We've got much more to protest than for a thirty hour week. Many would like to have the opportunity to work thirty hours or maybe even more (especially if the work was interesting and productive for community betterment).
If we are going to discuss the more trivial pursuits of the historical Labor Movement, then I believe that we should be working for guranteed income and living wages for the folks that are trapped as wage earners in the Capitalist system.
Those are short term needs and they are important. However, our organizings must not preclude the larger issues such as financial systems restructuring, demand side management and supply side reallocation, neighborhood redevelopment, inclusion, humanity, equity, jobs... and, oh yeah, sustainability. In other words, an evolution to a socialist economy and concurrent political realignment.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
An Alternative to "Markets"
When arguing against any role of "markets" in a new paradigm involving people and worker centered ecological community and economic planning, I was verbally struck by a reactionary simplification that I was a proponent of "command and control".
Not at all. The modus operandi is "plan and implement" within a framework of economic democracy that begins with the local and extends to inter-community, inter-regional, and world wide cooperation.
Not at all. The modus operandi is "plan and implement" within a framework of economic democracy that begins with the local and extends to inter-community, inter-regional, and world wide cooperation.
The Fallacy of Supply Side Economics
Despite the proclamation of Say's "Law". Supply DOES NOT create its own demand. Sure, supply creates some demand, but the siting of production facilities based on the availability of cheapest resources (and) labo(u)r cause a crisis in Capitalism and especially the last generation of global exploitation and supply side foolishness. The additional costs of distribution and competition need to be factored in, as not so well. The lack of effective demand will not support the greed-driven "maximize your utils" insanity of Classical, neo-classical, Reagonomics, Lawrence Summers, Timothy Geithner, and the Yuppie scum.
We must start with a complete restructuring of the financial systems. I have outlined and explained this in relative laymens' terms, very concisely.
Notice, I never use the word reform any more, due to the reactionary behaviour that it elicits.
It is my hope that you will accept the basic tenets of the Peoples' Equity Union and work with me to see that such a revolution is implemented.
Thank you.
We must start with a complete restructuring of the financial systems. I have outlined and explained this in relative laymens' terms, very concisely.
Notice, I never use the word reform any more, due to the reactionary behaviour that it elicits.
It is my hope that you will accept the basic tenets of the Peoples' Equity Union and work with me to see that such a revolution is implemented.
Thank you.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Comparative vs. Competitive Advantage
Maybe we're getting new people involved, but oldsters like Robert should know the following by now.
The history of eutopian socialist experiments the largest and perhaps most successful (outside of the realm of the soviet countries), Mondragon, tell us that socialism can not maintain itself as enclaves within a larger Capitalist paradigm. The Capitalists are incessant at pushing their competitive advantage regardless of the consequences with respect to the equity of any particular region's comparative advantage and the health, well being, humanity and sustainability of such locales.
Capitalism must be defeated one way or another. To come to that understanding is relatively simple. To accomplish it is a whole 'nother story.
Capitalism will eventually disintegrate, but they are madmen and will probably not yield and thus will destroy life and any hope for a future on planet earth.
They are extremely irrational beings and one wonders how to get the message across to them when they seem to either deliberately and/or unconsciously be totally committed to a fight to extinction.
The history of eutopian socialist experiments the largest and perhaps most successful (outside of the realm of the soviet countries), Mondragon, tell us that socialism can not maintain itself as enclaves within a larger Capitalist paradigm. The Capitalists are incessant at pushing their competitive advantage regardless of the consequences with respect to the equity of any particular region's comparative advantage and the health, well being, humanity and sustainability of such locales.
Capitalism must be defeated one way or another. To come to that understanding is relatively simple. To accomplish it is a whole 'nother story.
Capitalism will eventually disintegrate, but they are madmen and will probably not yield and thus will destroy life and any hope for a future on planet earth.
They are extremely irrational beings and one wonders how to get the message across to them when they seem to either deliberately and/or unconsciously be totally committed to a fight to extinction.
Saving Capitalism?
To repeat myself, for Obama to "save" the Capitalists like FDR did, he will have to really really really employ Hilary and her sabre rattling, pick a WW4 (WW$) with Korea, China, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Russia, and anybuddy else that would bother repeating history in such a mad and ridiculous way. Maybe we could allie Germany, Japan, France, Britain, Australia, India, Viet Nam, Indonesia, all of Africa, and South America, etc. against the USA. Then maybe Obama could succeed?
