Is Capitalism Losing the Debate?

[marmar]

Published on Monday, October 31, 2011 by CommonDreams.org
Is Capitalism Losing the Debate?

by Carl Finamore


A remarkable shift in mass public opinion is occurring right before our eyes. It does not happen often. Normally, only when there is a severe breakdown in public confidence about the future.

Now is such a time.

Millions are demanding clear explanations for the economic turmoil surrounding their lives and rejecting en masse standard platitudes from an increasingly discredited political establishment.

Fox-News pundits, Heritage Foundation business scholars, glib right-wing loud mouths and two-faced politicians from both major parties have been exposed as stand-in ventriloquists for the wealthy – shockingly, all in a few short weeks. ..........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/10/31-3

[KansDem]

1. Capitalism is dead. It died with TARP

I don't know what we have now but it isn't "capitalism." If we had capitalism the bankers and brokers who created this economic malaise would have been allowed to "die" with their failings and criminality.

They were "saved" by socialism. I find it ironic that they were saved from a system that was killing them by a system they despised.

[tama]

2. "Capitalism as we know it"

Real capitalism instead of ideological idealized "capitalism". Same as "real socialism" of Soviet empire instead of idealized ideological communism.

What is the difference between state socialism and state capitalism? Don't know, rub it a little and you get the glimmer and shine of state fascism and totalitarianism.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

9. Absolutely correct.

I'm glad you brought that up.

[Moostache]

3. NO.... NO!!.... NO!!!!!!!!

Capitalism is religion.

Religion is a farce that has enslaved mankind for all time. Even as far back as the Native American cultures and the Incan and Aztec civilizations with their brutal human sacrifices and medicine men claiming divine "powers". Upon any kind of reasonable examination, the continuity and consistency of religion can only be found wanting; yet, here we are in the 21st century and the sway of religion over humanity is not broken or even loosened.

Capitalism is the same thing, writ large and with equal damage to the human condition.

We live in a world where though 1% control nearly all wealth (and are in turn controlled by the top 0.01%), there is an ample supply of foot soldiers to defend the status quo and bleat out the slogans ("greatest country on Earth", "last, best hope", "shining city on a hill", "Christian nation", etc. etc. etc...

We live in a world where the greed slaves and mentally deceived in the 99% refuse to admit their standing in the misguided belief that the masters will one day see fit to remove them - the "hard working, job creating 'real' Americans" - from the fields of toil to a life in the plantation home to serve the needs of the benevolent master and his kin.

We live in a world where deception is king and destruction is to be admired.

We live in a world where the rich truly do find it all too easy to hire one half of the poor to attack and fight and inflame the other half - not truly lifting them out of poverty (the poverty of true self-determination and shared power), but keeping them leashed as useful idiots and attack dogs, all the better to unleash on each other at the appropriate time.

We ARE the 99% - by definition 99 out of every 100 of us - and we are allowing ourselves to be used as pawns in a sick game of chess between the have mores and have mosts.

Enough is enough.

In 2008, we had Hope.
In 2012, we DEMAND our Change.

[daa]

4. And Pelosi\Obama will be gutting our social security and

Medicare to save it.

In 2012, we DEMAND our Change.

[tama]

11. Demand?

From whom? Who do you believe in more than yourself?

Why not CREATE our Change? Be ourselves the change we can believe in?

What did the Hopi Elders say?

"We are the ones we have been waiting for!"

[txlibdem]

12. Demand? Ok. Let's say that I stole your car and $5,000 from you.

Wouldn't you demand that:

1. I give back the stolen property that rightfully belongs to YOU.

2. I go to jail for my crimes.

PS, the Occupy marchers ARE creating the change. They are there for the rest of us who cannot be there. "They are the ones we have been waiting for!"

[tama]

14. No

1) I don't have a car nor money but if you took a thing that I use and need, like a bicycle, I would ask that you return it to me when you don't need it any more. If I really needed it and you would not return it behaving like inconsiderate bastard, I would not demand anything, I would just take it back. Giving you a nasty look.
2) Nah, jail is not a nice place for anyone. But I would tell everybody I know that you can't be trusted, and if their things are missing they should search your place first.

[tama]

10. Cult of money worshiping nt

[applegrove]

5. Capitalism is an economic system. It should never have been the be all and end all

of any country.

[walerosco]

6. It all depends

on your definiyion of capitalism

[vets74]

7. Reagan and The Fed and Bush43 gave trillions of dollars to the 1% "JOB CREATORS."

See how that worked.

These alleged "JOB CREATORS" screwed the fucking pooch.

Republicans ? Sell-out bastards trying to sell us on doing more of the same. What else ???

[GeorgeGist]

8. The danger of believing that profits are free ...

is costly. eom

[txlibdem]

13. So true. Especially since there is no such thing as "PROFIT"

Profit in this economy is only moving money from the 99% into the hands of the 1%. There is no great trick to that, especially when you own a good percentage of the Democrats and 100% of the GOP in congress. It's a rigged game and "the house" always wins in the end.