The storyline being sold to the American public by the White House and the corporate mainstream media is that the economy is growing, jobs are being created, corporations are generating record profits, consumers are spending and all will be well in 2011. The 2% payroll tax cut, stolen from future generations to be spent in 2011, will jumpstart a sound economic recovery. Joseph Goebbels would be proud.
It was another wise old man named Ben Franklin who captured the essence of what those in control are peddling:
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”
The economy is growing due to unprecedented deficit spending by the government, fraudulent accounting by the Wall Street banks, the Federal Reserve buying $1.5 trillion of toxic mortgage “assets” from their Wall Street owners, various home buyer and auto tax credits and gimmick programs, and Fannie, Freddie, and the FHA accumulating taxpayer loses so morons can continue to purchase houses. Jobs are being created. According to the BLS, we’ve added 951,000 jobs since December 2009, an average of 79,000 per month. Of course, the population of the US is growing at 175,000 per month. It seems that there are millions of jobs being created, just not here as shown on these graphs from the NYT.
The storyline of corporate profits is true. As a percentage of national income, corporate profits are 9.5%. They have only topped 9% twice in history – in 2006 and 1929. When you see the paid Wall Street shills parade on CNBC every day proclaiming the huge corporate profit growth ahead, keep these data points in mind. Do profits generally rise dramatically from all time peaks?
You might ask yourself, if corporations are doing so well how come real unemployment exceeds 20%? The answer lies in who is generating the profits and how they are doing it. It seems that the fantastic profits are not being generated by domestic non-financial companies employing middle class Americans producing goods. Pre-tax domestic nonfinancial corporate profits are not close to record levels as a share of national income. They exceeded 15% of national income once in the late 1940s, and repeatedly topped 12% in the 1950s and 1960s; in the third quarter of this year, they were 7.03% of national income. I wonder who is making the profits.
According to BEA data, financial industry profits and “rest of world” profits — that is, the money U.S.-based corporations make overseas — are relatively much higher now than they were in the 1950s or 1960s. And the taxes paid by corporations are much lower now than they were then, as a share of national income. The reason that corporate profits are near their all-time highs is that Wall Street corporations and mega multinational corporations are making gobs of loot and paying less of it out in taxes. Isn’t that delightful for the CEOs and top executives of these companies?
The profits are being generated on Wall Street through collusion with the Federal Reserve, as the insolvent Wall Street banks accept free money from the Federal Reserve to generate speculative profits at the expense of senior citizens earning .20% on their CDs. The mega-multinationals are “earning” their profits by continuing to ship American jobs overseas at a record pace. The Economic Policy Institute, a Washington think tank, says American companies have created 1.4 million jobs overseas this year. The additional 1.4 million jobs would have lowered the U.S. unemployment rate to 8.9 percent, says Robert Scott, the institute’s senior international economist. “There’s a huge difference between what is good for American companies versus what is good for the American economy,” says Scott. The hollowing out of the American economy has been going on for decades and despite the usual rhetoric out of Washington DC, it continues unabated today.
But consumer spending has surged, so the recovery must be solid and self-sustaining say the brainless twits on CNBC. Consumer spending is rising because the top 1% wealthiest Americans are doing splendidly as they are now reaping 20% of the income in the country, levels last seen in 1929. The Haves have more, the Have Nots have less. The top 10% wealthiest Americans own 98.5% of all the stocks in the country. They feel richer because Ben Bernanke has propped up the stock market with trillions of borrowed money from future generations. The other 90% of Americans have stagnant or non-existent wages, rising costs for fuel and food, falling home prices, rising debt levels and little hope for the future. They have been thrown a bone of extended unemployment bennies, a temporary payroll tax cut, and extended tax cuts. Any spending they are doing is on credit cards as the austerity deleveraging storyline is another big lie by the MSM.
Greater Depression
The figure of 15 million unemployed reported by the government and regurgitated by the corporate media is one of the biggest lies in the history of lies. The real figure is 30 million and I will prove it using the government’s own data. I created the chart below from BLS data (ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/suppl/empsit.ceseeb1.txt) to prove that we are in the midst of a Greater Depression and no amount of spin by politicians and the media can wish it away. When we look at jobs in America across the decades, a picture of a country in decline, captured by financial elites, reveals itself. In 1970, America still produced goods, ran trade surpluses, and paid wages that allowed families to thrive with only one parent working. Only 34.6% of the population was employed, with a third of these workers producing goods.