The Stimulus package was/is a farce. Only 242 shopping days 'til Christmas Almighty!!!
The Stimulus package was/is a farce. Only 242 shopping days 'til Christmas Almighty!!!
Discussing "Classes"
>Julian Vein wrote:
>What sort of strata are you talking about?
You know, sedimentary rock...
My prediction that the human RACE, as long as it keeps RACING, will exhaust all fossil, mineral, and vegetative matter billions of years before it has the opportunity to destroy ALL such strata on the planet.
On another level, though, this talk of class is silly. How does one measure, by wealth (net assets), income, the particular positional niche in the Capitalist/State structure? These are not characteristics that can be defined in discrete categories. It would be closer to continuous than stratified. I've heard it said that "one man's ceiling is another man's floor" as a relative concept, but the extremes relative to such are not defensible, even if you accepted the notion of any such stratified description of human relations, which I don't.
When we talk or write about reorganizing the ownership of the means of assets, production and distribution, we are beginning to talk in a less cliche-like and a more meaningful manner. This needs to be our focus.
This is why I inculcate the term equity (which means ownership and equality).
>What sort of strata are you talking about?
You know, sedimentary rock...
My prediction that the human RACE, as long as it keeps RACING, will exhaust all fossil, mineral, and vegetative matter billions of years before it has the opportunity to destroy ALL such strata on the planet.
On another level, though, this talk of class is silly. How does one measure, by wealth (net assets), income, the particular positional niche in the Capitalist/State structure? These are not characteristics that can be defined in discrete categories. It would be closer to continuous than stratified. I've heard it said that "one man's ceiling is another man's floor" as a relative concept, but the extremes relative to such are not defensible, even if you accepted the notion of any such stratified description of human relations, which I don't.
When we talk or write about reorganizing the ownership of the means of assets, production and distribution, we are beginning to talk in a less cliche-like and a more meaningful manner. This needs to be our focus.
This is why I inculcate the term equity (which means ownership and equality).
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Reply to Cesco
Are you any relation to Costco?
How about Penny Pincho?
Seriously, now with all the knee jerk reactionary "leftist" response that I have gotten, I have changed my treatise to "Restructuring (Some, and I as well, say "Replacing Economic Systems".
Please do not confuse my social reformist qualities with my economic radicalism.
It is my dream that we will transition from Banks, Equity Trading, Insurance, loans, landlordism, warlordism, and any other form of financial or other exploitation and usury.
I am not naive.
It would be very ugly to overthrow the Governments which perpetuate Capitalism. It is my hope that we can do such in a bloodless manner.
Capitalism does not need to be "overthrown". Capitalism needs to be transitioned into Socialism.
I am a Libertarian Socialist, an anarcho-syndicalist, if you will.
At risk of understatement, Marx was a brilliant man. However, the intelligence that we have garnered since his days is immense. We need to not only reallocate the resources relative to the ownership of the means of production and distribution, we also need to change the way we allocate resources amongst and within economic sectors. Also, we need to change the ways in which we allocate resources to and within communities.
With regards to your conclusion based on such a tiny example of my work, that my "reforms" will not lead to equity, I, too, am cynical.
Thank you for responding and giving me the chance to elaborate.
Peace.
Mike Morin
How about Penny Pincho?
Seriously, now with all the knee jerk reactionary "leftist" response that I have gotten, I have changed my treatise to "Restructuring (Some, and I as well, say "Replacing Economic Systems".
Please do not confuse my social reformist qualities with my economic radicalism.
It is my dream that we will transition from Banks, Equity Trading, Insurance, loans, landlordism, warlordism, and any other form of financial or other exploitation and usury.
I am not naive.
It would be very ugly to overthrow the Governments which perpetuate Capitalism. It is my hope that we can do such in a bloodless manner.
Capitalism does not need to be "overthrown". Capitalism needs to be transitioned into Socialism.
I am a Libertarian Socialist, an anarcho-syndicalist, if you will.
