The Rich are Buying America's Silence

[Revoltingest]

The "not wealthy" 99% are woefully disorganized compared to the 1%. So yes, there are the NPRs of the world, but they (we) are not cohesive, and our messaging is muddled.

As a fan of capitalism, I see a whole lotta organization against us.
And remember that the 99% outvote the 1%.
We'll both be continually jockeying for power.

 

[Laika]

Fear not....there will always be opposing forces.

The amount of money, infrastructure, skilled teaching staff it takes to establish a university presents massive barriers to entering the marketplace. Assuming you're comfortable marketizing the education of the next generations, it would be done by large private companies with considerable market influence. It will become less about learning and more about a graduates career prospects, with companies producing conformists who will work in the corporate machine. Standardising the mind to fit the requirements of a corporation will reduce the risks of people thinking outside the box, and that people should be spoon fed the "safe" ideas rather than critically questioning the society, it's knowledge and looking for opportunities for it to develop?

Are you seriously comfortable with the individuals freedom of thought be determined by the highest bidder in an education market? If a corporation can indoctorinate young people for profit, that would prepare the infrastructure for government to do it by making overt political partisanship in education 'normal'. this is a gross betrayal of the principles of libertarianism and the principles on which America was founded on as it curtail a democratic society's ability to have an informed citizenry.

 

[Revoltingest]

The amount of money, infrastructure, skilled teaching staff it takes to establish a university presents massive barriers to entering the marketplace. Assuming you're comfortable marketizing the education of the next generations, it would be done by large private companies with considerable market influence. It will become less about learning and more about a graduates career prospects, with companies producing conformists who will work in the corporate machine. Standardising the mind to fit the requirements of a corporation will reduce the risks of people thinking outside the box, and that people should be spoon fed the "safe" ideas rather than critically questioning the society, it's knowledge and looking for opportunities for it to develop?

Are you seriously comfortable with the individuals freedom of thought be determined by the highest bidder in an education market? If a corporation can indoctorinate young people for profit, that would prepare the infrastructure for government to do it by making overt political partisanship in education 'normal'. this is a gross betrayal of the principles of libertarianism and the principles on which America was founded on as it curtail a democratic society's ability to have an informed citizenry.

I just don't think indoctrination is as bad as Reich says. He finds some examples....he paints a vague picture.....he ignores competing forces. Vigorous debate with multiple sides looks stable for the foreseeable future. I worry more about the threats to capitalism & liberty. (Reich offers me no comfort.)

 

[Monk Of Reason]

As a fan of capitalism, I see a whole lotta organization against us.
And remember that the 99% outvote the 1%.
We'll both be continually jockeying for power.

You know, if politics was about an informed group of people voting the interests that they feel are best form them and the society as a whole and those conclusions were reached upon well informed and educated diliberation then I would agree with you. But instead we have a dysfunctional two party system where money and media control the United States of Sheeple.

People actually feel like its a good idea to remove taxes from the wealthy even at their own expense. People actually believe that when they place people in authority who are for austerity and reduction of regulations and safety are for Jesus. And if they are for Jesus they better vote for them....

The same can be said of the Democrats. Trust the governmetn and trust the representatives. The only people screwing things up are the conservatives. People eat that **** up. Whoever controls the Media controls the people. Whoever controls both sides of the media controls everything. The age old system of providing mindless entertainment and rat races to distract the population from any real issues has been alive and well since the Roman's built the Colosseum.

 

[Revoltingest]

You know, if politics was about an informed group of people voting the interests that they feel are best form them and the society as a whole and those conclusions were reached upon well informed and educated diliberation then I would agree with you. But instead we have a dysfunctional two party system where money and media control the United States of Sheeple.

People actually feel like its a good idea to remove taxes from the wealthy even at their own expense. People actually believe that when they place people in authority who are for austerity and reduction of regulations and safety are for Jesus. And if they are for Jesus they better vote for them....

The same can be said of the Democrats. Trust the governmetn and trust the representatives. The only people screwing things up are the conservatives. People eat that **** up. Whoever controls the Media controls the people. Whoever controls both sides of the media controls everything. The age old system of providing mindless entertainment and rat races to distract the population from any real issues has been alive and well since the Roman's built the Colosseum.

Things could be better.
But we have what we have.

 

[icehorse]

As a fan of capitalism, I see a whole lotta organization against us.
And remember that the 99% outvote the 1%.
We'll both be continually jockeying for power.

I'm a fan of capitalism as well.

AND, as Jaron Lanier has pointed out, it's a complex, man-made machine. It should be no surprise or worry that such a machine needs tweaks and regulations. So, I'm a fan of capitalism with the proper checks and balances. E.g. a fair tax code and strong unions.

 

[Revoltingest]

I'm a fan of capitalism as well.

AND, as Jaron Lanier has pointed out, it's a complex, man-made machine. It should be no surprise or worry that such a machine needs tweaks and regulations. So, I'm a fan of capitalism with the proper checks and balances. E.g. a fair tax code and strong unions.

I can agree, but the trick is in determining what is "fair".

 

[Monk Of Reason]

Things could be better.
But we have what we have.

Ain't that the truth.

 

[Laika]

Things could be better.
But we have what we have

The only way we can get better is by having a generation that is free to think for itself and to come up with new ideas and see new opportunities. This specifically takes that away from people and will guarantee the status quo remains the same.

 

[Revoltingest]

The only way we can get better is by having a generation that is free to think for itself and to come up with new ideas and see new opportunities. This specifically takes that away from people and will guarantee the status quo remains the same.

Another way to view it is that there is vigorous advocacy from many sides.
Just look at me.....
I grew up mostly in a very left leaning environment....& I recovered from it!

 

[Laika]

Another way to view it is that there is vigorous advocacy from many sides.
Just look at me.....
I grew up mostly in a very left leaning environment....& I recovered from it!

but young people are supposed to be the radicals by virtue of being young. when your in your late teens ad early twenties, it's all about exploring the world and new ideas; by giving them the opportunity to be social deviants, overall it has a net positive effective as the society grows. Our radicals will become the next generations reactionaries; we can't bind them to our way of thinking without doing immense damage to social progress.

 

[Revoltingest]

but young people are supposed to be the radicals by virtue of being young. when your in your late teens ad early twenties, it's all about exploring the world and new ideas; by giving them the opportunity to be social deviants, overall it has a net positive effective as the society grows. Our radicals will become the next generations reactionaries; we can't bind them to our way of thinking without doing immense damage to social progress.

I would just advise you not to worry.
There will be plenty diversity of opinion.

(I wish I could tell you that we capitalists will crush all opposition....but strong the loyal opposition is.)

 

[Laika]

I would just advise you not to worry.
There will be plenty diversity of opinion.

(I wish I could tell you that we capitalists will crush all opposition....but strong the loyal opposition is.)

Not if we crush you first. then everyone will be liberated from their illusions and have the right ideas.

 

[Revoltingest]

Not if we crush you first. then everyone will be liberated from their illusions and have the right ideas.

Mutual crushinating.....it's the way of life.

 

[Laika]

Mutual crushinating.....it's the way of life.

To the barricades! We must liberate the capitalist from their property!

 

[metis]

As what has already been noticed and well said, we have moved quite significantly from being a representative democracy to more of an corporatocracy, and Citizens United "helped" a lot to even more move us in that direction. As oft been said, "Money talks and..."-- well, you know the rest. Take a look at how many states now have "right to work" laws, which is an oxymoron if there ever was one.

 

[Revoltingest]

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Our ancestors stood up the Church and God's divinely ordained. Though today we are docile, eventually we will overthrow this system and clear the way to make for a more egalitarian society.