Capitalism is rotten because it is capitalism and capitalism is anti-democratic. Capitalism, which is greed thinly disguised an economy being for the welfare of all, is now exposed for what it is, the concentration of wealth for just a few. Capitalism thrives under authoritarian rule for there is the agreement that those leaders who will focus on taking the fetters off of big business will get significant financial rewards. Now big business has infected the Supreme Court, so for the regular citizens, all hopes of fair adjudication are sinking in a sea of despair. If the highest court in the land can be bought for motorhomes and expense paid vacations, one more pillar of American democracy has been irreparably weakened. Corrupt justices have a term for life and there are no consequences for violating their own standards of conduct.
Capitalism is like the game of Monopoly. You win when you drive all others into bankruptcy. It is a game where the greediest wins.
I agree with you, Marc. How do we put the brakes on this train wreck? Do the middle and lower classes continue to sink in this sea of despair? How do we rise up and make the difference for a better outcome for ALL of us instead of just the wealthy few at the top? I will tell you that when someone comes up with a plan for how to do that, I will be at the front of the line to volunteer!
Peggy, people don't realize how effective political yard signs are. That is why ALEC wrote strict ordinances they sell to municipalities restricting yard signs. That is why I challenged our local ordinance in court and placed multiple signs on our lawn. I risked a huge fine
and defended myself. We won because it is considered to be freedom of speech. It is the least expensive form of advertisement. We can pay for our own yard signs. BTW, I made my own yard signs with poster board and waterproof paint.
I would love to display yard signs showing my support for Democrats and what they stand for; however, my community does not allow yard signs especially political ones! Yes, I could take them to court, but I still have to live here and there are so many republicans in my neighborhood I would probably wind up having to move!! My kids bought me this house because it is in a gated community and makes them feel safe. Woe be unto me if their activist mother had to leave it!! God bless their little hearts, I do love them!
That's a problem with neighborhood associations as well. You could volunteer to place signs elsewhere. A few days before an election, people get away with putting signs on public property, everywhere. When Obama ran for the senate, his supporters were even placing his signs on street corner signs, stop sign posts, telephone polls, and nearly everywhere.
An amendment may be proposed by a two-thirds vote of both Houses of Congress, or, if two-thirds of the States request one, by a convention called for that purpose. The amendment must then be ratified by three-fourths of the State legislatures, or three-fourths of conventions called in each State for ratification.
What is the chance of that actually happening, considering that the majority of states are run by Republicans.?
And don't even think of a constitutional convention, the Kochs, the right wing billionaires, the theocrats and racists have been on that bandwagon for a century.
I lived in a 55+ community, which had the same rules,yard signs were not allowed, unless for an estate sale, however it was run by Right wingers and permitted the display of Trump signs. Forcing people to put them in windows.
HOA's restrict everything, the color of your house, your mailbox, they even forbid satellite antennas, because most of them brokered a deal with Comcast to lay cables, Comcast will only do it, if they restrict satellites.
One way they do that is by proibiting any exterior structures, that the house be kept as if it was wrapped in cellophane.
OTOH, people join an HOA because of restrictions it places, like solar panels some times. But there obviously need to be constraints on the restrictions it places. If (Bad example) an HOA tried to limit your voting rights. To what extent can people sign away their freedoms when entering a voluntary association is the q.
I'm sorry, Peggy, but Democrats stand for capitalism as much as the other party of the duopoly. That is why nothing gets better under Democrat administrations. The working class needs to build their own party or abolish political parties altogether in favor of direct ballot initiatives.
It is if you're a capitalist. Not so much for the millions of others who have to deal with a price tag placed on every single thing and jobs that pay you wages worth only a tiny fraction of the value of your labor. And not if you dislike wars, crime, and greed that results from the incessant dog-eat-dog competition of such a system. If you value profits more than human needs.
🫣 That is a shame, Peggy, BUT, one of the strengths of the yard signs that work is that they’re seen by a broad spectrum of people who pass by. In your gated community, the Great Unwashed are not passing by anyway. Your signs would llkely, as you say, be seen more as a provocation So, though it’ s sad you can’t use them, they would have less power there anyway.
Small comfort, I know, but …
There are other ways we can possibly get messages out {I am pretty sure MOST of the people we speak to on chats like this one are “to the choir,” but at least our conversations help us to clarify and refine our points. }
Now, I am thinking about how you might support someone putting up a Bill Board, or a business that puts posters in windows {one hopes no one will throw rocks….}
I will help put up signs in other places and I will continue to use my voice to encourage others to vote and possibly a few republicans to 'see the light'!
I agree that capitalism isn’t a bad system but depending on what “creeps” you mean, I may disagree. We can’t expect corporate executives or high-priced lawyers not to seek as much wealth as possible. The villains are the politicians who have lost any sense of integrity. They are supposed to rein capitalism in. I remember the pride that occurred when Lyndon Johnson announced the War. Against Poverty, but then that legislation was gutted and now we only have a war for more wealth.
Lyndon Johnson did so much good in so little time- Civil Rights ending legal segregation, granting and Enforcing voting rights and ending housing discrimination. Not to mention Medicare and Medicaid which we all rely on today and that is just the tip of the iceberg.
I agree that's where the primary responsibility lies. Richard Posner the judge wrote a book on the 2008 crash which placed 100% of the blame on government and none on companies. I think that goes too far though. it is tiresome to hear people rant about the greed of CEOs. The way to change it is too change the incentiving environment that they operate in.
Alan--Johnson fell into the Presidency because of the death of JFK, he never would have ascended to that position on his own, he just didn't have the mind of a true leader. The people in power dictate the ground rules that drives our economic system, it really doesn't matter what name you affix to the process, it's the men behind it who are in charge of maintaining the systems integrity that are to blame.
I’m not sure that’s true entirely — Johnson was a behind-the-scenes leader of great strength. I hear he used high pressure tactics to get people in line. He might not ever have developed his in-front-of-the-camera skills on his own, but he knew how to get a job done, whether we like his tactics or not.
SOME of the jobs he got done were terrific. Foreign policy and the war in Vietnam, not so much!!!
As for it being the people behind the system — well, yeah. We saw that with Trump trying to do even worse things and being resisted by the people, some of them, in the system. We need the RULES in place, and people with integrity enforcing and implementing them. That’s at the heart of our struggle, and what Trump has recently promised to UNDO.
How about giving tfg an all expenses paid Florentine vacation at that nice federal resort in Florence, Colorado? He'll just adore the panoramic views of the opposite wall of his cell.
Yes Gloria, I had a discussion with my alderman last year about restrrictions on signs in my yard and he affirmed what you said. I had wondered about local ordinances and freedom of speech.
Sadly the Constitution says nothing about free speech. It only says that Congress shall make no law abridging speech or assembly. And that is why racists, theocrats, terrorists can get away with saying or prohibiting anything, as well as you and I.
I have a garage apartment that I rent. I have prospective tenants sign a contract. I can restrict anything I want, but I don't. My current tenants daughter put a rainbow flag decal on her window, her father took it down. I am disappointed in her father, but said nothing especially as he is otherwise a model tenant that pays his rent on time, everytime.
which is about “ protecting an Investment”, a very capitalistic priority based on increasing or maintaining wealth.
Whilst I can appreciate why HOA may put in place certain restrictions or policies in place, I can also understand that they do probably attract “standards police” who are more about controlling others to constrain them to live according to “their own set of rules and lifestyle “. Often they may be conservative bullies.
Peggy Freeman, the problem with “putting the brakes on capitalism” is that by utilizing their tremendous influence on politics, the Capitalists have been removing the brake linings (legislation imposed to reign them in) since the New Deal.) Their current ability to influence politicians and the mainstream media and their inroads into the Supreme Court are removing the brakes altogether.
In the short term we all agree that we must utilize the voting power remaining to vote for democracy over fascism. However, while with one hand we hold back out of control Capitalism, we must plan for a new vision for the future economy and democratic governance with the other. I strongly recommend the book “After Capitalism, Economic Democracy in Action” by Maheshvarananda. The Last chapter is a conversation with Noam Chomsky who wholeheartedly endorses the solution (The Progressive Utilization Theory) and Economic Democracy outlined in the book.
“The Possibility of Creating Another World is in our Hands” -Frei Betto
Thanks, Marc. I will definitely read this. It sounds informative and interesting. We can create a better world if all of us that want that work in unity for it. Why in the world do the capitalists think that we are okay with all of this? Can't they hear our collective voices calling to reign this in? Politicians, media, the Supreme Court need to understand there is only so far many of us are willing to go before we begin to say "No, enough is enough!" Could it be that there just aren't enough of us to make that difference? Are our voices becoming softer and more mute against all of this? I don't know but I do know that I am worried about the future!
I think we’ve been too complacent that or system will always prevail, even if it’s a struggle sometimes. Since the Reagan years, people like Newt and Dick Cheney and Mitch McConnell, and lots in the shadows like the people who gave us Trump, have been maneuvering us toward less voting and more autocracy. They’ve spent decades getting us here. Frogs in the hot water, and all that.
i think we need to CLEARLY diagnose what has gone wrong, and remember that our strongest — STRONGEST — power is still to get out the vote.
Noam Chomsky... HAHAHAHAH these people are regarded as some of the stupidest. What they are talking about is COMMUNISM. What is so hard for you to get, capitalism is just the ability to participate in the economy. Is is not good or bad. You could start a business, make millions and never hurt anyone, just help them, that is up to you and how you choose to run your business. What you are advocating for is the government running your business and no freedom. You think their is no corruption in China, no poverty, no elites? Democracy is a joke. If 2/3 of the wolves decide that the 1/3 of pigs are dinner, that is democracy. This is why we have a constitutional republic with individual rights above all. Our rights are not subject to democracy.
You have no idea what Democracy is about mate and I’d suggest also no concept of the benefits to everyone in a society of “ the common good Or Commonwealth “.
No, capitalism is not “ just the ability to participate in the economy”. All societies have “ an economy” but participants in them do not all have “ exploitation of others” as a basis.
Go back and read about the rise of the Industrial Revolution, wealth built on the backs of children, the working poor, the creation of the Capitalistic Slave Trade and get yourself an education.
Capitalism PLUS democracy. Capitalism says do the best you can for yourself and everyone does, so we accept capitalism—and add democracy which says, rule by the majority while respecting the rights of minorities—to be heard, to enjoy share in services, for the benefit of a civil society. Western systems (capitalism, democracy) are not mutually excluding each other, they work for civilized society in-tandem. Wolf eat wolf, is not the vision in anyone’s political visioning. Reasoned, reasonable, rule while respecting everyone. It is the system that grows and thrives. Consider that might-is-right, has brought the natural downfall of Trump and Co. That people don’t do their best for themselves is a myth entitled people imagine is true, “I had rich ancestors, so too bad for you.” Or, “I made my own luck,” cross fingers, just one accident or illness away from joining those one sneers at. “Sit not in the seat of scorn, nor consort in the counsel of the wicked.” To sneer at people doing their best and helping others, is to sit outside past the perimeter of civil society. Work hard to float all boats, that’s social democratic capitalism.
Absolutely join. This was disgraceful. It allowed the funding of political campaigns by Corporations, Unions(cannot have it both ways), NRA etc. negating any future attempt to adopt the Canadian electoral laws and reinforced big corporations' ability to influence candidates seeking election financial support.
An amendment may be proposed by a two-thirds vote of both Houses of Congress, or, if two-thirds of the States request one, by a convention called for that purpose. The amendment must then be ratified by three-fourths of the State legislatures, or three-fourths of conventions called in each State for ratification.
Which legislatures, Democrat or Republican control the majority of states, and congressional seats.
It will take an unprecendent display of unity, to override the factionalism that divides and neuters the Democratic party.
Same with bumper stickers. Dems are their own worst enemies, they are factionalized, too many groups with their own agenda's, often counter productive and alienating, each one demanding attention and priority.
Two wagon trains heading to Wyoming one is Republican the other Democrat. The trains come under attack, Republicans huddle and circle the wagons, Democrats bicker, and won't accept a leader, so they splinter and set up their own small isolated camps.
Republicans may quarrel, even get into physical brawls, push come to shove, in the end they unite. Democrats not so much like petulant whiny children, they hold their noses until they pass out, and when they come to, they find themselves overhwelmed and defeated.
What is needed is unity, not petulance and factionalism, for the greater good and to defeat the greater evil.
Daniel - Agree. If we get all this achieved, US will be a very democratic and socially equitable nation to live in. But is all of this this financially feasible?
A very very big and completely unavoidable wealth tax !!!! One that makes you not even bothering to think about the billions you mindlessly seek !! And make it retrospective for the fun of it !!!
Is is called free market capitalism without the government deciding who wins and looses. You don't get the simple fact that things are corrupt because of the government. How can you claim that someone starting a business and offering salary jobs of 100K a year isn't good for all. Wake up, you will never have equal outcomes for all unless it is poverty for all. You want something in life, work for it. Nothing evil about being free to start a business. Maybe instead of spending your time here, go start a business and make some money, then you can give to charity and change lives for the better. Or you can complain about it.
Noam Chomsky is one of the most cited scholars in modern history. If a greater number of wolves decide to consume a smaller number of pugs because the pigs can't stop them that is free market capitalism. If the wolves claim they've started a pig eating business and all the wolves participating get 100,000 pig calories is that good for everyone, or just the wolves? If the collective put protections around the pigs then they have formed a government of, by, and for all the individuals. Why do you hate America?
That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Who is this "collective"? Who is going to put the "collective" protections around the pigs? The wolves? LOL. This is why we have a INDIVIDUAL right to own a gun in America. That way Mr. Pig can protect himself or form a militia with other free pigs. It is much harder to eat pigs when your dinner has an AR-15.
Just as well, all you have to do is not buy the companies products. That is the beauty of a free market. Capitalism isn't good or bad, it just is, what you do with the ability to make money is up to you. History has shown the the average person being able to start a business lifts millions out of poverty and does more good than bad. Stop just seeing it in the terms of just huge mega corps and start thinking Mom and Pop, Family owned business. Think Uber drivers, wedding photographers, bakeries, pubs, that would not be possible without capitalism.
America would not be possible without capitalism. It is the backbone of a free society.
You had wolves and pigs, the collective would be all the animals. I was expanding on your metaphors. To not buy the product and still participate in society you need a reasonable alternative. All throughout the economy we have mass consolidation where there are rarely more than 4 major companies controlling the entire supply. I love the mom and pops (though they rarely offer 100k salaries), but they're going extinct. Companies like Walmart will put every other store in a town out of business. This is why the bigger companies need to be regulated. Corporations aren't the economic drivers of America, the mom and pops are
Well, Isaac, don't hold back, tell us how you truly feel! Why do you feel compelled to attack the people on here trying to have conversations? I hope you have a better day from here on!
Got to distinguish between an economic system, i.e. capitalism, and government. We still are a democratic republic. Our law is also separate -- we have a Constitution -- but come from a common law tradition.
Authoritarian. After Trump became president, he signed a number of executive orders to in effect restore the "spoils system:" to try to eliminate or diminish a civil service reform that began at the end of the Grant administration in the 19th Century. He wants governments to run like a sole proprietorship.
Most of us have no say in how corporations, which are feudal in management, do business. There are regulations that limit extreme disregard of their customers and employees, not always enforced.
We could, if we were in power, use government to make sure that employees have some say in their own affairs.
First order of business (instead of carping) is to stop Trump and his henchmen from making things work, like his sole proprietorship.
Brings to mind Trump’s stated concept in the lead up to the 2016 Election... to run Government like a business. People should have looked at how he ran his businesses, bankruptcies etc
Now, it’s coming out just how corruptly he ran his business. 🤮
"We could, if we were in power, use government to make sure that employees have some say in their own affairs."
Saturn (GM Subsidiary launched in 1990):
I worked as a consultant in 1990 and the organization structure was very unique. It was formed as an employee-owned company. At every management position there was a union member working together. I experienced this myself as a team "manager". There seemed to me to be a lot of politics, and decisions could take longer than expected. All the other divisions did what they could to oppose Saturn's success (especially Oldsmobile). The car was well designed and manufactured. A lot more I could say but not relevant to this sub stack.
. Unfortunately, Saturn ended its production in 2009. It was never competitive with the Japanese transplants which was the objective of creating Saturn.
[is] considered as a branch of the science of a statesman or legislator, proposes two distinct objects: first to provide a plentiful revenue or subsistence for the people, or more properly to enable them to provide such a revenue or subsistence for themselves: and secondly, to supply the state or commonwealth with a revenue sufficient for the public services. It proposes to enrich both the people and the sovereign. (Smith, 1776)
Smith is also considered to be the father of modern capitalism - a socio-political and economic system which is based the principles of private property and free market (Naz, 2014). Notably, Smith concluded that a capitalist system creates better societal outcomes as it tends to reduce dependence and creates security (Naz, 2014).
Most excellent Mr Solomon. Unity, set aside personal gripes and druthers, for unity or else the end of democracy as we know it. Russia, Hungary and Turkey still have (sham) elections.
