"Both Elon Musk and Donald Trump are sociopathic leaders who demand vast wealth and power, scoff at norms, want total control, and have no regard for anyone but themselves. They are the antithesis of the common good."
Not at all what Adam Smith intended. And what does Tesla do, exactly? Well, it bolts a Chinese battery to a washing machine motor and calls it a car. Not exactly brilliant.
Oil, land, and water.....The privatizing of WATER is its own terror.
Where will all of this insanity end? Mother Nature always bats last.
When the Musks and the MBSs and the Trumps and the Putins of this world control all of that, we will all learn what it is like to be a peon, a slave, a beggar, and we will wait for Mother Nature's turn at bat. We will wonder how it all ever came to this....How did sane, competent humans hand over power and hope to sadistic sociopaths, and why.
Please don't give up. That's exactly what MAGA choreographers want you to do. We have to keep massaging this fragile experiment in democracy towards the heart.
I have to be registered for a party in order to vote in the primaries (when we actually have a choice). Trouble is by the time it gets to my state's turn, it is almost always already decided, & nearly always not the candidate of my choice.
I can see your point about being desperate. In this country, we move back and forth between ideologies, and we are out at the FAR FAR right... in fact, in my opinion, we've moved into insanity, but that also is the hallmark of times like this. I do not agree with every democratic position, but blue politicians can be encouraged to move left and to better positions. At this point, Republicans will only move further to the right, and god knows... we're WAY too far right as it is... So, "vote blue" it is I think...
Many will write in someone else for president, such as Jon Stewart and Tom Hanks because we are funding the genocide while N walks all over us. He has openly stated that the US will do what he says.
This money we give Israel should be put to use here. Our problems are many; we should not be Israel's bank & trick monkey.
Sad fact of life, you can buy anyone. Everyone is for sale, and it doesn't have to be aprice more than needed to buy food, clothing and roof over the head.
Look at all the miners with black lung disease, the people that live next to refineries in cancer alley that won't move, but complain about cancer.
The housewives of Love Canal, stayed put until they got the government to buy their homes. The two or three that led the campaign are real hero's, but the point is that money can buy anyone. Think of how many work for a rotten boss and industry,put up with crap, abuse, underpayment because they need a job.
Mother Nature is already having her revenge.Floods, droughts,.drastically changing climate movements leading to famines in many areas of the world and destruction of crops through unseasonable weather whether too hot on too cold.
People asked the same thing about Hitler. It’s gradual repetition of the same propaganda day after day. When we have the Supreme Court deciding if Trump is a criminal it’s a very sad day.
Even the mere fact that the Supreme Court is considering "executive immunity" aka "perpetual license to do whatever the king wants, whenever the king wants, and, by the way, we now have a king" whether it's for purposes of delay to kowtow to the wannabe king or for purposes of one fell swoop declaring the king's coup a success, it is an extremely shocking event.
The migration of wealth from worker to oligarch has been orchestrated as “fiduciary responsibility” {balderdash!} since it was elevated to “gospel” in the Reagan era.
“Capitalism” is not just one thing. There’s “unfettered capitalism” that proceeds with few if any rules, primarily aimed at maximizing returns for the owner class with little flowing to the makers in labor. Unfettered capitalism eats up all in its path. There’s “vulture capitalism” that looks for the weak and gobbles it up. And there’s the real possibility of well-regulated capitalism that works for people who start businesses, AND for people who work for them, AND forthe societies in which they function. Capitalism and being able to start and own a business can be a wonderful system, if the rules under which it functions are in place to prevent predation and toxic exploitation. We have to remember why we even HAVE an economic system, and it is NOT to make someone rich. We have an economy to make it possible to live on a small planet with billions of people and facilitate getting needed resources to those people without total chaos and violence.
Pat - I completely agree with your analysis. For me, I think any commodity or business based on extraction of resources needs to be heavily regulated, even nationalized. Currently, our gov't, on our behalf, subsidizes resource extraction. (the mining act, for example). I always go back to the origins of capitalism, when colonial powers-to-be sent out ships to explore for resources. The mindset that it was there for the taking without regard for who lived there continues to this day. this morning i picked up a dole banana to see a sticker "celebrating" 125 years of bananas. i was repulsed at the idea of celebrating 125 years of colonial raping of central and south america for land, resources, labor. the direct consequence of this has been murder, theft of land, destablization of peaceful societies, and ultimately, migrating of dispossessed and oppressed peoples to our borders, looking for the possibility of better lives for their children.
Also, there is a phrase -external costs - that speaks to the costs of extraction, production, transportation, consumption. At this time, costs of environmental degradation and cleanup, for example, are borne by society at large. It generally falls disportionately on those least able to afford it.
So yes, unfettered capitalism is an abomination for people and the earth that supports us.
It is, Paul. There was a time when we expected a fine “return” for the privilege of extracting the natural resources of our country {we can have a conversation about whether all the extraction was ever a good idea at all, but this is about getting compensated …}. Now, I see us “subsidizing” the companies that do the extracting, instead of charging them for the privilege.
Are we still demanding a payment for the privilege of raping our environment? Or are we allowing it, because it creates “jobs”?
I have not kept up with the changes in those rules and regs, so I don’t know if we still get a return for the drilling and logging and water extraction, etc., that goes on big time …
Pat, short answer is, No there has never been even an attempt to estimate what a fair return or "compensation" for any given natural resource extraction eg by a Chevron, or any given pollution event might be -- polluter lobbyists made sure of that rather easily because there was no sufficiently powerful opposing lobby around to advocate for natural resource damages. Compare compensatory damages in tort and contracts litigation: there it is common simply because there is an advocate, the plaintiff Bar which benefits immensely.
"And there’s the real possibility of well-regulated capitalism that works for people who start businesses, AND for people who work for them, AND for the societies in which they function."
Thanks. I think well-regulated capitalism is the BEST way to structure an economy that allows for a human desire to “own” an enterprise we create AND protects against egregious exploitation of those who do not own. We all need to have at least SOME “ownership” over our labor, don’t we? And a just society would ensure a fair return for that labor when it’s put in the service of someone else. Employee-owned companies can certainly be part of that mix, too, but no one should think that ANY economic model will banish the risk of unfair exploitation. Every project needs an eye on “the big picture,” a measure of oversight and management. That means someone with some expertise or skill is going to rise up to call the shots. That person gains power. Power can corrupt. Check out just about EVERY so-called “communist” country that evolves a strong-man in charge and exploitation for everybody else. I truly think capitalism CAN work, with good rules and the right of the people to know what’s going on. Hmmm, sounds like a well-regulated {read “constitutionally sound”} democracy to me.
Without regulation of wealth to avoid gross Inequality: we get corruption: all the way to the Supreme court, that is a threat to our Democratic Republic! Our communications, including not just media, but education systems, our food production , safety inspections, health care virtually everything that affects the quality of our lives and environment.
If an industry moved in and pollutes the air and water, then the industry should be required to take moral and fiscal responsibility, but because of a corrupt judiciary and political system they get away with murder. example Union Carbide, Bhopal, India. After years of law suits, they were required to pay for the death of thousands, but then bought the India Supreme court who reversed their finding. Union Carbide filed for and got bankruptcy and was bought by DOW.
On the other hand, what of those who move into a polluted, cancer causing area and there is public knowledge that the area is hazardous to one's health.
We have to be wary of being influenced in that fashion, but it is not the point about what needs to be done. The point about what is going on in our world and where we need to keep our focus — that is how we avoid being waltzed down the primrose path of Shock Doctrine. Not an easy task, given people’s tendency to act on less information than they really need.
True, for instance we are really not much different than crows, being distracted by the next shiny thing.
For instance, what is happening in Ukraine is threatening to the west, Putin is pounding Ukraine into rubble, knocked out their main power production, committing genocide, left and right and he threatens nuclear war and WWIII, this actually does affect not only Europe but America.
However we are distracted by the destruction in Gaza, and campus idiots.
We and the media.
When they tire of this distraction, another will arise. Meanwhile while the hypocritical bleeding hearts are distracted by Gaza, not a phucking word about the murder and starvation of innocents in Sudan and elsewhere around the world.
Because there are no wealthy South Sudanese and Somali's buying chairs in Universities and sending their kids to our Universities and bestowing largess on Universities via sovereign funds.
And it isn't sexy, because there are no hundreds of indigenous reporters with cell phones and video camera's feeding images to AP, Reuters, Tik Tok or Reddit.
When were you willing to work for years for nothing in order to help humanity get off the teat of big oil. If you must castigate the evil ones, try and start there and not with the man and the company trying to stop them. Much of the hate of Elon is fed by those paid by big oil and media interests.
Nobody said anything about ‘working for nothing’ — not in the US, mostly. Of course, there are lots of places around the world where people are exploited. And it’s not by people trying to create a green economy …
Disagree. The very wealthy have devoted enormous efforts into accumalating what they have. They are would be conquerers. This is what taxes are designed to keep in check.
When you belong to a credit union, you're an owner. One vote per member so you elect your board. A credit union is democracy in action; the interest rates are good - both for savings and loans.
If you buy shares in a bank you are an owner.One vote per share.You can elect the board.
Profits are returned to the owners.The same as all companies.
Over a 40 year time span then Bank of America shares have gone from around $3.50 to $37..The credit union will not generate wealth generation after generation.Companies either listed or private will.
My local butcher is closing,nothing nefarious going on.3 generations have owned it and now they have daughters.None of the girls want to be butchers.Handed down for 3 generations to the next shareholder (owner).Grandfather passed on to son,collected part of the profits ( dividends) in retirement.Son passed on to son,same thing.One problem,the son did not want to be a butcher,he wanted to be an electrician.He hated every moment of working in that shop but felt obligated to keep the family business going. Nobody wants to buy the business so it is not liquid,it can't be sold,it just closes
Companies listed on an exchange are liquid.They can continue for hundreds of years.The profit from the butcher goes to the shareholders ( the family owners).The profit from the bank goes to the owners ( shareholders).No difference. The grandfather needed to spend money to open the shop and buy or rent the premises. To be an owner of B of A you need to buy shares to become a part owner.Exactly the same thing.
Yep, and by the way there is one financial institution/Insurance company that is also and that is USAA, Founded for commissioned officers, it opened to NCO's then all ranks, now if your father or grandfather was a member of the armed forces, you are eligible.
Every year I get a refund on unused profits and premiums, also a yearly Senior Bonus, and contributions to my subscribers saving account, which I can withdraw when I quit my membership, currently about $3,000 and the rates are the very best in the nation.