| (Millions Employed) | 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2007 | Dec-09 | Nov-10 |
| Mining & Logging | 677 | 1,077 | 765 | 599 | 724 | 676 | 763 |
| Construction | 3,654 | 4,454 | 5,263 | 6,787 | 7,630 | 5,696 | 5,615 |
| Manufacturing | 17,848 | 18,733 | 17,695 | 17,263 | 13,879 | 11,534 | 11,648 |
| Trade, Transport. & Utilities | 14,144 | 18,413 | 22,666 | 26,225 | 26,630 | 24,653 | 24,806 |
| Information | 2,041 | 2,361 | 2,688 | 3,630 | 3,032 | 2,748 | 2,717 |
| Financial Activities | 3,532 | 5,025 | 6,614 | 7,687 | 8,301 | 7,657 | 7,573 |
| Professional & Business Serv. | 5,267 | 7,544 | 10,848 | 16,666 | 17,942 | 16,488 | 16,861 |
| Education & Health Services | 4,577 | 7,072 | 10,984 | 15,109 | 18,322 | 19,350 | 19,719 |
| Leisure & Hospitality | 4,789 | 6,721 | 9,288 | 11,862 | 13,427 | 12,991 | 13,174 |
| Other Serices | 1,789 | 2,755 | 4,261 | 5,168 | 5,494 | 5,314 | 5,402 |
| Government | 12,687 | 16,375 | 18,415 | 20,790 | 22,218 | 22,481 | 22,261 |
| TOTAL EMPLOYED | 71,005 | 90,530 | 109,487 | 131,786 | 137,599 | 129,588 | 130,539 |
| US Population | 205,052 | 227,225 | 249,439 | 281,422 | 299,398 | 308,200 | 310,300 |
| % of US Population Employed | 34.6% | 39.8% | 43.9% | 46.8% | 46.0% | 42.0% | 42.1% |
| Source: BLS Establishment Data |
Whether it was due to the woman’s movement of the 1970s or due to financial necessity, the percentage of the population employed grew relentlessly until it reached 46.8% in the year 2000. The level of 46.8% meant that when the opportunity to be employed was available, this percentage of Americans wanted a job. Since 2000 the population of the U.S. has grown by 28.9 million people. The labor force between the ages of 18 and 64 has grown by 26.1 million people since 2000. The government insists that millions of Americans have chosen to “leave the workforce” and should not be considered unemployed. This is laughable. Why would people choose to leave the workforce when wages are stagnant, retirement looms, prices relentlessly rise, and they are drowning in debt? The truth is that at least 46.8% of the population wants to be employed. That means that 145.2 million Americans would be working if they had the chance. Only 130.5 million are currently employed. This means that there are really 30 million Americans unemployed versus the 15 million reported by the government and MSM.
Not only is the country short 30 million jobs, but the type of jobs reveal a country of paper pushers, consultants, temp workers, government drones, waitresses, and clerks. The chart below shows the distribution of jobs through the decades.
| (% of Employed) | 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2007 | Dec-09 | Nov-10 |
| Mining & Logging | 1.0% | 1.2% | 0.7% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Construction | 5.1% | 4.9% | 4.8% | 5.2% | 5.5% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Manufacturing | 25.1% | 20.7% | 16.2% | 13.1% | 10.1% | 8.9% | 8.9% |
| Trade, Transport. & Utilities | 19.9% | 20.3% | 20.7% | 19.9% | 19.4% | 19.0% | 19.0% |
| Information | 2.9% | 2.6% | 2.5% | 2.8% | 2.2% | 2.1% | 2.1% |
| Financial Activities | 5.0% | 5.6% | 6.0% | 5.8% | 6.0% | 5.9% | 5.8% |
| Professional & Business Serv. | 7.4% | 8.3% | 9.9% | 12.6% | 13.0% | 12.7% | 12.9% |
| Education & Health Services | 6.4% | 7.8% | 10.0% | 11.5% | 13.3% | 14.9% | 15.1% |
| Leisure & Hospitality | 6.7% | 7.4% | 8.5% | 9.0% | 9.8% | 10.0% | 10.1% |
| Other Serices | 2.5% | 3.0% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 4.0% | 4.1% | 4.1% |
| Government | 17.9% | 18.1% | 16.8% | 15.8% | 16.1% | 17.3% | 17.1% |
| TOTAL EMPLOYED | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Source: BLS |
In 1970, jobs in the goods producing industries made up 31.2% of all jobs. Today, they account for 13.8% of all jobs. The apologists will proclaim that corporate America just got phenomenally more efficient and productive. That is another falsehood. In 1970, we were a net exporter, consumer expenditures accounted for 62.4% of GDP, and private investment accounted for 14.7% of GDP. Today, we consistently run $500 billion to $700 billion annual trade deficits, consumer expenditures account for 71% of GDP, and private fixed investment is a pitiful 11.5% of GDP. We’ve degenerated from a productive goods producing society to a consumption based, debt fueled society. This is a classic late stage trait of declining empires. Rome and Britain before us experienced similar declines.
The most damning facts that can be garnered from the BLS data relate to how we’ve become a nation of bankers, real estate agents, accountants, lawyers, tax specialists, and fast food fry cooks. Manufacturing jobs have dropped from 25% of all jobs in 1970 to less than 9% today. Jobs in the spreadsheet generating, credit default swap creating, subprime mortgage pushing, frivolous lawsuit filing, tax evasion sector of the economy went from 12% in 1970 to 19% today.
The misinformation and lies will continue. The MSM keeps repeating that jobs are coming back. You don’t hear which jobs. Hysterically, the four fastest growing job categories according to the BLS are:
- Administrative and support services
- Food services and drinking places
- Couriers and messengers
- Performing arts and spectator sports
The well paying goods producing jobs are never coming back. American manufacturing jobs have been shifted overseas for more than two decades by corporate America. Now those jobs have become more sophisticated, like semiconductors, software and even medical and finance. The American middle class is relegated to being McDonalds fry cooks, Wal-Mart greeters, and temp workers. What has happened to the American middle class was not an accident. The wealth of the country has been pillaged by an elite group at the very top of the economic food chain, who were able to reap the rewards of globalization (outsourcing American jobs), manipulate the debt based financial system through synthetic fraud products, and avoid taxes by hiring thousands of lawyers, accountants and tax consultants. When you hear that the rich need lower taxes, corporate taxes are too high and increased productivity is great for America, remember what they have done to the country since 1970. If corporate America and its leaders continue to reap obscene profits while the middle class falls further into the abyss, societal unrest will beckon.
I build cheap rentalhomes with $10/hr day labor .In my latest project I hired my general contractor neighbor, and my architect/designer of the building, as $10/hour laborers . They both desperately needed more work ,and I didnt have the heart to see them working as fast food workers.
@all free marketeers
There is no free market. Never has been, never will be. All of us are complicit in this immoral capitalistic system, because we make a devil’s bargain being a wage slave. And now the new robber barons are actually cutting your wages and making greater profits. As the value of things go up, we should be seeing a rise in our wages. But we’re not because the world-wide labor force has doubled in the last decade. You can kiss the American dream good-bye!
