Politics, Economics, and Religion

Comment

Comment by Joan Denoo on April 9, 2013 at 5:17pm

The poor and weak are fully capable of joining together and exerting their power as a combined force. They have far more power than they think they have. Sometimes power of poor and weak can come from non-violent means, others use violence, slaughter, fire, bombing, and bullets. No one wins in a confligration. 

A non-violent strategy takes a lot of people, for the long haul. Sustained effort in face of a police state means there will be casualties. So, get started before the civil police receive training and equipment for war.

Comment by Joan Denoo on April 9, 2013 at 5:10pm

When are clerics going to call a fatwa on men who abuse others, babies or adults, and hold them accountable for their crimes. A baby with a sheet over its head is no more safe than a baby lying on a pillow, butt naked. The same is true for women. Cloth cannot protect one from assault and to claim otherwise is either uneducated, misinformed, or insane. Let's put burqas on all men without a peep hole so they can't see baby girls, children or women.

“Burkas for babies”: Saudi cleric’s new fatwa causes controversy

Sunday, 03 February 2013

"To protect baby girls from being sexually exploited, the Saudi cleric, Sheikh Abdullah Daoud, has called parents to make their female children wear the Islamic headscarf."

Comment by Alan Perlman on April 7, 2013 at 4:51pm

Tom - yes, but there was supposed to be less of it here in the Land of Opportunity.  So lots of poor people came here, where they were exploited by the rich.

Joan - They're not outraged because they're narcotized by the constant barrage of sports, media, marketing, political crap, and tech-toys.  Capitalism has managed to create a degree of comploance and apathy that Hitler or Stalin would envy.

Comment by Tom Sarbeck on April 7, 2013 at 1:50am

Isn't it pretty much true that the rich and powerful have always mercilessly exploited the poor and weak, and they will continue doing so until the poor and weak organize to stop them?

Comment by Joan Denoo on April 6, 2013 at 10:49pm

Comment by Joan Denoo on April 6, 2013 at 6:25pm

"The moment of truth has arrived. According to press reports, President Obama has openly embraced cutting Social Security and veterans benefits by imposing the "chained CPI" cut on cost of living increases, which is like signing in blood the idea that the federal government's priorities should be owned by the 1% rather than by the 99%. The war in Afghanistan will continue, the boondoggle F-35 "Bankrupter" fighter plane will continue, the $83 billion annual taxpayer subsidy to the "too big to fail" banks will continue, but the earned benefits of America's working families, including disabled veterans and their survivors, will be cut if President Obama has his way."

#ChainedCPI? For Every Social Security Judas, a Primary Challenge

I am outraged and so should every thinking working person and small business owner. There are two pots from which to draw:

1. the big banks and top 1% of the financial community, and

2. those who labor for their earnings and small business owners. 

To collect money from the wage-earners and small businesses and protect the top 1% reveals the true loyalty of our Executive and Legislative Branches of government. The public should be in an outrage state and resist with all their energy. 

Comment by Tom Sarbeck on April 5, 2013 at 10:04pm

On collective capitalism, I saw the Moyers-Wolff interview.

The early 1900s book Mutual Aid by a Russian author describes cooperative efforts during many centuries. It tells of an attempt in Middle Ages Italy to destroy cooperatives.

A 2007 book said there are more than 11,000 employee-owned businesses in the USofA.

Comment by Tom Sarbeck on April 5, 2013 at 9:55pm

Yes, google national initiative and referendum.

I bring up the subject at every relevant opportunity, as I did here.

I've asked political reform organizations, one of them Common Cause, but they've replied saying they're not supporting it.

In 35 years of volunteer (unpaid) activity I've collected thousands of signatures for state initiative campaigns while living in Arizona or California.

Comment by Joan Denoo on April 5, 2013 at 2:38pm

Tom, do you see anyone on the horizon that would implement such a plan? 

Comment by Joan Denoo on April 5, 2013 at 2:37pm

"a collective capitalist" ... that sounds feasible. I read Richard Wolff, and your style resembles his. Are you familiar with his work. Like capitalism, Marxism has not been implemented as he defines it, and I wonder if it can be.
Do you have authors you can recommend?

Richard Wolff, Marxist Economist
http://billmoyers.com/guest/richard-wolff/

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