I have called in for rate comparisons to every company I can think of, and when I tell them I have USAA they say sorry, we can't beat them.
Alternative is censoring, communistic, non Capitalistic - almost nazi like ( un American) ( sort of what the good professor oversees on this site)… Sickening… watch this post vanish in proof of what I say- utterly pathetic… move to Australia which also seems to fear the written word!
Did you ever consider the common cold? A nasty little virus that has over 2,000 family members waiting in the wings to raise havoc with your plans for the next week or so. No need! The everyday mosquito is another of nature's unique mysteries. No matter how I look at this tiny little blood sucking insect, I can see no relevance for it's being here. It spoils endless outdoor activities where the dad was responsible for remembering the Deet. No need! How about mean people? This group is of an ever growing concern, especially in the political arena. I look at Donald Trump and I pray the "Mosquito" will take his place. After all, what we would be doing is swapping one blood sucking creep for another. No need!
Elon Musk is no parasite, but like Trump he has succumbed to ego-centrism. I would not invest in any of his ventures, because he seems to be unable to control his emotions. Arrogance leads to self-destruction: watch Trump turn into a caricature of a man.
Daniel - does drumpf get to pay his bond now with that "bonus"? by the way, what's that bonus worth after taxes? (just kidding - i know rich folk don't do taxes)
Ring the cash register and pull the voting lever. Trump politics isn't sui generis, it's the voters that ever did and continue to support him that are the root cause.
Better yet, hold whoever wins the election accountable to good governance and quality policy. That’s where we have failed miserably. Neither party offers a chance to restore the republic or save complex life forms on earth from the eminent climate catastrophe.
The universe is not fair. The laws of physics, you can't get ahead, you can't get even, and you can't get out of the game. Eventually Trump and Musk will pay the piper, just not as fast as i wish.
He has no remorse for wrongdoings- he really thinks as president he can kill someone on 5th ave if he feels that is necessary- just like Putin killing Navalny
Listening to SCOTUS arguments today, it sounds like they agree that he can kill someone in office and get away with it. The questions are pure theater. The DOJ should ask just one question. Does the president have immunity if he shoots and kills someone. That question will expose SCOTUS for what it is. trad rad Catholics They will also uphold Idaho's laws that prohibit abortion except when death of the woman is imminent In essence that is the law.
Any of us can easily predict how the court will rule on anything brought before it.
By the way the court has usurped Congress, Kavanaugh just said, that they have to write statues that will cover the future.
The constitution does not delegate writing laws to the courts.
Yes, because we have heard arguments that any challenge to the criminal greedheads will Not be "good for the country" , or "will further divide the country" . This has been going on for way too long, and look where we are now! the 'supreme court' needs to examine and wring their hands about whether the former President of the United States of America has absolute immunity! As an election draws near that, if he somehow "wins' could put US in a fascist State!
Don't forget that they are DUMB AS ROCKS. Only someone with a ridiculously low IQ could take what they were gifted at birth and RUN IT INTO THE GROUND. Who bankrupts cansinos?!?
Just my usual check on the use of “sociopath”. It doesn’t fit a rational thinker of incomparable accomplishment any better than it fits a narcopathic social predator. In the documentary video linked below, the experts describe a sociopath as a normal person who, through circumstances unique to the individual, has become disillusioned by society. Beavis and Butthead come to mind. Not role models but neither a threat to democracy.
Please excuse my use of the non-word “narcopath”, which sorts so well with “sociopath” and “psychopath”, in place of “He who shall not be named who suffers from Narcissistic Personality Disorder”.
I wrote a perfectly good reply, then it vanished. “Sociopath” includes mostly rational thinkers but when used in association with social predators, wrongly overlooks their predatory characteristics. Musk does manipulate society to his own benefit, but so far only based on the significant benefits he has already conferred upon society. It’s a challenge to classify someone as a sociopath who has contributed so much to society. A bank robber is an entrepreneur but not all entrepreneurs are bank robbers.
I’ve always wondered: Who else has the time and money to run for Congress? AOC started out helping Bernie Sanders, and then got “discovered” by The Justice League (or whatever it’s called) who then financed her candidacy. She was at the bottom of the barrel and had nothing to lose by volunteering and socializing her way into Congress. That’s all well and good but what about those in the middle who aren’t poor enough to be carefree and not rich enough to risk the adventure?
David! L Sieving : Is your brain a sieve? Because you forget that Musk bought very large "Town Square" now named "X" which is his target to control speech, and constrict truth itself. It is sociopathic enough when he is indifferent to the rights of humans to communicate, without a tyrannical censor, who hates US all! Is that a " significant benefit conferred upon society!!??" BS!! Please look up the word Sociopath again, and write a hundred times what it means. Then go to detention for one hour.....to think about this.
That hasn’t been my experience with X, and I understand that free speech is his goal. Call me clueless but my Swiss cheese brain cant let slip what hasn’t fallen on it.
One could trip on what passed through those holes, though. "Free speech absolutism" is Elon Musk's term for his absolute authority to block or ban any speech he does not approve of. Especially inconvenient truths or plans to cost him money for staying within regulations : like not union busting.
Both Musk and Trump are socially challenged. But, Trump is nothing more than a con man. Meanwhile Musk has done the improbable: He started a successful US car company that was already dominated by the big 3. He introduced the EV, where the big 3 remained too stuck in their habits to even consider doing what was required by climate change for decades. No matter how bad his personallity you have to give him credit for bucking the prevailing ignorant trend, and eliminating more future CO2 emissions than any 100 other humans.
At the same time, I must wonder if his choice of business was just stupid luck, because he also is hell bent on going to Mars and establishing a stable civilization there. He better obtain eternal life first, because that isn't going to happen any time soon.
Not only that, the Tesla plant in Austin, TX was dumping their waste water into the Colorado River! They got caught. Muskrat is as disgusting as trump. There are several creatures the world and the US would be better off without, Muskrat and trumpy are two of them. The US should take their citizenships away and send trumpy to Moscow (or a deserted island in the middle of nowhere) and muskrat back to S.Africa.
Elon has no regard for others? For whom did he create the first commercially viable and demanded electric car? This accomplishment was easy? Who did it before him? Hasn’t his innovation and perseverance created a new vision of the future? What is the value of all of this? Isn’t it really valuable?
1) How is Musk's regard for others, or lack thereof, relevant to the existence of Tesla?
You ask:
2) Who did it before him? Oh, let me see: Anderson, Edison and Baker, in the 19th Century, and the corporations Mitsubishi, Nissan, VW and Fiat in the 20th and 21st centuries. It's really not that difficult: Uh, battery, washing machine motor, connect, go!
Everyone I know who has owned a Tesla thinks it's a clunker, with no maneuverability, and have gone back to Porsche, BMW, etc.
3) This development is easy? Well, yes, I think it is. The main difficulty is the battery, which Musk had absolutely nothing to do with. It was the invention of the brilliant Dr. John Goodenough, Nobel Laureate, and inventor of the next generation Yttrium battery.
I think it's great that Tesla has added a little bit to earlier efforts, but let's not get carried away. And please, Musk is not a genius. On the spectrum maybe, but not a genius.
Now let me see...$56 billion for a year of work = $1,750 per second, night and day, sleep or wake, or over $6 million per hour. Let me ask you, do you really think anyone is remotely worth that sort of money?
I would have you ask Dr. Goodenough but unfortunately he's dead, as is Adam Smith.
There is no public interest in decreasing the use of fossil fuels, hence the creation of electric cars? Companies are created to fulfill a vision/mission. However, no profit, no mission.
Oh, Daniel, this reminds me... Have you heard about one of the people Trump is considering choosing as his running mate, Kristi Noem, admitting shooting a puppy (along with a goat)? You have said we should spread it around that "Trump hates dogs". If he chooses Noem, we can also add that his VP shoots puppies! Really pathetic, that pair!
Trump said that having pets is “low class.” At one point he expressed disappointment that Pence had pets. 2/3rds of American households have pets (or vice versa).
Elon is a white supremacists and emotionally a child. He forced a takeover of twitter because it supported views contrary to his own, then proclaimed himself a free speech absolutist and shut down Twitter sites that disagreed with or criticized him. He is a social cancer who needs to realize his business' are regulated by a government in service of the people.
Elon Musk would benefit from psychological counseling. His own ego is endangering him. He is at risk of becoming a Caligula, and that endangers us all.
Victor ; I hope you are correct. It looks like the supreme Court is on his side at this point! Unless there is some kind of miracle, the Court is very partisan at this point, alarmingly.
Laurie, I feel somewhat encouraged that ACB seems to oppose immunity for Trump by her line of questioning yesterday. If so, I think it's unanimous among the 4 women on the Court. Now it depends on Roberts. In any case, I am concerned about the delay.
Jaime: The best case scenario is what you describe, and Lawrence Tribe suggested that things could go much faster. There were very speedy actions to help get Republican's cases solved. They could do it!
How many more such examples do we need to prove that the philosophy and practice of unbridled capitalism no longer is viable? It is time to investigate and eventually implement a system that does not depend on greed for progress and innovation. If you scroll down further in the substack my answer to Paul’s question proposes a better system.
Capitalism is the best system. You are confusing imperialism with capitalism. Capitalism requires a completely free market and strictly enforced thoughtfully emplaced consumer protection screen United States has none of that. Absolutely nothing. Rape and pillage is not capitalism.
Trump thinks the President should be able to do anything without fear of prosecution, he maintains laws only inhibit the office he once held. Hitler had immunity, look where it got him. Trump is a <good> thinker, I would like to hear it straight from the fish's mouth. Mr. Trump, please give me an example of something you would do, out of necessity, and then expect to be exonerated for because you acted in an official capacity as this country's leader. What act would warrant forgiveness, officially, in your estimation. We, the people, would like to know how far down the rabbit hole your thoughts have fallen.
It’s interesting that no other recent president has found the need to request immunity. It kind of makes you wonder why one in particular finds that need 🤔
Nixon thought that the President was above all of that: “It’s not against the law if the President does it” so he didn’t think that he needed immunity. I may have missed it however don’t remember Reagan or GWB requesting immunity from the American people.
Reagan ended up with Alzheimers, but he would have gotten away with IranContra anyway. GWB was not charged with anything either. 😒. Look how hard it is to get justice as it is for tfg! He practically HAS immunity now, doesn't he? The documents case alone should have put him in the slam long before now: Yet the "Supreme" Court 6" still drags its collective 12 feet ! They must have an offer they can't refuse!