At risk of understatement, Marx was a brilliant man. However, the intelligence that we have garnered since his days is immense. We need to not only reallocate the resources relative to the ownership of the means of production and distribution, we also need to change the way we allocate resources amongst and within economic sectors. Also, we need to change the ways in which we allocate resources to and within communities.
With regards to your conclusion based on such a tiny example of my work, that my "reforms" will not lead to equity, I, too, am cynical.
Thank you for responding and giving me the chance to elaborate.
Peace.
Mike Morin
Historical Perspect on April 16, 2009
"Jarroaqua"
Thanks for the historical perspective.
Terry ((Terra = Latin for "land") As in freedom fighter, er, they say "terrorist", now "pirate") Drinkwater was a basketball player in the State(s), some years ago. I always liked that name.
Now, the headlines are that Barracks O'bomber wants to negotiate an "arms" treaty with Latin America. What the hell do they mean by that? Past American history would suggest that they want to disarm the people and leave only Governments with access to weapons.
Whereas there are many historical perspective problems with the Constitution of the USA, some of them were OK as in to promote the welfare of the people, although their paternalistic, supremacist viewpoint makes you wonder just how much of the welfare and with respect to the indigenous, the indigent, farmers, miners, and other workers, and the slaves (oh, yeah, and women) and what sort of welfare they had in mind.
The bill of rights was a good start, hugh si, I am not being arrested for being upfront with my political views, not recently, anyway. Mike Morin is my given, "legal" name and the police know me and know where I live. Got a little scare, because I was screaming at O'Bomber at one of his slick, but terribly misguided oratories, that they were showing on-line and the police came to my door. This time they didn't take me to jail and psychiatric prison where in the latter they hold you down and shoot you up with "free market" drugs.
Fortunately, they just told me that if I was going to scream in my apartment, to make sure the doors and the windows were closed. Hope to keep my cool as the weather gets nicer.
Anyway, back to the Constitution (a noble Revolutionary Warship?) and the Bill of Rights, my first amendment (free speech) rights have been violated uncounted times, and I'm not a student of the Constitution, have never read the "The Federalist Papers", eh, but I think it may have been at least a minority opinion that the second amendment, the right to bear arms, was so that the military and the police would not be the only ones with weapons.
With regards to our right to "peaceably assemble", it seems that the "founding fathers" had aleady lost sight of their "Declaration of Independence" written just thirteen years previously.
Not that I advocate violence, I don't. I broke my leg when I was fourteen and it hurt like HELL. However, the State(s) have continued to bully both abroad and at home, and, not so well, what more can I say about that?
That's all for now.
We were all indigenous at one time, only to be uprooted and try to become indigenous somewhere else, always at the expense of others, and our extended selves.
We have the technology that we never have had to communicate and reach understanding and spread love and work together and help each other, but at the same time time the world has never been at such a precarious precipice.
Over.
Mike Morin
peu
Thanks for the historical perspective.
Terry ((Terra = Latin for "land") As in freedom fighter, er, they say "terrorist", now "pirate") Drinkwater was a basketball player in the State(s), some years ago. I always liked that name.
Now, the headlines are that Barracks O'bomber wants to negotiate an "arms" treaty with Latin America. What the hell do they mean by that? Past American history would suggest that they want to disarm the people and leave only Governments with access to weapons.
Whereas there are many historical perspective problems with the Constitution of the USA, some of them were OK as in to promote the welfare of the people, although their paternalistic, supremacist viewpoint makes you wonder just how much of the welfare and with respect to the indigenous, the indigent, farmers, miners, and other workers, and the slaves (oh, yeah, and women) and what sort of welfare they had in mind.
The bill of rights was a good start, hugh si, I am not being arrested for being upfront with my political views, not recently, anyway. Mike Morin is my given, "legal" name and the police know me and know where I live. Got a little scare, because I was screaming at O'Bomber at one of his slick, but terribly misguided oratories, that they were showing on-line and the police came to my door. This time they didn't take me to jail and psychiatric prison where in the latter they hold you down and shoot you up with "free market" drugs.
Fortunately, they just told me that if I was going to scream in my apartment, to make sure the doors and the windows were closed. Hope to keep my cool as the weather gets nicer.