Jiggerjuice —
First of all, you have one of the coolest names ever.
Second, excellent post! I always value 1st hand experience over mere “intellectual” knowledge. You actually lived in China for 4 years. That must have been an awesome learning experience. Thanks for revealing that, and thanks for sharing.
Stuck
Your first two comments on this post have the most thumbs up ever. Nice.
Now I need to unload on you. WTF!!! Avalon read your review of Black Swan and had to see it. We went last night.
Ballet. The craziest chick ever. I wanted to kill myself by the end. Thanks.
In 1970 my relative worked at a Shipyard in Chester PA building and repairing Oil tankers and other large ships
1981 the Shipyard closed and he moved to the Philadelphia Naval Ship Yard. And during the 80’s completed college.
In 1992 The Gov’t shut down the shipyard and he got a job as a machinist with a local utility
in 2004 he was forced into early retirement as part of a Reduction In Force
in 2005 he got a job at the Former Philadelphia Naval Ship Yard this time helping Scrap the same ships he had worked to keep afloat. So the Scrap could be sold to China
In 2010 he is teaching his skills at a local Community College. Teaching because despite 30+ years experience there aren’t any jobs actually using his skills as his students will learn when they complete their program.
Back in the 1980’s he asked “what happens to the US when we have flipped the last burger and sold the last insurance policy?”
I am afraid we are about to find out.
CrazyCanuck —
I do agree with you there were other factors in creating globalization besides transportation costs.
But you are incorrect in stating that transportation costs were just a minor factor.
Why were there several dozens of automobile manufacturers in the early 1900’s? Because factories HAD to be built; A) as close as possible to the source of raw material or to the ports delivering material, and B) as close as possible to the buyers of what the factory produced. The same was true for every industry, not just autos. These are facts pretty much beyond dispute, my friend.
The interstate highway system and the corresponding cheap gas changed all that in the USofA. Factories could now be built anywhere.
Two technololgies further enabled globalization to take place. Communications technology — specifically, digital communication allowed for the “divorce” of the front office from the production floor. It was no longer necessary for Design, Engineering, R&D, Finance, Sales, and other necessary functions to PHYSICALLY be at the same location as the factory floor. There was no difference in being across the street, or across the world. Lastly, computer software easily handled the logistical nightmare of co-ordinating the entire complex process.
I picked a $9.99 toaster because the cheaper the product, the more of a factor transportation cost becomes. Obviously. Suppose a trucker charges $10,000 to make a cross country run. The cost as a percentage of value to ship a million dollar generator my dad helped build is inconsequential … even if the cost were to double or triple. But even a slight increase in transportation costs would result in that $9.99 toaster increasing in price to the point that it is no longer profitable or competitive. And since the Chinese basically make cheap shit commodity items, you are absolutely correct that it will be — ” the major factor that will bring a halt to globalization.”
LOL, Jim. What did Avalon think of the movie??
SWEAR to God this is true. Last evening we watched another movie from that director, Requiem For A Dream. I saw it once before 10+ years ago. Ms. Freud did not, and since she soooo enjoyed Black Swan, she went to Blockbuster and got it. Trust me — that movie is even darker. I wanted to kill myself!! Maybe we had that thought at exactly the same time??? We’re connected Jimbo!!!
Stuck
She said she liked it. I don’t believe her. It is like saying you enjoyed that traffic accident. I have a sudden urge to scratch myself.
There were a couple of enjoyable scenes. You know which ones I’m talking about.
“The man who tells lies merely hides the truth. The man who tells half-lies has forgotten where he put it.”
Jim loves to quote economic/political/social cycles and epochs, usually they are denominated in generations. This is a longer cycle, one denominated in empire or civilizations.
Americans have been raped by the same banking/power monger cartels that have destroyed civilizations for thousands of years. For those familiar with Marvel Comic’s character Galactus, he is akin to the Rothschild/Medici bankers who always bleed then kill arrogant, irresponsible, blind and fat nations.
The die is cast. I love this place, and pray (on my knees) every night for America. This great land had only one shield, and that was reverence for God and Country. That reverence has atrophied in to drugs, free sex, “equality,” and so called social justice. Piss on it, this aging cold warrior has the bug out place warm and cozy. I am watching, waiting, praying, hoping, that my fellow Americans, the ones with balls and honor, will fight one last good fight. Count on me if you do. But I will not catalyze this reaction, the younger amongst you must.
I feel like Childe Roland in the great epoch poem by Browning…
“Not hear? when noise was everywhere! it tolled
Increasing like a bell. Names in my ears
Of all the lost adventurers my peers,–
How such a one was strong, and such was bold,
And such was fortunate, yet each of old
Lost, lost! one moment knelled the woe of years.
There they stood, ranged along the hillsides, met
To view the last of me, a living frame
For one more picture! in a sheet of flame
I saw them and I knew them all. And yet
Dauntless the slug-horn to my lips I set,
And blew. “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower came.”
I wish I had time to read this whole article and all the comments, but I have actually been too busy working these days.
By the way, Halliburton has a lot of job openings.
You just have to leave your conscience at home.
“Holy Verbosity of Verbiage, Batman! That RE fella sure is riled up!”
I don’t understand your first post. Are you angry because I accused you of saying capitalism is evil? Hey, you did say, “ … the whole factory model of Capitalism is Dogshit …”. Or, are you angry that you feel the need to defend your position? I suspect it’s the latter, but I’m not positive.