Apples and oranges (or orange man. take your pick). Maybe you support the theory that trump could order Seal Team 6 to assassinate his opponent? Or to shoot someone on 5th Ave? If that holds true than Biden could do the same??? I choose to think that if the President operates within the law they don't need the immunity plea.
That better system will never come to pass because the people who are currently rich and powerful don't want it to. Those of us who want that world have no power. And don't start yammering about power in numbers, the electoral college and gerrymandering ended that dream decades ago.
Paul, you ask a valid question for to only criticize is relatively easy, but to put forward a better solution is what is useful. To give you a full solution is a long reply so please bear with me.
Up until recently capitalism seemed to be the most efficient system on the planet so long as proper limits were put into place and those limits were carefully and fairly enforced. It has had a couple of catastrophic failures such as the stock market crash and the housing crash, but we all, including me, figured it could be eventually straightened out. The stock market crash of 1929 was so catastrophic and caused so much economic, physical and psychological misery, it permitted FDR to install numerous programs that were basically socialistic in nature. However, the weaknesses of capitalism solely as an economic system have eventually brought us to a precipice of another great failure of our economy.
Centrally controlled economies such as Communism and Socialism are also failed systems because of the centralizing of decision making and control. Communism also removes individual incentive. Naturally those who wish to have the power to have such control inevitably work their way into positions of power and great economic influence. I think of the former mayor of Moscow, Nikita Khrushchev, who schemed and bullied his way to the top to become both the first Secretary of the Communist Party and then also the Premier as a prime example.
So, with two failed systems and capitalism, now ready to fail again, it is time to think outside of the box and not chain ourselves to a system that used to work (well sort of.) We need a system that is based on the premise that everyone has a right to employment that gives them sufficient income to purchase the necessities such as healthy food, appropriate clothing, and appropriate housing. Full medical care and education through college should be provided by the government. This is not welfare nor is it socialism, it is common sense. The goal of the system would be constantly increasing earnings for all with differentiation based on their contribution to the economy through their individual productivity. It would be a three-tiered system with the capitalistic model for startups and small family types of businesses. The mid-tier and the most enterprises would be cooperatives where the profits of productivity are shared by the employee-owners and the large-scale utilities and manufacturing would be not-for-profit businesses owned by the “commons” and any profits would be utilized to assist in the operation of the government and to support those disabled by age and health that were unable to do income earning employment.
One notable feature is that each region would have as much economic autonomy as is practical. Economic decision making would be in the hands of the local population and not some distant centralized authority as in socialism and not in the hands of distant investors who have no care for the welfare of the region or its population.
This system is called “The Progressive Utilization Theory” (PROUT) and the economic system within it is called “Economic Democracy.” It puts economic and political decision making that effects the local economy in the hands of the local population.
In my community, we have been “Walmarted” and it is now the only department store within three hour’s drive of where I live. It has closed all of the local businesses except for thrift stores and businesses that cater to tourists or specialty items such as pet food stores or bicycle stores. Theoretically of every $10 I spend in Walmart; eight or nine dollars goes out of the region and $1 or $2 stays in the local economy in the form of low wages. The low paid workers are a drain on local and state resources in the form of Medicare, unreimbursed Emergency Room expenses and food and housing assistance. To be “self-sufficient” workers must work two jobs. Some rely on stimulants to be able to do that. The town that used to have a variety of auto dealerships now only has one. Ford just closed the locally owned dealership because it did not send enough dollars to the corporate coffers. Now we have to drive 1 hour to get a Ford or any other car or truck besides a Dodge or a Toyota.
This is how our town “enjoys” the benefits of capitalism. Is it any wonder that the town and the county are solidly Democratic? But because I do not live in Michigan, Wisconsin or another “battleground state,” my vote for President is of no consequence and I am disconnected from decisions as to how my income tax dollars are utilized. Is it any wonder I want a different economic and political system?
I like the sound of PROUT. I've not come across it before. (Please provide links, if available.) What role would nationalizing critical goods & services and licensing out resource access - i.e. water & petroleum - and operations - i.e. farming - to the private and corporate entities proposed in PROUT? How about licensing in which the licensing agency is a 50%, or maybe even a 49% partner, for example?
Marc, This is a system for which I could get behind.
This week in The Guardian there was an article on an area in the Basque region of Spain where the industry, hospitals, schools, retail stores, and government are all run as a cooperative since 1956.
Similar to the cooperative in Spain, I suspect your proposed system would be viewed by those less knowledgeable in history and economics in Red states as a form of communism, which neither are.
Not sure where in Montana you are located, but your description of a ghost former downtown and only a Walmart sounds similar to what I remember seeing in 2013 in Laurel, MT.
Hope you can keep Tester as a senator. I understand both sides might set a record for out of state political donations for a senate race.
Paul Bjarnason; I have a modest proposal: that those who make the goods and actually do the service work "provided" are shareholders who get a fair share!
What a novel idea! Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like sarcasm but when something seems to be so reasonable and common sense, there's usually a good reason why it's not happening. In this case, profit and greed, IMNSHO.
I used to think if I could afford it, I would want a Tesla. Now, you couldn't give me one. I want nothing to do with them. Still driving my 2006 Honda.
Ah, but at least in the U.S., the only people who can make that decision are already privileged themselves because they can afford an EV, can afford a single family dwelling to plug it in, can afford to live in the neighborhoods where charging stations are located. So not enough are able to make that decision to make a difference.
I bought an EV, live in a single family home. I put myself through college (state school), then worked for 50 years without a break except annual weeklong vacations. I paid off my college loan into my 40s. Back off.
No, I will not back off. You are privileged to have gone to college in the first place much less to have paid off the loans, you can afford the single family home, you can afford the EV, you chose not to take a break from working, most people in America can not even hope to be in your position. You don't get to disappear reality because you got lucky.
Getting out the vote for Democrats will end the billionaire oligarchy. Think about it, who gives LARGE, UNFUNDED, PERMANENT tax cuts to wealthy and corporate entities? (Hint : Republicans)
It will soon be necessary for me to purchase a new car and I have decided on an EV but sworn never to buy a Tesla. My first car back in the 60s was a Volkswagen beetle but that was before I understood the history of the Holocaust and why it is necessary to boycott supporting anyone that is an enemy of the common good.
I traded in a 9 year old Lexus NX that got 25mpg. Volvo XC60 plug/in hybrid was a good price but not cheap, but I usually keep cars 10 years.
Honestly, haven’t noticed an increase in my electric bill, but the real secret is to limit driving. I live near community amenities and necessities. Even so, gas prices were motivating.
Plus pumping gas makes you vulnerable. I haven’t been to a gas station since December.
I got the hybrid because of range anxiety, but it rarely switches to gas. But I do yearly road trips. With dogs.
Remember Elon Musk is currently refusing to pull down videos of a minister being stabbed in a church in Sydney. It has been deemed a terrorised act. He is taking it to the High Court of Australia under the guise of free speech.
I think each case may require individual attention. I think there could be another agenda here, not only is Musk refusing to take something down that could be said to breach X's own guidelines under violent content he has posted nasty undermining memes against our Prime Minister. In a way Murdoch has been censoring (a better word might be 'manipulating') our media in Australia for years by what he chooses to leave out. For years he has interfered in our democratic process by pushing his biases and publishing mud about people he wants to lose. Given the Murdochs are connected to Tesla I see there could be an agenda to undermine our current PM. I also think generally 'freedom of speech' is being used in a dishonest context. The platform can control what gets seen and if people post things that might be disagreeable I have heard they can get 'shadow banned" which could be seen as a form of censorship. I find Musk and the direction he is taking his $44 billion platform quite scary and potentially dangerous.
Showing videos of violence should never be allowed on any site!! It is barbaric and cruel. I would hope the High Court of Australia would let Musk know how unacceptable that is!!
PBS just ran a miniseries on Caesar and tge death of the Roman republic. It ended with a pretty realistic assassination by stabbing. In this version he didn't say "et to Vrutus?" With all the cinematic violence maybe people don't register the real thing,
Miriam, that is what I believe. There is so much violence and death on TV, I am afraid people have become numb to it and don't understand the difference between real and fiction. Death is final. There aren't any retakes.
Musk is a disgusting asshat douche bag who is a big grifter as much as dumpster ! He bullies , threatens and bad-mouths anyone who disagrees with him , a big whiney toddler who needs a long time -out !
That was an excellent description of Elon Musk!! He is a narcissistic sociopath and only cares about himself and his immediate gratification. All of the workers at all of his companies need to unionize. I watched Shawn Fain speak to his union on You Tube yesterday evening and it was so inspiring!! If workers would listen to what he has to say, they would definitely move toward unionization. It is time for the working class to stand up and be heard. Yes, you pay dues to be in a union, but wouldn't you rather pay dues than work for pittance while your CEO plays with millions that you were pivotal in acquiring? Wouldn't you pay union dues to insure the corporation and its shareholders didn't shaft you every time profits go up? Many will continue to say unions are corrupt. I say unions must be transparent so that workers see exactly where their dues are going. Elon Musk and others of his ilk want to keep the working class clueless but continuing to work for peanuts. We need to continue the push to bring unions back to America and stop these corporations more interested in greed and power than helping their workers maintain a decent life. Unionize America!!
Elon allowed a vote to decide if he should stay leading Twitter, thinking that everyone would agree that his excrement doesn't stink. He was surprised, however, when people voted for him to go. I suspect he might find the same thing if people were free to express themselves. However Musk has shown himself to be vindictive, so I doubt many will dare to cross him.
Elon Musk has been the same guy he has always been, a loud mouthed, self-absorbed greedy man who has no regard for anyone. How is it that it has taken more than a decade and a lot of shenanigans for people to see it. Does the money shield him from scrutiny as it has Donald Trump? I am guessing it has. It seems he has now passed the point where his ideas have merit. I am also guessing Tesla, if it is to survive, will need different hands-on management with Musk, at best, a figurehead. I know we have laws on the books to stop the kind of blatant disregard Musk is practicing, so why are those laws and regulations not being directed toward Musk? Maybe he, too, is a Teflon don.
Pretty much all the Silicon Valley leaders are jerks. Few of them have serious technical chops--Musk sure doesn't.
Once the greedy folks realized there was serious money in the tech industry, they chased off the early diverse workforce that included a surprising number of women and minorities. At one point in early mainframe days, there were as many, sometimes more women programming than men; it was regarded as secretarial work, since it required (gasp) typing. The power and money went straight to these men's heads once they locked it down to 'their kind'.
