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Author Topic: Two Americas  (Read 3804 times)

Offline M_Sprague

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Two Americas
« on: December 11, 2013, 04:32:21 pm »
Not much to do with climbing, but I think it is a good and timely read.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/08/david-simon-capitalism-marx-two-americas-wire
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"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is not a path and leave a trail."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. – John Kenneth Galbrait

Offline strandman

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Re: Two Americas
« Reply #1 on: December 11, 2013, 04:57:42 pm »
Mostly true, i guess....i thought we were going to argue about Obamacare  :o
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Offline eyebolter

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Re: Two Americas
« Reply #2 on: December 11, 2013, 05:09:39 pm »
Remember that "giant sucking sound" that Ross Perot talked about?  I have one word for you: NAFTA (well two: GATT)

Passed by a Republican legislature, signed into law by "liberal" Bill Clinton.

The good paying jobs are long gone, and they are never coming back.  Never.

And Obama wants to "create" more jobs by passing more free trade agreements.

There will be plenty of new jobs when our wages are the same as Vietnam's, like 75 cents an hour.

If you still think that there are two parties then please go back to sleep.

There are only right and left wings of the multinational corporate party.

« Last Edit: December 11, 2013, 05:14:43 pm by eyebolter »
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Offline strandman

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Re: Two Americas
« Reply #3 on: December 11, 2013, 06:13:39 pm »
No more parties ?  I'm going to sleep
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Offline M_Sprague

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Re: Two Americas
« Reply #4 on: December 11, 2013, 08:07:31 pm »
The question is: What do we do about it? Is there a better system we can create that allows for innovation and capitol growth that doesn't crush the humanity out of it. And is it really the system or is the system incidental to people putting their will behind their conscience?

Some ideas to start with:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_threefolding
« Last Edit: December 11, 2013, 08:13:57 pm by M_Sprague »
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"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is not a path and leave a trail."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. – John Kenneth Galbrait

darwined

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Re: Two Americas
« Reply #5 on: December 11, 2013, 08:57:41 pm »
How many of you would rather pay extra for the head of lettuce picked by the middle class ( house, two cars, retirement nest-egg, healthcare, vacations, and a couple of kids) lettuce-picker?  That's what I thought!  The market is working just as we've decided it should.

It's too late. 
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Offline M_Sprague

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Re: Two Americas
« Reply #6 on: December 11, 2013, 09:17:56 pm »
I think very little of what I pay for a head of lettuce is going to the person who picked it, that is unless I buy it from a local small grower who picked it herself.
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"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is not a path and leave a trail."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. – John Kenneth Galbrait

Offline kenreville

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Re: Two Americas
« Reply #7 on: December 11, 2013, 10:34:16 pm »
Quote from: eyebolter on December 11, 2013, 05:09:39 pm
Remember that "giant sucking sound" that Ross Perot talked about?  I have one word for you: NAFTA (well two: GATT)

Passed by a Republican legislature, signed into law by "liberal" Bill Clinton.

The good paying jobs are long gone, and they are never coming back.  Never.

And Obama wants to "create" more jobs by passing more free trade agreements.

There will be plenty of new jobs when our wages are the same as Vietnam's, like 75 cents an hour.

If you still think that there are two parties then please go back to sleep.

There are only right and left wings of the multinational corporate party.

Pay attention people. This IS the truth.
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Offline MT

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Re: Two Americas
« Reply #8 on: December 12, 2013, 06:14:28 am »
It's easy to throw your hands up and blame everyone else for the ills of the world, much harder to get out there and try to change it. The attitude that there is nothing left for us to do (ie, we're powerless in the face of the corporate political apparatus) is what has gotten us to where we are now.

If you care about what you're leaving to the next generation, get out there and do something about it. If a relatively modest fraction of our population would do that (for example, see Tea Party--although I loth what they've done), things could change.

Great post, by the way. Living in Baltimore in the early 90s and experiencing some of the things I saw on Simon's "The Wire" really convinced me that TV can be a force for good. One of the best TV series ever.

Mike
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