Marc, I am trying not to be as pessimistic as you are here. We have never had real Capitalism, not that I am wanting it. There has always been government local, state, or national, that favors certain businesses or industries. The truly unfair part is who gets singled out, what benefits they receive, and who loses. Weapons manufacturers and fossil fuelers have always benefited as have cotton producers at least during slavery. Right now, we have decided that hedgefunders can do pretty much whatever they want and when they are caught breaking the law, they can take their whine to the Supreme Court where it is likely they will be coddled and mollified. Now why would the SC do that? It is unclear, but I am suspecting they and their families and friends are getting lots of assistance from those corporations and OMG regulation might cut off the fountain of largess. Speaking of merit, Hedgefunders do very little that produces anything, but their intervention with their not always honest gains can destroy whole communities. That is not a positive, but is something that could be fixed if the SEC were not being targeted because of their in-house judges and other nonsense which said carefully could sound as though they are being treated unfairly, but in reality, only serious cases come to the SEC to be adjudicated which is why the SEC wins the cases most of the time. If the SC rules in favor of the Hedgers, we are all in trouble because it will mean that monitoring and fining for bad behavior will no longer be the rule of law. Hedgers as far as I can see are a kind of monetary dictatorship and need to be seriously curbed!
Ruth, long term I am not pessimistic about the future. On the contrary I see a great opportunity coming to install a better more just economy and democracy. However, first we must understand fully the depth of the predicament we are in. These Friday morning discussions are focused on “Why Is Capitalism So Rotten” so that we can fully understand the depth and breadth of the dysfunction of the current system. Professor Reich is guiding us to discuss these issues in depth so we have a better more informed basis with which to build a stronger democracy for the future.
New approaches such as “Economic Democracy” may seem out of hand at this moment, but I believe it will be the only future for a true democracy in this country.
Marc, I don’t see pessimism in what you wrote it is just not cockeyed optimism. What we now have in the USA is not capitalism with free markets. We have unchecked monopolies. And it ticks me off to no end when Republicans who are fond of calling themselves never trumpers or conservatives say that things were better under Reagan. That mean spirited, shallow dolt is the one who led Republicans down this path.
Gjay, I’m not so sure it was just Reagan. Now I see it was more likely the capitalists that supported and propelled him to the Presidency. With his background in acting and experience as a conservative governor of California, he was the most logical choice for the emerging power of the multi-national corporations and the billionaire class. Carter did not have much of a chance against Regan’s charm and charisma and the support of the wealthy donors.
Marc, I agree with you. And if those “capitalists “ truly believed in capitalism and free markets, they would not have to manipulate and cheat to make it succeed. Jay
Ms Sheets, a prime example are utilities, water systems, roads and highways. All are part of the commons, and built by the taxpayers, and what rent is paid is a use tax to cover the cost of delivery, maintenace and repair.
But then come the entrepreneurial corporations that bribe the state or local government with big bucks, if they sell the road and ulitity. The buy it up and don't invest in preventative maintenance or even required maintenance, they defer maintenance, pocketing the cash.
I believe it was Illinois that sold a highway, possible part of the Interstate to a Spanish Corporation. it set up toll booths, did not do any maintenance and when the highway crumbled they simply walked away
I believe the same company owns highways and Interstates in Texas, and else wheres.
The same with a company that has made a fortune selling traffic cameras.
I know of a community that gave this company a monopoly to install such red light cameras, promising them great dividends from fines.
Problem was that most of the fines went to the County, not the municipality, and the cameras were a solution to a problem that didn't exist (intersection accidents) and all they did was irritate the public, which turned their wrath up the city council and mayor.
Lee, isn't it sad what we have come to accept and what sleezy corporations have been able to get away with. It seems to me there should be safeguards in place to protect the ignorant folks (ignorant because no one can know everything) from bad mistakes that impact a whole lot of people?
Finally in Citizens united the flood gates opened.
The result is we have the best government and Supreme Court that money can buy.
There is no solution that I can see, because the only way this can be changed is to change our courts, especially the Supreme court, Congress and the executive and every one of them sits, because they were bought by financial institutions and corporations.
Marc, As I posted yesterday, I sense you are portraying capitalism in its raw brute form absent the protective guardrails aimed at leveling its effects. I would submit these protections that contain capitalism’s excesses are at the center of Democratic Socialism that, despite enlisting capitalism to organize human labor for productivity, affords a modicum of social and economic justice for increasing numbers of people by transforming otherwise institutionally oppressive forces so fewer people feel subjugated to influences largely beyond their individual control.
The alternative is socialism, a system based on public rather than private ownership of a country’s means of production. See WorldAtlas for countries considered socialist.
Jaime, First, as I tried to make clear in my comment, democratic socialism entails “regulated capitalism.” Second, I, very intentionally, have enlisted the term “protections” as a replacement for “regulations.” My reasoning is that, while the two terms mean fundamentally the same thing, they have different connotations—“protections” more emotively positive, “regulations” more emotively negative.
Hi Jaime. I write to note that I didn’t interpret your comment as criticism; I mostly wanted to clarify that “regulated capitalism” and democratic socialism are not two separate things. Rather, one is central to the other.
In the US, we were improving our standard of living at our highest rate ever at all economic levels as social programs were instituted, unions were strengthened & our tax system was at its most progressive during the era from FDR to LBJ, & we became #1 in the world in most measures of prosperity & well-being. Since Reagan & the corporatization of America, we've gone downhill.
In Europe, several countries have adopted this mixed economy & in so doing have become among the most prosperous, healthiest, happiest societies in the world. They include Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, France & Iceland, I believe.
Barbara you have bitten off and swallowed the poisoned pie of the exploiters. Socialism is not the government owning the means of production. Socialists know that doesn't work,.
The word socialism was coined by an Anglican priest in Dickensian England when he looked at the plight of the laborer and the Maxium wage.
It is simply what the constitution calls for that government was created to serve the common good. And it is done by regulating and prohibiting the excesses of greed.
We have prospered this far, because we live in a mixed economy, where people own the means of production, and are inhibited from abusing their power by regulation.
Unfortunately, the propaganda of the cold war, has resulted in the purposeful confusion of socialism with communism and the confusion is intentional and it's effectiveness is seen in your comment.
Lee, To start, your penultimate paragraph portrays a system that’s nowhere near operational in the States. We see it throughout much of Western Europe and it goes by names such as social democracy or democratic socialism.
As for socialism, I offered its current denotative definition and advised readers to see WorldAtlas for countries presently considered socialist. As I reviewed the list, with few exceptions (e.g., Portugal), I found very few that bore any resemblance to your penultimate paragraph.
Regarding the confusion the GOP feeds to the American public, their intent is to conflate democratic socialism, to which the progressives in our party aspire, with socialism, a system from which Cubans and Venezuelans, for example, have fled.
As a final point, I advise, in the future, when you disagree, that you avoid insulting the intelligence of a fellow subscriber and, instead, focus solely on a logical refutation of the person’s perspective.
This was my penultimate pagragraph Barbara:"Unfortunately, the propaganda of the cold war, has resulted in the purposeful confusion of socialism with communism and the confusion is intentional and it's effectiveness is seen in your comment."
That you take offense is not my fault.
It appears that in your response to Jaime above, that you are a libertarian and have an aversion to the word regulation, thus try to disguise it by calling it protection.
As regards the Venezuelans, what we see at our borders, are the middle, middle class, and upper class (who already fled). Fleeing an economy that has degenerated because Hugo Chavez had the audacity, the sheer audacity, to think that Venezuelan oil belonged to Venezuela and not Exxon Mobil? How dare they?
And the response, well to use their bought and paid for political influence, to have the U.S. Government, through the CIA and JSOC, overthrow the government, so they could regain "what they think is rightfully there's" (By the way they have destabilized Nigeria and are destroying the ecology.
Cuban refugees were at first the corrupt and exploitive upper class, Cuban millionaires whose wealth and status depended on the American mafia, and exploitation by American corporations. They were the first to flee. Castro was not yet a communist, but our government and media claimed he was, treated him like one, sanctioned him like one, and thus forced him into the welcoming arms of Khrushchev and he became one, not only a communist but a dictator.
By and large American corporations, using our government as a tool, have created the problems we face. United Fruit and it's latest manifestation as Chiquita Banana, (a Bush family enterprise funded the revolutionizes in central America, and are responsible for the problem at our border.
Coca cola financed right wing hit squads to kill union organizers in Honduras, and they finally pulled off a fascist coup, which Obama twiddled and eventually recognized.
Poor suffering Nicaragua, was the most exploited and illiterate country in Central America, the dictator Somoza was the darling of the CIA and government then the Sandinistas over threw the dictatorship. I was in Nicaragua at the time, there were no street signs, and no sense in using a map in Managua, because not even a gas station owner would read it. Illiteracy was the norm, poverty was the norm.
After the Sandinistas overthrew Somosa, the U.S. abandoned it to Cuba, and found it a tool, during the Iran contra affair.
Do you need a recap of that affair.
Reagan struck a deal with the Ayatollah Khomeini, to keep the hostages until he got sworn into office, and then he would provide him all of the weapons and munitions he needed to fight Saddam in that 8 year war, that decimated the Iranian population of males.
Minutes after Reagan took the oath, Khomeini released the hostages.
But congress refused to fund the arms for Iran, So the CIA cooked up a plan, to fund the arms by use of cocaine.
Cocaine was flown to Nicaragua for use by the contras, an anti Sandinista force, the CIA hired mercenaries to fly weapons and ammo into Nicaragua and fly cocaine back on the return trip, and we had a case of the CIA at war with the DEA,
The proceeds of the CIA sale of cocaine to drug dealers, which the CIA cultivated, were sent to Israel,, where MOSSAD used them to procure and deliver Arms to Iran.
(Saddam and Khomeini were both threats to Israel, and so long as they were fighting each other, Israel was at peace)
The CIA and Mi6 financed and helped the coup that overthrow Mossadegh, a democratically elected President of Iran, who also made the mistake of thinking Iranian oil belonged to Iran, and Installed the Pahlavi family as King of Iran, and his excesses and brutality led to the Shah's overthrow and the installation of a brutal theocracy.
Still not satisfied, the CIA assisted in the overthrow, the coup, of a democratically elected socialist by name of Allende in Chile, and the installation of a fascist dictator, Pinochet, that disappeared tens of thousands of democratic socialists.
Pinochet's government was populated with devotees of Milton Friedman's, Chicago School of Economists, (the Chicago Boys), whose pet theory was competitive advantage, and Chile's competitive advantage was production of fruits, especially grapes, and vegetables. Chile Chile is also a major world supplier of lithium, molybdenum, gold, and silver.
And we wind up with America exporting it's grapes to Asia, where it nets a healthy problem, and importing cheaper grapes from Chile. And the middle men reap the reward.
The story repeats, throughout Latin America. The fruits of unbridled capitalism.
And the chief instrument is international trade managed by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank,. Because if a nation needs resources and products that it doesn't have or can't produce, it has to use IMF Special Drawing Rights, or American dollars, and where do they get those, through international trade, or by borrowing from the IMF or World Bank, and how do they repay those debts,? By exporting, exporting, exporting an if they have nothing to export they starve.
And who is the beneficiary of export import, international financial institutions and corporations or rather the Plutocrats that own and control them.
And how do these countries repay these loans? By reducing,cutting or eliminating social programs, like social security, food distribution,health care, and cutting their budgets, including defense.
There are two tiers of beneficiaries, the Billionaires, the real powers behind the throne, and the citizens of the dominating countries, those that can afford cell phones, ISP's, computers, post their anti socialists, screeds on the internet.
And who suffers, those that gather at the gates for admission.
How is that for refutation.
As regards your personal complaint. All I can say is that by their fruits, you shall know them.
And I only calls them as I see them. If you don't like how your words are perceived, the mind your words ma'am.
Lee, Because your penultimate paragraph to which I referred reads “We have prospered this far,…” as opposed to your final paragraph, around which your refutation is centered, said refutation is irrelevant to my statement. Perhaps in the future, you might want to consult a dictionary.
Postscript: Having read the book Overthrow (2006), Stephen Kinzer’s account of the United States’ complicity in the overthrow of foreign governments from the late 19th Century to the present, as of the book’s publication, I hardly required a history lesson and wondered why you thought I did.
As for replacing the term “regulations” with “protections,” linguists for decades, starting with far-left George Lakoff, have pressed for this modification. The thinking is that, while denotatively the two terms fundamentally are synonymous, connotatively they are perceived quite differently. The point is that Lakoff and others persistently have tried to sensitize Democrats to how language either can fuel or reduce resistance to progressivism.
Barbara. I am more than familiar with the overthrow of governments, but the US government is the tool, people seem to forget that. Like blaming an axe for the murder of Lizzie Borden's parents.
The government constantly changes hands, thus constantly changes policies.
Who wields the tool, that is the issue. Those who have the money and power to control the pulpit and the press. By blaming the government, Kinzer et al, are obfuscating and misdirecting in favor of the people behind the Wizards curtain.
It is easier to blame an amophous concept than to identify and blame people, past or present.
Our governments have run the gamut from good to mediocre to criminal, so I don't blame the US.
Are you aware of the Talmudic story of the Golem. A man of clay, breathed into life by saying his name Golem. The Golem is a tool, the perp is those that breathed life into him.
As far as penultimate, don't use that word, unless you accurately define it. Neither I nor anyone else is a mind reader. What you consider the penultimate is not what I or others consider penultimate. as you can see by your and my response. Communication needs to be clear.
As regards George Lakoff. I am not familiar with him, but I understand your interpretation.
But there is a problem with you defining him as "far left". There is today, unfortunately, a merger between the far left and the far right and it rears its head, regrettably, in anti Jewish, theories and politics.
I personally avoid the word anti Semitic. First it infers that the descendency from Shem, a son of Noah. And Arabs claim descendants from Shem, via Ishmael the son of Abraham, while Jews claim descent from Abraham via Isaac.
According to the cobbled myth called the Torah or OT he children of Shem were Elam, Ashur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram, in addition to unnamed daughters. Abraham, the patriarch of Jews, Christians, and Muslims, was one of the descendants of Arphaxad.
FYI,, IMO, all religions are frauds and scams, and responsible for most of the violence done on earth, past and present.
Agreed. Many people seem to think that central control and ownership is socialism. By its nature a central governance with power hierarchies (democracy) is unjust. Democratic socialism works.
Michael, Because amending the Constitution requires a two-thirds majority vote by both U.S. Chambers and ratification by three-fourths of the States, I am laser-focused on more feasible remedies: retaking the U.S. House, holding our 49 (excluding Sinema and Manchin) U.S. Senate seats, flipping one Republican Senate seat (Missouri seems promising), and holding the White House. This trifecta affords us our best shot at expanding the Court.
Barbara, I commend your hard work. Please keep it up. My belief is your work for an expanded Supreme Court will help future cases. But the source of our problems is capitalism and corporations funding Congressional campaigns. That is why reversing Citizens United is mandatory.
Michael, While I agree with your observation, we can’t get Citizens United reversed by next year’s election. Accordingly, I say we focus our efforts on a meaningful change we can get done—lighting a fire under the 100,000, give or take, eligible voters, particularly those in battleground states, who don’t vote.
To strengthen my case, I would note, just as Nader didn’t cause Gore’s loss in 2000 nor did Stein or Johnson cause Clinton’s loss in 2016, 2024 third party candidates wouldn’t cause Biden’s loss were he to lose to Trump next year. The cause would be the 100,000 or so complacent, eligible voters who didn’t vote.
As a final point, I would note, for the complacent, who view their vote simply as choosing the lesser of two evils, I would amplify that “sometimes the lesser of two evils is a lot less evil.” (Source: American Novelist Rebecca Solnit) One need look no further than 2000 and 2016 for confirmation of her observation.
Then surely you suck the motivation out of creative people, and you end up with the same situation as in Russia - an unmotivated workforce.
Britain tried via nationalization with the largest automotive company in UK - British Motorcar Corporation which evolved into British Leyland that included Jaguar and Land Rover. Now that company no longer exists. And Jaguar and Landover are owned by other non-government foreign companies.
There no longer exists an indigenous British automotive company. Maclaren is an exception but different category!
I could be argued that the Unions killed off British Leyland. Hence Maggie's initial popularity.
Phil, My comment was intended, first, to define and to advocate for democratic socialism and then to distinguish it from socialism. You will note I suggested readers see WorldAtlas for countries considered socialist because, with few exceptions (e.g.,Portugal), I presumed their systems, overall, would not resonate.
Monopoly started out as a game to show the greed and avarice in our society. Look it up. Once you're out of the game I guess you curl up and die since you have no way to make a living in the Monopoly Universe. I liked to play it as an innocent kid and was brainwashed into accepting that "Greed is good!" as Gordon Gecko would have it in the present day. I stopped liking it a long time ago.