And that's why we now have a bunch of white men who behave like toddlers whining and complaining about how put upon they are, having sulking fits in the corner, trying to take their billionaire balls home and rig our Democratic systems so they never ever pay taxes. They think they can make us all dance like we're their puppets, and the scary thing is they have succeeded more than they should.
Professor Reich: does a government grant to tesla require that the company fulfil certain requirements? i'm asking as a scientist who received grants to support my research -- which must fulfil certain requirements. if so, what might those requirements be? if not, why not?
And now the news. From Heather Cox Richardson. An Arizona grand jury yesterday indicted 11 of the fake electors in that state with conspiracy, fraudulent schemes and artifices, fraudulent schemes and practices, and forgery for their attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Those charged included state senators Jake Hoffman and Anthony Kern, former Arizona Republican Party chair Kelli Ward, and Tyler Bowyer of the right-wing advocacy organization Turning Points Action. The indictment lists seven other co-conspirators, who are not yet named but who appear from descriptions to include Trump lawyers Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Christina Bobb, Boris Epshteyn, and Jenna Ellis; Trump campaign operative Mike Roman; and Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows. Bobb is now senior counsel for “election integrity” for the Republican National Committee.
Today SCOTUS hears the DC immunity appeal. IMHO they already helped Trump through delay. His NY criminal trial resumes. His wife launched a new jewelry line. I wonder whether she would get PR and sales if she wears it to court.
A reminder that Democrats have the power to sweep by registering people currently not on the voting rolls and not polled. 60% of unregistered voters have never been asked to register. To win in 2024, FT6 will reach out to "millions of unregistered likely Democrats using our one-of-a-kind database and every outreach method possible (phone and text, postcard, email and targeted ad, and in-person too), where new Democratic voters will make the most impact – in the most flippable states and districts." https://www.fieldteam6.org/
Also, Focus for Democracy's informational meeting for the 2024 election cycle is tonight,
Jeffrey, I think Musk is more interested in being 'the richest' in the world. I don't think he intends to do anything with it. It is a game of one-upmanship with him and all the other oligarchs.
Buffet's former wife said that about him. Dollars are points in the competition. It's OCD hoarding illness on steroids with no regard for the human race.
I read that Elon has 10 children. Most of trump’s kids have 3-5 children. Society really needs to learn how to deal with sociopaths that get into government.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m a fervent admirer of Prof. Reich. But, what he needs to enunciate are practical ways to pass legislation that blunts the crude edges of capitalism. For instance:
1. Limiting CEO compensation to no more than 50 times average national wage.
2. Introducing wealth tax of at least 2.5% for those that own assets over USD 100 million.
3. Death duties of at least 20% for inheritance valued over USD 100 million.
4. Job loss to be compensated with cash payment of one year in wages.
Shareholders' role in voting to approve CEO's pay is a joke. The approval vote is "advisory," meaning it changes nothing. The Board's decision cannot be altered by the shareholders, and the Board's decision on top executive pay is final. This is why CEO pay is 300 times higher than most workers' pay. Many large corporations pay their CEOs tens of millions of dollars a year. The highest I've personally seen is $47 million. (Musk wants over 1,000 times that for six years, or 166 million times a year. Who needs that much excess compensation for the work they do? What do they do with all that money? They buy lawyers, justices and politicians to protect their wealth and corrupt our economic system and our government. Their Boards of Directors spend an inordinate amount of time writing complicated justifications for CEO pay that cover every objection except unfairness and social consequences.
An independent Board of Directors Chairman would help fix the problems noted in your comment. Shareholders keep proposing one in many company annual meetings, but the companies are able to get enough corporate shareholder votes to defeat.
When other companies began to successfully challenge Tesla's hold on the EV market, instead of improving the Tesla, Musk took away one of its major self-driving safety features, radar, so he could sell it more cheaply. Diminishing its safety is probably going to diminish its safety record which will further diminish its sales--as will successful lawsuits against it.
The BOD should be charging Musk $47M for diminishing the value of the Tesla, not giving him $47M.
Your info is flawed, since Tesla did not remove radar to save money. FSD is better than ever now and getting better daily. Can you show any info on Tesla's diminishing safety record? I doubt it.
It’s more the quality of the car is nonexistent. It’s only has one vehicle and one of the seven categories of top 10 best Evies. MotorTrend and Consumer Reports. It has two out of those seven categories top 10 in MotorWeek.
"Both Elon Musk and Donald Trump are sociopathic leaders who demand vast wealth and power, scoff at norms, want total control, and have no regard for anyone but themselves. They are the antithesis of the common good."
Not at all what Adam Smith intended. And what does Tesla do, exactly? Well, it bolts a Chinese battery to a washing machine motor and calls it a car. Not exactly brilliant.
Obviously insanity and notoriety ring the cash register. Life ain't fair.
1. Tesla shares jump 13% after Musk says company aims to start production of affordable new EV by early 2025. https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/23/tesla-tsla-earnings-q1-2024-.html
2. Trump to receive bonus worth $1.2bn for Trump Media stock performance
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/apr/24/trump-media-bonue
It's not capitalism anymore. It used to be called Free Enterprise.
This is modern serfdom. It's the wealthy that are lazy. Idle Rich who own all the land.
Oil, land, and water.....The privatizing of WATER is its own terror.
Where will all of this insanity end? Mother Nature always bats last.
When the Musks and the MBSs and the Trumps and the Putins of this world control all of that, we will all learn what it is like to be a peon, a slave, a beggar, and we will wait for Mother Nature's turn at bat. We will wonder how it all ever came to this....How did sane, competent humans hand over power and hope to sadistic sociopaths, and why.
Why not make it end today by getting out the vote for Democrats? Lots of people have made it easy to do!
REGISTER DEMOCRATS. SAVE DEMOCRACY!
https://www.fieldteam6.org/
I refuse to register with either political party. Out of desperation I "vote blue" but that's the extent of my involvement
Please don't give up. That's exactly what MAGA choreographers want you to do. We have to keep massaging this fragile experiment in democracy towards the heart.
I have to be registered for a party in order to vote in the primaries (when we actually have a choice). Trouble is by the time it gets to my state's turn, it is almost always already decided, & nearly always not the candidate of my choice.
me too.
Im voting for Cornel West or Jill Stein, hopefully they'll get on the ballot in November.
In any case, I cant support the Duopoly. I do not support giving any military aid to Israel or Ukraine.
I can see your point about being desperate. In this country, we move back and forth between ideologies, and we are out at the FAR FAR right... in fact, in my opinion, we've moved into insanity, but that also is the hallmark of times like this. I do not agree with every democratic position, but blue politicians can be encouraged to move left and to better positions. At this point, Republicans will only move further to the right, and god knows... we're WAY too far right as it is... So, "vote blue" it is I think...
Many will write in someone else for president, such as Jon Stewart and Tom Hanks because we are funding the genocide while N walks all over us. He has openly stated that the US will do what he says.
This money we give Israel should be put to use here. Our problems are many; we should not be Israel's bank & trick monkey.
Yes, short answer. They bribed enough people with money. Money is a conditioned reinforcement.
And - we can't have corporations own everything and we can't have government own everything.
Why can't we find a balance?
Air and Water belong to everyone ;)
Sad fact of life, you can buy anyone. Everyone is for sale, and it doesn't have to be aprice more than needed to buy food, clothing and roof over the head.
Look at all the miners with black lung disease, the people that live next to refineries in cancer alley that won't move, but complain about cancer.
The housewives of Love Canal, stayed put until they got the government to buy their homes. The two or three that led the campaign are real hero's, but the point is that money can buy anyone. Think of how many work for a rotten boss and industry,put up with crap, abuse, underpayment because they need a job.
For now. Certain billionaires are trying to buy up the water so they can sell it to us.
Janet--At what price.
LOL - well good question. I have been told that it's only 50K for a senator. That's rather cheap. TheCon.tv Patrick Lovell on youtube.
If I was a senator, I'd charge corporations 1 million. LOL :)
Mother Nature is already having her revenge.Floods, droughts,.drastically changing climate movements leading to famines in many areas of the world and destruction of crops through unseasonable weather whether too hot on too cold.
Oooh, I like your positioning of "whether" right after "weather".
Thanks,Jaime.Where i live ,it's now a question of "whether the weather" is too hot or cold - literally 0 C in the morning to 25 C early afternoon.
People asked the same thing about Hitler. It’s gradual repetition of the same propaganda day after day. When we have the Supreme Court deciding if Trump is a criminal it’s a very sad day.
Even the mere fact that the Supreme Court is considering "executive immunity" aka "perpetual license to do whatever the king wants, whenever the king wants, and, by the way, we now have a king" whether it's for purposes of delay to kowtow to the wannabe king or for purposes of one fell swoop declaring the king's coup a success, it is an extremely shocking event.
The migration of wealth from worker to oligarch has been orchestrated as “fiduciary responsibility” {balderdash!} since it was elevated to “gospel” in the Reagan era.
“Capitalism” is not just one thing. There’s “unfettered capitalism” that proceeds with few if any rules, primarily aimed at maximizing returns for the owner class with little flowing to the makers in labor. Unfettered capitalism eats up all in its path. There’s “vulture capitalism” that looks for the weak and gobbles it up. And there’s the real possibility of well-regulated capitalism that works for people who start businesses, AND for people who work for them, AND forthe societies in which they function. Capitalism and being able to start and own a business can be a wonderful system, if the rules under which it functions are in place to prevent predation and toxic exploitation. We have to remember why we even HAVE an economic system, and it is NOT to make someone rich. We have an economy to make it possible to live on a small planet with billions of people and facilitate getting needed resources to those people without total chaos and violence.
Pat - I completely agree with your analysis. For me, I think any commodity or business based on extraction of resources needs to be heavily regulated, even nationalized. Currently, our gov't, on our behalf, subsidizes resource extraction. (the mining act, for example). I always go back to the origins of capitalism, when colonial powers-to-be sent out ships to explore for resources. The mindset that it was there for the taking without regard for who lived there continues to this day. this morning i picked up a dole banana to see a sticker "celebrating" 125 years of bananas. i was repulsed at the idea of celebrating 125 years of colonial raping of central and south america for land, resources, labor. the direct consequence of this has been murder, theft of land, destablization of peaceful societies, and ultimately, migrating of dispossessed and oppressed peoples to our borders, looking for the possibility of better lives for their children.
Also, there is a phrase -external costs - that speaks to the costs of extraction, production, transportation, consumption. At this time, costs of environmental degradation and cleanup, for example, are borne by society at large. It generally falls disportionately on those least able to afford it.