You then provided a snapshot of the evils/shortfalls of capitalism going all the way back to 1397. Hey, did I or anyone else here EVER say capitalism is the PERFECT system? No!!! Did you not read where Ms Freud and I told BOA to go fuck themselves? Do you know I haven’t been to a pizza chain-store like Pizza Hut in years. Rather I go local to Chiccio’s, as I try to do for every purchase whenever possible. I haven’t bought a diamond in over a decade and never will again in my lifetime for I am disgusted with the slavery at the point of origin. I am as disgusted as you are that children slave away making sneakers for mere pennies while cocksuckers like Michael Jordan make tens of millions endorsing them. I am NOT blind to the horrors.
But, I feel YOU are blind to the horrors of YOUR system. You act as if Tribalism is free of all horrors and evil. Tell me again how kind and wonderful Attila the Hun was when he came through town? I could go on and on providing example after example why your ism is just as flawed, if not more so, than any other ism, and why the main reason this is so is because ANY system created by FLAWED humanity will result in flawed execution of that system no matter how good the original intent. But what’s the point? You are too “sold” on your solution – yeah, even brainwashed. I’m sure you’ll say, “pot meet kettle”! lol
.
.
Now in terms of the hypocrisy question. Don’t misunderstand me. I do NOT care that you live in a beautiful log cabin! Again, I am only saying that to be TRULY consistent with your passionate point of view … that you OUGHT to live in an igloo.
But you defend yourself by saying, — “This IS the society we have, and to try to fight against it while the Oil was still flowing copiously was just a losing cause overall. So I don’t fight it, I just wait for it to Collapse.” — Ha! You do realize what this is called? It’s called … RATIONALIZATION. It’s OK, we all do it. But would Jesus have said, “Hey, I know I preached against the evils of loving mammon but you know, this IS a very materialistic society, so that’s why I just bought Herod’s castle on the lake.”? Of course, you are no Jesus ….. even though you think you are. LOL
Couple other quick points.
=========
You said, “On the other hand I CAN prove to you that Potlatch worked for well over 2000 years in the Pacific Northwest from the years 1200-1400, ..”
I keep doing the math on this over and over. When I subtract 1400 – 1200, I get 200. You get 2,000. I’m calling bullshit on that one.
=========
You said; —- “nails do not HAVE to be made in a factory. If we had a local Blacksmith, he could make the nails. The Double Paned Factory Made Glass Windows would be a bit harder to duplicate but not impossible. Even if you couldn’t do it though, it doesn’t take a factory to make glass, individuals have been blowing glass since even before metals were smelted out´…”
So, tell me, if you did have a nail maker and glass-blower up there — exactly how long would they be in business before they starved to death … making nails for just you and a handful of other clients? Why stop at nails and glass? What about all the other shit in your cabin? I guess you’d have your own personal pottery maker too? And furniture maker? And lumberjack for the furniture maker? And an oil driller to fill that Mazda with gasoline? Etc Etc Rubbish! Your economic “plan” makes no sense.
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You said; —- “ .. through a population well over 100,000 strong through that period ..”
Aha! Therein is the rub! TRIBALISM DOES NOT SCALE!!! It may indeed work wonderfully well for small populations , but it just won’t work for a nation of 310 million. And you know it. Which is why, I believe, you often call for a massive die off of 90% (or greater) or humanity. At least in your system there will be a lot of new jobs created …. for hangmen and undertakers.
This is the same shit, that happens here in germany. Mainstream media, Goverment and others tell us, we were doing well in 2011. more jobs, more income bla bla…..wtf. I am unemployed, no chance to get a job that I can pay my rent for the flat and other normal things.
I want to give a shoutout and TBP welcome to the poster above, jurassicpork.
I went to your website and added it to my favorites. Loved your article, “American Life In Stasis”. http://giveusthisdayourdailydread.blogspot.com/2010/12/american-life-in-stasis.html
Comparing the USofA today to a road trip is very creative! I loved your closing comment; –
– “Heaven has run out of manna and saviors and we’ve killed off the last Good Samaritans. When will it end and when will the common man finally get a break on the wayside?”
Your 2010 wrapup is also pretty darn good.
@eugend66
“JFK wanted people on the Moon, ” not because it`s easy, but because it`s hard ” . Looking
forward sounds like a crime in some of your posts. Going backward, just because some
Illuminati want, is not a path to be chosen by mankind. Humans change, it`ll only take time.
I still hold some hope that science and people like Newton, Hawking will count more than
hollow idiots. Maybe it`s just a phase or a bad dream that we`re living now.
Guys like AJay Nock will exist as long as the sheeple has something to learn from books.
” Never complain, never explain, never argue ” was his motto about how people learn.
Those who want to learn, will learn.”
JFK my have wanted people on the moon, but whether any ever actually set foot on that lifeless and barren hunk of rock is a subject of some debate. Let me ask you, were there any rocket or jet propelled VTOL craft that even functioned on earth in the 1960s? I defy anyone to produce a VTOL craft without the portable computing power we have now to do real time calculations to keep such a craft upright. Hell, even the upward bound rockets of the period were unstable, and balancing out a descending rocket is a WAY tougher problem. What exactly was keeping those Moon Landers upright with their rocket pointed at the ground anyhow? 1/4 Gravity doesn’t resolve the balance issues, they are still there, and moreover, without a working model on earth, how did the flight jockeys practice keeping them upright if they were doing it manually? Neil Armstrong just sat down in the pilot’s seat for the first time on the way down and did it by the seat of his pants? What?
Newton and Hawking were/are bright guys, and so was Richard Feynman, who I had the great good fortune of doing some blackboard contests with when he visited at Columbia back in the 70s. However, once we moved from the world of classical physics describing the tangible universe of the medium size, actually making use of the theories of relativity describing the world of the very large or quantum mechanics describing the world of the very small we have been pretty much miserable failures. Observing the effects is one thing, actually controlling these effects is quite beyond anything even the most brilliant minds of the last 50 years have been able to do. I see nothing on the horizon to indicate we will be any more successful with this in the next 50 years than we have been for the last 50. Or in the next 500 years for that matter.
