be about.
There's this bullshit excuse that people use: we need to not tax people, so they can give to charities, and that's moral... But wait. Who are these people that will give to charities? Are *you* going to?(not you, but the people saying this)... Shouldn't you, if you are truly moral and willing to share with others and help those less needy, not be too concerned then, whether your money goes to welfare programs, etc... or private charities?
The fact is, people are greedy motherfuckers, and that is essentially what the main theme of capitalism is, to harness that innate self interest and use it for people to achieve more. And that it does. But when imbalance of power happens, wealth creates wealth, and this is the problem with capitalism... This sort of sick imbalance that takes the dominators(the 1% as you call them) and their voice to push the others into a free-for all bar-brawl, using their theories of domination and competition as the truth.
My point last paragraph diverged(as usual) My point was: people are greedy. Even the fucking christians say that. So...... if we let people have their money and eat it, too... Where is this magic charity supposed to come from. yeah, ideally, people would donate to charity(i mean, they do... I'm not saying everyone is greedy, but compared to the wealth generated, it's a pittance what is given and shared)...
Now, not only are people greedy, but I think Jesus says "render unto Caeser that which is Caeser..." Yet a lot of these capitalist/christians fight taxes saying it's not fair. Well fuck, if you'd read the bible and follow it, instead of bitching about whether to put up the fucking IDOL of a stone statue of the decalogue, maybe you'd be better off. So fucking hoodwinked...
Feh.
Yeah, and typical as always, it gets damn convoluted... So read it with a grain of salt, and mock it if you will. sigh.
********
plus, I think a lot of people tend to believe in "equality", and think it's just. not. fair. to tax rich people more... Never even thinking for two seconds about the disparity between a poor working-class person who has to work their ass off to pay rent and the bills and food and most likely, raise children, and struggle with health care and all that fun stuff... But how easy it is for a rich person, even if you tax them at an exorbitant rate, to do these things.
I think people aren't really aware of the disparity of wealth in this country.
I know I always sound communist, but I'm really not. I don't know exactly where I stand. I don't like capitalism, that's for sure, but I do understand some things about game-theory and know that there has to be some sort of balance, and I think that biologically, there can be no pure communism(both systems are essentially a religion for the party-faithful)... Pure-capitalism, as envisioned by libertarians and *real* free-marketers(not these politicians who say free-markets, but live in a mixed world), is closer to the truth of nature than pure-communism.
But I tend to believe that we, as humans, as creatures with language and a somewhat "higher" consciousness(not much mind you, but a tad) ought not be a slave to the primal territorial instincts of our progenitors, but to rise above this with our abilities to move beyond this pure darwinian approach(although it's a misapproach as it is, cuz true evolution works on two scales, competition and co-operation, and each one has their purpose and fulfills certain obligations and keep things in balance...)
Because I am aware of game theory and some of the biological interactions that it shows, I know that a "co-operation only" approach is really not possible nor necessarily desirable.
The problem with the modern capitalism is that because it devours all in it's path, and has lost a balancing opponent, it believes it is the only "one true way"(I mean, really, this is pretty much what these people think: The triumph of capitalism...)
It's the same sort of dualistic/christian thinking that arises, and seems to be uniquely american, this combination of christianity, america and capitalism that has infected the mass consciousness. Not necessarily that any of these hold total sway/dominance, but that the puritan work ethic has corrupted some of the older christian teachings on compassion, which is really what religion SHOULD be about.
There's this bullshit excuse that people use: we need to not tax people, so they can give to charities, and that's moral... But wait. Who are these people that will give to charities? Are *you* going to?(not you, but the people saying this)... Shouldn't you, if you are truly moral and willing to share with others and help those less needy, not be too concerned then, whether your money goes to welfare programs, etc... or private charities?
The fact is, people are greedy motherfuckers, and that is essentially what the main theme of capitalism is, to harness that innate self interest and use it for people to achieve more. And that it does. But when imbalance of power happens, wealth creates wealth, and this is the problem with capitalism... This sort of sick imbalance that takes the dominators(the 1% as you call them) and their voice to push the others into a free-for all bar-brawl, using their theories of domination and competition as the truth.
My point last paragraph diverged(as usual) My point was: people are greedy. Even the fucking christians say that. So...... if we let people have their money and eat it, too... Where is this magic charity supposed to come from. yeah, ideally, people would donate to charity(i mean, they do... I'm not saying everyone is greedy, but compared to the wealth generated, it's a pittance what is given and shared)...
Now, not only are people greedy, but I think Jesus says "render unto Caeser that which is Caeser..." Yet a lot of these capitalist/christians fight taxes saying it's not fair. Well fuck, if you'd read the bible and follow it, instead of bitching about whether to put up the fucking IDOL of a stone statue of the decalogue, maybe you'd be better off. So fucking hoodwinked...
Feh.
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no subject
Date: 2003-08-31 04:09 pm (UTC)I think this even more true since as a society we always talk about the "American Dream". Work hard and you will be rewarded. Obvously it usually doesn't happen like that, but I think most people do believe that (why else would half of america think they'll be in the top 1% someday).
Notice how the American Dream is a dream for individuals, not for society as a whole. I think as a nation we're very big on our individualism, which at times is great for us, but I think it also brings us down when we look at the bigger pictures.
Living in a large city in the suburbs I see this alot. Many many people trying to get ahead at all times, thinking they are owed something, simply beacause they live in a $800k house and drive a $50k SUV. These people are probably the last to actually be owed anything, but our society today is such that to get ahead, you have to play the game, and hard nose your way up the ladder. I think this sticks with people unfortunately. The more you have, the more you have to lose and all that.
I don't think it's a bad thing to have lots of money. If you've earned your way up to a million, that's cool, but I think there's a sort of social responsibility that comes with that, which often times you don't see, and I think that's the problem really.
no subject
Date: 2003-08-31 04:22 pm (UTC)One example I can think of is Ken Lay, when he and his wife lost their second house(which I believe was in Colorado), is this:
"Mr Lay's wife, Linda, and his legal team have told journalists that the former colossus of the Texas energy market had the wool pulled over his eyes by scheming underlings. Linda Lay, once the most sought-after society hostess in Houston, stretched national credulity further by weeping on television and complaining, "We've lost everything".
"There's nothing left. Everything we had mostly was in Enron stock," she said."
That's sad... They still owned many houses in Texas....
2) The personal responsibility I agree with, but also this strange sense that, as I've posted before, someone actually "earned" say, a billion dollars(yeah, I know, it's not liquid, or whatever, but in theory...) Whatta crockashit... Maybe a million, but that's a lot of fucking work that should be considered, blood-sweat-and-tears, forsake your family type-o-stuff...