So yes, unfettered capitalism is an abomination for people and the earth that supports us.
It is, Paul. There was a time when we expected a fine “return” for the privilege of extracting the natural resources of our country {we can have a conversation about whether all the extraction was ever a good idea at all, but this is about getting compensated …}. Now, I see us “subsidizing” the companies that do the extracting, instead of charging them for the privilege.
Are we still demanding a payment for the privilege of raping our environment? Or are we allowing it, because it creates “jobs”?
I have not kept up with the changes in those rules and regs, so I don’t know if we still get a return for the drilling and logging and water extraction, etc., that goes on big time …
Pat, short answer is, No there has never been even an attempt to estimate what a fair return or "compensation" for any given natural resource extraction eg by a Chevron, or any given pollution event might be -- polluter lobbyists made sure of that rather easily because there was no sufficiently powerful opposing lobby around to advocate for natural resource damages. Compare compensatory damages in tort and contracts litigation: there it is common simply because there is an advocate, the plaintiff Bar which benefits immensely.
"And there’s the real possibility of well-regulated capitalism that works for people who start businesses, AND for people who work for them, AND for the societies in which they function."
You are preaching the truth Pat!
Thanks. I think well-regulated capitalism is the BEST way to structure an economy that allows for a human desire to “own” an enterprise we create AND protects against egregious exploitation of those who do not own. We all need to have at least SOME “ownership” over our labor, don’t we? And a just society would ensure a fair return for that labor when it’s put in the service of someone else. Employee-owned companies can certainly be part of that mix, too, but no one should think that ANY economic model will banish the risk of unfair exploitation. Every project needs an eye on “the big picture,” a measure of oversight and management. That means someone with some expertise or skill is going to rise up to call the shots. That person gains power. Power can corrupt. Check out just about EVERY so-called “communist” country that evolves a strong-man in charge and exploitation for everybody else. I truly think capitalism CAN work, with good rules and the right of the people to know what’s going on. Hmmm, sounds like a well-regulated {read “constitutionally sound”} democracy to me.
And some people starving or being poisoned by dirty water, and air pollution.
For sure — holding the line on these things is what GOOD regulation is for…
Without regulation of wealth to avoid gross Inequality: we get corruption: all the way to the Supreme court, that is a threat to our Democratic Republic! Our communications, including not just media, but education systems, our food production , safety inspections, health care virtually everything that affects the quality of our lives and environment.
The greedy think of regulation as expensive: unless it's to protect them!
If an industry moved in and pollutes the air and water, then the industry should be required to take moral and fiscal responsibility, but because of a corrupt judiciary and political system they get away with murder. example Union Carbide, Bhopal, India. After years of law suits, they were required to pay for the death of thousands, but then bought the India Supreme court who reversed their finding. Union Carbide filed for and got bankruptcy and was bought by DOW.
On the other hand, what of those who move into a polluted, cancer causing area and there is public knowledge that the area is hazardous to one's health.
Disaster Capitalism, making a killing out of catastrophe https://www.amazon.com/Disaster-Capitalism-Making-Killing-Catastrophe/dp/1784781150
Shock Doctrine, the Rise of Disaster Capitalism https://www.amazon.com/Shock-Doctrine-Rise-Disaster-Capitalism/dp/0312427999
Yes, that is a psychological reality.
We have to be wary of being influenced in that fashion, but it is not the point about what needs to be done. The point about what is going on in our world and where we need to keep our focus — that is how we avoid being waltzed down the primrose path of Shock Doctrine. Not an easy task, given people’s tendency to act on less information than they really need.
True, for instance we are really not much different than crows, being distracted by the next shiny thing.
For instance, what is happening in Ukraine is threatening to the west, Putin is pounding Ukraine into rubble, knocked out their main power production, committing genocide, left and right and he threatens nuclear war and WWIII, this actually does affect not only Europe but America.
However we are distracted by the destruction in Gaza, and campus idiots.
We and the media.
When they tire of this distraction, another will arise. Meanwhile while the hypocritical bleeding hearts are distracted by Gaza, not a phucking word about the murder and starvation of innocents in Sudan and elsewhere around the world.
Because there are no wealthy South Sudanese and Somali's buying chairs in Universities and sending their kids to our Universities and bestowing largess on Universities via sovereign funds.
And it isn't sexy, because there are no hundreds of indigenous reporters with cell phones and video camera's feeding images to AP, Reuters, Tik Tok or Reddit.
So it isn't sexy.
Beautifully said, Pat!
When were you willing to work for years for nothing in order to help humanity get off the teat of big oil. If you must castigate the evil ones, try and start there and not with the man and the company trying to stop them. Much of the hate of Elon is fed by those paid by big oil and media interests.
Nobody said anything about ‘working for nothing’ — not in the US, mostly. Of course, there are lots of places around the world where people are exploited. And it’s not by people trying to create a green economy …
Disagree. The very wealthy have devoted enormous efforts into accumalating what they have. They are would be conquerers. This is what taxes are designed to keep in check.
they devoted enormous amounts of time to lying, cheating and stealing NOT earning - The Osage Indian story.
Well, they have political power and lawyers to re-right the rules of the game (taxes) to their favor.
Join a credit union. It's a small start to take power away from the banks who fund these capitalists.
Amen, Thom Hartmann recommended that back during the two big to fail bullshit.
I was banking with Wells Fargo with all of their bullshit fees and charges.
I switched to BECU, no fees, no charges, and better yet I get interest on checking and savings, actually more interest on checking than savings.
The reasonis that Checking accounts, not savings accounts, are part of the reserve based used, along with federal and corporate bonds, for loans.
Time or savings accounts are not.
When you belong to a credit union, you're an owner. One vote per member so you elect your board. A credit union is democracy in action; the interest rates are good - both for savings and loans.
If you buy shares in a bank you are an owner.One vote per share.You can elect the board.
Profits are returned to the owners.The same as all companies.
Over a 40 year time span then Bank of America shares have gone from around $3.50 to $37..The credit union will not generate wealth generation after generation.Companies either listed or private will.
My local butcher is closing,nothing nefarious going on.3 generations have owned it and now they have daughters.None of the girls want to be butchers.Handed down for 3 generations to the next shareholder (owner).Grandfather passed on to son,collected part of the profits ( dividends) in retirement.Son passed on to son,same thing.One problem,the son did not want to be a butcher,he wanted to be an electrician.He hated every moment of working in that shop but felt obligated to keep the family business going. Nobody wants to buy the business so it is not liquid,it can't be sold,it just closes
Companies listed on an exchange are liquid.They can continue for hundreds of years.The profit from the butcher goes to the shareholders ( the family owners).The profit from the bank goes to the owners ( shareholders).No difference. The grandfather needed to spend money to open the shop and buy or rent the premises. To be an owner of B of A you need to buy shares to become a part owner.Exactly the same thing.
Yep, and by the way there is one financial institution/Insurance company that is also and that is USAA, Founded for commissioned officers, it opened to NCO's then all ranks, now if your father or grandfather was a member of the armed forces, you are eligible.
Every year I get a refund on unused profits and premiums, also a yearly Senior Bonus, and contributions to my subscribers saving account, which I can withdraw when I quit my membership, currently about $3,000 and the rates are the very best in the nation.
I have called in for rate comparisons to every company I can think of, and when I tell them I have USAA they say sorry, we can't beat them.
Well, you would love this - it's not conspiracy
theCon.tv - The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One William black
I hadn't heard of this show but will definitely watch it. Thanks for the link.
Alternative is censoring, communistic, non Capitalistic - almost nazi like ( un American) ( sort of what the good professor oversees on this site)… Sickening… watch this post vanish in proof of what I say- utterly pathetic… move to Australia which also seems to fear the written word!
I'm not leaving. The alternative is a balance of power between private and government / owners and workers
Can what we have today compare to the disaster that Trump created? Hell no, Trump is the worst President this country ever had. Go Joe!
Did you ever consider the common cold? A nasty little virus that has over 2,000 family members waiting in the wings to raise havoc with your plans for the next week or so. No need! The everyday mosquito is another of nature's unique mysteries. No matter how I look at this tiny little blood sucking insect, I can see no relevance for it's being here. It spoils endless outdoor activities where the dad was responsible for remembering the Deet. No need! How about mean people? This group is of an ever growing concern, especially in the political arena. I look at Donald Trump and I pray the "Mosquito" will take his place. After all, what we would be doing is swapping one blood sucking creep for another. No need!
Immunity--
Donald Hodgins <silencenotbad@gmail.com>
12:27 PM (1 minute ago)
If Trump was given immunity on any level, it would be like empowering a modern-day Nero, and we all know what that maniac played his fiddle to.
Donald Trump is our Nero. He hasn't murdered his mother, but he revealed that he holds a grudge against her. Power compensates for a lack of love.
Victor--Don't worry until Trump reaches for an instrument, he never had the skill to play, he just "Fiddled around with it."
BTW -- good thing I don't trade because I would have lost my pants, had I sold short.
Elon Musk is no parasite, but like Trump he has succumbed to ego-centrism. I would not invest in any of his ventures, because he seems to be unable to control his emotions. Arrogance leads to self-destruction: watch Trump turn into a caricature of a man.
Daniel - does drumpf get to pay his bond now with that "bonus"? by the way, what's that bonus worth after taxes? (just kidding - i know rich folk don't do taxes)
The sickest part is that it's musk and trump that say things aren't fair----for THEM.
Ring the cash register and pull the voting lever. Trump politics isn't sui generis, it's the voters that ever did and continue to support him that are the root cause.
So, Mr. Trump can afford paying his half a $billion or so court fines.
China already has produced affordable EV's, but no one is buying them.
I call them both psychopaths (Trump and Musk)… no remorse or empathy for others for their wrongdojngs.
Better yet, Get Out The Vote
https://www.fieldteam6.org/
Better yet, hold whoever wins the election accountable to good governance and quality policy. That’s where we have failed miserably. Neither party offers a chance to restore the republic or save complex life forms on earth from the eminent climate catastrophe.
Susan Beall : Says. tRump : " It's so unfair, These are victimless crimes!; Why should I be punished!" "Nobody got hurt!".
The universe is not fair. The laws of physics, you can't get ahead, you can't get even, and you can't get out of the game. Eventually Trump and Musk will pay the piper, just not as fast as i wish.
I agree. The pendulum always swings.