There’s no rule in Monopoly that you have to sell to highest bid. Going bankrupt anyway--gang-up on shark by selling out to an underdog. Righteous Indignation, fist in air, no fair?! A good game.
I agree. The Haves make rules to benefit the Haves, not the Have Nots. I note one way we permit perversion of both our politics and our economy is by allowing an incestuous relationship between government and industry. I say again: THERE SHOULD BE NO PUBLIC SERVICE FOR PRIVATE GAIN. Government should be safeguarding the public health, safety, and welfare. Let industry do the positive things we were taught in school: innovate, respond, create, employ, earn, and keep the gold ring of success on an even playing field. Too often industry makes money via influence by donating to politicians and hiring lobbyists in order to get laws and regulations that favor said industry: tax code amendments, public subsidies, industry favors, liability protections, environmental deregulation, etc.--not an admirable or value added way to make money; some might even call it cheating. Worse, with Citizens United, much of this policy making is now done with anonymous or "dark" money behind the scenes, meaning the players influencing public policy never even take a seat at the table of public debate to argue why the laws and regulations they seek (and often draft) are in the public interest and not their own. Industry acts for profit, therefore, industry objectives may work to the public detriment. In fact, industry advocacy has often misled and harmed the public (radium, tobacco, PCB's, fossil fuels). Add the fact that public service ethics rules become more lax the higher up in government we go (until we get to SCOTUS that doesn't have ANY binding ethics standards) and it gets worse. We end up with elected representatives who care more about donors than voters, congress people who can vote on laws that increase their own wealth (individual stocks!), senators who spend on average 50% of their time raising funds instead of solving problems and no one looking out for the public interest. Simple reforms could solve the aforementioned problems such as strict public service ethics codes at every layer of government, transparency laws, and publicly funded elections to name just a few.
In “capitalism” or the Supreme Court, the same problem lies — it is not with the IDEA of private property or economic ownership or endeavor, nor is it with the concept of a court and judges who hold sway.
The problem is with the RULES that govern these functions and enterprises. IT IS THAT SIMPLE. And that complicated to fix — BOTH NEED BETTER UNDERLYING RULES FOR HOW THEY FUNCTION.
OK, so how do we get better rules? We take a good look at what’s needed and we enact the needed rules. Do we have the constitutional and governmental “rights” to do that?
The Republican Party has CLEARLY been orchestrating an oligarch takeover since the Reagan era — We need to take a look at our ACTUAL machine — the government we actually HAVE — and identify the places where it is gummed up and get it ungummed.
The last thing we need is for people to think we need to throw our government over or create a “revolution.”
We need to diagnose our democracy’s shortcomings and ameliorate them —
I hate the whole thought of “revolution.” We in the US have too much hagiography over the very idea of revolution, because we were lucky enough to have had a relatively successful one.
But most revolutions do NOT deliver what they promise. They leave an opening for demagogues and militarists and autocrats to move into a governing void, and you do NOT get the people-centered decency you were hoping for.
We already have a foundation of people-centered decency. Let’s check for the cracks and failures of the edifice we have and fix it.
Well regulated capitalism, and a court with rules and limits to power, a court that is subject to obeying laws passed to govern it —- I think those are what we need.
well said. THE ENEMY INSURRECTIONIST ARE AT THE GATE, DEFEAT TREASONOUS , TERRORIST, AND CON REPUBLICONS EVERYWHERE AND JAIL CORRUPT AND TRAITOR RTRUMP AND CRONIES. VOTE DEMOCRATIC , AND RESTORE DEMOCRACY., DUMP CAREER CRIMINAL RTRUMP AND CRONIES, LOCK HIM UP AND HIS CRIMINAL CRONIES. RTRUMP FOR PRISON 2024.
We need a system that promotes the increased purchasing capacity of lower and middle-income people and where billionaires would not exist since they prey on the labour of talents of those below them. Plus, what do the hedge fund managers create? Is it a needed product or service? The answer is NO because all they are doing is moving other people's money around like it's a game of crooked dice that will only benefit their bloated billionaire pockets. How sustainable of a system is that? It's not, of course, and it will collapse. Thus, what are the solutions? One thing that we can do is to create higher wages for those people who are the economic backbone of the US economy. Collective efforts through unions and progressive laws in the Supreme Court are essential. Most importantly, we can change our consciousness about how greed and excessive materialism harm the neediest of people and just create disunity and distrust, which is the antithesis of economic democracy.
Guy, your last sentence got it. Finally someone drilling down a bit further and addressing the core problem in human nature. This society is not made of discrete groups of people who are all different in their outlook and nature. We are all a product of both nature and personal experience, attitude and wellbeing. In other words, we all grew as a species from the same roots of lack and grasping for survival in a very difficult, ever changing conditions on this planet. That’s the core problem.
The reason why we have not grown up from this is because we have created societies throughout the ages that keep reflecting the same problem of fear that seemed to foster ruthlessness, desperation for power, and hoarding wealth back to us in order for us to rise above it and start thinking of humanity as a unit rather than individuals at odds with each other, while learning to cooperate and trust only as far as it serves our own personal needs. We have not risen above these strife-filled stories we all came from over the centuries.
We learned to cooperate, but it didn’t erase this grasping lack that is our true heritage as a species and as long as we deny this, point fingers at the greedy who manage to get power and use it to benefit themself only without acknowledging how much of our population aspire to this same greed and tunnel vision, we are missing the point of collective responsibility and the need to collectively rise above this way of thinking and dealing with our fellow creatures on this world.
Yes, we need to change our economic system and before that, tighten regulation and enforce these regulations fairly. But like our collective problem with prejudice, laws do not take care of the underlying problem.
Those who over the years have devised this economic system and schooled to further this desperate accumulation of power and wealth into the future, are a showcase for believing and perpetuating the same ideology of greed and amassing wealth, whether they term it that way or not.
The .5% of our population, the wealthiest of the wealthy, for the most part, have come to believe they are a cut above the rest of the population and isolate themselves in order to protect themselves from the fear we all have deep inside where no one wants to look. Ya think this way of being is new? Not by a long shot. We all need to stop aspiring to power as an insulation tool over anyone who would take away what we have amassed in wealth away from us.
We all need to look at our dreams of wealth and exclusivity and own up to this fear inspired weakness and rise above it. How many dream of inheritance or even winning the lottery whereas the privileged maneuver and manipulate to get into and get their kids into the schools that teach and foster this behavior in each subsequent generation of kids. Then we have the whole criminal aspect of society who amasses their power and wealth far outside of the law, but all to the same end, so that no one can touch them economically.
Owning up to and talking about this problem in our society is the starting point and way to true change, permanent change. A change that is fair and not fraught with bloody revolutions and doesn’t just cause more war, jealous ambition and outright manipulation and thievery that has been somehow legalized and used as stepping stones for more power and greed over the years. We feed our problem in our entertainment and our dreams like any addict does. We need to look at this as a people at the same time we enact or use our present laws to control these truly antisocial beliefs and behavior. This is the way to start the process that will possibly finally create a more equatable society.
Because the people are not involved directly in electing the President, and because Supreme Court nominees are the purview of the President, the people really have no voice in who is "on" the Supreme Court. Right now I am aware of how undemocratic the process is by design. Do we the people have a direct say in how, when or why a sitting member of the Supreme Court can be impeached, removed? No. We must rely on representatives to " do the right thing." But, to give one example of how the people are not fairly represented and really have no voice in how Presidents and SC justices are nominated and placed, a Senator from Kentucky represents a small fraction of the number of people represented by a Senator from California; so we see and have seen how the will of the people is not simply ignored, but is actually thwarted. These conditions need fixing, in my opinion.
Exactly Les. And the system was designed that way. The constitution was cobbled together by the elite of the era. wealthy, entitled, white men, who designed a form of government to protect them, their property, their position, their prerogatives and their power,
The electoral system was designed with that goal in mind. Senators were selected by each states legislature, and only property owning white men had the vote, and the states legislatures reflected that.
The electoral college was selected by property owning white men. It took 27 Amendments to make us a real democracy.
The founders didn't trust we the people, especially Thomas Jefferson. They were afraid that we the people would use our power, to take away their power and wealth.
By design, careful and deliberate design. The fact that this designing got approval puts me in mind of the answer I always heard to the question of why the U.S.S.R. was permitted to just sweep up half of Europe at the end of WWII: we (the survivors) were just so tired of war...
Monopoly, the game, is like democracy (not just capitalism). A player is free to sell to anyone they want.
The player with the most money can’t buy your property if you choose to sell to a kind underdog instead of a rich shark. Long noticed is that human (economic) behaviour isn’t rational, but rationale belongs to the market (the mood of, say, social responsibility and fair-play).
Biggest laugh in a game of Monopoly is for losers on-way to bankruptcy, is to sell off their capital assets to an also-ran, simply to thwart the inflated confidence of ruthless pure-capitalist. He who laughs last, laughs best.
I’m repeating what I said elsewhere here (sorry, can’t see it here just now). --> One DOES what they can to improve one’s lot, but including caring for rights and needs of the less fortunate. Social democratic capitalism (to float all boats).
Capitalism is the ability for you to start a business without asking the government, nothing more. You can engage in capitalism without doing ANY of what you just claimed.
The pillar of America is a free market. Stop advocating for communism.
May rich successful people donate and change lives for the better, they employ millions of people, how many people do you employ? Capitalism is not the problem, garbage people are.
The taxpayers must subsidize employers like Walmart through assistance to their employees. I read that Walmart teaches their employees how to apply for government assistance, but I don't know if that is true.
Some have no choice. In Ticonderoga, New York, it is the ONLY supermarket. They wiped out the competition. The nearest supermarket is fairly far away in Vermont. There is a Co-op and a tiny grocery store, but cannot provide much selection.
Believe it or not, Walmart originally was very supportive and inclusive of their "associates". When Sam Walton was still alive, their workers were automatically enrolled in profit sharing and a generous stock-purchase plan. But when he died his greedy sons took over and eliminated all that. I can't even hear or see the name "Walmart" without feeling sick.
After the pandemic the poor increased because of loss of jobs. It also destroyed many businesses. We have to recover but with GOP in charge of it...that won't happen.
We before Reagan had a large middle class with fewer very rich and poor. Reagan GOP even taxed Social Security. It was a pension and taxing it was cruel. They told us we needed a "three legged stool" (savings, pension and Social Security) but even that was cut with SS being taxed, pensions discontinued and wages too low to save money. Cut taxes for the rich so eventually the middle class had few left to pay taxes. We have huge debt from unending wars and the rich pay almost nothing in taxes. The pandemic helped insider trading rich but our economy suffered. The world economy suffered. The rich got richer.
Today the GOP want to give more tax breaks to the rich...AGAIN. Trump leaving office gave the rich (which then included himself) $2T tax break. You wonder why we are broke?
That is socialism for the rich, corporate CEOs and shareholders...not the workers. So GOP political protestors when you are critical about Socialism and Communism of Dems know the rich get it not you the workers, etc. 1% and less have it all. Even people who are rich who go bankrupt over bad decisions get money. Like Musk and his X social media.
I had a social worker who literally saved my life after my husband's death and I lost everything I owned, had to leave my home and sleep on my son's couch...the thought of starting over at age 55 was overwhelming, and I attempted suicide. She got me the help I needed, including housing and a therapist. I will be 70 on New Years Eve. She kept working even with Parkinson's. Her determination to help others inspired me to keep going. She was one of the true angels in this world.
I know your pain. My husband took it all too in my 70s. His and my lawyer lied. So brave you got back and can continue your life. Hard to survive when you are older not young starting a new life and family...career again. There should be different divorce laws for older age. In your forties they don't want to hire you even with a degree, experience, etc.
After 30 years of marriage I was also terrified to be alone. I didn't think I could survive it, but now that I've been living alone (with my cat) for 15 years, I am surprised to find that I am very content with solitude. In fact, I vastly prefer it! I miss him very much, of course, but I am far from miserable without him. Who knew? 😂
Yes you can (be successful as a single senior, allergic to cats), because there are neighbors, the phone, and social media--consider, WE are your “cats.”
I worked with a social worker who used to cry for the world all the time. I loved this intelligent and compassionate person. Thank you all social workers for your work.
Thank you for mentioning teachers. Social workers, teachers, nurses, child and elder care workers should get free tuition for careers that promote the common good.
Any chance of getting this published in The WaPo and NY Times?
Between the lack of universal healthcare, the absurd focus on "needing" advanced degrees, the destruction of worker protections, the limited education about employee rights, and the lack of meaningful coverage of the harsh realities people face in this economy, we have created a country where nearly every organization will exploit its workforce to the extent they allow it. For-profits, non-profits and government agencies...transparently corrupt oil companies and tech-bro firms with mottos that pretend to care...it doesn't matter...the story is the same.
Those at the very top take an outsized piece of the pie while telling the masses below that the crumbs they are fighting over that fall down to them are even more than they deserve. Decades of stories that prove this executive largess IS NOT caused by merit remain barely covered by a corporate media with no vested interest in pulling the veil back, happy to cover whatever latest "crisis" those in power want to use to distract us from our exploitation.
LOOK! Gays are getting married!! Black people are taking your child's space in college! Trans people are everywhere! Teachers and firefighters and their greedy pension are destroying the economy! And By GOD....HER EMAILS!!!!!!
The sad fact of the last few disastrous years in America is that all we are doing is showing that the criticisms about us from so many around the world for so long have been accurate. We don't truly stand for anything. We are the big bully who used exploitation and manipulation to gain power and wealth and then claimed it was because we're so scary-talented. We yell at others about democracy while clearly supporting countless anti-democratic policies and institutions. We are misogynist xenophobes who use religion and fear to get whatever we want, principles be damned. We are, in short, Donald J. Trump in the form of a nation.
Ow, that hurt, Ian! But I do understand what you are saying. Maybe we have stopped being the country I learned about in school. Maybe we were never that country, but I sure would like to see things turn around for everybody.
People are still dying trying to enter the US. We've never had such desperate mobile populations. The pandemic, over population and oppression of oligarchs problems have to be solved. We can't go on this way.
Happily not all of us worship at the altar of The Donald. And a lot of us are disgusted by the screw all but six and save them for pallbearers ethic of the MAGA bunch.
Reading pieces like this one on the myth of merit remind me of how little most people understand about our economy and their place in it. The way employers have treated employees over time has led to people seeing their work as worth only what stingy, greedy employers are willing to pay them. Therefore, as expected, they will be angry and frustrated that they are struggling just to survive and blaming the wrong people for their situation. Most Americans want a tax on the super rich as well as realistic tax rates for those who earn enormous amounts of money, but since Republicans and some Democrats benefit from seriously large donations from those same rich folks, it is not likely they will do the right thing without extreme pressure from constituents. It might help if they were called out on it, but with all the dark money permitted by Citizens United, it is hard to keep track of just who is paying what to whom. That could be fixed. It is funny that people don't notice the socialism that coddles the rich while everyone else has to suffer with what the rich want to call Capitalism. I think a lot of the challenges to our education system in the red states are an attempt to keep our children ignorant of the way things really work so they will be docile and expect nothing but what the rich want to give them. We need to find a way to wake those folks up and demand our schools do better and the gap between what the very rich earn and what average employees for their corporations earn is significantly narrowed to the benefit of the average employees. No worker should earn less than a living wage. If an employer can't afford that, they should not be in business.
Hear! Hear! Ruth, you nailed it! If we don't fix our broken education system, we will continue to see our country in chaos! We MUST educate our children with the TRUTH not propaganda! Our education system must have a complete overhaul. Teachers must be allowed to teach in their classrooms, parents must teach their children the importance of being in the classroom and respecting their teachers, administrators must allow teachers to teach without interference and great pieces of literature whether a parents disapproves or not must be given access to our kids! When we educate our children to be critical thinkers, to appreciate art, literature, and music, to question what they consider wrong or don't understand, then we will have a future generation that will get our country on the right path.
Peggy, you are right about education and its value, but there are a lot of guys who do not want that at all. They will fight every effort to give people more rights, more money, more education, more freedom, etc. People who are struggling, if they don't pay attention, are very manipulatable as we have seen with Trump and his cult. Those folks have been primed to believe things are so horrible now, and have never been worse, when probably they were worse while their hero was in the White House or after Bush Jr. permitted banks to run amuck. Despite the actual cause, they believe it is Biden who did it to them and only Trump, n ignorant nasty old fool, cansave them. It is just nuts, but it is what mind control can do to vulnerable people. We the People need to do better. It is too bad the online world has so much lying, misinformation, disinformation that it is hard to figure out what is true. If it were not that way, the internet would be a good source of education enhancements for kids and their families.
I agree, Ruth. The internet does have valuable information to enhance education but trying to sift through the lies and misinformation is a formidable task. These followers of trump do not understand how much worse it will get if he ever gets back in the White House!
Speaking of the internet and its potential educational resources, I'm reminded what the sadly, probably forgotten journalist Edward R. Murrow said about the new medium of television in the 1950's: "This instrument can teach." Well, we now see how that played out. For more Edward R. Murrow quotes about television, google 'Edward R. Murrow quotes.' They are shockingly prescient.
