Thanks for your rant - right on target! Here's another long comment. For the "what can we do?" stuff - I've been a social and environmental activist since early 60's and I've thought long and hard about how we, the people, can survive what's being done to us - - we must stick to our principles and do what we can politically, of course…
Thanks for your rant - right on target! Here's another long comment. For the "what can we do?" stuff - I've been a social and environmental activist since early 60's and I've thought long and hard about how we, the people, can survive what's being done to us - - we must stick to our principles and do what we can politically, of course, BUT, what we really need to do for our survival is become more independent, more self-reliant in our own lives so we are not so totally dependent on corporations' for our existence - - this includes growing some of our own food, even city people can do some of this, and living more lightly on Earth - - lowering living standards to minimum so don't need much money, getting out of debt - file bankruptcy if necessary - so we're not laden with that burden - and, like you, sticking to truth even if shunned by family and some friends. Some people have to set the example for others - as Matt Taibbi does. I used to be city but now rural and I see Climate Change happening every day as we get floods, then drought (worse they've ever seen), really high winds which blow trees into power lines shutting down electricity, and more.....so we live in a challenging world physically now, and an awful one politically....keep your spirits up,,,,read silly novels now and then to escape and turn off the stream of doom from radio/tv/internet....begin planning for a garden for next spring - get a good catalog which gives instructions for your region, and so on. - We just have to keep on.
I am a left-leaning Dem. I read the New York Times every day. But I NEVER stray into its Opinion Section. The paper has cynically tossed the keys to the Whiner Left, self appointed guardians of “The Vulnerable” (including me, but no thanks) — all on the one condition that they spare The Times. Dishonorable surrender so they can make money without aggravation.
You'll never win a global class war by that alone although I agree with most of your post. We're losing this class war due to the fact we don't organize globally against the authoritarian elite, who are already very organized and have plans laid out.
Staying sane is very important, but reaching out to others and comparing notes is also very important in order to construct a network of our own making with which to support our material needs. It's very hard to live without playing into the monopoly game of the elite.
Generations of people lived together fairly well before the corporate terrorism began to really take hold and I believe that can be achieved again with the lighter footprint you rightly pointed out in your post.
Hi - Agree with much of what you say.....but "Capitalism Cannot Be Reformed." That's a button given to me by a unionized Seattle longshoreman during a mass demonstration in Seattle in 1999 when we were fighting the WTO. We need to figure out more cooperative ways of living - copy some of what was in the pretty far past - and hope we can stay this side of the Dark Ages.
You need to create some distinctions here. Markets and trading will form in a vaccum - it's not a decision to organize society that way, markets form naturally. Look at underground black markets in North Korea, for example.
So in the sense that you want to drop individuals amassing wealth by freely trading, that won't happen. You can tax it more, though, to limit its accumulation.
I would suggest understanding the difference between Corporate Capitalism and Capitalism and railing against the former. How do we allow and foster competition in markets, and properly regulate markets and companies to prevent massive companies, market abuses, overweight gov't influence, and monopolistic activity - that's what you want I bet.
Ummm, no, your mansplaining to me what I mean is actually quite amusing...no, I do not want capitalism at all. I and many others want a more cooperative society - the exact form of which will be decided by people as we go - if we're allowed by the powers that be to go anywhere other than where we are. Swapping thing for another thing,, trading hours of labor for hours of labor as the old Chinese did, trading garden produce for others' garden produce, and so on - scaled up by town or region - - we're going to have critical brown-outs and black-outs so we'll not be able to count on electricity all the time......need to be prepared to deal with that, too.
Why do you assume "Nancy Oden" is even a female? This is the internet. At any rate, I come to Taibbi's substack comments for substantive discourse and we're out of those boundaries. I would have written what I wrote to any blank avatar that said "Capitalism cannot be reformed". Which was I guess where we left the boundaries, so my fault for engaging.
None of the "ism's" can be reformed and since all of them sprang out of slavery we need an entirely new system that doesn't incentivize mass murder for resources, exploitation, fraud, and debt peonage. We have to destroy the concept of the elite as well as restore the language that has been stolen from us by them and their useful idiots in the government.
Great stuff. Relying on yourself if really what we all need to do. I'll go a step further. Read law codes and find out what your're able to do to protect yourself and your family. The radicals are not afraid to encroach upon those who will not stand up for their space or rights.
Actually no, relying on yourself is what you're supposed to do while the folks behind the curtain team up to screw you over. You should inform yourself and strive to be more self sufficient where possible but without networking you'll lose in the long run.
