The United States is the world's first truly global empire. It has spread its control- through economic means, through its military, through its intelligence agencies. there are few countries left on the planet not under the US umbrella. (The "axis of evil" named 3, no accident.)
government is not working alone. extremely wealthy corporations seem to benefit the most from this global conquest. the gov't uses debt or force to open the way into a country's resources, and the large companies come in and exploit them, benefit from them.
the system is so self serving that its satellites, in almost every case, end up with more poverty and misery after they enter the empire. clauses in these WB and IMF "agreements" put debt repayment ahead of social spending, ahead of all spending, so in many cases countries are forced to make payments to these (mainly US) institutions, ahead of things like health care and education. countries are forced into poverty, while their riches are taken.
often these country's are run by thugs, authoritarian regimes that gladly accept these billion dollar loans, leaving the people of the country with the debt. in one case you had a parking lot of BMW's owned by an individual neighboring absolute poverty and dirt streets. these "leaders" take the loans, the people pay them off.
Domestically, at the center of this empire, we haven't seen wage increases (relative to inflation) since 1979. this while corporate profits and paychecks have risen exponentially. absolutely the rich have been getting richer, and the poor poorer.
in the 70's a single laborer could provide for a family. later it required both partners. then it required borrowing. now it can be a struggle.
organized labor has become so demonized it is often blamed for this problem. never mind the 40 hour work week, overtime pay (that is under attack) workers rights and workers comp and abolition of child labor that it has given us.
selfishness and greed are rewarded, while compassion the exception, the church fundraiser or the non profit organization the only way many of the extremely poor see any help. the system serves those who own it, leaving the rest of us to fend for ourselves.
meanwhile we are allowed to vote on individuals to operate in this structure every 2 or 4 years and one thing is guaranteed every election: the militant capitalists will win. if voting could change the system if would be illegal. this government that controls a global empire, why would they allow us to change that?
on election day i left many boxes blank, some i checked, that is the extent of my participation in this empire. fundamentally nothing changes.
this a world run by an empire where 11-13 million people die every year from easily curable diseases (read: cheaply) or starvation every single year, according to the UN. a world where labor and resources are exploited to serve the opulent minority, where the majority of us are forgotten or used, reduced to servants for the ruling elite. an annual holocaust that we perpetuate by supporting this structure.
while we are all distracted with the illusion of participation, with illusion of debate, they continue the conquest. iraq/afghanistan, they are falling like so many others.. people bitch and moan and vote for republicans or democrats, thinking they are participating. the reality is there is little difference between the two, not for billions of people around the world, not for millions of people at home. institutions rule, while individuals suffer, and government officials perpetuate this; they represent a powerful one and they are all on the same side. not ours.
if i had carte balnche, i would end authority, the root of the problem laid out above. i would give it to everyone, essentially removing it from anyone. anarchy in a sense, minus the fire that usually accompanies that term. the tea baggers are onto something with their attack on government, but ignoring corporate power will only exacerbate that problem. institutions, any structure where individuals work together towards a single profit margin, towards a single empire, that is the enemy. profit cannot be put ahead of people, the community must be. i am looking for a world where participation in society rewards society, not the private institutions running it. this simple shift in ethos would end 80% of crime, end war, change the way we interact, behave, what motivates us every second of the day. in a world where labor is rewarded by its value, it changes the mentality at the heart of society. people will be working together, not against one another. and that is crucial.
socialism, to be sure. but also libertarianism.
government is not working alone. extremely wealthy corporations seem to benefit the most from this global conquest. the gov't uses debt or force to open the way into a country's resources, and the large companies come in and exploit them, benefit from them.
the system is so self serving that its satellites, in almost every case, end up with more poverty and misery after they enter the empire. clauses in these WB and IMF "agreements" put debt repayment ahead of social spending, ahead of all spending, so in many cases countries are forced to make payments to these (mainly US) institutions, ahead of things like health care and education. countries are forced into poverty, while their riches are taken.
often these country's are run by thugs, authoritarian regimes that gladly accept these billion dollar loans, leaving the people of the country with the debt. in one case you had a parking lot of BMW's owned by an individual neighboring absolute poverty and dirt streets. these "leaders" take the loans, the people pay them off.
Domestically, at the center of this empire, we haven't seen wage increases (relative to inflation) since 1979. this while corporate profits and paychecks have risen exponentially. absolutely the rich have been getting richer, and the poor poorer.
in the 70's a single laborer could provide for a family. later it required both partners. then it required borrowing. now it can be a struggle.
organized labor has become so demonized it is often blamed for this problem. never mind the 40 hour work week, overtime pay (that is under attack) workers rights and workers comp and abolition of child labor that it has given us.
selfishness and greed are rewarded, while compassion the exception, the church fundraiser or the non profit organization the only way many of the extremely poor see any help. the system serves those who own it, leaving the rest of us to fend for ourselves.
meanwhile we are allowed to vote on individuals to operate in this structure every 2 or 4 years and one thing is guaranteed every election: the militant capitalists will win. if voting could change the system if would be illegal. this government that controls a global empire, why would they allow us to change that?
on election day i left many boxes blank, some i checked, that is the extent of my participation in this empire. fundamentally nothing changes.
this a world run by an empire where 11-13 million people die every year from easily curable diseases (read: cheaply) or starvation every single year, according to the UN. a world where labor and resources are exploited to serve the opulent minority, where the majority of us are forgotten or used, reduced to servants for the ruling elite. an annual holocaust that we perpetuate by supporting this structure.
while we are all distracted with the illusion of participation, with illusion of debate, they continue the conquest. iraq/afghanistan, they are falling like so many others.. people bitch and moan and vote for republicans or democrats, thinking they are participating. the reality is there is little difference between the two, not for billions of people around the world, not for millions of people at home. institutions rule, while individuals suffer, and government officials perpetuate this; they represent a powerful one and they are all on the same side. not ours.
if i had carte balnche, i would end authority, the root of the problem laid out above. i would give it to everyone, essentially removing it from anyone. anarchy in a sense, minus the fire that usually accompanies that term. the tea baggers are onto something with their attack on government, but ignoring corporate power will only exacerbate that problem. institutions, any structure where individuals work together towards a single profit margin, towards a single empire, that is the enemy. profit cannot be put ahead of people, the community must be. i am looking for a world where participation in society rewards society, not the private institutions running it. this simple shift in ethos would end 80% of crime, end war, change the way we interact, behave, what motivates us every second of the day. in a world where labor is rewarded by its value, it changes the mentality at the heart of society. people will be working together, not against one another. and that is crucial.
socialism, to be sure. but also libertarianism.