And so one begins to suspect that it's not a question of medium but of desire and aptitude on the part of the educatee. Many prefer mindless games on the internet to doing any real thought work. I wonder what surveys tell us about people and their reading habits today.
Trump will prevent their freedoms and vote. Jail and kill at his own whim of revenge. He won't leave office. What Constitution and Bill of Rights?
Precedence and law are all ready set. Trump forgets we once had a King George rule of the East India Trading Corporation. We decided it was bad and kicked him and the royals out of America. We won the Revolutionary War. States sent representatives and they wrote the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Then all the people approved it. It was decided we would be a democracy not a monarchy. It is the great experiment we are still perfecting. Woman and blacks got the vote, women freedom over their own money, etc.
On July 4th every year we celebrate our independence and democracy. We already made America better now to be a "more perfect union".
Clinton signed the repeal of the Glass Steagall act that enabled the bankers to run amuck. What it did was repeal the prohibition of commercial banks (where we have savings deposits, checking accounts, take out loans, and mortgages,finance cars, boats and airplanes, to be investment banks and to merge with investment banks.
That led to bank failures and the Obama bank bail out of "too big to fail", because of a permissive Bush environment.
Don't believe me google is your friend, I am a progressive, but not ideological hidebound.
In NC where I live and grew up, the Republican majority attacks public education at every turn on every level. School "choice" vouchers for private charter schools hurt the public schools. The legislature tells parents that the public schools are deficient and they need choices. Why might the public schools be deficient? They were not properly funded. NC is under court order to adequately fund public education, but the legislature fails to do that. Meanwhile, politicians muck around in higher education, endangering our university system. The chancellor of UNC was so frustrated, he left to go to Michigan State. It's not the education professionals who ultimately set the education agenda. It's the local boards and the legislature. We see how that is working now. It's the far right activists who want to indoctrinate students, not the regular teachers trying their best to help students learn to read and do math so they can function in the outside world. Public education enabled my husband and me to raise our standard of living and give our kids a better life than we had.
There are times when I truly wonder if we are a country of laws. From 1959-1964, the board of aldermen i Prince Edward County, VA refused to approve money for public schools, integrated public schools. So the school system shut down. White students went to private segregation academies with "scholarships," while black students had to leave town or forgo school altogether. Some students missed 5 years of school. For an at risk kid with few financial resources, this situation was devastating. Nothing prevented funding the schools but pure, downright meanness. Children who get an education have a better chance to be self sufficient. Isn't that what we want, people able to support themselves?
I hear you, JennSH. I simply cannot understand how NC can simply not follow court orders and get away with it! For that matter, I can't understand how a lot of these politicians, school boards, and others constantly flaunt law and order and not be made accountable for it! If we are a nation of law and order, everyone must follow them or no one. We law-abiding citizens do what we must even though some laws leave me scratching my head at the absurdity of said law, I still abide. It is so frustrating to see the people in powerful positions just say no, I'm not going to follow that law!
Who said it is OK. The only agency that can do anything about it is the DOJ, and what is Garland doing? About Gaetz (the pedophile that the FBI investigate and have goods on, the Insurrectionists in Congress like Hawley, Jordan, Comer, MTG, Boebert. Ah he has loosed the Special Counsel David Weiss to investigate a civilian that is not in office, by the name of Hunter.
There is rot in the DOJ, and the fish rots from the head.
And the supreme court has bolstered Republican legislatures to use state funds for religious education, because Scotus has weaken the boundary between religion and state.
Those in our government mostly were taught in the public school and university systems. Harvard and Yale students now working in our society needed ethics and civics classes before going out into the world. No man is an island.
Professor Reich, it deeply saddens and troubles me to hear that young man say he was only worth $14 an hour and thought the rich deserved theirs because they were smarter. Your intelligence does not have a monetary value! I look back through history and find some of the most remarkable men and women that have contributed to society that were not wealthy but had the creative intelligence to produce innovative ideas and products. For me, it takes intelligence to create beautiful art and music, to build wondrous buildings, and mold stunning statues out of a piece of clay. This man has decided that he isn't intelligent or worth much because he didn't go to college or wasn't born with a silver spoon. That is very disheartening. I am a union person. I believe in them because I saw what unions have done for the middle in America. After the war, America truly blossomed fueled by union led workers. We were the best at that time and I, for one, would love to see it again!
Peggy the man was paid to lie and he was paid well. There's not much point discussing that unless we understand that he was a paid liar. Of course there's another alternative here. You may be just plain stupid. I'll take the first choice.
Gee, I should have just kept scrolling this morning instead of checking in on Professor Reich's article! It has been quite the snarky morning this morning! Oh well, I was unaware that the young man was paid to lie, Professor Reich didn't include that in his article. You know S Howard, my mom always told me that if I didn't have anything nice to say, I should not say anything sooooo...........
The poor worker has a point. Where does one learn how to steal like that? They'll have yummy treats at their Christmas party table, but they won't really be any better than comfort food. Sad for those who don't have any food.
Unrelated comment: The Colorado Supreme Court ruling against Trump's eligibility to run is now presumed to be headed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Initial knee-jerk thoughts of the U.S. Court overturning may be premature. The NY Times posits that the three Trump appointees have frequently been opposed to Trump there. So much so that a similar rate of losses has not been seen since the Great Depression. It follows that the Colorado ruling actually may stand the test of the Federal court. The effects of this? Well ---- it could nationalize the decision against Trump being a legitimate candidate! Yes, that word was nationalize. In effect it would be a ruling from the Supreme Court that Trump participated in an insurrection. Nationalize -- his candidacy would be null and void everywhere. Could there be a bigger decision than that? I don't think so.
Like I said yesterday, I'll bet the whole buck the SCOTUS kicks the whole question back down to the states, coming down on the side of States' Rights, ruling that the states are the ultimate arbiters of their own elections - or some similar ruling. It would be consistent with conservative ideology as well as some of their recent rulings - should they deign to remain consistent and faithful to their own alleged ideology.
Perhaps. But it would appear to be a legitimate ruling because it would simultaneously and elegantly side-step the question on validly constitutional grounds.
Do you REALLY think that Trump's appointees in the SCOTUS have the guts to actually follow the Constitution? Would you like to buy this bridge I'm selling in Brooklyn?
“Pink Collar Workers”was the first sociological book about females in the workplace. Published in the 1960s.Makes me think of the movie “Desk Set” with Katherine Hepburn Spencer Tracy, and Joan Blondell.
I worked in sales most of my life. Salary plus commission. Most of the companies I worked for didn’t even give a cost of living raise for my base. I was told “this is sales—work harder”. Of course, management kept raising the goals so it was also harder to make commission or they capped the commissions. Kind of a rigged system. It was always heartwarming, though, to see the boss drive in with another Porsche.
Worse is when children who will literally have a trust fund front loaded with tax payer funds from an illegal war decide they deserve political office to influence policies to pad their stock market portfolio off of privilege intelligence information inside committees. We the People and our next five generations are forced to give up our wealth to pay back their clear theft to the tune of $32 trillion as they voted over 40 times to raise their own pay, work less than 150 days out of 365 under the guise of local constituent work instead use that time to travel the world on our dime.
Oh and I believe when anyone in Congress or Senate serves more than two terms receives a pension for life equal to the pay they made while in office. That will cost us $1.6 trillion. So the next time they call you a socialist...
## Perks and Income of Working in Congress and Senate, Including Retirement Benefits:
**Perks:**
* **Salary:** In 2023, members of Congress earn $174,000 annually, while Senators earn $193,400. Leadership positions in both chambers receive higher salaries.
* **Benefits:** Members receive comprehensive health insurance, life insurance, and long-term care insurance at subsidized rates. They also have access to childcare subsidies, a fitness center, and other workplace amenities.
* **Travel:** Members receive franking privileges, allowing them to mail constituents at government expense. They also receive travel allowances for official business and transportation assistance within their districts.
* **Staff and office resources:** Each member has a budget to hire staff and maintain an office in their district and/or state. The size of the staff and budget varies depending on factors like seniority and committee assignments.
* **Other benefits:** Members receive a per diem allowance for official expenses in Washington, D.C., access to exclusive members-only facilities, and discounts on various goods and services.
**Retirement benefits:**
* **Pension:** Members are eligible for a pension if they serve at least five years. The pension is calculated based on a percentage of their final salary and years of service. For members who entered Congress after 1983, the maximum pension is 80% of their final salary after 30 years of service.
* **Social Security:** Members are also eligible for Social Security benefits like any other U.S. citizen.
* **Thrift Savings Plan:** Members can contribute to a tax-advantaged retirement savings plan similar to a 401(k) with matching contributions from the government.
**Wage Increases:**
* **Frequency:** Since 1989, Congressional salaries have automatically increased based on changes in the cost of living, as determined by the Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act. This act requires Congressional salaries to stay comparable to similar positions in the federal government.
* **Public perception:** The automatic wage increases often generate public criticism, as some argue that Congress should vote on their own pay raises. However, supporters of the current system argue that it avoids politicizing the issue and ensures fair compensation for public service.
* **Recent data:** From 2013 to 2023, Congressional salaries have increased by approximately 28%.
It's important to note that the issue of Congressional benefits and pay raises is often a subject of debate, with differing opinions on the fairness and transparency of the current system. This information is provided for your reference and to help you form your own informed opinion on the matter.
Not as good as depicted. For example they have to pay insurance premiums, contribute to their pensions, pay other taxes, like SS just like everyone else. Pensions are based on years of government service not time in Congress. Pick another topic.
EVERY federal employee, like me, has the same package with a couple of minor exceptions. Republicans have been working 24/7 since Reagan to diminish government employment.
As long as these people prop up the richest among us who steal my tax dollars and give it to their multinational donor benefactors then have the bloody nerve to force our family through mandatory tax deductions to pick up their tab, hell to the no.
Some companies have tried to keep things in proportion. Ben and Jerry’s come to mind. And Dr. Bronner’s definitely. But my beef with it all is that money and stuff should not define a person in any way. Just as physical attributes do not bestow goodness either. Thank you for this thought-provoking series. Keep on keeping on in 2024 and help save our souls.
Trumpler just says shit based on his half-brain, his defensive paranoia and his always-grifting, gaslighting reaction to the world. He tosses BS out there, like Mein Kampf, poisoning blood, Manchurian Candidate, socialism, fascism, and more -- knowing his audience is stupider than he is, his toxic spew successful with enough of his rube and racist voters, furthered more by America’s corrupt electoral college system, will very likely serve to push him over the edge and win. (AND THIS TIME HE’LL NEVER LEAVE!) On top of which, he adds the toxic “If I don’t win, I declare I did, vehemently, again and again strategy” for it has worked in his favor.
Most of all this study in outrageous human stupidity and selfishness indicates we are in the ultimate dreaded downward spiral and only a miracle in goodness-triumphing-over-evil will democracy prevail.
Feel so angry on behalf of and sorry for our children over the toxic stew of chaos, hate and corruption we are handing them.
I like your stark dichotomy ---- socialism for the rich and harsh capitalism for the rest of us--- it identifies the problem very well. Thank you! I had the former part in my mind but not the latter placed together so neatly with it.. I'll use your easily relatable contrast when talking with people.
Peloton is a perfect example of how marketing manipulates. Sitting on a stationery bike and peddling with too loud music became "hot" because the bike instructors are STARS which is why they are paid $500,000-$750,000 for cycling fast and trash talking!!! The guy who started Peloton said he wanted to get great classes at home since this bike was just a clothes hanger. Obviously, Peloton is no different than Spinning launched in 1993 as group exercise in gyms or SoulCycle--group exercise on yellow bikes in boutique studios. This limited type of exercise sells because it is FAT burning ( really just raises Cortisol so you are hungrier) but doesn't require proprioception; balance; flexibility; coordination; or strength. Now 60 years after these crazes helped make America fat, they are in decline since Ozempic makes "torching calories" irrelevant. As the person who made Pilates a household name, I know that almost all exercise was marketed for fat reducing which is why exercise companies are buying drug dispensers just as WW did with
Sequence. Correct exercise is very beneficial, but after decades of failure the public may walk away and throw the baby out with the bathwater. A recent LA Times story said that employees prefer insurance to cover Ozempic rather than gym memberships. Sixty years of false advertising of diet and exercise; then fitness and nutrition; and now wellness. All the rebranding covering up the fraud. Now 65% of American is Obese. Fortunately, science can fix this before our health care system collapses. Competent instructors should be paid well, but none of them is a STAR. In fact, most are merely exercise junkies with their own body issues.
Does anyone else wish we could have one of these discussions on Saturday? I work during the week and by the end of my day I'm tired and the discussion has pretty much run its course. I've got nothing against the klatch, but I enjoy the discussions more. Maybe it could move to Friday or Monday? I have to think there are others who work Monday through Friday, and participation would increase for a Saturday discussion.
Not to mention the West Coasters get a three hour late start. I look at the time stamps of comments to Dr. Reich and HCR, although I can guess the location of some frequent commenters by their responses, I’m convinced there’s a lot of SubStack readers out there with serious insomnia.
Why Is Capitalism So Rotten?
Capitalism is rotten because it is capitalism and capitalism is anti-democratic. Capitalism, which is greed thinly disguised an economy being for the welfare of all, is now exposed for what it is, the concentration of wealth for just a few. Capitalism thrives under authoritarian rule for there is the agreement that those leaders who will focus on taking the fetters off of big business will get significant financial rewards. Now big business has infected the Supreme Court, so for the regular citizens, all hopes of fair adjudication are sinking in a sea of despair. If the highest court in the land can be bought for motorhomes and expense paid vacations, one more pillar of American democracy has been irreparably weakened. Corrupt justices have a term for life and there are no consequences for violating their own standards of conduct.
Capitalism is like the game of Monopoly. You win when you drive all others into bankruptcy. It is a game where the greediest wins.
I agree with you, Marc. How do we put the brakes on this train wreck? Do the middle and lower classes continue to sink in this sea of despair? How do we rise up and make the difference for a better outcome for ALL of us instead of just the wealthy few at the top? I will tell you that when someone comes up with a plan for how to do that, I will be at the front of the line to volunteer!
Peggy, people don't realize how effective political yard signs are. That is why ALEC wrote strict ordinances they sell to municipalities restricting yard signs. That is why I challenged our local ordinance in court and placed multiple signs on our lawn. I risked a huge fine
and defended myself. We won because it is considered to be freedom of speech. It is the least expensive form of advertisement. We can pay for our own yard signs. BTW, I made my own yard signs with poster board and waterproof paint.
I would love to display yard signs showing my support for Democrats and what they stand for; however, my community does not allow yard signs especially political ones! Yes, I could take them to court, but I still have to live here and there are so many republicans in my neighborhood I would probably wind up having to move!! My kids bought me this house because it is in a gated community and makes them feel safe. Woe be unto me if their activist mother had to leave it!! God bless their little hearts, I do love them!
That's a problem with neighborhood associations as well. You could volunteer to place signs elsewhere. A few days before an election, people get away with putting signs on public property, everywhere. When Obama ran for the senate, his supporters were even placing his signs on street corner signs, stop sign posts, telephone polls, and nearly everywhere.
Join MoveToAmend.org to overturn Citizens United via a constitutional amendment.
An amendment may be proposed by a two-thirds vote of both Houses of Congress, or, if two-thirds of the States request one, by a convention called for that purpose. The amendment must then be ratified by three-fourths of the State legislatures, or three-fourths of conventions called in each State for ratification.
What is the chance of that actually happening, considering that the majority of states are run by Republicans.?
And don't even think of a constitutional convention, the Kochs, the right wing billionaires, the theocrats and racists have been on that bandwagon for a century.
Now that is something I could definitely do!
And put signs on your car
I lived in a 55+ community, which had the same rules,yard signs were not allowed, unless for an estate sale, however it was run by Right wingers and permitted the display of Trump signs. Forcing people to put them in windows.
What a great incentive to move to a community that has freedom of speech or better yet speak up.
Yes, if it's a HOA for example I don't know how that might restrict your freedom on signs. Maybe some one here can speak to that.
HOA's restrict everything, the color of your house, your mailbox, they even forbid satellite antennas, because most of them brokered a deal with Comcast to lay cables, Comcast will only do it, if they restrict satellites.
One way they do that is by proibiting any exterior structures, that the house be kept as if it was wrapped in cellophane.
OTOH, people join an HOA because of restrictions it places, like solar panels some times. But there obviously need to be constraints on the restrictions it places. If (Bad example) an HOA tried to limit your voting rights. To what extent can people sign away their freedoms when entering a voluntary association is the q.
I'm sorry, Peggy, but Democrats stand for capitalism as much as the other party of the duopoly. That is why nothing gets better under Democrat administrations. The working class needs to build their own party or abolish political parties altogether in favor of direct ballot initiatives.
Okay!