@Gitano
“You seem to have thought it all through. Nothing like spending time in a log cabin in Alaska to do that. I see the value of the internet as providing information and connecting people of like mind from diverse locations. I don’t believe anyone is “converted” on the net. It is more like singing to the choir. The communists read communist blogs, the keynesians read keynesian blogs, the austrians read austrian blogs, etc. Personal philosophies are developed over a lifetime, not from reading a blog. The downside of the internet is making yourself too visible.
He who is prudent and patiently waits for an enemy who is not, will be victorious.
–Sun-Tzu”
Certainly the calm, cold and peaceful scene outside my Cabin window is great for contemplation, but then so was the scenery out in front of the Windshield of my Freightliner. So were the endless hours I spent commuting to Stuyvesant on the NYC Subways in my HS years. It doesn’t matter where you are, there is always time to ponder on what makes the world tick for anyone, if they are so predisposed as to do that. Just most people do not spend time thinking out these questions, they simply take on the Received Wisdom of the Ages, from books like the Bible, or the “Wealth of Nations” or “Das Kapital”, whatever. Thnk it through and draw your own conclusions, and the world becomes quite a different place than the one you have been told it is.
For myself, clearly I do not limit myself to blogs with only Tribalists, hell even on my own board the members don’t generally agree with me on those topics. The only way you ever learn anything is to go out and challenge the thinking of others who hold ideas in opposition to your own. Sadly of course, there are few people of any ideological persuasion who will engage in a real debate of ideas on any board.
Far as Sun Tzu is concerned, he can take his prudence and patience and stick it where the sun don’t shine 🙂
@Stuck
Good catch on the math error! Unfortunately deducing how these tribes lived much further back is pretty difficult, but I take it on faith they lived that way for the period from around 10,000 BC to 1500 AD 🙂
Now, far as the Horrors of Tribalism goes, first off we can’t be sure if Attila just got a lot of Bad Press from the people his tribe descended on to Rape and Pillage. Maybe Atilla and the boys had good reason to slaughter all those people? Maybe they were all Pigmen! Attila was probably a nice Peaceful Chief until some Roman Bankster fleeced his tribe out of their ancestral lands. Then he followed RE’s timeless advice, “Don’t just get Mad, get EVEN!” LOL.
On the Rationalization question and how Jesus might have operated in his wanderings, at least in that painting of the Last Supper he seems to have been eating pretty well. While the peons are out there starving, he and his buddies are feasting? WTF? Is there any description in the Bible of what Jesus’ McMansion looked like? Did HE live in an Igloo? Sure he went wandering around and spent a lot of time on the road, but then so did I 😉 Have YOU lived for 6 years traveling around and sleeping in a Freightliner?
Can Tribalism scale up past the Federation size of 100,000 or so? In principle, yes it can, because actually that 100,000 represented 20 or more different tribes that all operated more or less the same way. The population reduction I see as necessary is not so much to make Tribalism function (although it would certainly help in that regard), but more to put less stress on the renewable planetary resources.
Anyhow,so far here you have not tried to defend Capitalism, just attack the alternatives I present, which is fair enough I suppose. The thing is here, we clearly do need to replace a failing system, and I do not think replacing it with one which just failed is a great idea. Unless you have some OTHER plan here I haven’t thought of yet, or favor Communism or Socialism as a replacement, I’ll stick with Tribalism and Potlatch as the best alternative I can come up with. However, if you can come up with a better one, please enlighten me. I will be your Acolyte and Chief Propaganda Minister for Stucky’s System 🙂
RE
@ Stucky
Oh, one more thing. I neglected to answer the Lead Question in your post:
“I don’t understand your first post. Are you angry because I accused you of saying capitalism is evil? Hey, you did say, “ … the whole factory model of Capitalism is Dogshit …”. Or, are you angry that you feel the need to defend your position? I suspect it’s the latter, but I’m not positive.”
Stuck, you should know me better than this by now. I am not “angry” at all. In fact I am quite deliriously HAPPY, because your post and Zara’s gave me a wonderful platform from which to write a rant on. I write in Dialogue, and without such questions doing this kind of writing is very dull. Throw me a Bone to Chew on though, and I will gnaw on it about FOREVER.
Keep the questions coming Stuck. Its what I live for on the Internet.
RE
RE —
Surely you jest in making reference to DaVinci’s Last Supper painting. Why does everyone in his painting look like Italians or Europeans??? Because DaVinchi was a fool … albeit a talented one. Jesus was short of stature, curly haired, a prominent nose …. not a blue eyed Eurotrash pretty boy! He also drove a Japanese car for it says after the Last Supper they all left in one Accord.
In terms of my “ism” well … I know my limitations. I am not an Economist and don’t pretend to be. I could not rant like you do even if a pot of gold was the prize. That’s why it’s easier to attack someone else’s view rather than come up with my own. LOL
Ideally, if I were forced to come up with something, I would love to return to the USofA circa 1776. I would abolish 90% plus of the Federal Government Agencies. I would abolish 95% of the tens of thousands of rules and regulations that make us amongst the LEAST free nations on earth. I guess if you had to name it it would be called LeaveMeTheFuckAloneIsm.
” I guess if you had to name it it would be called LeaveMeTheFuckAloneIsm”
This actually has a more concise name, it is called “Anarchism”. So Stuck, you can now cop to being an Anarchist.
The main tenet of the Anarchist is that he doesn’t want or accept the idea of having ANY Ruling Class or Goobermint out there telling him what to do. And of course in the period directly before a Revolution this is the case. The Revolutionaries have now decided to IGNORE whatever rules are being applied to their lives by TPTB, but they have not yet formed a new Goobermint which will replace the old one, or new set of Oligarchs to replace the last set.