Thanks for your rant - right on target! Here's another long comment. For the "what can we do?" stuff - I've been a social and environmental activist since early 60's and I've thought long and hard about how we, the people, can survive what's being done to us - - we must stick to our principles and do what we can politically, of course, BUT, what we really need to do for our survival is become more independent, more self-reliant in our own lives so we are not so totally dependent on corporations' for our existence - - this includes growing some of our own food, even city people can do some of this, and living more lightly on Earth - - lowering living standards to minimum so don't need much money, getting out of debt - file bankruptcy if necessary - so we're not laden with that burden - and, like you, sticking to truth even if shunned by family and some friends. Some people have to set the example for others - as Matt Taibbi does. I used to be city but now rural and I see Climate Change happening every day as we get floods, then drought (worse they've ever seen), really high winds which blow trees into power lines shutting down electricity, and more.....so we live in a challenging world physically now, and an awful one politically....keep your spirits up,,,,read silly novels now and then to escape and turn off the stream of doom from radio/tv/internet....begin planning for a garden for next spring - get a good catalog which gives instructions for your region, and so on. - We just have to keep on.
I am a left-leaning Dem. I read the New York Times every day. But I NEVER stray into its Opinion Section. The paper has cynically tossed the keys to the Whiner Left, self appointed guardians of “The Vulnerable” (including me, but no thanks) — all on the one condition that they spare The Times. Dishonorable surrender so they can make money without aggravation.
You'll never win a global class war by that alone although I agree with most of your post. We're losing this class war due to the fact we don't organize globally against the authoritarian elite, who are already very organized and have plans laid out.
Staying sane is very important, but reaching out to others and comparing notes is also very important in order to construct a network of our own making with which to support our material needs. It's very hard to live without playing into the monopoly game of the elite.
Generations of people lived together fairly well before the corporate terrorism began to really take hold and I believe that can be achieved again with the lighter footprint you rightly pointed out in your post.
Hi - Agree with much of what you say.....but "Capitalism Cannot Be Reformed." That's a button given to me by a unionized Seattle longshoreman during a mass demonstration in Seattle in 1999 when we were fighting the WTO. We need to figure out more cooperative ways of living - copy some of what was in the pretty far past - and hope we can stay this side of the Dark Ages.
You need to create some distinctions here. Markets and trading will form in a vaccum - it's not a decision to organize society that way, markets form naturally. Look at underground black markets in North Korea, for example.
So in the sense that you want to drop individuals amassing wealth by freely trading, that won't happen. You can tax it more, though, to limit its accumulation.
I would suggest understanding the difference between Corporate Capitalism and Capitalism and railing against the former. How do we allow and foster competition in markets, and properly regulate markets and companies to prevent massive companies, market abuses, overweight gov't influence, and monopolistic activity - that's what you want I bet.
Ummm, no, your mansplaining to me what I mean is actually quite amusing...no, I do not want capitalism at all. I and many others want a more cooperative society - the exact form of which will be decided by people as we go - if we're allowed by the powers that be to go anywhere other than where we are. Swapping thing for another thing,, trading hours of labor for hours of labor as the old Chinese did, trading garden produce for others' garden produce, and so on - scaled up by town or region - - we're going to have critical brown-outs and black-outs so we'll not be able to count on electricity all the time......need to be prepared to deal with that, too.
Can anyone mansplain? How can you be sure Substack commenter 34 is a man? If they are female, is it still mansplaining?
Why do you assume "Nancy Oden" is even a female? This is the internet. At any rate, I come to Taibbi's substack comments for substantive discourse and we're out of those boundaries. I would have written what I wrote to any blank avatar that said "Capitalism cannot be reformed". Which was I guess where we left the boundaries, so my fault for engaging.
None of the "ism's" can be reformed and since all of them sprang out of slavery we need an entirely new system that doesn't incentivize mass murder for resources, exploitation, fraud, and debt peonage. We have to destroy the concept of the elite as well as restore the language that has been stolen from us by them and their useful idiots in the government.
Great stuff. Relying on yourself if really what we all need to do. I'll go a step further. Read law codes and find out what your're able to do to protect yourself and your family. The radicals are not afraid to encroach upon those who will not stand up for their space or rights.
Actually no, relying on yourself is what you're supposed to do while the folks behind the curtain team up to screw you over. You should inform yourself and strive to be more self sufficient where possible but without networking you'll lose in the long run.
Amen. Amen. Amen.