Spoken like a true Capitalist.
It is if you're a capitalist. Not so much for the millions of others who have to deal with a price tag placed on every single thing and jobs that pay you wages worth only a tiny fraction of the value of your labor. And not if you dislike wars, crime, and greed that results from the incessant dog-eat-dog competition of such a system. If you value profits more than human needs.
🫣 That is a shame, Peggy, BUT, one of the strengths of the yard signs that work is that they’re seen by a broad spectrum of people who pass by. In your gated community, the Great Unwashed are not passing by anyway. Your signs would llkely, as you say, be seen more as a provocation So, though it’ s sad you can’t use them, they would have less power there anyway.
Small comfort, I know, but …
There are other ways we can possibly get messages out {I am pretty sure MOST of the people we speak to on chats like this one are “to the choir,” but at least our conversations help us to clarify and refine our points. }
Now, I am thinking about how you might support someone putting up a Bill Board, or a business that puts posters in windows {one hopes no one will throw rocks….}
Oy, vey iz mir.
Maybe People could grow up enough to realize not everybody cares about their opinion but vote anyway .
We can put our ideas into the mix. We can fin d like minds. We can have our ideas modified and elevated by BETTER ideas, if we talk to people.
We need to be a part of it. That’s how it works.
And we need to vote.
I will help put up signs in other places and I will continue to use my voice to encourage others to vote and possibly a few republicans to 'see the light'!
Me, too!! With you all the way!!!
Capitalism isn't a bad system, it's the greed of the creeps operating within it that gives it a bad name.
I agree that capitalism isn’t a bad system but depending on what “creeps” you mean, I may disagree. We can’t expect corporate executives or high-priced lawyers not to seek as much wealth as possible. The villains are the politicians who have lost any sense of integrity. They are supposed to rein capitalism in. I remember the pride that occurred when Lyndon Johnson announced the War. Against Poverty, but then that legislation was gutted and now we only have a war for more wealth.
Lyndon Johnson did so much good in so little time- Civil Rights ending legal segregation, granting and Enforcing voting rights and ending housing discrimination. Not to mention Medicare and Medicaid which we all rely on today and that is just the tip of the iceberg.
I agree that's where the primary responsibility lies. Richard Posner the judge wrote a book on the 2008 crash which placed 100% of the blame on government and none on companies. I think that goes too far though. it is tiresome to hear people rant about the greed of CEOs. The way to change it is too change the incentiving environment that they operate in.
Alan--Johnson fell into the Presidency because of the death of JFK, he never would have ascended to that position on his own, he just didn't have the mind of a true leader. The people in power dictate the ground rules that drives our economic system, it really doesn't matter what name you affix to the process, it's the men behind it who are in charge of maintaining the systems integrity that are to blame.
I’m not sure that’s true entirely — Johnson was a behind-the-scenes leader of great strength. I hear he used high pressure tactics to get people in line. He might not ever have developed his in-front-of-the-camera skills on his own, but he knew how to get a job done, whether we like his tactics or not.
SOME of the jobs he got done were terrific. Foreign policy and the war in Vietnam, not so much!!!
As for it being the people behind the system — well, yeah. We saw that with Trump trying to do even worse things and being resisted by the people, some of them, in the system. We need the RULES in place, and people with integrity enforcing and implementing them. That’s at the heart of our struggle, and what Trump has recently promised to UNDO.
Egad.
That's not the feeling I have about LBJ at all.
How does one excise and prohibit the creeps?
LEE--Let's start with deporting Trump to his favorite 3rd world country.
How about giving tfg an all expenses paid Florentine vacation at that nice federal resort in Florence, Colorado? He'll just adore the panoramic views of the opposite wall of his cell.
Yes Gloria, I had a discussion with my alderman last year about restrrictions on signs in my yard and he affirmed what you said. I had wondered about local ordinances and freedom of speech.
I know you can't obstruct the view of traffic. The judge ruled in my favor that political signs are free speech.
Sadly the Constitution says nothing about free speech. It only says that Congress shall make no law abridging speech or assembly. And that is why racists, theocrats, terrorists can get away with saying or prohibiting anything, as well as you and I.
I believe there are many local ordinances that restrict--for example political signs only between certain dates. All invalid.
Not sure about rental apartments.
I have a garage apartment that I rent. I have prospective tenants sign a contract. I can restrict anything I want, but I don't. My current tenants daughter put a rainbow flag decal on her window, her father took it down. I am disappointed in her father, but said nothing especially as he is otherwise a model tenant that pays his rent on time, everytime.
which is about “ protecting an Investment”, a very capitalistic priority based on increasing or maintaining wealth.
Whilst I can appreciate why HOA may put in place certain restrictions or policies in place, I can also understand that they do probably attract “standards police” who are more about controlling others to constrain them to live according to “their own set of rules and lifestyle “. Often they may be conservative bullies.
Peggy Freeman, the problem with “putting the brakes on capitalism” is that by utilizing their tremendous influence on politics, the Capitalists have been removing the brake linings (legislation imposed to reign them in) since the New Deal.) Their current ability to influence politicians and the mainstream media and their inroads into the Supreme Court are removing the brakes altogether.
In the short term we all agree that we must utilize the voting power remaining to vote for democracy over fascism. However, while with one hand we hold back out of control Capitalism, we must plan for a new vision for the future economy and democratic governance with the other. I strongly recommend the book “After Capitalism, Economic Democracy in Action” by Maheshvarananda. The Last chapter is a conversation with Noam Chomsky who wholeheartedly endorses the solution (The Progressive Utilization Theory) and Economic Democracy outlined in the book.
“The Possibility of Creating Another World is in our Hands” -Frei Betto
Thanks, Marc. I will definitely read this. It sounds informative and interesting. We can create a better world if all of us that want that work in unity for it. Why in the world do the capitalists think that we are okay with all of this? Can't they hear our collective voices calling to reign this in? Politicians, media, the Supreme Court need to understand there is only so far many of us are willing to go before we begin to say "No, enough is enough!" Could it be that there just aren't enough of us to make that difference? Are our voices becoming softer and more mute against all of this? I don't know but I do know that I am worried about the future!
I think we’ve been too complacent that or system will always prevail, even if it’s a struggle sometimes. Since the Reagan years, people like Newt and Dick Cheney and Mitch McConnell, and lots in the shadows like the people who gave us Trump, have been maneuvering us toward less voting and more autocracy. They’ve spent decades getting us here. Frogs in the hot water, and all that.
i think we need to CLEARLY diagnose what has gone wrong, and remember that our strongest — STRONGEST — power is still to get out the vote.
Education of the voter, then, is PARAMOUNT.
Totally agree!
Noam Chomsky... HAHAHAHAH these people are regarded as some of the stupidest. What they are talking about is COMMUNISM. What is so hard for you to get, capitalism is just the ability to participate in the economy. Is is not good or bad. You could start a business, make millions and never hurt anyone, just help them, that is up to you and how you choose to run your business. What you are advocating for is the government running your business and no freedom. You think their is no corruption in China, no poverty, no elites? Democracy is a joke. If 2/3 of the wolves decide that the 1/3 of pigs are dinner, that is democracy. This is why we have a constitutional republic with individual rights above all. Our rights are not subject to democracy.
You have no idea what Democracy is about mate and I’d suggest also no concept of the benefits to everyone in a society of “ the common good Or Commonwealth “.
No, capitalism is not “ just the ability to participate in the economy”. All societies have “ an economy” but participants in them do not all have “ exploitation of others” as a basis.
Go back and read about the rise of the Industrial Revolution, wealth built on the backs of children, the working poor, the creation of the Capitalistic Slave Trade and get yourself an education.
Nice reply!
Capitalism PLUS democracy. Capitalism says do the best you can for yourself and everyone does, so we accept capitalism—and add democracy which says, rule by the majority while respecting the rights of minorities—to be heard, to enjoy share in services, for the benefit of a civil society. Western systems (capitalism, democracy) are not mutually excluding each other, they work for civilized society in-tandem. Wolf eat wolf, is not the vision in anyone’s political visioning. Reasoned, reasonable, rule while respecting everyone. It is the system that grows and thrives. Consider that might-is-right, has brought the natural downfall of Trump and Co. That people don’t do their best for themselves is a myth entitled people imagine is true, “I had rich ancestors, so too bad for you.” Or, “I made my own luck,” cross fingers, just one accident or illness away from joining those one sneers at. “Sit not in the seat of scorn, nor consort in the counsel of the wicked.” To sneer at people doing their best and helping others, is to sit outside past the perimeter of civil society. Work hard to float all boats, that’s social democratic capitalism.
I am currently reading smith, his capitalism project was in post-feudalism. It is time for progress, we are now in the post-capitalism era.
Rawls theory of justice is also interesting.
Issac, here’s how Capitalism works, because clearly you are a beneficiary of the system:
1) Own (or more than likely have inherited) the means to produce something.
2) Offer “work” at a wage that exploits the worker as much as you can without care whatsoever for the well being of the worker.
3) If the worker does not meet production goals (to insure your rent seeking greed) then fire them.
4) The “only” thing that matters is the profits derived for the Capitalist.
Merry Christmas to you Mr. Screwge
Sounds like important reading … !
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_utilization_theory
Join MoveToAmend.org to overturn Citizens United via a constitutional amendment.
You mean the Supreme Court's ruling, correct?
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310 (2010),
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_United_v._FEC
Absolutely join. This was disgraceful. It allowed the funding of political campaigns by Corporations, Unions(cannot have it both ways), NRA etc. negating any future attempt to adopt the Canadian electoral laws and reinforced big corporations' ability to influence candidates seeking election financial support.
This was a Republican initiative.
I have mention this before on previous posts.
Totally agree. See MoveToAmend.org.
Join MoveToAmend.org to overturn Citizens United via a constitutional amendment.
An amendment may be proposed by a two-thirds vote of both Houses of Congress, or, if two-thirds of the States request one, by a convention called for that purpose. The amendment must then be ratified by three-fourths of the State legislatures, or three-fourths of conventions called in each State for ratification.
Which legislatures, Democrat or Republican control the majority of states, and congressional seats.
It will take an unprecendent display of unity, to override the factionalism that divides and neuters the Democratic party.
I believe all Dems are in favor of overturning Citizens United and all GOP are against.
Yep.
“Move to Amend” is a start.
Put me on the list to be notified when someone comes up with the plan. I'll be there too.
The 2020 Democratic platform was pretty good.
https://democrats.org/where-we-stand/party-platform/
It's great but it should be made easier to read. The lengthy wording should be placed another level down IMO.
Republicans put up billboards we write lengthy essays
Same with bumper stickers. Dems are their own worst enemies, they are factionalized, too many groups with their own agenda's, often counter productive and alienating, each one demanding attention and priority.
Two wagon trains heading to Wyoming one is Republican the other Democrat. The trains come under attack, Republicans huddle and circle the wagons, Democrats bicker, and won't accept a leader, so they splinter and set up their own small isolated camps.
Republicans may quarrel, even get into physical brawls, push come to shove, in the end they unite. Democrats not so much like petulant whiny children, they hold their noses until they pass out, and when they come to, they find themselves overhwelmed and defeated.
What is needed is unity, not petulance and factionalism, for the greater good and to defeat the greater evil.
Here is a bumper sticker I've seen else wheres"
Biden in 24 or Democracy never more.
Daniel - Agree. If we get all this achieved, US will be a very democratic and socially equitable nation to live in. But is all of this this financially feasible?
Well, how did the French do it?
A very very big and completely unavoidable wealth tax !!!! One that makes you not even bothering to think about the billions you mindlessly seek !! And make it retrospective for the fun of it !!!
Is is called free market capitalism without the government deciding who wins and looses. You don't get the simple fact that things are corrupt because of the government. How can you claim that someone starting a business and offering salary jobs of 100K a year isn't good for all. Wake up, you will never have equal outcomes for all unless it is poverty for all. You want something in life, work for it. Nothing evil about being free to start a business. Maybe instead of spending your time here, go start a business and make some money, then you can give to charity and change lives for the better. Or you can complain about it.
Noam Chomsky is one of the most cited scholars in modern history. If a greater number of wolves decide to consume a smaller number of pugs because the pigs can't stop them that is free market capitalism. If the wolves claim they've started a pig eating business and all the wolves participating get 100,000 pig calories is that good for everyone, or just the wolves? If the collective put protections around the pigs then they have formed a government of, by, and for all the individuals. Why do you hate America?
That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Who is this "collective"? Who is going to put the "collective" protections around the pigs? The wolves? LOL. This is why we have a INDIVIDUAL right to own a gun in America. That way Mr. Pig can protect himself or form a militia with other free pigs. It is much harder to eat pigs when your dinner has an AR-15.
Just as well, all you have to do is not buy the companies products. That is the beauty of a free market. Capitalism isn't good or bad, it just is, what you do with the ability to make money is up to you. History has shown the the average person being able to start a business lifts millions out of poverty and does more good than bad. Stop just seeing it in the terms of just huge mega corps and start thinking Mom and Pop, Family owned business. Think Uber drivers, wedding photographers, bakeries, pubs, that would not be possible without capitalism.
America would not be possible without capitalism. It is the backbone of a free society.
You had wolves and pigs, the collective would be all the animals. I was expanding on your metaphors. To not buy the product and still participate in society you need a reasonable alternative. All throughout the economy we have mass consolidation where there are rarely more than 4 major companies controlling the entire supply. I love the mom and pops (though they rarely offer 100k salaries), but they're going extinct. Companies like Walmart will put every other store in a town out of business. This is why the bigger companies need to be regulated. Corporations aren't the economic drivers of America, the mom and pops are
Well, Isaac, don't hold back, tell us how you truly feel! Why do you feel compelled to attack the people on here trying to have conversations? I hope you have a better day from here on!
Got to distinguish between an economic system, i.e. capitalism, and government. We still are a democratic republic. Our law is also separate -- we have a Constitution -- but come from a common law tradition.
Authoritarian. After Trump became president, he signed a number of executive orders to in effect restore the "spoils system:" to try to eliminate or diminish a civil service reform that began at the end of the Grant administration in the 19th Century. He wants governments to run like a sole proprietorship.
Most of us have no say in how corporations, which are feudal in management, do business. There are regulations that limit extreme disregard of their customers and employees, not always enforced.
We could, if we were in power, use government to make sure that employees have some say in their own affairs.
First order of business (instead of carping) is to stop Trump and his henchmen from making things work, like his sole proprietorship.
Brings to mind Trump’s stated concept in the lead up to the 2016 Election... to run Government like a business. People should have looked at how he ran his businesses, bankruptcies etc
Now, it’s coming out just how corruptly he ran his business. 🤮
Daniel-
"We could, if we were in power, use government to make sure that employees have some say in their own affairs."
Saturn (GM Subsidiary launched in 1990):
I worked as a consultant in 1990 and the organization structure was very unique. It was formed as an employee-owned company. At every management position there was a union member working together. I experienced this myself as a team "manager". There seemed to me to be a lot of politics, and decisions could take longer than expected. All the other divisions did what they could to oppose Saturn's success (especially Oldsmobile). The car was well designed and manufactured. A lot more I could say but not relevant to this sub stack.
. Unfortunately, Saturn ended its production in 2009. It was never competitive with the Japanese transplants which was the objective of creating Saturn.
Adam Smith. He stated that it
[is] considered as a branch of the science of a statesman or legislator, proposes two distinct objects: first to provide a plentiful revenue or subsistence for the people, or more properly to enable them to provide such a revenue or subsistence for themselves: and secondly, to supply the state or commonwealth with a revenue sufficient for the public services. It proposes to enrich both the people and the sovereign. (Smith, 1776)
Smith is also considered to be the father of modern capitalism - a socio-political and economic system which is based the principles of private property and free market (Naz, 2014). Notably, Smith concluded that a capitalist system creates better societal outcomes as it tends to reduce dependence and creates security (Naz, 2014).
Most excellent Mr Solomon. Unity, set aside personal gripes and druthers, for unity or else the end of democracy as we know it. Russia, Hungary and Turkey still have (sham) elections.
Marc, I am trying not to be as pessimistic as you are here. We have never had real Capitalism, not that I am wanting it. There has always been government local, state, or national, that favors certain businesses or industries. The truly unfair part is who gets singled out, what benefits they receive, and who loses. Weapons manufacturers and fossil fuelers have always benefited as have cotton producers at least during slavery. Right now, we have decided that hedgefunders can do pretty much whatever they want and when they are caught breaking the law, they can take their whine to the Supreme Court where it is likely they will be coddled and mollified. Now why would the SC do that? It is unclear, but I am suspecting they and their families and friends are getting lots of assistance from those corporations and OMG regulation might cut off the fountain of largess. Speaking of merit, Hedgefunders do very little that produces anything, but their intervention with their not always honest gains can destroy whole communities. That is not a positive, but is something that could be fixed if the SEC were not being targeted because of their in-house judges and other nonsense which said carefully could sound as though they are being treated unfairly, but in reality, only serious cases come to the SEC to be adjudicated which is why the SEC wins the cases most of the time. If the SC rules in favor of the Hedgers, we are all in trouble because it will mean that monitoring and fining for bad behavior will no longer be the rule of law. Hedgers as far as I can see are a kind of monetary dictatorship and need to be seriously curbed!