Sadly of course, the minute these Revolutionaries WON the war and moved their arguments from Sam Adam’s Tavern over tot he Constitutional Convention and hammered out a NEW Goobermint, you got yourself right back into the same old set of problems.
“LeaveMeTheFuckAloneism” doesn’t last because human beings are Social Creatures that depend on each other. They always do and MUST aggregate up to some level of cooperation in order to survive. You actually immediately begin to make Compromises to LeaveMeTheFuckAloneism as soon as you get take on a Wife and start a family. Does your Wife ever LeaveYouTheFuckAlone? Do your Kids? Hell no! Compromises to this philosophy star immediately in the aggregation of people.
The question is, just how big does the aggregate need to be to make it Self-Sufficient and Self-Sustaining? Answer there, minimum size is the Tribal Unit. Certainly you must make compromises to your Individual Rights as the member of a Tribal Unit, obeying the Tribal Taboos like not marrying your sister etc. LOL. However, overall the total number of compromises you must make are less in this situation than you hae when you aggregate up into Nation State size.
So, your best REAL chance for “LeaveMeTheFuckAloneism” is to keep the Political Unit down to the Tribal Size. Welcome to the Club of Tribalists, Stuck. Glad to have a new member. LOL.
RE
“Does your Wife ever LeaveYouTheFuckAlone”
LMAO!! Of course not! That’s WHY I divorced her in the first place.
You have shaken my world RE …. right down to the core. If LeaveMeTheFuckAloneIsm is indeed related to Tribalism then you very well may have a New Member. Seriously. I will have to think on these things a bit more and do some research and then ponder the consequences of being potentially allied with YOU!! This could change everything. Damn … just when I thought I had it all figured out too!
Stuck
I hope you like ice fishing in 20 below temperatures. Plus, you will have to cuddle with RE to keep warm.
The main tenet of the Anarchist is that he doesn’t want or accept the idea of having ANY Ruling Class or Goobermint out there telling him what to do -RE
Sounds almost exactly like Talibanism
KB — the Taliban during their heyday in Afghanistan outlawed Kite Flying!!! And, ALL music. No … Talibanism is the complete opposite of Anarchy … it is goobermint at its worst possible iteration.
So if I play my music real loud, doing what I want, the anarchist next door wont come over and shoot me because he can do whatever he wants?
I just dont see getthefuckoutmyfaceism can possibly not devolve into JonesversusSmithslawwestofthepecosism.
Nothing like spending time in a log cabin in Alaska to do that. I see the value of the internet as providing information and connecting people of like mind from diverse locations -RE
The internet was invented so hotheads could yell and scream at each other but be out of fist fighting, knives and bullet range. The first conceptual device following this ideology was the CB Radio but it failed because they did manage to locate each other at truckstops.
KB — lol … good question!! I’m not an Anarchist just yet so I have no f’ing clue.
However, trying to think this through logically …. I don’t believe anarchy — the economic system being discussed — necessarily means lawlessness. I’m pretty sure anarchists have a sense of … live and let live … or, do no harm to thy fellow human being.
Now please do NOT give me a Webster’s definition of anarchy. I know what it is.
I would submit that a BETTER name be given to that philosophy. Tribalism doesn’t “work” for me either — as it also conjures up images that most likely are not rooted in what it really is. Maybe you or RE can think of one.
Jiggerjuice: Change your mindset and you change your perceptions. I agree with RE and others that corporatism ruined this country’s middle class by offshoring our industry. What if we did not let this happen? What if we decided to ignore offshore compitition by not letting those imports in and began to again manufacture items for ourselves just like we did in the 70s? Cheap low quality Chinese products are irrevelant if we don’t import them. We could have kept recycling steel to make new products had we not shipped most of our scrap matel to China so they can manufacture their new blue navy. Isolating our economic engine to maintain our standard of living is not a bad thing. In the 1970s we were spreading the wealth in our nation for the benefit of our american brothers while corporatism was plotting against us. So this is where we find ourselves today with our global mindset. In addition to that we let in so many nationalities that we deluted our culture just like our brothers across the pond did and now we are paying the price. We have so much cultural confusion we can’t even make laws that suit the majority anymore. Our own Christian foundation is in question. Our minds are blown open to every whim and every hair brained idea in the river of bad, good, and indifferent ideas and thoughts circulating in our society because we dicided to blow a hole in our roots and accept everything and everyone into our society all at once.
So Jiggerjuice, when you start thinking, ask yourself where are your thoughts coming from and do these thoughts have a valid foundation? We are indeed a confused people.
” Seriously. I will have to think on these things a bit more and do some research and then ponder the consequences of being potentially allied with YOU!!”-Stuck
Now, that WOULD be a scenario I haven’t previously considered as plausible, but stranger things have happenned in the pantheon of history of course 😉
In any event, think of the advantages. Remember, once we go back to the Old Ways, we share EVERYTHING, even my Guest Room visitor Nozomi
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RE
“Nothing like spending time in a log cabin in Alaska to do that. I see the value of the internet as providing information and connecting people of like mind from diverse locations -RE”
Not my Quote KB. Read for comprehension. I think that one came from Gitano.
RE
If Nozomi really is your guest I will book my flight this evening.
But sharing everything also has its Horrible Moments. Not so long ago Goldorack offered to suck your cock. A potlatch gift of Swedish lips. Remember? I also recall that you did NOT offer a rebuttal. This sharing shit can be quite scary.
” I’m pretty sure anarchists have a sense of … live and let live … or, do no harm to thy fellow human being.”-Stuck
I think even the most Anarchic of Anarchists would accept the Golden Rule.
“Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”
After that, working up a Code of Laws and acceptable behaviors for a community becomes increasingly complex and difficult with increasing size. Just look at our current Tax Law or the Obama-sama Health Care Bill as examples of what happens when this shit works its way up to the Nation State size, eh?
KISS Principle. Keep is SMALL, Stupid. Tribalism is the way to go.
RE
This nation will be crushed in the next large conventional war because all of our (US) heavy manufacturing has been eliminated over the past 40 years. There is no way we could fight China or Russia, let alone both simultaneously, because we have no industrial might. That leaves nukes as the only option. But since almost all the whores in Congress and the Kenyan occupying the White House are socialists in favor of a 1 world government, nukes would probably not be used.
They will simply sell us all off as slaves just before they fly off to foreign lands, laughing as they watch the news of American citizens being slaughtered in the streets by foreign troops.
No rebuttal to Goldie on that occassion because all that homophobic nonense cluttering up these pages is something I seek to avoid if possible.
The occassional pic of a pretty girl though everyone can appreciate 🙂
RE
98 … and counting baby!!! WooHoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jimbo, you’re gonna need a QUICK fix to your software. Doesn’t look like there’s room for a 3 digit thumbs up total. If I go back to zero, I am going to have to hurt someone!!!!
“KB — the Taliban during their heyday in Afghanistan outlawed Kite Flying!!! And, ALL music. No … Talibanism is the complete opposite of Anarchy … it is goobermint at its worst possible iteration.”-Stuck
“Talibanism”, like its relatives Christianity and Islam should not be confused with Tribalism. these are very large ideological concepts that cross tribal boundaries and seek through Religion to establish a Goobermint based on Religious prinicples which are centrally dictated. In the case of early Christianity by the Pope, in Islam by the Imams and modern Amerikan Protestantism by self appointed Religous spokesmen like Billy Graham or Jerry Falwell, or even your Glen Becks and Sar Palins who invoke tribal trancending Religious coda to establish a power base.
Religion is very much a power based concept, quite a bit like money. I could write REAMS on that topic.
RE
Stuck – you’re not becoming a thumb whore, are you?
RE – you could write reams on the best way to wipe your ass. That you consider it a point of pride is truly astounding.
llpoh … LOL .. normally not. But c’mon … we’re breaking new ground here. If this keeps up I may just run for Prez in 2012.
Jim — please disregard my last post. It seems that the Thumbs Up space is ……… wait for it ……… INFLATIONARY!!! yuk yuk
Stuck
Let’s see if my widget can handle 4 digits.
The more I think about the current situation, I have to conclude that there are far too many people on the planet to sustain the current economic state of affairs. Productivity advances through technology has been a blessing as well as a curse. We do not need all the working age people to fuel our economy. With computerization and automation we have eliminated swaths of workers and managers. Add to this, a push to globalization which has accentuated joblessness by redistribution of global employment to the lowest cost producers. Government in some ways helps employment by creating economic inefficiencies. On the other hand globalists have corrupted governments who have enacted legislation to eliminate trade barriers and facilitate off-shore production and outsourcing. They have also, through, complex tax legislation created a need for armies of accountants and lawyers.
The consumer has embraced globalization by shopping at Walmart for low priced goods and purchasing foreign cars. This is a new paradigm. The only solution available solution unfortunately is a huge reduction in global working age employment to a new sustainable equilibrium. The elitists clearly know that this is the solution and is also aware that we are at a point where we are willing or able to accept it. They will bring about such radical changes that we will do the dirty work ourselves through food shortages, riots, economic collapse and resulting race wars and desperately taking on authority figures. This will force all of us to adopt new radical thinking where we see ourselves as a parasite destroying a formerly healthy planet. We will be conditioned to accept our demise as inevitable through a process of dumbing down and psychological mind playing by the elitists. All of this will be done by playing up the need to embrace the environment and worship it.
At some point when the population is ready to accept the inevitability that we are overpopulated vis a vis need for productive labor vs. availability, we will be culled to some pre-determined equilibrium point. This will be done through intentional warfare and biological agents.
The elite will emerge as supreme rulers of a slimmed planet. From their perspective it is easier to control a brainwashed population of 500 million than a free thinking mass of humanity numbering some 6.8 billion. At this point we will be in a neo feudal control grid where ever aspect of our lives will be micromanaged. The masses will live in highly compact micro cities dedicated to the production of goods and services, living as serfs in a planned economy. All decisions will be made for you from where you will work, where you will live and what you will do for a living. Psychotropic drugs will be widely administered and people will be generally satisfied.
The state will be involved in reproduction and family units will not exist. You will be totally dependent on the state for your survival. There will be no private autos and very little travel as air flights will be rationed. The elite will live in huge estates and will lead privliged lives, perhaps even more opulent than they do at present.
In my personal case I am 63 and I made a conscious choice never to have children as I felt at a subconscious level that this was coming. I felt people who did have large families were irresponsible and selfish. I see this selfish self serving attitude throughout humanity. I have supported individuals and groups who have attempted to raise the awareness of the general population to our current state of affairs and the dangerous precipice ahead of us. I have individually tried to raise awareness through video distribution, blogging etc. with little success.
It is late in the day now. I have stopped trying to raise awareness and instead tried to prepare myself for the calamity that is coming. I have tried to make peace and ammends with my creator. The end is nigh and those that make it through the cull will wish they hadn’t.
How about I’mOKYourOKWe’reOKism?
Too much hostility in the world.
Have been really enjoying the conversation between RE and Stuck, I have to say that I used to think I was an anarchist, then it turned out that I really just wanted VERY limited government and as it turns out… That’s not what government is about! So I guess I am deciding between libertarians and anarchy, kind of teetering back and forth on a daily basis to be honest, depending on whatever happens to be in the news.
And we have a new contender for whacko of the year.
