And you thought Capitalism was good food?

[Uber Commandante]

We (the Americans on the ybbs) have been forcefed the party line all of our lives that capitalism is Good, socialism is Bad. It has worked to such an extent that even the word 'Socialism' springs to mind images of forced homogeny and dictatorship. Capitalism = freedom and opportunity.

And it does...for some. Take a look at the stories below. I remember looking at the front page of a paper this summer and seeing two headlines: One spoke of record level profits for energy companies and the other spoke of the new energy bill that was signed into law that day providing tax subsidies to energy companies. Here they are:

1) Oil industry awash in record levels of cash

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8646744/

2) Bush Signs Energy Bill Into Law

President Bush on Monday signed a sweeping energy bill that will send billions of dollars in tax subsidies to energy companies, yet do little immediately to ease gas prices or lower reliance on foreign oil.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/08/08/national/w105543D86.DTL

and then I saw today's headline:

3) Senate Nixes Boost in Heating Assistance

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051020/ap_on_go_co/heating_aid

Is unmitagated Capitalism really the bastion of opportunity for the masses? It seems to me that unregulated Capitalism works only for the politico-corporate class that treats legislation and politicians as comodities to be bought and sold. It creates legislation that legitimizes the outright theft of resources from one class and gives to the already wealthy class.

Last point, cuz i was a bit pissed about this today. Money magazine has pointed out that approx. $1600 a year is taken from American taxpayers and given to already profitable corporations as tax subsidies. What this looks like to me is that hard cash is being taken from MY bank account, laundered through the government, and put into some other, already excessivily wealthy individual's bank account. And that makes me dangerously pissed off.

Have a nice day, suckers.

[Gold9472]

In order for the "wealthy" to be "wealthy", the "poor" must be "poor". The richer they get, the poorer we get.

[911=inside job]

i have 3 pages of the book nickel and dimed left to read(pretty good book)... i have to say the rich are fucking assholes... we should eat them for lunch....

[jetsetlemming]

Our poor are the richest in the world, BECAUSE of our capatalistic economy. If it weren't for those rich fuckng assholes, we'd all be poor. You can't get rid of the poor, only lower everyone to the lowest common denominator.

[Uber Commandante]

Our poor are the richest in the world, BECAUSE of our capatalistic economy. If it weren't for those rich fuckng assholes, we'd all be poor. You can't get rid of the poor, only lower everyone to the lowest common denominator.

I think you have drunk to much of the propoganda cool-aid that makes people think that even though they are poor and unrepresented, they are not as bad of ass those OTHER people over THERE...

I never said anything about getting rid of the rich OR getting rid of capatalism. Capatalism CAN work well when it is kept within strict paramaters, just like Socialism can work well when it is kept within strict parameters. The problem arises when either one is allowed to roam the streets with no checks in place. Its not a matter of getting rid of the rich, it s a matter of a more consciousl redistributin of resources. and HEY! maybe even the richest corporations could pay their taxes, since they don't have to now days. THat coudl be a start. How about that?

[jetsetlemming]

its not propoganda. Its thought. Its common sence. History has proved over and over again that capitalism is the best form of economy possible.

[Gold9472]

its not propoganda. Its thought. Its common sence. History has proved over and over again that capitalism is the best form of economy possible.

For the 1%. The "Controlling" Class...

[jetsetlemming]

I think you have drunk to much of the propoganda cool-aid that makes people think that even though they are poor and unrepresented, they are not as bad of ass those OTHER people over THERE...

I never said anything about getting rid of the rich OR getting rid of capatalism. Capatalism CAN work well when it is kept within strict paramaters, just like Socialism can work well when it is kept within strict parameters. The problem arises when either one is allowed to roam the streets with no checks in place. Its not a matter of getting rid of the rich, it s a matter of a more consciousl redistributin of resources. and HEY! maybe even the richest corporations could pay their taxes, since they don't have to now days. THat coudl be a start. How about that?
...so your problem isn't with capitalism, its with the government using capitalism's parameters set on it's economy.

[Gold9472]

...so your problem isn't with capitalism, its with the government using capitalism's parameters set on it's economy.

Watch this (http://www.yourbbsucks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=90).

[PhilosophyGenius]

i have 3 pages of the book nickel and dimed left to read(pretty good book)... i have to say the rich are fucking assholes... we should eat them for lunch....

Ya, but I'm sure you'd be singing a differnt tune if you some how became a zillionare.

[Uber Commandante]

As i said, my PROBLEM IS NOT CAPITOLISM. I am a capitolist myself - I'm a small business owner, and I hope things really take off so I'm sitting pretty. My problem is with unmitigated capatalism - the kind of capatalism where people get hurt or killed or have their basic human rights trampled in order to make someone else evern MORE wealthy. That is the kind of capatalism that is currently in the US.

Here is a for instance: The general propoganda is that all things Socialst are evil, and that capitolism is better for the economy because it creates more jobs and therefor helps everyone. However, the SINGLE reason why I don't feel that I can leave my full time job and work entirely on my own small business, is because I can't afford health care for my family. If health care was in some way socialized, then I could go out and put my efforts into growing my business, and so create jobs. From this view, the lack of socialized health care hurts capitolist pursuits, and therefor hurts the economy.

Now, I know, I know...(read with fervor) "The US healthcare system is the best in the world. When people want the best care, they come to the US". I hear this all the time. And I don't dispute it. However, I have yet to hear it from anyone who could actually AFFORD the best health care in the world. Just because the best doctors and equipment is geographically located within US border does not mean that the average person has access to it. They don't. The average person, if they even HAVE healthcare, get HMO'ed to death with overpriced and deliberatly overcomplicated billing formulas, so that by the time you are finished reading it, you don't know which end is up.

That is an example where capitolism works for the wealthy few (HMO inverstors and executives) at the outright expese of someone else.

[Uber Commandante]

...so your problem isn't with capitalism, its with the government using capitalism's parameters set on it's economy.

I mean, don't you see something wrong with the fact that at the same time energy companies are posting record profits, that they are also receiving tax subsidies courtesy of the government? That just seems bizzarre.

Especially when you think that these tax subsidies are not magic money - it comes from YOUR bank account, and mine, and all of us citizens. Money is literally removed from your account via taxes, and then that same money is put in some other person's bank account via tax subsidies, or tax credits.

To me that is a disgusting abuse of power.

[jetsetlemming]

...well, yeah. Thats pretty obvious. I just saw that exxon-mobile just posted the largest quarter profit gain in history for any u.s. company. Obviously greed at the expence of the people is bad, and should be prevented and stopped.

[jetsetlemming]

What does that have to do with capitalism being food?

[Uber Commandante]

What does that have to do with capitalism being food?

Because we consume capatalist propoganda and then become what we eat, whether its good for us or not.

[Gold9472]

Uber is the MASTER of analogies...