Ruth, long term I am not pessimistic about the future. On the contrary I see a great opportunity coming to install a better more just economy and democracy. However, first we must understand fully the depth of the predicament we are in. These Friday morning discussions are focused on “Why Is Capitalism So Rotten” so that we can fully understand the depth and breadth of the dysfunction of the current system. Professor Reich is guiding us to discuss these issues in depth so we have a better more informed basis with which to build a stronger democracy for the future.
New approaches such as “Economic Democracy” may seem out of hand at this moment, but I believe it will be the only future for a true democracy in this country.
Marc, I don’t see pessimism in what you wrote it is just not cockeyed optimism. What we now have in the USA is not capitalism with free markets. We have unchecked monopolies. And it ticks me off to no end when Republicans who are fond of calling themselves never trumpers or conservatives say that things were better under Reagan. That mean spirited, shallow dolt is the one who led Republicans down this path.
Gjay, I’m not so sure it was just Reagan. Now I see it was more likely the capitalists that supported and propelled him to the Presidency. With his background in acting and experience as a conservative governor of California, he was the most logical choice for the emerging power of the multi-national corporations and the billionaire class. Carter did not have much of a chance against Regan’s charm and charisma and the support of the wealthy donors.
Marc, I agree with you. And if those “capitalists “ truly believed in capitalism and free markets, they would not have to manipulate and cheat to make it succeed. Jay
Weimar Republic.
Ms Sheets, a prime example are utilities, water systems, roads and highways. All are part of the commons, and built by the taxpayers, and what rent is paid is a use tax to cover the cost of delivery, maintenace and repair.
But then come the entrepreneurial corporations that bribe the state or local government with big bucks, if they sell the road and ulitity. The buy it up and don't invest in preventative maintenance or even required maintenance, they defer maintenance, pocketing the cash.
I believe it was Illinois that sold a highway, possible part of the Interstate to a Spanish Corporation. it set up toll booths, did not do any maintenance and when the highway crumbled they simply walked away
I believe the same company owns highways and Interstates in Texas, and else wheres.
The same with a company that has made a fortune selling traffic cameras.
I know of a community that gave this company a monopoly to install such red light cameras, promising them great dividends from fines.
Problem was that most of the fines went to the County, not the municipality, and the cameras were a solution to a problem that didn't exist (intersection accidents) and all they did was irritate the public, which turned their wrath up the city council and mayor.
Lee, isn't it sad what we have come to accept and what sleezy corporations have been able to get away with. It seems to me there should be safeguards in place to protect the ignorant folks (ignorant because no one can know everything) from bad mistakes that impact a whole lot of people?
Sad indeed Ruth, and that is because the sleezy corporations have bought our politicians.
It started back in the 19th Century when in the case of Santa Clara County v Southern Pacific
a Court Reporter J.C. Bancroft Davis wrote, in a headnote that corporations are persons
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bancroft_Davis
Then in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_National_Bank_of_Boston_v._Bellotti, the Supreme Court held that corporations have first amendment rights of speech.
Finally in Citizens united the flood gates opened.
The result is we have the best government and Supreme Court that money can buy.
There is no solution that I can see, because the only way this can be changed is to change our courts, especially the Supreme court, Congress and the executive and every one of them sits, because they were bought by financial institutions and corporations.
Agreed but the problem is that key cases are not being presented to the SEC dand that is where the political fault lies. Where are the trust-busters?
IDK,what can be done to see that they are ? Repubs seems to be good at pressing cases whereever they can. Dems less so ?
The Biden admin is doing many antitrust actions as you probably know.
Marc, As I posted yesterday, I sense you are portraying capitalism in its raw brute form absent the protective guardrails aimed at leveling its effects. I would submit these protections that contain capitalism’s excesses are at the center of Democratic Socialism that, despite enlisting capitalism to organize human labor for productivity, affords a modicum of social and economic justice for increasing numbers of people by transforming otherwise institutionally oppressive forces so fewer people feel subjugated to influences largely beyond their individual control.
The alternative is socialism, a system based on public rather than private ownership of a country’s means of production. See WorldAtlas for countries considered socialist.
A blend of regulated capitalism with democratic socialism has worked best for society.
Jaime, First, as I tried to make clear in my comment, democratic socialism entails “regulated capitalism.” Second, I, very intentionally, have enlisted the term “protections” as a replacement for “regulations.” My reasoning is that, while the two terms mean fundamentally the same thing, they have different connotations—“protections” more emotively positive, “regulations” more emotively negative.
My comment was intended more as support, not criticism, of your post
Hi Jaime. I write to note that I didn’t interpret your comment as criticism; I mostly wanted to clarify that “regulated capitalism” and democratic socialism are not two separate things. Rather, one is central to the other.
And that's the way I read it Jaime. I agree with both you and Barbara, and Marc too. I think we all want the same things to change.
Hi Jaime - I am sure you are correct, but can you give some examples.
In the US, we were improving our standard of living at our highest rate ever at all economic levels as social programs were instituted, unions were strengthened & our tax system was at its most progressive during the era from FDR to LBJ, & we became #1 in the world in most measures of prosperity & well-being. Since Reagan & the corporatization of America, we've gone downhill.
In Europe, several countries have adopted this mixed economy & in so doing have become among the most prosperous, healthiest, happiest societies in the world. They include Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, France & Iceland, I believe.
Barbara you have bitten off and swallowed the poisoned pie of the exploiters. Socialism is not the government owning the means of production. Socialists know that doesn't work,.
The word socialism was coined by an Anglican priest in Dickensian England when he looked at the plight of the laborer and the Maxium wage.
It is simply what the constitution calls for that government was created to serve the common good. And it is done by regulating and prohibiting the excesses of greed.
We have prospered this far, because we live in a mixed economy, where people own the means of production, and are inhibited from abusing their power by regulation.
Unfortunately, the propaganda of the cold war, has resulted in the purposeful confusion of socialism with communism and the confusion is intentional and it's effectiveness is seen in your comment.
Lee, To start, your penultimate paragraph portrays a system that’s nowhere near operational in the States. We see it throughout much of Western Europe and it goes by names such as social democracy or democratic socialism.
As for socialism, I offered its current denotative definition and advised readers to see WorldAtlas for countries presently considered socialist. As I reviewed the list, with few exceptions (e.g., Portugal), I found very few that bore any resemblance to your penultimate paragraph.
Regarding the confusion the GOP feeds to the American public, their intent is to conflate democratic socialism, to which the progressives in our party aspire, with socialism, a system from which Cubans and Venezuelans, for example, have fled.
As a final point, I advise, in the future, when you disagree, that you avoid insulting the intelligence of a fellow subscriber and, instead, focus solely on a logical refutation of the person’s perspective.
This was my penultimate pagragraph Barbara:"Unfortunately, the propaganda of the cold war, has resulted in the purposeful confusion of socialism with communism and the confusion is intentional and it's effectiveness is seen in your comment."
That you take offense is not my fault.
It appears that in your response to Jaime above, that you are a libertarian and have an aversion to the word regulation, thus try to disguise it by calling it protection.
As regards the Venezuelans, what we see at our borders, are the middle, middle class, and upper class (who already fled). Fleeing an economy that has degenerated because Hugo Chavez had the audacity, the sheer audacity, to think that Venezuelan oil belonged to Venezuela and not Exxon Mobil? How dare they?
And the response, well to use their bought and paid for political influence, to have the U.S. Government, through the CIA and JSOC, overthrow the government, so they could regain "what they think is rightfully there's" (By the way they have destabilized Nigeria and are destroying the ecology.
Cuban refugees were at first the corrupt and exploitive upper class, Cuban millionaires whose wealth and status depended on the American mafia, and exploitation by American corporations. They were the first to flee. Castro was not yet a communist, but our government and media claimed he was, treated him like one, sanctioned him like one, and thus forced him into the welcoming arms of Khrushchev and he became one, not only a communist but a dictator.
By and large American corporations, using our government as a tool, have created the problems we face. United Fruit and it's latest manifestation as Chiquita Banana, (a Bush family enterprise funded the revolutionizes in central America, and are responsible for the problem at our border.
Coca cola financed right wing hit squads to kill union organizers in Honduras, and they finally pulled off a fascist coup, which Obama twiddled and eventually recognized.
Poor suffering Nicaragua, was the most exploited and illiterate country in Central America, the dictator Somoza was the darling of the CIA and government then the Sandinistas over threw the dictatorship. I was in Nicaragua at the time, there were no street signs, and no sense in using a map in Managua, because not even a gas station owner would read it. Illiteracy was the norm, poverty was the norm.
After the Sandinistas overthrew Somosa, the U.S. abandoned it to Cuba, and found it a tool, during the Iran contra affair.
Do you need a recap of that affair.
Reagan struck a deal with the Ayatollah Khomeini, to keep the hostages until he got sworn into office, and then he would provide him all of the weapons and munitions he needed to fight Saddam in that 8 year war, that decimated the Iranian population of males.
Minutes after Reagan took the oath, Khomeini released the hostages.
But congress refused to fund the arms for Iran, So the CIA cooked up a plan, to fund the arms by use of cocaine.
Cocaine was flown to Nicaragua for use by the contras, an anti Sandinista force, the CIA hired mercenaries to fly weapons and ammo into Nicaragua and fly cocaine back on the return trip, and we had a case of the CIA at war with the DEA,
The proceeds of the CIA sale of cocaine to drug dealers, which the CIA cultivated, were sent to Israel,, where MOSSAD used them to procure and deliver Arms to Iran.
(Saddam and Khomeini were both threats to Israel, and so long as they were fighting each other, Israel was at peace)
The CIA and Mi6 financed and helped the coup that overthrow Mossadegh, a democratically elected President of Iran, who also made the mistake of thinking Iranian oil belonged to Iran, and Installed the Pahlavi family as King of Iran, and his excesses and brutality led to the Shah's overthrow and the installation of a brutal theocracy.
Still not satisfied, the CIA assisted in the overthrow, the coup, of a democratically elected socialist by name of Allende in Chile, and the installation of a fascist dictator, Pinochet, that disappeared tens of thousands of democratic socialists.
Pinochet's government was populated with devotees of Milton Friedman's, Chicago School of Economists, (the Chicago Boys), whose pet theory was competitive advantage, and Chile's competitive advantage was production of fruits, especially grapes, and vegetables. Chile Chile is also a major world supplier of lithium, molybdenum, gold, and silver.
And we wind up with America exporting it's grapes to Asia, where it nets a healthy problem, and importing cheaper grapes from Chile. And the middle men reap the reward.
The story repeats, throughout Latin America. The fruits of unbridled capitalism.
Columbia, Argentian, Venezuela, Paraguay, Ecudador, Africa.
And the chief instrument is international trade managed by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank,. Because if a nation needs resources and products that it doesn't have or can't produce, it has to use IMF Special Drawing Rights, or American dollars, and where do they get those, through international trade, or by borrowing from the IMF or World Bank, and how do they repay those debts,? By exporting, exporting, exporting an if they have nothing to export they starve.
And who is the beneficiary of export import, international financial institutions and corporations or rather the Plutocrats that own and control them.
And how do these countries repay these loans? By reducing,cutting or eliminating social programs, like social security, food distribution,health care, and cutting their budgets, including defense.
There are two tiers of beneficiaries, the Billionaires, the real powers behind the throne, and the citizens of the dominating countries, those that can afford cell phones, ISP's, computers, post their anti socialists, screeds on the internet.
And who suffers, those that gather at the gates for admission.
How is that for refutation.
As regards your personal complaint. All I can say is that by their fruits, you shall know them.
And I only calls them as I see them. If you don't like how your words are perceived, the mind your words ma'am.
Lee, Because your penultimate paragraph to which I referred reads “We have prospered this far,…” as opposed to your final paragraph, around which your refutation is centered, said refutation is irrelevant to my statement. Perhaps in the future, you might want to consult a dictionary.
Postscript: Having read the book Overthrow (2006), Stephen Kinzer’s account of the United States’ complicity in the overthrow of foreign governments from the late 19th Century to the present, as of the book’s publication, I hardly required a history lesson and wondered why you thought I did.
As for replacing the term “regulations” with “protections,” linguists for decades, starting with far-left George Lakoff, have pressed for this modification. The thinking is that, while denotatively the two terms fundamentally are synonymous, connotatively they are perceived quite differently. The point is that Lakoff and others persistently have tried to sensitize Democrats to how language either can fuel or reduce resistance to progressivism.
Barbara. I am more than familiar with the overthrow of governments, but the US government is the tool, people seem to forget that. Like blaming an axe for the murder of Lizzie Borden's parents.
The government constantly changes hands, thus constantly changes policies.
Who wields the tool, that is the issue. Those who have the money and power to control the pulpit and the press. By blaming the government, Kinzer et al, are obfuscating and misdirecting in favor of the people behind the Wizards curtain.
It is easier to blame an amophous concept than to identify and blame people, past or present.
Our governments have run the gamut from good to mediocre to criminal, so I don't blame the US.
Are you aware of the Talmudic story of the Golem. A man of clay, breathed into life by saying his name Golem. The Golem is a tool, the perp is those that breathed life into him.
As far as penultimate, don't use that word, unless you accurately define it. Neither I nor anyone else is a mind reader. What you consider the penultimate is not what I or others consider penultimate. as you can see by your and my response. Communication needs to be clear.
As regards George Lakoff. I am not familiar with him, but I understand your interpretation.
But there is a problem with you defining him as "far left". There is today, unfortunately, a merger between the far left and the far right and it rears its head, regrettably, in anti Jewish, theories and politics.
I personally avoid the word anti Semitic. First it infers that the descendency from Shem, a son of Noah. And Arabs claim descendants from Shem, via Ishmael the son of Abraham, while Jews claim descent from Abraham via Isaac.
According to the cobbled myth called the Torah or OT he children of Shem were Elam, Ashur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram, in addition to unnamed daughters. Abraham, the patriarch of Jews, Christians, and Muslims, was one of the descendants of Arphaxad.
FYI,, IMO, all religions are frauds and scams, and responsible for most of the violence done on earth, past and present.
Agreed. Many people seem to think that central control and ownership is socialism. By its nature a central governance with power hierarchies (democracy) is unjust. Democratic socialism works.
Join MoveToAmend.org to overturn Citizens United via a constitutional amendment.
Michael, Because amending the Constitution requires a two-thirds majority vote by both U.S. Chambers and ratification by three-fourths of the States, I am laser-focused on more feasible remedies: retaking the U.S. House, holding our 49 (excluding Sinema and Manchin) U.S. Senate seats, flipping one Republican Senate seat (Missouri seems promising), and holding the White House. This trifecta affords us our best shot at expanding the Court.
Barbara, I commend your hard work. Please keep it up. My belief is your work for an expanded Supreme Court will help future cases. But the source of our problems is capitalism and corporations funding Congressional campaigns. That is why reversing Citizens United is mandatory.
Michael, While I agree with your observation, we can’t get Citizens United reversed by next year’s election. Accordingly, I say we focus our efforts on a meaningful change we can get done—lighting a fire under the 100,000, give or take, eligible voters, particularly those in battleground states, who don’t vote.
To strengthen my case, I would note, just as Nader didn’t cause Gore’s loss in 2000 nor did Stein or Johnson cause Clinton’s loss in 2016, 2024 third party candidates wouldn’t cause Biden’s loss were he to lose to Trump next year. The cause would be the 100,000 or so complacent, eligible voters who didn’t vote.
As a final point, I would note, for the complacent, who view their vote simply as choosing the lesser of two evils, I would amplify that “sometimes the lesser of two evils is a lot less evil.” (Source: American Novelist Rebecca Solnit) One need look no further than 2000 and 2016 for confirmation of her observation.
Barbara,
Then surely you suck the motivation out of creative people, and you end up with the same situation as in Russia - an unmotivated workforce.
Britain tried via nationalization with the largest automotive company in UK - British Motorcar Corporation which evolved into British Leyland that included Jaguar and Land Rover. Now that company no longer exists. And Jaguar and Landover are owned by other non-government foreign companies.
There no longer exists an indigenous British automotive company. Maclaren is an exception but different category!
I could be argued that the Unions killed off British Leyland. Hence Maggie's initial popularity.
Phil, My comment was intended, first, to define and to advocate for democratic socialism and then to distinguish it from socialism. You will note I suggested readers see WorldAtlas for countries considered socialist because, with few exceptions (e.g.,Portugal), I presumed their systems, overall, would not resonate.
Monopoly started out as a game to show the greed and avarice in our society. Look it up. Once you're out of the game I guess you curl up and die since you have no way to make a living in the Monopoly Universe. I liked to play it as an innocent kid and was brainwashed into accepting that "Greed is good!" as Gordon Gecko would have it in the present day. I stopped liking it a long time ago.
