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President Donald J. Trump

Started by The General, February 11, 2011, 01:33:34 AM


WOTR

Quote from: starramus on November 10, 2019, 07:35:25 AM
November 8, 2019
Left is the New Right, or Why Marx Matters
by Rob Urie

Part of the challenge of addressing this politics comes through dubious parsing of ‘the political’ from its objects. If an agent of the government tells people when to wake, what to wear, what they can and can’t say and what to spend their time doing, that is authoritarian. When an employer determines these, it is considered ‘free choice.’ In the neoliberal frame, economics is only political to the extent that elected leaders promote specific economic policies.

Left unaddressed and largely unconsidered has been the persistence of class relations. The rich continue to get richer, the rest of us, not so much.

Why any of this matters is that capitalism has been tried and its consequences are becoming increasingly untenable. Environmental ills appear intractable, capitalist political economy is being held together with increasingly desperate measures, and its human toll can be measured in foreign genocides and domestic deaths of despair. Given the nature of neoliberal recessions, the U.S. is but one recession away from wholesale economic and political rebellion. And that recession is on the way. The value of left analysis is that it opens the range of political possibilities.

A few thoughts on this... I suppose the biggest question is "if not capitalism, then what?" Given that the title of the article includes Marx, I am going to guess something closer to communism?

  We will start with the end. "Why any of this matters is that capitalism has been tried and its consequences are becoming increasingly untenable. Environmental ills appear intractable..." Can you please show me an economy that is not producing environmental harm? I know we Can't look to China or Venezula or India or Iran. Perhaps North Korea? But there you have them lining political opponents up on sports fields and firing mortars at them while the people starve... I suppose you could argue that China is not a "true Marxist state" as you envision one... But it seems to be the closest thing that we have.

As for "the rich get richer, the rest of us, not so much"- I am sick of hearing that. You look at the old USSR or China (until recently) or North Korea or any other area that did not have capitalism. You look at the living conditions for the average citizen compared to "our" part of the world. It worked amazing for the average citizen (at least until recently.) Even then, it may be a "stall" or it may need a "reboot."

I would agree that since the mid 80's the standard of living is not increasing as it used to. But when you consider the average person in the 1800's could barely afford to keep themselves fed and housed to what you have today, I would argue that capitalism serviced "the great unwashed masses" in a very efficient manner for many decades. As the Henry Ford's collected wealth, the average person saw their food bill drop from consuming 42% to under 10% (it has dropped further since 2003.). That includes the meals out at a nice restaurant or ordering your meals from "skip the dishes" because you are too damn lazy to cook for yourself (something that the average person surely would not be experiencing in 1900.)

If you look at the graph below, you will see that the amount people spend on housing increases. But then people used to live in modest two room houses and now everybody requires their very own McMansion (made possible by capitalism.) The cost of clothing has dropped, and the amount that the average person spends on "entertainment" has increased.

Yeah, capitalism was surly a dismal failure for the average American.  ::)



Now, this is not to say that there are not problems. While the average person now has more money to spend on their bigger houses, vacations, and at the movies, the average "evil capitalist" has figured out how to hoover up those dollars by supplying the bigger houses, all inclusive drunk fest vacations, and the shit that Hollywood churns out to satisfy the average stupid citizen.

So, the rich have gotten richer. And the average American has taken on more debt to buy an (unnecessarily) bigger house. I would also argue that since the mid 80's, the standard of living has not been increasing for those on the bottom as it had in the many decades prior to. It is possible that capitalism is finally starting to reach a tipping point where due to the greed of the average citizen (the demand for a $2000 handbag to go with the Mercedes of their dream) it can no longer pull them along. (Oh, and CDO's and corporate greed has also contributed.) It is becoming obvious that the government is virtually owned by Goldman Sachs. But that is not actually capitalism. It is a bad mix of the worst of all political ideologies.

Interesting that this rather left leaning article includes "If an agent of the government tells people when to wake, what to wear, what they can and can’t say and what to spend their time doing, that is authoritarian. When an employer determines these, it is considered ‘free choice.’ " That is something that people on the "right" are starting to worry about.