He has no remorse for wrongdoings- he really thinks as president he can kill someone on 5th ave if he feels that is necessary- just like Putin killing Navalny
Listening to SCOTUS arguments today, it sounds like they agree that he can kill someone in office and get away with it. The questions are pure theater. The DOJ should ask just one question. Does the president have immunity if he shoots and kills someone. That question will expose SCOTUS for what it is. trad rad Catholics They will also uphold Idaho's laws that prohibit abortion except when death of the woman is imminent In essence that is the law.
Any of us can easily predict how the court will rule on anything brought before it.
By the way the court has usurped Congress, Kavanaugh just said, that they have to write statues that will cover the future.
The constitution does not delegate writing laws to the courts.
Yes, anything he does to harm others is no big deal. But even the Thought that he should suffer consequences is very unfair, in his estimation.
And he whines to Congressional Republicans that they should stop the criminal trials "for the good of the country." Can you imagine the chutzpah?
Yes, because we have heard arguments that any challenge to the criminal greedheads will Not be "good for the country" , or "will further divide the country" . This has been going on for way too long, and look where we are now! the 'supreme court' needs to examine and wring their hands about whether the former President of the United States of America has absolute immunity! As an election draws near that, if he somehow "wins' could put US in a fascist State!
Interesting that he admits they're crimes.
Don't forget that they are DUMB AS ROCKS. Only someone with a ridiculously low IQ could take what they were gifted at birth and RUN IT INTO THE GROUND. Who bankrupts cansinos?!?
Impulsive . Greedy, children. Who never grew up. Time for a time out!
I may have written a post about dumb narcissists…
Ha ha! Good one, Daniel.
Just my usual check on the use of “sociopath”. It doesn’t fit a rational thinker of incomparable accomplishment any better than it fits a narcopathic social predator. In the documentary video linked below, the experts describe a sociopath as a normal person who, through circumstances unique to the individual, has become disillusioned by society. Beavis and Butthead come to mind. Not role models but neither a threat to democracy.
https://wayofages.wayofages.org/fishheadmovie/
Please excuse my use of the non-word “narcopath”, which sorts so well with “sociopath” and “psychopath”, in place of “He who shall not be named who suffers from Narcissistic Personality Disorder”.
Sociopath was not my word, but why does it not include rational thinkers?
I wrote a perfectly good reply, then it vanished. “Sociopath” includes mostly rational thinkers but when used in association with social predators, wrongly overlooks their predatory characteristics. Musk does manipulate society to his own benefit, but so far only based on the significant benefits he has already conferred upon society. It’s a challenge to classify someone as a sociopath who has contributed so much to society. A bank robber is an entrepreneur but not all entrepreneurs are bank robbers.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: Did you know that over half of all Members of Congress are millionaires? https://m.essage.us/msg/O2WJTFV4cM
I’ve always wondered: Who else has the time and money to run for Congress? AOC started out helping Bernie Sanders, and then got “discovered” by The Justice League (or whatever it’s called) who then financed her candidacy. She was at the bottom of the barrel and had nothing to lose by volunteering and socializing her way into Congress. That’s all well and good but what about those in the middle who aren’t poor enough to be carefree and not rich enough to risk the adventure?
David! L Sieving : Is your brain a sieve? Because you forget that Musk bought very large "Town Square" now named "X" which is his target to control speech, and constrict truth itself. It is sociopathic enough when he is indifferent to the rights of humans to communicate, without a tyrannical censor, who hates US all! Is that a " significant benefit conferred upon society!!??" BS!! Please look up the word Sociopath again, and write a hundred times what it means. Then go to detention for one hour.....to think about this.
That hasn’t been my experience with X, and I understand that free speech is his goal. Call me clueless but my Swiss cheese brain cant let slip what hasn’t fallen on it.
One could trip on what passed through those holes, though. "Free speech absolutism" is Elon Musk's term for his absolute authority to block or ban any speech he does not approve of. Especially inconvenient truths or plans to cost him money for staying within regulations : like not union busting.
Both Musk and Trump are socially challenged. But, Trump is nothing more than a con man. Meanwhile Musk has done the improbable: He started a successful US car company that was already dominated by the big 3. He introduced the EV, where the big 3 remained too stuck in their habits to even consider doing what was required by climate change for decades. No matter how bad his personallity you have to give him credit for bucking the prevailing ignorant trend, and eliminating more future CO2 emissions than any 100 other humans.
At the same time, I must wonder if his choice of business was just stupid luck, because he also is hell bent on going to Mars and establishing a stable civilization there. He better obtain eternal life first, because that isn't going to happen any time soon.
Right on, Michael! Great description and he purchased Tesla, didn't start it.
Don't forget the exploding flammable batteries....
Yy luv oh o o jcjcjchochohohochochrxx
Joke time: Why did Musk's son have a meltdown on his 16th birthday? "Daddy, I wanted a Testarossa, not a Tesla Roadster! What are you, deaf?"
Not only that, the Tesla plant in Austin, TX was dumping their waste water into the Colorado River! They got caught. Muskrat is as disgusting as trump. There are several creatures the world and the US would be better off without, Muskrat and trumpy are two of them. The US should take their citizenships away and send trumpy to Moscow (or a deserted island in the middle of nowhere) and muskrat back to S.Africa.
Elon has no regard for others? For whom did he create the first commercially viable and demanded electric car? This accomplishment was easy? Who did it before him? Hasn’t his innovation and perseverance created a new vision of the future? What is the value of all of this? Isn’t it really valuable?
1) How is Musk's regard for others, or lack thereof, relevant to the existence of Tesla?
You ask:
2) Who did it before him? Oh, let me see: Anderson, Edison and Baker, in the 19th Century, and the corporations Mitsubishi, Nissan, VW and Fiat in the 20th and 21st centuries. It's really not that difficult: Uh, battery, washing machine motor, connect, go!
Everyone I know who has owned a Tesla thinks it's a clunker, with no maneuverability, and have gone back to Porsche, BMW, etc.
3) This development is easy? Well, yes, I think it is. The main difficulty is the battery, which Musk had absolutely nothing to do with. It was the invention of the brilliant Dr. John Goodenough, Nobel Laureate, and inventor of the next generation Yttrium battery.
I think it's great that Tesla has added a little bit to earlier efforts, but let's not get carried away. And please, Musk is not a genius. On the spectrum maybe, but not a genius.
Now let me see...$56 billion for a year of work = $1,750 per second, night and day, sleep or wake, or over $6 million per hour. Let me ask you, do you really think anyone is remotely worth that sort of money?
I would have you ask Dr. Goodenough but unfortunately he's dead, as is Adam Smith.
1. Companies get created to serve a public’s interest or need
2. See the comment in 2006 (https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2019/07/business/electric-car-timeline/index.html#:~:text=The%20first%20viable%20electric%20car,-Obtained%20by%20CNN&text=Famed%20English%20inventor%20Thomas%20Parker,the%20car%20attracts%20little%20interest.)
3. The compensation package covers the period beginning in 2018 (https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-ceo-pay-compensation-tesla-f5ad4ce659a73a1209dc99a583d7b883#)
Unfortunately others were not able to capitalize their contributions. Why is that Elon’s problem?
No. Companies get created to create profit. The public interest of shiny plastic junk in need for it are NIL
There is no public interest in decreasing the use of fossil fuels, hence the creation of electric cars? Companies are created to fulfill a vision/mission. However, no profit, no mission.
That makes zero sense whatsoever. We’re through here
Bullshit. There’s no alternative in many places. Take your fossil fuel cocksucking elsewhere. I’m not having it. I sure as hell don’t want to see it
Thank you Michael
Perfectly stated.
Says a guy who supports someone who stole from kids with cancer.
Oh, Daniel, this reminds me... Have you heard about one of the people Trump is considering choosing as his running mate, Kristi Noem, admitting shooting a puppy (along with a goat)? You have said we should spread it around that "Trump hates dogs". If he chooses Noem, we can also add that his VP shoots puppies! Really pathetic, that pair!
I''ve been commenting about her on Heather's Substack.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/05/opinion/trump-military-dog.html
Trump said that having pets is “low class.” At one point he expressed disappointment that Pence had pets. 2/3rds of American households have pets (or vice versa).
https://www.tiktok.com/discover/trump-hates-dogs
Good for you!
Maybe something about being born with obscene wealth. Yeah, that's a toughie.
Elon is a white supremacists and emotionally a child. He forced a takeover of twitter because it supported views contrary to his own, then proclaimed himself a free speech absolutist and shut down Twitter sites that disagreed with or criticized him. He is a social cancer who needs to realize his business' are regulated by a government in service of the people.
You would know too if you didn't insist on only watching news to the right of fox.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/jan/15/elon-musk-hypocrite-free-speech
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/11/21/musk-media-matters-texas/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/markjoyella/2024/01/09/elon-musk-silencing-his-critics-as-journalists-are-suspended-by-x/?sh=1a19ab2d2588
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/x-twitter-elon-musk-nazi-extremist-white-nationalist-accounts-rcna145020
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DYtUSBJNUd0
https://twitter.com/MattBinder/status/1725148078179553306
https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/news/2023-11-27/recapping-elon-musks-antisemitic-shitstorm/
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/goulcher_this-week-on-elon-musk-openly-being-a-white-activity-7124411638958436352-FCUu?trk=public_profile_like_view
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/5050/elon-musk-desantis-x-twitter-florida-political-violence-white-supremacists-neo-nazis/
https://rsf.org/en/twitter-x-elon-musk-s-transformation-free-speech-defender-champion-disinformation
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/04/elon-musk-twitter-free-speech-matt-taibbi-substack/673698/
Elon Musk would benefit from psychological counseling. His own ego is endangering him. He is at risk of becoming a Caligula, and that endangers us all.
Paul, the genius you admire is no more.
Yes, there's plenty to criticize about all the men you mentioned as well as practically every billionaire I can think of.
Poor baby growing up with a family who owned emerald mines.
The higher you climb, the harder your fall, is a saying Musk ought to keep in mind (it's too late for Trump).
Victor ; I hope you are correct. It looks like the supreme Court is on his side at this point! Unless there is some kind of miracle, the Court is very partisan at this point, alarmingly.
Laurie, I feel somewhat encouraged that ACB seems to oppose immunity for Trump by her line of questioning yesterday. If so, I think it's unanimous among the 4 women on the Court. Now it depends on Roberts. In any case, I am concerned about the delay.
Jaime: The best case scenario is what you describe, and Lawrence Tribe suggested that things could go much faster. There were very speedy actions to help get Republican's cases solved. They could do it!
I'm not here to entertain small minds like yours.