There’s no rule in Monopoly that you have to sell to highest bid. Going bankrupt anyway--gang-up on shark by selling out to an underdog. Righteous Indignation, fist in air, no fair?! A good game.
Try anti-monoply instead. Are its' sales picking up ? The game for social democrats,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Monopoly
The only difference between capitalism and cannibalism is the spelling.
I agree. The Haves make rules to benefit the Haves, not the Have Nots. I note one way we permit perversion of both our politics and our economy is by allowing an incestuous relationship between government and industry. I say again: THERE SHOULD BE NO PUBLIC SERVICE FOR PRIVATE GAIN. Government should be safeguarding the public health, safety, and welfare. Let industry do the positive things we were taught in school: innovate, respond, create, employ, earn, and keep the gold ring of success on an even playing field. Too often industry makes money via influence by donating to politicians and hiring lobbyists in order to get laws and regulations that favor said industry: tax code amendments, public subsidies, industry favors, liability protections, environmental deregulation, etc.--not an admirable or value added way to make money; some might even call it cheating. Worse, with Citizens United, much of this policy making is now done with anonymous or "dark" money behind the scenes, meaning the players influencing public policy never even take a seat at the table of public debate to argue why the laws and regulations they seek (and often draft) are in the public interest and not their own. Industry acts for profit, therefore, industry objectives may work to the public detriment. In fact, industry advocacy has often misled and harmed the public (radium, tobacco, PCB's, fossil fuels). Add the fact that public service ethics rules become more lax the higher up in government we go (until we get to SCOTUS that doesn't have ANY binding ethics standards) and it gets worse. We end up with elected representatives who care more about donors than voters, congress people who can vote on laws that increase their own wealth (individual stocks!), senators who spend on average 50% of their time raising funds instead of solving problems and no one looking out for the public interest. Simple reforms could solve the aforementioned problems such as strict public service ethics codes at every layer of government, transparency laws, and publicly funded elections to name just a few.
And that's why corporations were judged by the SCOTUS to be "people."
[fixed typos]
In “capitalism” or the Supreme Court, the same problem lies — it is not with the IDEA of private property or economic ownership or endeavor, nor is it with the concept of a court and judges who hold sway.
The problem is with the RULES that govern these functions and enterprises. IT IS THAT SIMPLE. And that complicated to fix — BOTH NEED BETTER UNDERLYING RULES FOR HOW THEY FUNCTION.
OK, so how do we get better rules? We take a good look at what’s needed and we enact the needed rules. Do we have the constitutional and governmental “rights” to do that?
The Republican Party has CLEARLY been orchestrating an oligarch takeover since the Reagan era — We need to take a look at our ACTUAL machine — the government we actually HAVE — and identify the places where it is gummed up and get it ungummed.
The last thing we need is for people to think we need to throw our government over or create a “revolution.”
We need to diagnose our democracy’s shortcomings and ameliorate them —
I hate the whole thought of “revolution.” We in the US have too much hagiography over the very idea of revolution, because we were lucky enough to have had a relatively successful one.
But most revolutions do NOT deliver what they promise. They leave an opening for demagogues and militarists and autocrats to move into a governing void, and you do NOT get the people-centered decency you were hoping for.
We already have a foundation of people-centered decency. Let’s check for the cracks and failures of the edifice we have and fix it.
Well regulated capitalism, and a court with rules and limits to power, a court that is subject to obeying laws passed to govern it —- I think those are what we need.
well said. THE ENEMY INSURRECTIONIST ARE AT THE GATE, DEFEAT TREASONOUS , TERRORIST, AND CON REPUBLICONS EVERYWHERE AND JAIL CORRUPT AND TRAITOR RTRUMP AND CRONIES. VOTE DEMOCRATIC , AND RESTORE DEMOCRACY., DUMP CAREER CRIMINAL RTRUMP AND CRONIES, LOCK HIM UP AND HIS CRIMINAL CRONIES. RTRUMP FOR PRISON 2024.
worse. They are in the gate.
Part of the reason why the court needs to be packed by Biden.
We need a system that promotes the increased purchasing capacity of lower and middle-income people and where billionaires would not exist since they prey on the labour of talents of those below them. Plus, what do the hedge fund managers create? Is it a needed product or service? The answer is NO because all they are doing is moving other people's money around like it's a game of crooked dice that will only benefit their bloated billionaire pockets. How sustainable of a system is that? It's not, of course, and it will collapse. Thus, what are the solutions? One thing that we can do is to create higher wages for those people who are the economic backbone of the US economy. Collective efforts through unions and progressive laws in the Supreme Court are essential. Most importantly, we can change our consciousness about how greed and excessive materialism harm the neediest of people and just create disunity and distrust, which is the antithesis of economic democracy.
Guy, your last sentence got it. Finally someone drilling down a bit further and addressing the core problem in human nature. This society is not made of discrete groups of people who are all different in their outlook and nature. We are all a product of both nature and personal experience, attitude and wellbeing. In other words, we all grew as a species from the same roots of lack and grasping for survival in a very difficult, ever changing conditions on this planet. That’s the core problem.
The reason why we have not grown up from this is because we have created societies throughout the ages that keep reflecting the same problem of fear that seemed to foster ruthlessness, desperation for power, and hoarding wealth back to us in order for us to rise above it and start thinking of humanity as a unit rather than individuals at odds with each other, while learning to cooperate and trust only as far as it serves our own personal needs. We have not risen above these strife-filled stories we all came from over the centuries.
We learned to cooperate, but it didn’t erase this grasping lack that is our true heritage as a species and as long as we deny this, point fingers at the greedy who manage to get power and use it to benefit themself only without acknowledging how much of our population aspire to this same greed and tunnel vision, we are missing the point of collective responsibility and the need to collectively rise above this way of thinking and dealing with our fellow creatures on this world.
Yes, we need to change our economic system and before that, tighten regulation and enforce these regulations fairly. But like our collective problem with prejudice, laws do not take care of the underlying problem.
Those who over the years have devised this economic system and schooled to further this desperate accumulation of power and wealth into the future, are a showcase for believing and perpetuating the same ideology of greed and amassing wealth, whether they term it that way or not.
The .5% of our population, the wealthiest of the wealthy, for the most part, have come to believe they are a cut above the rest of the population and isolate themselves in order to protect themselves from the fear we all have deep inside where no one wants to look. Ya think this way of being is new? Not by a long shot. We all need to stop aspiring to power as an insulation tool over anyone who would take away what we have amassed in wealth away from us.
We all need to look at our dreams of wealth and exclusivity and own up to this fear inspired weakness and rise above it. How many dream of inheritance or even winning the lottery whereas the privileged maneuver and manipulate to get into and get their kids into the schools that teach and foster this behavior in each subsequent generation of kids. Then we have the whole criminal aspect of society who amasses their power and wealth far outside of the law, but all to the same end, so that no one can touch them economically.
Owning up to and talking about this problem in our society is the starting point and way to true change, permanent change. A change that is fair and not fraught with bloody revolutions and doesn’t just cause more war, jealous ambition and outright manipulation and thievery that has been somehow legalized and used as stepping stones for more power and greed over the years. We feed our problem in our entertainment and our dreams like any addict does. We need to look at this as a people at the same time we enact or use our present laws to control these truly antisocial beliefs and behavior. This is the way to start the process that will possibly finally create a more equatable society.
Because the people are not involved directly in electing the President, and because Supreme Court nominees are the purview of the President, the people really have no voice in who is "on" the Supreme Court. Right now I am aware of how undemocratic the process is by design. Do we the people have a direct say in how, when or why a sitting member of the Supreme Court can be impeached, removed? No. We must rely on representatives to " do the right thing." But, to give one example of how the people are not fairly represented and really have no voice in how Presidents and SC justices are nominated and placed, a Senator from Kentucky represents a small fraction of the number of people represented by a Senator from California; so we see and have seen how the will of the people is not simply ignored, but is actually thwarted. These conditions need fixing, in my opinion.
Exactly Les. And the system was designed that way. The constitution was cobbled together by the elite of the era. wealthy, entitled, white men, who designed a form of government to protect them, their property, their position, their prerogatives and their power,
The electoral system was designed with that goal in mind. Senators were selected by each states legislature, and only property owning white men had the vote, and the states legislatures reflected that.
The electoral college was selected by property owning white men. It took 27 Amendments to make us a real democracy.
The founders didn't trust we the people, especially Thomas Jefferson. They were afraid that we the people would use our power, to take away their power and wealth.
By design, careful and deliberate design. The fact that this designing got approval puts me in mind of the answer I always heard to the question of why the U.S.S.R. was permitted to just sweep up half of Europe at the end of WWII: we (the survivors) were just so tired of war...
Monopoly, the game, is like democracy (not just capitalism). A player is free to sell to anyone they want.
The player with the most money can’t buy your property if you choose to sell to a kind underdog instead of a rich shark. Long noticed is that human (economic) behaviour isn’t rational, but rationale belongs to the market (the mood of, say, social responsibility and fair-play).
Biggest laugh in a game of Monopoly is for losers on-way to bankruptcy, is to sell off their capital assets to an also-ran, simply to thwart the inflated confidence of ruthless pure-capitalist. He who laughs last, laughs best.
I’m repeating what I said elsewhere here (sorry, can’t see it here just now). --> One DOES what they can to improve one’s lot, but including caring for rights and needs of the less fortunate. Social democratic capitalism (to float all boats).
Capitalism is the ability for you to start a business without asking the government, nothing more. You can engage in capitalism without doing ANY of what you just claimed.
The pillar of America is a free market. Stop advocating for communism.
May rich successful people donate and change lives for the better, they employ millions of people, how many people do you employ? Capitalism is not the problem, garbage people are.
Join MoveToAmend.org to overturn Citizens United via a constitutional amendment.
Robert, one of your best columns. Thank you for the shout-out to social workers - my beloved profession.
Stats show that about 20% of the general population need a helping hand to get the necessities of life, food, shelter and clothing.
The taxpayers must subsidize employers like Walmart through assistance to their employees. I read that Walmart teaches their employees how to apply for government assistance, but I don't know if that is true.
I refuse to shop at Walmart.
Some have no choice. In Ticonderoga, New York, it is the ONLY supermarket. They wiped out the competition. The nearest supermarket is fairly far away in Vermont. There is a Co-op and a tiny grocery store, but cannot provide much selection.
this is why some people shop Amazon as well.
I haven't been there for a very long time.
Went to Walmart only once in my life for a specific item I couldn't get anywhere else.
It really hurts your eyes.
Believe it or not, Walmart originally was very supportive and inclusive of their "associates". When Sam Walton was still alive, their workers were automatically enrolled in profit sharing and a generous stock-purchase plan. But when he died his greedy sons took over and eliminated all that. I can't even hear or see the name "Walmart" without feeling sick.
I didn't know they were different when Sam Walton was alive.
They would also only sell American made products.
After the pandemic the poor increased because of loss of jobs. It also destroyed many businesses. We have to recover but with GOP in charge of it...that won't happen.
We before Reagan had a large middle class with fewer very rich and poor. Reagan GOP even taxed Social Security. It was a pension and taxing it was cruel. They told us we needed a "three legged stool" (savings, pension and Social Security) but even that was cut with SS being taxed, pensions discontinued and wages too low to save money. Cut taxes for the rich so eventually the middle class had few left to pay taxes. We have huge debt from unending wars and the rich pay almost nothing in taxes. The pandemic helped insider trading rich but our economy suffered. The world economy suffered. The rich got richer.
Today the GOP want to give more tax breaks to the rich...AGAIN. Trump leaving office gave the rich (which then included himself) $2T tax break. You wonder why we are broke?
That is socialism for the rich, corporate CEOs and shareholders...not the workers. So GOP political protestors when you are critical about Socialism and Communism of Dems know the rich get it not you the workers, etc. 1% and less have it all. Even people who are rich who go bankrupt over bad decisions get money. Like Musk and his X social media.
I think Reich should talk about the middle class size. Things are not quite as bad as he makes out.
You pay off our national debt robbed by Reagan...to Trump, etc.?
As a 30 plus year career social worker, I wholeheartedly agree. Our profession rarely gets a shout-out and I appreciate it!
I had a social worker who literally saved my life after my husband's death and I lost everything I owned, had to leave my home and sleep on my son's couch...the thought of starting over at age 55 was overwhelming, and I attempted suicide. She got me the help I needed, including housing and a therapist. I will be 70 on New Years Eve. She kept working even with Parkinson's. Her determination to help others inspired me to keep going. She was one of the true angels in this world.
I know your pain. My husband took it all too in my 70s. His and my lawyer lied. So brave you got back and can continue your life. Hard to survive when you are older not young starting a new life and family...career again. There should be different divorce laws for older age. In your forties they don't want to hire you even with a degree, experience, etc.
After 30 years of marriage I was also terrified to be alone. I didn't think I could survive it, but now that I've been living alone (with my cat) for 15 years, I am surprised to find that I am very content with solitude. In fact, I vastly prefer it! I miss him very much, of course, but I am far from miserable without him. Who knew? 😂
I love cats. They make great companions!
My Baby is the "purrfect" companion. (sorry, it's an over-used cat person thing!)
I like the purrrr of cats but am allergic to them. I can't be a single senior alone without a cat or a dog eh.
Yes you can (be successful as a single senior, allergic to cats), because there are neighbors, the phone, and social media--consider, WE are your “cats.”
That's so inspiring. And I think you should give yourself some credit for reclaiming your life.
That’s a beautiful story 🙏
I worked with a social worker who used to cry for the world all the time. I loved this intelligent and compassionate person. Thank you all social workers for your work.
I too agree with Susan, Robert, one of your best.
Thank you for mentioning teachers. Social workers, teachers, nurses, child and elder care workers should get free tuition for careers that promote the common good.
Any chance of getting this published in The WaPo and NY Times?
Between the lack of universal healthcare, the absurd focus on "needing" advanced degrees, the destruction of worker protections, the limited education about employee rights, and the lack of meaningful coverage of the harsh realities people face in this economy, we have created a country where nearly every organization will exploit its workforce to the extent they allow it. For-profits, non-profits and government agencies...transparently corrupt oil companies and tech-bro firms with mottos that pretend to care...it doesn't matter...the story is the same.
Those at the very top take an outsized piece of the pie while telling the masses below that the crumbs they are fighting over that fall down to them are even more than they deserve. Decades of stories that prove this executive largess IS NOT caused by merit remain barely covered by a corporate media with no vested interest in pulling the veil back, happy to cover whatever latest "crisis" those in power want to use to distract us from our exploitation.
LOOK! Gays are getting married!! Black people are taking your child's space in college! Trans people are everywhere! Teachers and firefighters and their greedy pension are destroying the economy! And By GOD....HER EMAILS!!!!!!
The sad fact of the last few disastrous years in America is that all we are doing is showing that the criticisms about us from so many around the world for so long have been accurate. We don't truly stand for anything. We are the big bully who used exploitation and manipulation to gain power and wealth and then claimed it was because we're so scary-talented. We yell at others about democracy while clearly supporting countless anti-democratic policies and institutions. We are misogynist xenophobes who use religion and fear to get whatever we want, principles be damned. We are, in short, Donald J. Trump in the form of a nation.
Ow, that hurt, Ian! But I do understand what you are saying. Maybe we have stopped being the country I learned about in school. Maybe we were never that country, but I sure would like to see things turn around for everybody.
Ian, You summed it up so well!
what you say is correct and what REPUBLICANS breathe and live,
unfortunately the average American doesn't or don't want to see this, so use your brains and vote for Democrats.
I am not a democrat and thank god don't live in The USA
People are still dying trying to enter the US. We've never had such desperate mobile populations. The pandemic, over population and oppression of oligarchs problems have to be solved. We can't go on this way.
Not all of us. Not even the majority of us. The people voted for a democrat. The electoral college system favors republicans
OY and Trump might be POTUS again. UGH.
Happily not all of us worship at the altar of The Donald. And a lot of us are disgusted by the screw all but six and save them for pallbearers ethic of the MAGA bunch.
Indeed.
Reading pieces like this one on the myth of merit remind me of how little most people understand about our economy and their place in it. The way employers have treated employees over time has led to people seeing their work as worth only what stingy, greedy employers are willing to pay them. Therefore, as expected, they will be angry and frustrated that they are struggling just to survive and blaming the wrong people for their situation. Most Americans want a tax on the super rich as well as realistic tax rates for those who earn enormous amounts of money, but since Republicans and some Democrats benefit from seriously large donations from those same rich folks, it is not likely they will do the right thing without extreme pressure from constituents. It might help if they were called out on it, but with all the dark money permitted by Citizens United, it is hard to keep track of just who is paying what to whom. That could be fixed. It is funny that people don't notice the socialism that coddles the rich while everyone else has to suffer with what the rich want to call Capitalism. I think a lot of the challenges to our education system in the red states are an attempt to keep our children ignorant of the way things really work so they will be docile and expect nothing but what the rich want to give them. We need to find a way to wake those folks up and demand our schools do better and the gap between what the very rich earn and what average employees for their corporations earn is significantly narrowed to the benefit of the average employees. No worker should earn less than a living wage. If an employer can't afford that, they should not be in business.