RE
Isn’t this what Alaskan chicks really look like? There are only 18 women in the whole state.
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RE’s favorite magazine
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Admin i have heard your widget can barely handle two fingers much less four. Smokey said so.
LLPOH
You owe me for that easy layup.
You are missing some propaganda ministers – Barak Obama, any Wall Streeter, anyone from MSM, CNBC,FOX…
RE – I’m taking Nozomi for myself, you will have to find someone else.
Admin – to lead the league in scoring you have to pounce on loose balls.
There is your chance to get even.
LLPOH
My boys from Villanova kicked Temple’s ass tonight. Big win.
REAL TRUE FREEDOM
It really amazes me how blind and brain dead We The People really are and still believe that we are a free people under our Constitutional system of government. We are educated to believe that “We The People” are the Sovereigns and our elected officials are our “public servants,” so we are told. The question arises in my mind “HOW CAN A SERVANT HAVE THE POWER TO ENACT LAWS, RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT WE SOVEREIGNS MUST OBEY??? It appears to me that if the “servant” has that kind of power then he/she must be the Sovereign and “we the people” the servants = (slaves). If there was ever an oxy-moron this is it. A “servant”never tells his/her master what he/she can or cannot do, yet our Constitution endorses this type system of government. The truth is our present system of government is nothing more then an ILLUSION of freedom and boy have we been deceived! Pontificating “Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.” (Charlie Reese). We are taught that We The People are the Kings and Queens (Sovereigns) yet our “public servants” can impose taxes upon us Sovereigns and multitudes of laws, regulations and rules. Quite a bit of power for a servant don’t you think?
It is time for a change and I would like to offer the following concept of what a really free system of government should be. Two (2) things need to be done to become the freest and most admired nation in the world.
The Remedy:
(1) Recognize who is the enemy of our so-called “freedoms.” The enemy is the U.S. Congress, State Legislatures, County Boards and City Councils and govt. agencies at all levels of govt., all “law-making” bodies that are constantly churning out all kinds of restrictions (laws) on our enumerated “freedoms” that in actuality really doesn’t exist anymore. Furthurmore these “public servants” then turn around and beg We The People to “finance” their campaign so they can get elected and vote themselves “benefits” that are much better then what they give We Sovereigns. Are you starting to have doubts about who the “real” Sovereigns are? If not you should be.
Every time a law is enacted at any level of govt., this constitutes a restriction on our “alleged” freedoms and an invasion of our collective wealth!
We need to make a couple of changes in our Constitution by calling for a Constitutional Convention to abolish Congress, State Legislatures, County Boards, and City Councils and institute the following short sentence in their place; “DO NO MAN OR WOMAN HARM IN THEIR PERSON OR THEIR PROPERTY.” Please take note that this one short sentence entails “personal responsibility” for all one says and does in his/her interactions with others, a long lost quality that we Americans once had and lost due to “laws” enacted by our “public servants” at all levels of govt. This is the only principle we need to resolve any and all issues that may arise be they criminal or civil. It constitutes Sovereigns dealing with Sovereigns and NOT Sovereigns being subject to the whims of “public servants.” We as a united people have become slaves to “public servants” and “political correctness” where freedom of speech and thought is subtly controlled and We The People have bought into it lock, stock and barrel. Shame on us!
(2) Abolish the American Legal System and in its place institute Common-Law where randomly picked citizens sit as a jury to hear civil complaints and criminal cases. The jury is the sole power. This kind of jury would have the power to question the litigants directly and when satisified they have enough info to render a decision they retire to render that decision in a civil case and a verdict in a criminal case. No biased judges; No costly lawyers, done away with entirely. The jury has no more power after they render a decision in the case before them and set the punishment if any and are thanked, paid and dismissed. All the present enumerated crimes would remain intact as a crime is still a crime. A Grand Jury would be called upon to hear appeals, They also would be randomly picked for just one appeal.
Remember, “We The People” retain the right to change our form of govt. I sincerely believe that if We The People adopted this form of government we would be the envy of the whole world. Americans wouldn’t be burdened down with tons of dos and don’ts and we would truly be self-governed by being personally responsible to each other in all our associations and dealings without being “regulated” to death by an all powerful government. of “servants.” The phrase GOD BLESS AMERICA would once again have sincere meaning in our hearts and minds and “WE THE PEOPLE” would really be self governed.
I am not suggesting we abolish our beloved Constitution, but rather through a constitutional convention amend the Constitution as enumerated above and the only law, i.e. principle is taking “personal responsibility” for everything you say and do. This type
system of govt. would be the epitome of what governments should be.Thats it. Very simple. Could anyone ask for more?
Thank you for your time.
R.C.
[email protected]
Houston, TX
I notice Phillies quarterpimp is hurt. The asskicking he got by the Vikes was to much for him.
LLPOH
He got hurt on the 1st play of the game and gutted it out like a man, not like that pussy Romo who is recovered but still doesn’t play.
Losing was the best thing that could happen. We will rest Vick and our other key players against the Cowgirls. Chicago can rest their players against Green Bay and that will eliminate the NY Chokers. All part of the master plan.
And another contender for whacko of the year pops up. Ladies and gents we may have a real race. RC joins near the top of the pack. Not even Secretariat could run this group down.
No, they look more like this as long as the temp is above Zero
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RE
Jim-thanks for the Alaskan reality checks. Nozomi is a figment of RE’s imagination. It is cold and miserable up here, and the women are ugly.
RE-Lay off the pics of Nozomi. For a smart fucker, you sure can be dense. Sure, AK is pretty, and wild, and interesting, but the best thing is the population density-we don’t need a 90% die-off.
Everyone else-AK sucks-it’s cold and miserable and both women are ugly. Better off staying at home.
RE-Jesus H Christ! WTF dude?