- "Things we all need" by Karlin
17 y
3,325 3 Messages Shown
Blog: Path of my Life
"The things we all use must be declared essential goods, and not be profitted on."
Michael Moore is challenging some of the basic ideals of capitlaism in his latest quest for humanity in America. This time it is the pharmaceutical industry, and the movie is called "Sicko".
Oprah had Michael Moore on her show this week [June 5th 2007] and when such "reasonable" people team up with radical like Moore, it says something. It tells us that Michael Moore has only been portrayed as a radical, but it in fact very mainstream, representing the actual opinions and moralities of a solid majority of Americans.
People really do want coverage for all Americans, and do to that they are willing to forgo the profit margins for a few fats cats that are essentially keeping 50 million Americans from having any health coverage. It works out that the profits made on pills are the difference between having everybody covered, and leaving 50 million out in the cold.
This is huge, because it is pointing out that "if government produced it, or regulated it comepletely, then everyone could afford it". Thats the basic idea behind socialism!! YA, someone gets it!! Hurrayyyy!!!!
That is true of many things - for eg., if governments produced solar panels, we could all have FREE electricity AND NO POLLUTION causing global warming [our greatest threat ever]. Producing solar panels in the capitalist, corporate way means putting the pricer of them high enough to allow for profits and the huge salaries of the executive management.
Take away that profit, and the cost of panels is much less, we could all afford them. Other things like Health care and pharmaceuticals, Food Water and Air, Electricity, Basic clothing and shelter [and if you want "better" then you can pay],are things everybody needs and they are available to everyone in socialist countries, and that is 'humane' whereas keeping them from people unless we pay is 'inhumane'.
If government produced pills for health care, by using its own workers and in its own facilities, they the cost would be much less than it is now and people would get them at low cost - nobody would do without.
If FOOD was produced without the profits for everyt step along the way, then food would cost HALF of what we are paying now.
Of course, there are arguements against socialism:
- jobs that pay more than the average would be gone [but anyone could find work with the government productions].
- Milllionaires and Billionaires would not be so plentyfull [but then the unequal distribution of wealth - 90% of the money is in the hands of just 5% of people - would end and poverty would end too].
Okay, I cannot find a good argument against a socialist economy, but some capitalist freak will know.
Capitalists WANT to have a system where Billionaires can be created because... don't you know this one yet? - because when things are concentrated into "just a few hands", they are easier to control. The Wealthy Elites can control the economies of any nation, and of all nations, when 90% of the wealth is in the hands of just 5% of the population.
The most dramatic and ugly example of this tactic - "making something easier to control by having 'just a few players' "- was in the 1980 cocaine coup in Bolivia... the CIA had concentrated the cocaine trade into "just a few players" so the cocaine trade could be controlled, which allowed certain people to rise to power and take over the government [because a socialist govenment was poised to win the upcoming election].
YARRRGGGGG, this is truly UGLY. It goes on all day and night in America, it is Bushies agaionst humanity. We CAN win it back, humnaity is not dead, we can all share again.
As Oprah and MM said at the end of the show today, "it is about US, no about ME".
That sounds truly HUMANE, and that is the direction almost everyone wants our world to move in. All that is required is to remove the profit potential on ESSENTIAL INDUSTRIES - things we all use but are now paying into a single corporate entity to have, which is stripping away our humanity and creating billionaires that upset the whole balance, creating poverty. Privatisation is the opposite of public good, and look at how the m,ove to provatisation is happening in all the essential; industries, and soon will include water, and maybe air. The things we all use must be declared essential goods, and not be profitted on.
Sorry if I am repeating myself from earlier posts, but this concept of humane economy is foreign to most North Americans, because we have been so utterly "dis-educated" as to the possibilities and existence of differing types of economic models, those that are different than our capitalism. Maybe capitalism had it's place in our progress so far, but by now we are in need of something more humane.
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Karlin
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- Socialism and Capitalism by lwm31
17 y
2,050
Dear Karlin,
I think your heart is in the right place. However, it has been proven time and again that Socialism is not the way. Given that, I don't believe unfettered Capitalism is the way, either. With Socialism, you take away any incentive for people to work to get ahead. This creates laziness, anger and bitterness. What's the point of anyone working their butt off to stay where they are? How boring would that be? That is just plain human nature, and you can't change that. With unfettered Capitalism, you get what we have today, which is so very sad because I believe that to get to the truth of any matter in our society today all you need to do is "follow the money trail." The almighty dollar is supreme emperor.
I, too, believe that all people deserve basics if they are contributing members of society. However, to believe that Socialism is the answer is utopian. Utopia has never, does not now and never will exist. That is just a fact.
Given all this, I am not smart enough to have an answer. I only have questions. Perhaps Capitalism with a heart, plain, honest human decency could be the answer. However, that, too, is utopian. That will never happen either. It is the rare human who can put the brakes on his greed and lust for power and the "more-more-more" mentality.
Does anyone out there have any answers???? I, too, am disgusted with society as it is today. I don't believe it is "good" anywhere, whether it be in a Capitalistic country or Socialistic country. ARE THERE ANY ANSWERS????
Lori
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lwm31
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- Re: Socialism and Capitalism by Karlin
17 y
1,712
i am so happy to read your reply to my post, thanks for reading.
I think that you are on the right track - any system with a heart will be a good one, and socialism with an evil dictator is as bad as capitalism and greedy private interests that corrupt our governments. An honest leader is the answer, but that seem impossible anymore, we just do not see them. Maybe Chavez eh? I have seen no credible critisizm of him - YET!! I hope he is genuine, I really do.
I heartily agree that 'incentive to do more' comes from being able to get more, but it can also be from 'being glad for what you have', and that you will not have to make do with less this year than you had last year. We ARE making do with less than last year in most of the western world, other than the elite wealthy who have seen a huge increase while the middle and poor classes have gotten less.
But , ya, we allready agree that capitalism isn't great.
Venezuelans are inspired. Chavez has inspired them, and not with promises of having more material goods, but that the daily struggle will be tolerable now. We are spoiled in Canada and the USA - most of the world would be glad to have stability, and thats what socialism brings.
We cannot grow - as capitalism demands - anymore, except 'upwards and inwards'. A socialist leader with a heart will help us do that, and we have to choose a path with a heart for the human race - I believe I have that vision, a path with a heart. I want equality of rights, access to essential things for all, and a sustainable lifestyle - simple stuff that is actually going to happen almost naturally as soon as we get out of the way with our greed and un-balanced economy.
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Karlin
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