Hear! Hear! Ruth, you nailed it! If we don't fix our broken education system, we will continue to see our country in chaos! We MUST educate our children with the TRUTH not propaganda! Our education system must have a complete overhaul. Teachers must be allowed to teach in their classrooms, parents must teach their children the importance of being in the classroom and respecting their teachers, administrators must allow teachers to teach without interference and great pieces of literature whether a parents disapproves or not must be given access to our kids! When we educate our children to be critical thinkers, to appreciate art, literature, and music, to question what they consider wrong or don't understand, then we will have a future generation that will get our country on the right path.
Peggy, you are right about education and its value, but there are a lot of guys who do not want that at all. They will fight every effort to give people more rights, more money, more education, more freedom, etc. People who are struggling, if they don't pay attention, are very manipulatable as we have seen with Trump and his cult. Those folks have been primed to believe things are so horrible now, and have never been worse, when probably they were worse while their hero was in the White House or after Bush Jr. permitted banks to run amuck. Despite the actual cause, they believe it is Biden who did it to them and only Trump, n ignorant nasty old fool, cansave them. It is just nuts, but it is what mind control can do to vulnerable people. We the People need to do better. It is too bad the online world has so much lying, misinformation, disinformation that it is hard to figure out what is true. If it were not that way, the internet would be a good source of education enhancements for kids and their families.
I agree, Ruth. The internet does have valuable information to enhance education but trying to sift through the lies and misinformation is a formidable task. These followers of trump do not understand how much worse it will get if he ever gets back in the White House!
Speaking of the internet and its potential educational resources, I'm reminded what the sadly, probably forgotten journalist Edward R. Murrow said about the new medium of television in the 1950's: "This instrument can teach." Well, we now see how that played out. For more Edward R. Murrow quotes about television, google 'Edward R. Murrow quotes.' They are shockingly prescient.
And so one begins to suspect that it's not a question of medium but of desire and aptitude on the part of the educatee. Many prefer mindless games on the internet to doing any real thought work. I wonder what surveys tell us about people and their reading habits today.
Trump will prevent their freedoms and vote. Jail and kill at his own whim of revenge. He won't leave office. What Constitution and Bill of Rights?
Precedence and law are all ready set. Trump forgets we once had a King George rule of the East India Trading Corporation. We decided it was bad and kicked him and the royals out of America. We won the Revolutionary War. States sent representatives and they wrote the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Then all the people approved it. It was decided we would be a democracy not a monarchy. It is the great experiment we are still perfecting. Woman and blacks got the vote, women freedom over their own money, etc.
On July 4th every year we celebrate our independence and democracy. We already made America better now to be a "more perfect union".
Clinton signed the repeal of the Glass Steagall act that enabled the bankers to run amuck. What it did was repeal the prohibition of commercial banks (where we have savings deposits, checking accounts, take out loans, and mortgages,finance cars, boats and airplanes, to be investment banks and to merge with investment banks.
That led to bank failures and the Obama bank bail out of "too big to fail", because of a permissive Bush environment.
Don't believe me google is your friend, I am a progressive, but not ideological hidebound.
In NC where I live and grew up, the Republican majority attacks public education at every turn on every level. School "choice" vouchers for private charter schools hurt the public schools. The legislature tells parents that the public schools are deficient and they need choices. Why might the public schools be deficient? They were not properly funded. NC is under court order to adequately fund public education, but the legislature fails to do that. Meanwhile, politicians muck around in higher education, endangering our university system. The chancellor of UNC was so frustrated, he left to go to Michigan State. It's not the education professionals who ultimately set the education agenda. It's the local boards and the legislature. We see how that is working now. It's the far right activists who want to indoctrinate students, not the regular teachers trying their best to help students learn to read and do math so they can function in the outside world. Public education enabled my husband and me to raise our standard of living and give our kids a better life than we had.
There are times when I truly wonder if we are a country of laws. From 1959-1964, the board of aldermen i Prince Edward County, VA refused to approve money for public schools, integrated public schools. So the school system shut down. White students went to private segregation academies with "scholarships," while black students had to leave town or forgo school altogether. Some students missed 5 years of school. For an at risk kid with few financial resources, this situation was devastating. Nothing prevented funding the schools but pure, downright meanness. Children who get an education have a better chance to be self sufficient. Isn't that what we want, people able to support themselves?
That is just horrible!
I hear you, JennSH. I simply cannot understand how NC can simply not follow court orders and get away with it! For that matter, I can't understand how a lot of these politicians, school boards, and others constantly flaunt law and order and not be made accountable for it! If we are a nation of law and order, everyone must follow them or no one. We law-abiding citizens do what we must even though some laws leave me scratching my head at the absurdity of said law, I still abide. It is so frustrating to see the people in powerful positions just say no, I'm not going to follow that law!
Courts have no enforcement mechanism, recall that Andrew Jackson said" Justice Marshall has ruled, now let him enforce his ruling"
Alabama has defied the right wing supreme court, and DOJ (Merrick Garland) has sat by sitting on his hands>
So I guess some just simply refuse to follow the laws and that's okay then.
Who said it is OK. The only agency that can do anything about it is the DOJ, and what is Garland doing? About Gaetz (the pedophile that the FBI investigate and have goods on, the Insurrectionists in Congress like Hawley, Jordan, Comer, MTG, Boebert. Ah he has loosed the Special Counsel David Weiss to investigate a civilian that is not in office, by the name of Hunter.
There is rot in the DOJ, and the fish rots from the head.
And the supreme court has bolstered Republican legislatures to use state funds for religious education, because Scotus has weaken the boundary between religion and state.
Those in our government mostly were taught in the public school and university systems. Harvard and Yale students now working in our society needed ethics and civics classes before going out into the world. No man is an island.
Calling the Ghost of Christmas Present. Your help is needed urgently.
Professor Reich, it deeply saddens and troubles me to hear that young man say he was only worth $14 an hour and thought the rich deserved theirs because they were smarter. Your intelligence does not have a monetary value! I look back through history and find some of the most remarkable men and women that have contributed to society that were not wealthy but had the creative intelligence to produce innovative ideas and products. For me, it takes intelligence to create beautiful art and music, to build wondrous buildings, and mold stunning statues out of a piece of clay. This man has decided that he isn't intelligent or worth much because he didn't go to college or wasn't born with a silver spoon. That is very disheartening. I am a union person. I believe in them because I saw what unions have done for the middle in America. After the war, America truly blossomed fueled by union led workers. We were the best at that time and I, for one, would love to see it again!
Peggy the man was paid to lie and he was paid well. There's not much point discussing that unless we understand that he was a paid liar. Of course there's another alternative here. You may be just plain stupid. I'll take the first choice.
Gee, I should have just kept scrolling this morning instead of checking in on Professor Reich's article! It has been quite the snarky morning this morning! Oh well, I was unaware that the young man was paid to lie, Professor Reich didn't include that in his article. You know S Howard, my mom always told me that if I didn't have anything nice to say, I should not say anything sooooo...........
The poor worker has a point. Where does one learn how to steal like that? They'll have yummy treats at their Christmas party table, but they won't really be any better than comfort food. Sad for those who don't have any food.
Amen to that!
Tragic but true.
Unrelated comment: The Colorado Supreme Court ruling against Trump's eligibility to run is now presumed to be headed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Initial knee-jerk thoughts of the U.S. Court overturning may be premature. The NY Times posits that the three Trump appointees have frequently been opposed to Trump there. So much so that a similar rate of losses has not been seen since the Great Depression. It follows that the Colorado ruling actually may stand the test of the Federal court. The effects of this? Well ---- it could nationalize the decision against Trump being a legitimate candidate! Yes, that word was nationalize. In effect it would be a ruling from the Supreme Court that Trump participated in an insurrection. Nationalize -- his candidacy would be null and void everywhere. Could there be a bigger decision than that? I don't think so.
Like I said yesterday, I'll bet the whole buck the SCOTUS kicks the whole question back down to the states, coming down on the side of States' Rights, ruling that the states are the ultimate arbiters of their own elections - or some similar ruling. It would be consistent with conservative ideology as well as some of their recent rulings - should they deign to remain consistent and faithful to their own alleged ideology.
We should be so lucky. ..
Perhaps. But it would appear to be a legitimate ruling because it would simultaneously and elegantly side-step the question on validly constitutional grounds.
Do you REALLY think that Trump's appointees in the SCOTUS have the guts to actually follow the Constitution? Would you like to buy this bridge I'm selling in Brooklyn?
Gasp. Rudy Giuliani just bought three Bridges. All in New York.
He's bankrupt. Or so he says...
Note how much of the underpaid work is in what used to be called feminized fields. Add librarians.
I remember the term "pink collar"
“Pink Collar Workers”was the first sociological book about females in the workplace. Published in the 1960s.Makes me think of the movie “Desk Set” with Katherine Hepburn Spencer Tracy, and Joan Blondell.
I worked in sales most of my life. Salary plus commission. Most of the companies I worked for didn’t even give a cost of living raise for my base. I was told “this is sales—work harder”. Of course, management kept raising the goals so it was also harder to make commission or they capped the commissions. Kind of a rigged system. It was always heartwarming, though, to see the boss drive in with another Porsche.
Worse is when children who will literally have a trust fund front loaded with tax payer funds from an illegal war decide they deserve political office to influence policies to pad their stock market portfolio off of privilege intelligence information inside committees. We the People and our next five generations are forced to give up our wealth to pay back their clear theft to the tune of $32 trillion as they voted over 40 times to raise their own pay, work less than 150 days out of 365 under the guise of local constituent work instead use that time to travel the world on our dime.
Oh and I believe when anyone in Congress or Senate serves more than two terms receives a pension for life equal to the pay they made while in office. That will cost us $1.6 trillion. So the next time they call you a socialist...
What are you talking about? They actually have lousy pensions, courtesy of Reagan policy.
AI has those answers
## Perks and Income of Working in Congress and Senate, Including Retirement Benefits:
**Perks:**
* **Salary:** In 2023, members of Congress earn $174,000 annually, while Senators earn $193,400. Leadership positions in both chambers receive higher salaries.
* **Benefits:** Members receive comprehensive health insurance, life insurance, and long-term care insurance at subsidized rates. They also have access to childcare subsidies, a fitness center, and other workplace amenities.
* **Travel:** Members receive franking privileges, allowing them to mail constituents at government expense. They also receive travel allowances for official business and transportation assistance within their districts.
* **Staff and office resources:** Each member has a budget to hire staff and maintain an office in their district and/or state. The size of the staff and budget varies depending on factors like seniority and committee assignments.
* **Other benefits:** Members receive a per diem allowance for official expenses in Washington, D.C., access to exclusive members-only facilities, and discounts on various goods and services.
**Retirement benefits:**
* **Pension:** Members are eligible for a pension if they serve at least five years. The pension is calculated based on a percentage of their final salary and years of service. For members who entered Congress after 1983, the maximum pension is 80% of their final salary after 30 years of service.
* **Social Security:** Members are also eligible for Social Security benefits like any other U.S. citizen.
* **Thrift Savings Plan:** Members can contribute to a tax-advantaged retirement savings plan similar to a 401(k) with matching contributions from the government.
**Wage Increases:**
* **Frequency:** Since 1989, Congressional salaries have automatically increased based on changes in the cost of living, as determined by the Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act. This act requires Congressional salaries to stay comparable to similar positions in the federal government.
* **Public perception:** The automatic wage increases often generate public criticism, as some argue that Congress should vote on their own pay raises. However, supporters of the current system argue that it avoids politicizing the issue and ensures fair compensation for public service.
* **Recent data:** From 2013 to 2023, Congressional salaries have increased by approximately 28%.
**Additional Resources:**
* **Congressional Salaries and Allowances:** [https://www.quora.com/How-much-does-an-average-member-of-congress-earn-per-month-or-year](https://www.quora.com/How-much-does-an-average-member-of-congress-earn-per-month-or-year)
* **Retirement Benefits for Members of Congress:** [https://www.investopedia.com/articles/markets/080416/how-congress-retirement-pay-compares-overall-average.asp](https://www.investopedia.com/articles/markets/080416/how-congress-retirement-pay-compares-overall-average.asp)
* **Cost of Living Adjustments for Federal Employees:** [https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/23Tables/html/RUS.aspx](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/23Tables/html/RUS.aspx)
It's important to note that the issue of Congressional benefits and pay raises is often a subject of debate, with differing opinions on the fairness and transparency of the current system. This information is provided for your reference and to help you form your own informed opinion on the matter.
Not as good as depicted. For example they have to pay insurance premiums, contribute to their pensions, pay other taxes, like SS just like everyone else. Pensions are based on years of government service not time in Congress. Pick another topic.
these were all covered above. I would LOVE to have such a salary/compensatin package.
EVERY federal employee, like me, has the same package with a couple of minor exceptions. Republicans have been working 24/7 since Reagan to diminish government employment.
Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.
As long as these people prop up the richest among us who steal my tax dollars and give it to their multinational donor benefactors then have the bloody nerve to force our family through mandatory tax deductions to pick up their tab, hell to the no.
Some companies have tried to keep things in proportion. Ben and Jerry’s come to mind. And Dr. Bronner’s definitely. But my beef with it all is that money and stuff should not define a person in any way. Just as physical attributes do not bestow goodness either. Thank you for this thought-provoking series. Keep on keeping on in 2024 and help save our souls.
Meritocracy only works if it’s a level playing field. Rules and regulations have to apply equally.
Join MoveToAmend.org to overturn Citizens United via a constitutional amendment.
Thank you for the app. We need to put a stop to Citizens United for sure! 👍🏻
Trumpler just says shit based on his half-brain, his defensive paranoia and his always-grifting, gaslighting reaction to the world. He tosses BS out there, like Mein Kampf, poisoning blood, Manchurian Candidate, socialism, fascism, and more -- knowing his audience is stupider than he is, his toxic spew successful with enough of his rube and racist voters, furthered more by America’s corrupt electoral college system, will very likely serve to push him over the edge and win. (AND THIS TIME HE’LL NEVER LEAVE!) On top of which, he adds the toxic “If I don’t win, I declare I did, vehemently, again and again strategy” for it has worked in his favor.
Most of all this study in outrageous human stupidity and selfishness indicates we are in the ultimate dreaded downward spiral and only a miracle in goodness-triumphing-over-evil will democracy prevail.
Feel so angry on behalf of and sorry for our children over the toxic stew of chaos, hate and corruption we are handing them.
I like your stark dichotomy ---- socialism for the rich and harsh capitalism for the rest of us--- it identifies the problem very well. Thank you! I had the former part in my mind but not the latter placed together so neatly with it.. I'll use your easily relatable contrast when talking with people.
Thank you, Mr Reich. Your knowledge, understanding and moral compass make your essays a joy to read. I envy your students.
Peloton is a perfect example of how marketing manipulates. Sitting on a stationery bike and peddling with too loud music became "hot" because the bike instructors are STARS which is why they are paid $500,000-$750,000 for cycling fast and trash talking!!! The guy who started Peloton said he wanted to get great classes at home since this bike was just a clothes hanger. Obviously, Peloton is no different than Spinning launched in 1993 as group exercise in gyms or SoulCycle--group exercise on yellow bikes in boutique studios. This limited type of exercise sells because it is FAT burning ( really just raises Cortisol so you are hungrier) but doesn't require proprioception; balance; flexibility; coordination; or strength. Now 60 years after these crazes helped make America fat, they are in decline since Ozempic makes "torching calories" irrelevant. As the person who made Pilates a household name, I know that almost all exercise was marketed for fat reducing which is why exercise companies are buying drug dispensers just as WW did with
Sequence. Correct exercise is very beneficial, but after decades of failure the public may walk away and throw the baby out with the bathwater. A recent LA Times story said that employees prefer insurance to cover Ozempic rather than gym memberships. Sixty years of false advertising of diet and exercise; then fitness and nutrition; and now wellness. All the rebranding covering up the fraud. Now 65% of American is Obese. Fortunately, science can fix this before our health care system collapses. Competent instructors should be paid well, but none of them is a STAR. In fact, most are merely exercise junkies with their own body issues.
Does anyone else wish we could have one of these discussions on Saturday? I work during the week and by the end of my day I'm tired and the discussion has pretty much run its course. I've got nothing against the klatch, but I enjoy the discussions more. Maybe it could move to Friday or Monday? I have to think there are others who work Monday through Friday, and participation would increase for a Saturday discussion.
Not to mention the West Coasters get a three hour late start. I look at the time stamps of comments to Dr. Reich and HCR, although I can guess the location of some frequent commenters by their responses, I’m convinced there’s a lot of SubStack readers out there with serious insomnia.