How many more such examples do we need to prove that the philosophy and practice of unbridled capitalism no longer is viable? It is time to investigate and eventually implement a system that does not depend on greed for progress and innovation. If you scroll down further in the substack my answer to Paul’s question proposes a better system.
WOW...
ANTI-Greed and PRO progress & innovation?!?
Be careful... This could lead to a "Common Good."
Can't have that! Because when humans do better humans do better!
David, if you scroll down a bit you will see my reply to Paul that details what I believe to be a better alternative to capitalism
Thanks, Brother!
Been consumed with this for quite a while now.
The "system" is well beyond broke, my Friend!
Capitalism is the best system. You are confusing imperialism with capitalism. Capitalism requires a completely free market and strictly enforced thoughtfully emplaced consumer protection screen United States has none of that. Absolutely nothing. Rape and pillage is not capitalism.
Yes, and the Church fathers have warned about this.
Yes I wrote an essay on that subject recently.
@ Marc. This hasn't played out. IMHO the rule of law should trump (pun intended) outrageous behavior.
Immunity--
Donald Hodgins <silencenotbad@gmail.com>
2:51 AM (4 hours ago)
Trump thinks the President should be able to do anything without fear of prosecution, he maintains laws only inhibit the office he once held. Hitler had immunity, look where it got him. Trump is a <good> thinker, I would like to hear it straight from the fish's mouth. Mr. Trump, please give me an example of something you would do, out of necessity, and then expect to be exonerated for because you acted in an official capacity as this country's leader. What act would warrant forgiveness, officially, in your estimation. We, the people, would like to know how far down the rabbit hole your thoughts have fallen.
“If I established concentration camps into which I herded unwanted people, that would be a public good.” —Drumpf
Stan--Only if your initials are A H.
It’s interesting that no other recent president has found the need to request immunity. It kind of makes you wonder why one in particular finds that need 🤔
1. Nixon. Watergate.
2. Reagan. Iran Contra.
3. GWB. International war crimes.
Nixon thought that the President was above all of that: “It’s not against the law if the President does it” so he didn’t think that he needed immunity. I may have missed it however don’t remember Reagan or GWB requesting immunity from the American people.
Reagan ended up with Alzheimers, but he would have gotten away with IranContra anyway. GWB was not charged with anything either. 😒. Look how hard it is to get justice as it is for tfg! He practically HAS immunity now, doesn't he? The documents case alone should have put him in the slam long before now: Yet the "Supreme" Court 6" still drags its collective 12 feet ! They must have an offer they can't refuse!
https://www.ecchr.eu/en/case/criminal-complaint-against-bush/
G. H. Bush has also been charged with war crimes in Panama, but the case has been hushed.
Apples and oranges (or orange man. take your pick). Maybe you support the theory that trump could order Seal Team 6 to assassinate his opponent? Or to shoot someone on 5th Ave? If that holds true than Biden could do the same??? I choose to think that if the President operates within the law they don't need the immunity plea.
You obviously haven't been paying attention.
Quite fitting ; Daniel Solomon! The rule of law should trump outrageous bad behavior.!
Thanks Reagan
That better system will never come to pass because the people who are currently rich and powerful don't want it to. Those of us who want that world have no power. And don't start yammering about power in numbers, the electoral college and gerrymandering ended that dream decades ago.
Paul, you ask a valid question for to only criticize is relatively easy, but to put forward a better solution is what is useful. To give you a full solution is a long reply so please bear with me.
Up until recently capitalism seemed to be the most efficient system on the planet so long as proper limits were put into place and those limits were carefully and fairly enforced. It has had a couple of catastrophic failures such as the stock market crash and the housing crash, but we all, including me, figured it could be eventually straightened out. The stock market crash of 1929 was so catastrophic and caused so much economic, physical and psychological misery, it permitted FDR to install numerous programs that were basically socialistic in nature. However, the weaknesses of capitalism solely as an economic system have eventually brought us to a precipice of another great failure of our economy.
Centrally controlled economies such as Communism and Socialism are also failed systems because of the centralizing of decision making and control. Communism also removes individual incentive. Naturally those who wish to have the power to have such control inevitably work their way into positions of power and great economic influence. I think of the former mayor of Moscow, Nikita Khrushchev, who schemed and bullied his way to the top to become both the first Secretary of the Communist Party and then also the Premier as a prime example.
So, with two failed systems and capitalism, now ready to fail again, it is time to think outside of the box and not chain ourselves to a system that used to work (well sort of.) We need a system that is based on the premise that everyone has a right to employment that gives them sufficient income to purchase the necessities such as healthy food, appropriate clothing, and appropriate housing. Full medical care and education through college should be provided by the government. This is not welfare nor is it socialism, it is common sense. The goal of the system would be constantly increasing earnings for all with differentiation based on their contribution to the economy through their individual productivity. It would be a three-tiered system with the capitalistic model for startups and small family types of businesses. The mid-tier and the most enterprises would be cooperatives where the profits of productivity are shared by the employee-owners and the large-scale utilities and manufacturing would be not-for-profit businesses owned by the “commons” and any profits would be utilized to assist in the operation of the government and to support those disabled by age and health that were unable to do income earning employment.
One notable feature is that each region would have as much economic autonomy as is practical. Economic decision making would be in the hands of the local population and not some distant centralized authority as in socialism and not in the hands of distant investors who have no care for the welfare of the region or its population.
This system is called “The Progressive Utilization Theory” (PROUT) and the economic system within it is called “Economic Democracy.” It puts economic and political decision making that effects the local economy in the hands of the local population.
In my community, we have been “Walmarted” and it is now the only department store within three hour’s drive of where I live. It has closed all of the local businesses except for thrift stores and businesses that cater to tourists or specialty items such as pet food stores or bicycle stores. Theoretically of every $10 I spend in Walmart; eight or nine dollars goes out of the region and $1 or $2 stays in the local economy in the form of low wages. The low paid workers are a drain on local and state resources in the form of Medicare, unreimbursed Emergency Room expenses and food and housing assistance. To be “self-sufficient” workers must work two jobs. Some rely on stimulants to be able to do that. The town that used to have a variety of auto dealerships now only has one. Ford just closed the locally owned dealership because it did not send enough dollars to the corporate coffers. Now we have to drive 1 hour to get a Ford or any other car or truck besides a Dodge or a Toyota.
This is how our town “enjoys” the benefits of capitalism. Is it any wonder that the town and the county are solidly Democratic? But because I do not live in Michigan, Wisconsin or another “battleground state,” my vote for President is of no consequence and I am disconnected from decisions as to how my income tax dollars are utilized. Is it any wonder I want a different economic and political system?
I like the sound of PROUT. I've not come across it before. (Please provide links, if available.) What role would nationalizing critical goods & services and licensing out resource access - i.e. water & petroleum - and operations - i.e. farming - to the private and corporate entities proposed in PROUT? How about licensing in which the licensing agency is a 50%, or maybe even a 49% partner, for example?
DZK
Here are some useful links:
https://prout.info/
https://proutalliance.org/
https://www.proutinstitute.org/
These are three separate but allied organizations that promote the Prout philosophy.
👍
Marc, This is a system for which I could get behind.
This week in The Guardian there was an article on an area in the Basque region of Spain where the industry, hospitals, schools, retail stores, and government are all run as a cooperative since 1956.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/apr/24/in-the-us-they-think-were-communists-the-70000-workers-showing-the-world-another-way-to-earn-a-living?
Similar to the cooperative in Spain, I suspect your proposed system would be viewed by those less knowledgeable in history and economics in Red states as a form of communism, which neither are.
Not sure where in Montana you are located, but your description of a ghost former downtown and only a Walmart sounds similar to what I remember seeing in 2013 in Laurel, MT.
Hope you can keep Tester as a senator. I understand both sides might set a record for out of state political donations for a senate race.
Well thought out. It is a compelling piece. I am having a hummm moment...
Marc, you have some good ideas, and I think that Elizabeth Warren and you have your cut out for you. Keep us updated.
Thanks for that comprehensive description! Sounds like a much-better system than ours.
Paul Bjarnason; I have a modest proposal: that those who make the goods and actually do the service work "provided" are shareholders who get a fair share!
What a novel idea! Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like sarcasm but when something seems to be so reasonable and common sense, there's usually a good reason why it's not happening. In this case, profit and greed, IMNSHO.
Labor unions and tariffs.
I just bought a Volvo EV. I’d die before I’d support Elon Musk.
Might others be making similar decisions?
I used to think if I could afford it, I would want a Tesla. Now, you couldn't give me one. I want nothing to do with them. Still driving my 2006 Honda.
Ah, but at least in the U.S., the only people who can make that decision are already privileged themselves because they can afford an EV, can afford a single family dwelling to plug it in, can afford to live in the neighborhoods where charging stations are located. So not enough are able to make that decision to make a difference.
I bought an EV, live in a single family home. I put myself through college (state school), then worked for 50 years without a break except annual weeklong vacations. I paid off my college loan into my 40s. Back off.
No, I will not back off. You are privileged to have gone to college in the first place much less to have paid off the loans, you can afford the single family home, you can afford the EV, you chose not to take a break from working, most people in America can not even hope to be in your position. You don't get to disappear reality because you got lucky.
And I paid off my loans in my 30s, so there.
I paid mine off in the 170s thanks to the GI Bill.
Getting out the vote for Democrats will end the billionaire oligarchy. Think about it, who gives LARGE, UNFUNDED, PERMANENT tax cuts to wealthy and corporate entities? (Hint : Republicans)
https://www.fieldteam6.org/
It will soon be necessary for me to purchase a new car and I have decided on an EV but sworn never to buy a Tesla. My first car back in the 60s was a Volkswagen beetle but that was before I understood the history of the Holocaust and why it is necessary to boycott supporting anyone that is an enemy of the common good.
I bought a Volvo EV plug in hybrid. I’ve had it since December and haven’t bought gas since I bought it.
I traded in a 9 year old Lexus NX that got 25mpg. Volvo XC60 plug/in hybrid was a good price but not cheap, but I usually keep cars 10 years.
Honestly, haven’t noticed an increase in my electric bill, but the real secret is to limit driving. I live near community amenities and necessities. Even so, gas prices were motivating.
Plus pumping gas makes you vulnerable. I haven’t been to a gas station since December.
I got the hybrid because of range anxiety, but it rarely switches to gas. But I do yearly road trips. With dogs.
