Richard Wolff cuts to the core of the problem. And yes, just about
any form of government can become the people's oppressor. As I've
said before, the central problem is not which form of government we
apply, the issue to be solved is our human nature...our need to climb
to the top, to control, to win. I believe that if we tackle changing
conditions so we can modify this part of our makeup, we will be able
to design a far more equitable government. Wolff does give examples
of companies owned by all of the workers, sharing equally in their
collective labor. Applying this universally will take some study.
But of course we are far too busy developing new ways of killing
people, to take the time to develop a better life for all.
Carl Jarvis
On 3/31/17, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Yes, but suppose Capitalism just meant the man who lives in your
neighborhood, owning a small store and employing some of your neighbors in
the store. Suppose it didn't mean huge multi-national corporations.
However, I do like Richard Wolfe's model much better. The factory is owned
by its workers who are the only people who benefit financially from it. They
determine how it will be run. They choose people to manage it, the
accountant, for example, and they get rid of managers, supervisors, anyone
who isn't doing his or her job in a way that benefits them. He points out
that the important component is Democracy. He also points out that you can
have a socialist state in which there's no democracy and the state is as
profit driven and careless about its workers as any big corporation.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Friday, March 31, 2017 12:02 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: He promised tax cuts
Miriam,
Perhaps I'm too simplistic.
But let me ramble around a bit and see if I can make my point...or put my
other foot in my mouth.
From my experience, when one person depends on a share of another persons
labor in order to maintain their life style, there can never be equality.
No matter how good a person, or how caring, when the choice is to determine
which of the two will be forced to take a loss, the person in control...that
is the one who is taking part of the other persons labor, that person will
choose to protect themselves and their families.
Capitalism is fundamentally bankrupt. If we could control Capitalism, we
should have figured out how to do it after so many generations have passed.
Capitalism is unstable. It has highs and lows. But remember, the lows are
far lower for the working and lower classes than are the highs. And the
highs are far higher for the Ruling Class, and they have very shallow lows.
So at best Capitalism is weighted toward the people at the top.
But having said all that, and not saying tons more, I feel that the central
issue is not Capitalism. The problem is Us, Human Beings.
How do we who care for one another's well being build a system that protects
everyone, while allowing individual freedom?
Carl Jarvis
On 3/30/17, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I guess I differ from you in that first, although certainly Trump is a
Capitalist, there are humane wealthy people. You can't sum him up by
just saying he's a Capitalist. He's a Narcissist. He has other mental
and emotional limitations which make it impossible for him to function
effectively as a national leader. Ssecond: We could manage in a system
of regulated capitalism so long as our democratic institutions remained
intact.
That would certainly be better than an autocratic socialist state.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2017 1:48 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: He promised tax cuts
Bonnie, you can sum him up in one word. Capitalist.
I wonder what it will take to get people to understand that the bottom
line of the Capitalist is Profit and more Profit, while the bottom
line for our survival is People.
Obama made the mistake of thinking that he could compromise with
Corporate Capitalism. Of course he leaned that way, himself. But the
fact is that two such diverse positions cannot compromise. The
Capitalist has only Profit as a bottom line. Less Profit is not in
the language of a Capitalist. More and bigger and more. This leaves no
room for People.
People are a resource for the Capitalist. And when People are not
being used as a resource, they are being played as consumers. We are
never seen by the rich as Citizens. They are the Citizens. We are
placed on Earth to serve their needs. And I wish some of my friends
could get it through their heads that these Elite folk really believe
that they are where they are because they come from superior breeding.
The truth is that they are just as phony as the System they embrace.
Carl Jarvis
On 3/29/17, Bonnie L. Sherrell <blslarner@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Certainly the Donald is an expert at shifting the blame. He's done
nothing but accuse others of doing what he or his cronies did to
begin with. He's a bully and a braggart and a coward from the core
of his being.
Bonnie L. Sherrell
Teacher at Large
"Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even
the very wise cannot see all ends." LOTR
"Don't go where I can't follow."
We gave the Goblin King control of our nation!