However, I would suspect that the author would have no problem with it so long as it cut only in one direction. Even if there were no "human rights" laws I would be fired for expressing my opinion if it ran contrary to my companies policies. If I were to set up an account with my own name and say "fuck transvestites" or "women should stay in the kitchen and bear children" I would be fired. (One of the reasons why anonymous forums such as this one or four-chan are necessary.)  However, I wonder if the author has a problem with my company deciding what I can and can't say if it is something that he believes in- or if he is a typical hypocrite?

Well, that is it. I would argue other points, but I have actually taken the time to type out a response rather than a "cut and paste" article and I've spent too long already.



Dr. MD MD

Quote from: DigitalPigSnuggler on November 10, 2019, 03:49:16 PM
How many times have you posted this video now, retard?  About six?

First time but here, have another:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9gmnUumvFU

BTW, how’s your filipino “stepdaughter?”

Quote from: WOTR on November 10, 2019, 05:01:56 PM
A few thoughts on this... I suppose the biggest question is "if not capitalism, then what?" Given that the title of the article includes Marx, I am going to guess something closer to communism?

I don't agree with the article, but I would argue that we need to review the system from time to time and make adjustments.  Even the Constitution has a mechanism to amend it.

The peril to capitalism, in my view, comes from a state of affairs where there is too much class separation.  The statistics have been bandied about and are freely available, but the gist of it is that there is a historically-large percentage of wealth concentrated in a few individuals who are largely beyond the reach of civil and even criminal law.  That, along with a struggling and resentful lower class, is a recipe for an overthrow of the current system. 

Again in my view, Warren and Sanders overreact to this situation. 

The president’s chief of staff is trying to join a lawsuit against the president.

Mick Mulvaney works only about 50 steps from the Oval Office as he runs the White House staff, but rather than simply obey President Donald Trump’s order to not cooperate with House impeachment investigators, he sent his lawyers to court late Friday night asking a judge whether he should or not.

To obtain such a ruling, the lawyers asked to join a lawsuit already filed by a former White House official â€" a lawsuit that names “the Honorable Donald J. Trump” as a defendant along with congressional leaders.

https://news.yahoo.com/seeking-join-suit-over-subpoena-170356907.html

Kidnostad3

Quote from: WOTR on November 10, 2019, 05:01:56 PM
A few thoughts on this... I suppose the biggest question is "if not capitalism, then what?" Given that the title of the article includes Marx, I am going to guess something closer to communism?

  We will start with the end. "Why any of this matters is that capitalism has been tried and its consequences are becoming increasingly untenable. Environmental ills appear intractable..." Can you please show me an economy that is not producing environmental harm? I know we Can't look to China or Venezula or India or Iran. Perhaps North Korea? But there you have them lining political opponents up on sports fields and firing mortars at them while the people starve... I suppose you could argue that China is not a "true Marxist state" as you envision one... But it seems to be the closest thing that we have.

As for "the rich get richer, the rest of us, not so much"- I am sick of hearing that. You look at the old USSR or China (until recently) or North Korea or any other area that did not have capitalism. You look at the living conditions for the average citizen compared to "our" part of the world. It worked amazing for the average citizen (at least until recently.) Even then, it may be a "stall" or it may need a "reboot."

I would agree that since the mid 80's the standard of living is not increasing as it used to. But when you consider the average person in the 1800's could barely afford to keep themselves fed and housed to what you have today, I would argue that capitalism serviced "the great unwashed masses" in a very efficient manner for many decades. As the Henry Ford's collected wealth, the average person saw their food bill drop from consuming 42% to under 10% (it has dropped further since 2003.). That includes the meals out at a nice restaurant or ordering your meals from "skip the dishes" because you are too damn lazy to cook for yourself (something that the average person surely would not be experiencing in 1900.)

If you look at the graph below, you will see that the amount people spend on housing increases. But then people used to live in modest two room houses and now everybody requires their very own McMansion (made possible by capitalism.) The cost of clothing has dropped, and the amount that the average person spends on "entertainment" has increased.