Anyway, back to the Constitution (a noble Revolutionary Warship?) and the Bill of Rights, my first amendment (free speech) rights have been violated uncounted times, and I'm not a student of the Constitution, have never read the "The Federalist Papers", eh, but I think it may have been at least a minority opinion that the second amendment, the right to bear arms, was so that the military and the police would not be the only ones with weapons.
With regards to our right to "peaceably assemble", it seems that the "founding fathers" had aleady lost sight of their "Declaration of Independence" written just thirteen years previously.
Not that I advocate violence, I don't. I broke my leg when I was fourteen and it hurt like HELL. However, the State(s) have continued to bully both abroad and at home, and, not so well, what more can I say about that?
That's all for now.
We were all indigenous at one time, only to be uprooted and try to become indigenous somewhere else, always at the expense of others, and our extended selves.
We have the technology that we never have had to communicate and reach understanding and spread love and work together and help each other, but at the same time time the world has never been at such a precarious precipice.
Over.
Mike Morin
peu
Sunday, April 12, 2009
An "Easter" Sermon
Yes, Barracks O'Bomber is not only a War Criminal he's a Domestic Policy Criminal.
He is an ignorant puppet, and to show what a Fascist that he is, he went to chucrch on Easter, Christ Almighty will forgive him because he cares not what he do, unless it is to further the lot of the Genocidal, Ecocidal, children eating, Capitalist Fascist United Staters.
On top of that, he chose the Fascist Imperialist Church of England (Episcopalean). I bet they read from King James' Bible. Amerikar heils Hitler to O'bomber.
Meanwhile, on this holy day the Americans chose murder, (what else is new) when some brave freedom lovers tried to stop the delivery of military supplies to the occupied Middle East and South Asian Capitalist territories where the plan is genocide to fuel the most ridiculous misallocation of resources in the history of man. (the suburbs) and the most voracious squandering narcissistic industry ever, the oil/asphalt/concrete and especially AUTOMOBILE "culture".
I could continue with many, many, pages wht the Americans stink all the way to Christ's "heaven", but I think the rest of the world has been hip and has been is becoming more and more hip to that on a daily basis.
Murder, thats what, especially the Anglos, always did best, always did best, always did best, always did best...
WMD (World Manifest Destiny). The Americans, always have been and now in the late 20th and early 21st centuries are worse than Hitler's Germany. Here's why. The Germans were oppressed and contained and they exploded out. The Americans' "game" has always been one of imperialist dominance expansionist hegemony. Greed id the greatest thing to Americans. Greed, Greed, Greed, Grrrrreeeed, Greed...
The people of the United State(s) of America are the bane of the planet.
I only wish that there was some way that I could stop them.
Mike Morin
peu
He is an ignorant puppet, and to show what a Fascist that he is, he went to chucrch on Easter, Christ Almighty will forgive him because he cares not what he do, unless it is to further the lot of the Genocidal, Ecocidal, children eating, Capitalist Fascist United Staters.
On top of that, he chose the Fascist Imperialist Church of England (Episcopalean). I bet they read from King James' Bible. Amerikar heils Hitler to O'bomber.
Meanwhile, on this holy day the Americans chose murder, (what else is new) when some brave freedom lovers tried to stop the delivery of military supplies to the occupied Middle East and South Asian Capitalist territories where the plan is genocide to fuel the most ridiculous misallocation of resources in the history of man. (the suburbs) and the most voracious squandering narcissistic industry ever, the oil/asphalt/concrete and especially AUTOMOBILE "culture".
I could continue with many, many, pages wht the Americans stink all the way to Christ's "heaven", but I think the rest of the world has been hip and has been is becoming more and more hip to that on a daily basis.
Murder, thats what, especially the Anglos, always did best, always did best, always did best, always did best...
WMD (World Manifest Destiny). The Americans, always have been and now in the late 20th and early 21st centuries are worse than Hitler's Germany. Here's why. The Germans were oppressed and contained and they exploded out. The Americans' "game" has always been one of imperialist dominance expansionist hegemony. Greed id the greatest thing to Americans. Greed, Greed, Greed, Grrrrreeeed, Greed...
The people of the United State(s) of America are the bane of the planet.
I only wish that there was some way that I could stop them.
Mike Morin
peu
Thursday, April 9, 2009
The Environment
I'll answer that question about "humans"
Man has evolved, the ultimate here in the State(s), I think, to be the lowest, the most base, most destructive lifeform that ever inhabited this great great great...planet.