Remember Elon Musk is currently refusing to pull down videos of a minister being stabbed in a church in Sydney. It has been deemed a terrorised act. He is taking it to the High Court of Australia under the guise of free speech.
I think each case may require individual attention. I think there could be another agenda here, not only is Musk refusing to take something down that could be said to breach X's own guidelines under violent content he has posted nasty undermining memes against our Prime Minister. In a way Murdoch has been censoring (a better word might be 'manipulating') our media in Australia for years by what he chooses to leave out. For years he has interfered in our democratic process by pushing his biases and publishing mud about people he wants to lose. Given the Murdochs are connected to Tesla I see there could be an agenda to undermine our current PM. I also think generally 'freedom of speech' is being used in a dishonest context. The platform can control what gets seen and if people post things that might be disagreeable I have heard they can get 'shadow banned" which could be seen as a form of censorship. I find Musk and the direction he is taking his $44 billion platform quite scary and potentially dangerous.
Well said.
The more Musk craves for admiration, the more he impoverishes himself as a human being. He is becoming pathetic, not unlike Trump.
Thanks Vladimir
Showing videos of violence should never be allowed on any site!! It is barbaric and cruel. I would hope the High Court of Australia would let Musk know how unacceptable that is!!
PBS just ran a miniseries on Caesar and tge death of the Roman republic. It ended with a pretty realistic assassination by stabbing. In this version he didn't say "et to Vrutus?" With all the cinematic violence maybe people don't register the real thing,
Miriam, that is what I believe. There is so much violence and death on TV, I am afraid people have become numb to it and don't understand the difference between real and fiction. Death is final. There aren't any retakes.
Many enjoy seeing violence. It is a sad fact of life.
We Aussies will never tolerate censorship of the media.
It's not about the left or the right, it's about the viewpoint OF ALL SOCIETY.
It’s about decency versus indecency. We don’t need to see a real life video of someone actually being stabbed.
Jan, if you don't want to see it you don't have to watch it, right? The real issue in this case is: do we want to glorify or empower terrorists?
Dude Musk practices censorship all the time in America at least.
john, do favor pedophilia?
?
Musk is a disgusting asshat douche bag who is a big grifter as much as dumpster ! He bullies , threatens and bad-mouths anyone who disagrees with him , a big whiney toddler who needs a long time -out !
That was an excellent description of Elon Musk!! He is a narcissistic sociopath and only cares about himself and his immediate gratification. All of the workers at all of his companies need to unionize. I watched Shawn Fain speak to his union on You Tube yesterday evening and it was so inspiring!! If workers would listen to what he has to say, they would definitely move toward unionization. It is time for the working class to stand up and be heard. Yes, you pay dues to be in a union, but wouldn't you rather pay dues than work for pittance while your CEO plays with millions that you were pivotal in acquiring? Wouldn't you pay union dues to insure the corporation and its shareholders didn't shaft you every time profits go up? Many will continue to say unions are corrupt. I say unions must be transparent so that workers see exactly where their dues are going. Elon Musk and others of his ilk want to keep the working class clueless but continuing to work for peanuts. We need to continue the push to bring unions back to America and stop these corporations more interested in greed and power than helping their workers maintain a decent life. Unionize America!!
Elon allowed a vote to decide if he should stay leading Twitter, thinking that everyone would agree that his excrement doesn't stink. He was surprised, however, when people voted for him to go. I suspect he might find the same thing if people were free to express themselves. However Musk has shown himself to be vindictive, so I doubt many will dare to cross him.
Manipulative. And he ruined Twitter.
Why?
Elon Musk has been the same guy he has always been, a loud mouthed, self-absorbed greedy man who has no regard for anyone. How is it that it has taken more than a decade and a lot of shenanigans for people to see it. Does the money shield him from scrutiny as it has Donald Trump? I am guessing it has. It seems he has now passed the point where his ideas have merit. I am also guessing Tesla, if it is to survive, will need different hands-on management with Musk, at best, a figurehead. I know we have laws on the books to stop the kind of blatant disregard Musk is practicing, so why are those laws and regulations not being directed toward Musk? Maybe he, too, is a Teflon don.
So many of those PayPal guys have shown themselves to be jerks.
Pretty much all the Silicon Valley leaders are jerks. Few of them have serious technical chops--Musk sure doesn't.
Once the greedy folks realized there was serious money in the tech industry, they chased off the early diverse workforce that included a surprising number of women and minorities. At one point in early mainframe days, there were as many, sometimes more women programming than men; it was regarded as secretarial work, since it required (gasp) typing. The power and money went straight to these men's heads once they locked it down to 'their kind'.
And that's why we now have a bunch of white men who behave like toddlers whining and complaining about how put upon they are, having sulking fits in the corner, trying to take their billionaire balls home and rig our Democratic systems so they never ever pay taxes. They think they can make us all dance like we're their puppets, and the scary thing is they have succeeded more than they should.
Professor Reich: does a government grant to tesla require that the company fulfil certain requirements? i'm asking as a scientist who received grants to support my research -- which must fulfil certain requirements. if so, what might those requirements be? if not, why not?
And now the news. From Heather Cox Richardson. An Arizona grand jury yesterday indicted 11 of the fake electors in that state with conspiracy, fraudulent schemes and artifices, fraudulent schemes and practices, and forgery for their attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Those charged included state senators Jake Hoffman and Anthony Kern, former Arizona Republican Party chair Kelli Ward, and Tyler Bowyer of the right-wing advocacy organization Turning Points Action. The indictment lists seven other co-conspirators, who are not yet named but who appear from descriptions to include Trump lawyers Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Christina Bobb, Boris Epshteyn, and Jenna Ellis; Trump campaign operative Mike Roman; and Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows. Bobb is now senior counsel for “election integrity” for the Republican National Committee.
Today SCOTUS hears the DC immunity appeal. IMHO they already helped Trump through delay. His NY criminal trial resumes. His wife launched a new jewelry line. I wonder whether she would get PR and sales if she wears it to court.
A reminder that Democrats have the power to sweep by registering people currently not on the voting rolls and not polled. 60% of unregistered voters have never been asked to register. To win in 2024, FT6 will reach out to "millions of unregistered likely Democrats using our one-of-a-kind database and every outreach method possible (phone and text, postcard, email and targeted ad, and in-person too), where new Democratic voters will make the most impact – in the most flippable states and districts." https://www.fieldteam6.org/
Also, Focus for Democracy's informational meeting for the 2024 election cycle is tonight,
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I’ve just registered. Thanks for this info, @DanielSolomon.
I am curious what Musk thinks he can do with immense wealth. $56 billion pay package? Why not $56 trillion?
Jeffrey, I think Musk is more interested in being 'the richest' in the world. I don't think he intends to do anything with it. It is a game of one-upmanship with him and all the other oligarchs.
Buffet's former wife said that about him. Dollars are points in the competition. It's OCD hoarding illness on steroids with no regard for the human race.
Exactly!!
That afflicts only men….
Musk is promoting the popcorn idea* that humans can be "interplanetary" starting with living on Mars. That's very costly.
*popcorn idea: one which, if acted on, needs watching. Later, a short movie is made.
Sadly, Musk has serious psychological issues that are rooted in childhood by having a sociopath for a father. Something he and trump have in common.https://samray.substack.com/p/the-grooming-of-elon-musk-a-psychological-139
I read that Elon has 10 children. Most of trump’s kids have 3-5 children. Society really needs to learn how to deal with sociopaths that get into government.
All these children will need a lot of lawyers once it comes time to divide the estates. Will Melania's son get his fair share?
Sounds interesting
Indeed Musk is a very sad yet very interesting and highly diverse case study.
FAKE Robert impersonator!!!!
Don’t get me wrong. I’m a fervent admirer of Prof. Reich. But, what he needs to enunciate are practical ways to pass legislation that blunts the crude edges of capitalism. For instance:
1. Limiting CEO compensation to no more than 50 times average national wage.
2. Introducing wealth tax of at least 2.5% for those that own assets over USD 100 million.
3. Death duties of at least 20% for inheritance valued over USD 100 million.
4. Job loss to be compensated with cash payment of one year in wages.
5. Stock options tax of 20% when exercised.
Am sure the good Prof. can add to above list.
I've seen concrete suggestions from him many times. Just not in this post. Keep reading and you'll see them. 😀
Very little to nothing passes unless Democrats are in the majority.
One-third of the electorate DID NOT EVEN VOTE in 2020.
Help get 'em off the couch!
https://www.fieldteam6.org/
Another Trump Presidency will end the USA.
As if the Democratic Party agenda is going to restore the republic? You are suffering from the illusion of choice.
Maybe the world!
One might say Elon and Donald are The Enemy of the People.
Alas, to many voters Trump and Musk are heroes. We should not enclose ourselves in a bubble.
He’s a slease-ball
Shareholders' role in voting to approve CEO's pay is a joke. The approval vote is "advisory," meaning it changes nothing. The Board's decision cannot be altered by the shareholders, and the Board's decision on top executive pay is final. This is why CEO pay is 300 times higher than most workers' pay. Many large corporations pay their CEOs tens of millions of dollars a year. The highest I've personally seen is $47 million. (Musk wants over 1,000 times that for six years, or 166 million times a year. Who needs that much excess compensation for the work they do? What do they do with all that money? They buy lawyers, justices and politicians to protect their wealth and corrupt our economic system and our government. Their Boards of Directors spend an inordinate amount of time writing complicated justifications for CEO pay that cover every objection except unfairness and social consequences.
An independent Board of Directors Chairman would help fix the problems noted in your comment. Shareholders keep proposing one in many company annual meetings, but the companies are able to get enough corporate shareholder votes to defeat.
When other companies began to successfully challenge Tesla's hold on the EV market, instead of improving the Tesla, Musk took away one of its major self-driving safety features, radar, so he could sell it more cheaply. Diminishing its safety is probably going to diminish its safety record which will further diminish its sales--as will successful lawsuits against it.
The BOD should be charging Musk $47M for diminishing the value of the Tesla, not giving him $47M.
Your info is flawed, since Tesla did not remove radar to save money. FSD is better than ever now and getting better daily. Can you show any info on Tesla's diminishing safety record? I doubt it.
Their quality sucks. Regardless of the safety
That is not what Tesla owners say.
"Tesla did not remove radar to save money" That's not what I read.
It’s more the quality of the car is nonexistent. It’s only has one vehicle and one of the seven categories of top 10 best Evies. MotorTrend and Consumer Reports. It has two out of those seven categories top 10 in MotorWeek.
https://www.topgear.com/car-news/electric/top-gears-top-20-electric-cars