Yeah, capitalism was surly a dismal failure for the average American.  ::)



Now, this is not to say that there are not problems. While the average person now has more money to spend on their bigger houses, vacations, and at the movies, the average "evil capitalist" has figured out how to hoover up those dollars by supplying the bigger houses, all inclusive drunk fest vacations, and the shit that Hollywood churns out to satisfy the average stupid citizen.

So, the rich have gotten richer. And the average American has taken on more debt to buy an (unnecessarily) bigger house. I would also argue that since the mid 80's, the standard of living has not been increasing for those on the bottom as it had in the many decades prior to. It is possible that capitalism is finally starting to reach a tipping point where due to the greed of the average citizen (the demand for a $2000 handbag to go with the Mercedes of their dream) it can no longer pull them along. (Oh, and CDO's and corporate greed has also contributed.) It is becoming obvious that the government is virtually owned by Goldman Sachs. But that is not actually capitalism. It is a bad mix of the worst of all political ideologies.

Interesting that this rather left leaning article includes "If an agent of the government tells people when to wake, what to wear, what they can and can’t say and what to spend their time doing, that is authoritarian. When an employer determines these, it is considered ‘free choice.’ " That is something that people on the "right" are starting to worry about.

However, I would suspect that the author would have no problem with it so long as it cut only in one direction. Even if there were no "human rights" laws I would be fired for expressing my opinion if it ran contrary to my companies policies. If I were to set up an account with my own name and say "fuck transvestites" or "women should stay in the kitchen and bear children" I would be fired. (One of the reasons why anonymous forums such as this one or four-chan are necessary.)  However, I wonder if the author has a problem with my company deciding what I can and can't say if it is something that he believes in- or if he is a typical hypocrite?

Well, that is it. I would argue other points, but I have actually taken the time to type out a response rather than a "cut and paste" article and I've spent too long already.

The argument ends when you ask one of these deluded dimwits to cite one instance in which applied Marxism has resulted in anything but subjugation and misery. 

Book Claims Senior Officials Believed Pence Would Support Use Of 25th Amendment

The much-anticipated book “A Warning,” reportedly written by an unnamed senior White House official, claims that high-level White House aides were certain that Vice President Mike Pence would support the use of the 25th Amendment to have President Donald Trump removed from office because of mental incapacity.

According to the exposé, which is written by someone that The New York Times and the publisher of the book say is a current or former senior White House official, using the pen name “Anonymous,” highly placed White House officials did a back-of-the-envelope tally of which Cabinet members would be prepared to sign a letter invoking Section 4 of the 25th Amendment to the Constitution

https://news.yahoo.com/anonymous-book-warning-mike-pence.html


Asuka Langley

Quote from: DigitalPigSnuggler on November 10, 2019, 09:10:42 PM
Book Claims Senior Officials Believed Pence Would Support Use Of 25th Amendment

The much-anticipated book “A Warning,” reportedly written by an unnamed senior White House official, claims that high-level White House aides were certain that Vice President Mike Pence would support the use of the 25th Amendment to have President Donald Trump removed from office because of mental incapacity.

According to the exposé, which is written by someone that The New York Times and the publisher of the book say is a current or former senior White House official, using the pen name “Anonymous,” highly placed White House officials did a back-of-the-envelope tally of which Cabinet members would be prepared to sign a letter invoking Section 4 of the 25th Amendment to the Constitution

https://news.yahoo.com/anonymous-book-warning-mike-pence.html

Trump just keeps using the same hook over and over and over again it's not even entertaining at this point i legit feel bad for libtards


Quote from: Asuka Langley on November 10, 2019, 09:22:30 PM
Trump just keeps using the same hook over and over and over again it's not even entertaining at this point i legit feel bad for libtards


Ayep, the MAHA red-hatters don't care about anonymity, even when it is protected by the law.  Which means they don't care about the law.  Lock them up!

WOTR

Quote from: DigitalPigSnuggler on November 10, 2019, 09:00:28 PM
I don't agree with the article, but I would argue that we need to review the system from time to time and make adjustments.  Even the Constitution has a mechanism to amend it.

The peril to capitalism, in my view, comes from a state of affairs where there is too much class separation.  The statistics have been bandied about and are freely available, but the gist of it is that there is a historically-large percentage of wealth concentrated in a few individuals who are largely beyond the reach of civil and even criminal law.  That, along with a struggling and resentful lower class, is a recipe for an overthrow of the current system. 