I love people, nonetheless, and I concur with the original intentions of Genesis, concerning dominion, yet not to the point that we so terribly squander and abuse. Remember, Genesis also said "replenish the earth". Oh I think the holy rollers, will conveniently (7/11, etc) omit that part.
The environment is everything. The environment is each individual and their relationship to their environment. The environment is not an issue, it is THE issue.
Peace.
Man has evolved, the ultimate here in the State(s), I think, to be the lowest, the most base, most destructive lifeform that ever inhabited this great great great...planet.
I love people, nonetheless, and I concur with the original intentions of Genesis, concerning dominion, yet not to the point that we so terribly squander and abuse. Remember, Genesis also said "replenish the earth". Oh I think the holy rollers, will conveniently (7/11, etc) omit that part.
The environment is everything. The environment is each individual and their relationship to their environment. The environment is not an issue, it is THE issue.
Peace.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
With Respect to World Socialism Movement (WSM)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Post-Something
WSM clearly isn't an orthodox Marxist organisation. Just look at their beliefs:[/LIST]These guys seem pretty clearly in the libertarian socialist, verging on Anarchist, side of the spectrum.
Anyway, I have no interest in debating this further, but I'm glad that you understand my position. However, I will point out that Engels famously stated that revolution was possibly the most authoritarian and violent act that can be enacted in society.
Mike Morin replies:
Yet some of us, can appear to be quite authoritarian, though we could be mistaking such a perception for confidence in a strong belief set. I, personally, try to be vigilant about not being perceived to be authoritarian.
Anyway, we try hard to respect each other and not to quibble.
What's the difference between Anarchist and Libertarian except that Libertarians were more intelligent in choosing their name?
With respect to Engels, It should be clear from history that Nationalist/Internationalist Aggression is more authoritarian and violent than revolution.
I say, eventually:
C. Neither, unless that revolution can be non-violent.
Also, with respect to WSM, they are very naive about a moneyless system, except as an ultimate goal, and at least one has said that their objectives were to dismantle all governments, which I differ with in that I think in order to peacefully transition, the goal should be to minimize governments, and employ them to help facilitate the transition to an economic democracy.
But remember, we are human, and will never be perfect. Even in the ultimate success of the ideal, there will be need for dispute resolution. To resolve disputes there would need to be explicitly stated and inculcated principles, mission, and there would need to be organization to negotiate and determine policies, planning and the implementation modi operandis of a cooperative ecological economy. Doesn't that in some sense of the word translate into government? Perhaps someone can come up with a less unpopular term...
Originally Posted by Post-Something
WSM clearly isn't an orthodox Marxist organisation. Just look at their beliefs:[/LIST]These guys seem pretty clearly in the libertarian socialist, verging on Anarchist, side of the spectrum.
Anyway, I have no interest in debating this further, but I'm glad that you understand my position. However, I will point out that Engels famously stated that revolution was possibly the most authoritarian and violent act that can be enacted in society.
Mike Morin replies:
Yet some of us, can appear to be quite authoritarian, though we could be mistaking such a perception for confidence in a strong belief set. I, personally, try to be vigilant about not being perceived to be authoritarian.
Anyway, we try hard to respect each other and not to quibble.
What's the difference between Anarchist and Libertarian except that Libertarians were more intelligent in choosing their name?
With respect to Engels, It should be clear from history that Nationalist/Internationalist Aggression is more authoritarian and violent than revolution.
I say, eventually:
C. Neither, unless that revolution can be non-violent.
Also, with respect to WSM, they are very naive about a moneyless system, except as an ultimate goal, and at least one has said that their objectives were to dismantle all governments, which I differ with in that I think in order to peacefully transition, the goal should be to minimize governments, and employ them to help facilitate the transition to an economic democracy.
But remember, we are human, and will never be perfect. Even in the ultimate success of the ideal, there will be need for dispute resolution. To resolve disputes there would need to be explicitly stated and inculcated principles, mission, and there would need to be organization to negotiate and determine policies, planning and the implementation modi operandis of a cooperative ecological economy. Doesn't that in some sense of the word translate into government? Perhaps someone can come up with a less unpopular term...
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