Again in my view, Warren and Sanders overreact to this situation.

To be fair, Jefferson basically said that the occasional revolution is necessary. I would not disagree.

The main difference between today and any time in the past is that the ultra rich are free to move all of their resources (and factories, and taxable income) to other countries with impunity. Where they did have to worry about a good revolution in the past- they are now free to vacation on their private island while the peasants kill themselves.

Where in the past the rich in England would march with their soldiers, that is no longer the case. Now you have the cowards ensuring that it is not their family who will suffer.

As I said-  do support capitalism. I do believe that it has been by far the best system, and that it did wonders for the average person (yes, while it enriched the elite.) The recent difference seems to be the level of greed, and the ability for them to be free of consequences (see recent economic melt-down's caused by them.)

I don't know if revolution is necessary- but it is not a tool that should be ever be placed on a shelf out of reach...The only thing about a good revolution is that it is bloody, and that the outcome cannot always be predicted (nor is the most desirable outcome always guaranteed.)

Jackstar

https://youtu.be/7d9TZFwj7cg


This is mandatory viewing. I am using the word 'mandatory.'

Dr. MD MD

Quote from: DigitalPigSnuggler on November 10, 2019, 09:27:47 PM
Ayep, the MAHA red-hatters don't care about anonymity, even when it is protected by the law.  Which means they don't care about the law.  Lock them up!

I detect no humor or intelligence in this post. You’re just here to be the local ignoramus.



Quote from: WOTR on November 11, 2019, 03:05:07 AM
I don't know if revolution is necessary- but it is not a tool that should be ever be placed on a shelf out of reach...The only thing about a good revolution is that it is bloody, and that the outcome cannot always be predicted (nor is the most desirable outcome always guaranteed.)

I would prefer to fix it through representative legislation.  Pubs and Dems used to negotiate and horse-trade and get things done.  That's not the prevailing mood right now and its trump and Moscow Mitch who are leading that charge.  I don't have the answers or I would run myself.  But you don't need to know how to fix a car to know that when it makes a loud noise and smoke is coming from under the hood that something is seriously dysfunctional.  In an analogous sense, one can look at the government under trump and come to the same conclusion: something is broken here, this is not the answer. 

Dr. MD MD

Quote from: DigitalPigSnuggler on November 11, 2019, 10:22:08 PM
I would prefer to fix it through representative legislation.  Pubs and Dems used to negotiate and horse-trade and get things done.  That's not the prevailing mood right now and its trump and Moscow Mitch who are leading that charge.  I don't have the answers or I would run myself.  But you don't need to know how to fix a car to know that when it makes a loud noise and smoke is coming from under the hood that something is seriously dysfunctional.  In an analogous sense, one can look at the government under trump and come to the same conclusion: something is broken here, this is not the answer.

You never quite get to what’s wrong though. That’s because if you actually look at his record you’d have to conclude he’s been one of the most successful presidents ever.

Die in a fire, faggot!

starramus

Quote from: WOTR on November 11, 2019, 03:05:07 AM
To be fair, Jefferson basically said that the occasional revolution is necessary. I would not disagree.

The main difference between today and any time in the past is that the ultra rich are free to move all of their resources (and factories, and taxable income) to other countries with impunity. Where they did have to worry about a good revolution in the past- they are now free to vacation on their private island while the peasants kill themselves.

Where in the past the rich in England would march with their soldiers, that is no longer the case. Now you have the cowards ensuring that it is not their family who will suffer.

As I said-  do support capitalism. I do believe that it has been by far the best system, and that it did wonders for the average person (yes, while it enriched the elite.) The recent difference seems to be the level of greed, and the ability for them to be free of consequences (see recent economic melt-down's caused by them.)

I don't know if revolution is necessary- but it is not a tool that should be ever be placed on a shelf out of reach...The only thing about a good revolution is that it is bloody, and that the outcome cannot always be predicted (nor is the most desirable outcome always guaranteed.)

How many times has the repair of capitalism been tried? amerikkka's limp wristed left always wants to "save capitalism". Capitalism in all arenas is the source of the problems in the world. Is it in your interest to retain this obsolete system of exploitation and injustice, or is it in the oligarch's interest?

[attachment=1]

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/death-by-oligarchy/

Kidnostad3

Quote from: DigitalPigSnuggler on November 10, 2019, 09:27:47 PM
Ayep, the MAHA red-hatters don't care about anonymity, even when it is protected by the law.  Which means they don't care about the law.  Lock them up!

Wrong again.  The anonymity of news sources is not protected by law in the U.S:

"In the United States, unlike doctor-patient or lawyer-client confidentiality, reporters are not afforded a legal shield. Communications between reporters and sources have been used by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies as an avenue to information about specific individuals or groups related to pending criminal investigations." 

Why do you think reporters have been held in contempt and jailed by courts for not revealing their sources?

Kidnostad3

Quote from: starramus on November 12, 2019, 06:04:02 AM
How many times has the repair of capitalism been tried? amerikkka's limp wristed left always wants to "save capitalism". Capitalism in all arenas is the source of the problems in the world. Is it in your interest to retain this obsolete system of exploitation and injustice, or is it in the oligarch's interest?

[attachment=1,msg1365797]

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/death-by-oligarchy/

All you are doing is repeating accurate negative statements that have been made about socialism/Marxism/communism over the years and trying to apply them to capitalism/democracy/America.  It will never work--facts and figures get in the way and so does the average person's common sense. 

pate

Mr. Trump, I have been more than pateint with you.  Butt, yore thyme has run out.  In spite of the drumpfed up charges levied against you by the Democraps, I now am getting on bored the Imapeachmint movement.  As an act of good-will towards the ethically challenged folks who have you currently in their cross-hairs I give them a high-crime and/or misdemeanor charge that will aktually schtick:

You have FAILED in I have lost count of yaerns to bring back to Amerikkka the manufacture and sale of 100W incandescent light bulbs.  This lack of action continues to Make Amerikkka Not Grate.  It pains me to have to jump onboard the obvious sham imapeachmint tran, but for the good of the country I am writing my congresscritter a stern letter instructing him to ad the devastation charge of 100W incandescent light bulbs to their many ideas about imapeachmint.

Thank you, Mr. Trump, and may God have mercy on you're sole.



-p

Quote from: Kidnostad3 on November 12, 2019, 08:41:42 AM
Wrong again.  The anonymity of news sources is not protected by law in the U.S:

I was talking about the anonymity of whistleblowers, which is protected under federal law. 

Can you see any trouble downstream when trump declares himself above the law, and urges his followers - some of whom are bugfuck insane gun nuts - to support that position?

Dr. MD MD

Quote from: DigitalPigSnuggler on November 12, 2019, 04:28:05 PM
I was talking about the anonymity of whistleblowers, which is protected under federal law. 

Can you see any trouble downstream when trump declares himself above the law, and urges his followers - some of whom are bugfuck insane gun nuts - to support that position?

Gun nuts?

ItsOver


Quote from: ItsOver on November 12, 2019, 04:37:24 PM
You know.  It's a tasty new variety, favored by some.



But the "bugfuck insane" part, you're good with that?

Dr. MD MD

Quote from: DigitalPigSnuggler on November 12, 2019, 04:50:32 PM
But the "bugfuck insane" part, you're good with that?

I’m not but I’ve already told you that I’d like to see you and your kind strung up.



ItsOver

Quote from: Dr. MD MD on November 12, 2019, 06:02:21 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBYF7kqsx7s

Controlling Everything.
How would you like to be tried by Schiff for something, Doc?  This clown is running things like some kind of Soviet "justice" joke. This is how these commies would love to run a judicial system for everyone.

Dr. MD MD

Quote from: ItsOver on November 12, 2019, 06:11:30 PM
How would you like to be tried by Schiff for something, Doc?  This clown is running things like some kind of Soviet "justice" joke.  :P This is how these commies would love to run a judicial system for everyone.

There’s no difference between us and the USSR and there will be none until the people who want us to be the new USSR are purged from the system. It’s happened before. I believe in the early 20th century a bunch of communists were rounded up and deported.


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