Individually “thinking outside of the box” in the New Economy (Part I): Survivial

It seems as many people are victims of the present morass in the present economy.  Many have been laid off as the private and public sector has downsized under the banner of budget cutting.  Others have just entered the job market, such as veterans returning from Afghanistan and recent college graduates.  Many are qualified, but few are finding jobs.  Those that do find jobs are finding that they are paying near starvation wages or unstable.  They are still working, but also looking for better jobs. Now, we know that the true unemployment rate is not approximately 8% but more near 20%.  Unemployment figures are being manipulated for the political advantage of both parties during the election year. There is just too much demand for the supply. Yet, before 2008, there was about 2 % unemployment.  What happened?   This has been covered by many economists. This is not a normal financial downturn, but the result of a major disaster caused by the wealthy grabbing more for them and the middle class getting the same income adjusted for inflation.  This is similar to the situation before the crash of 1929. Yet what has the government done? They bailed out Wall Street and GM, but didn’t alleviate the suffering of most of the population.   The battle lines have been drawn between the Right and the Left.  The polarization between the two is such that no compromises have been made to address any of the problems in the American economy.  What is the average American do to go around this and survive if not prosper?  As individuals, we cannot accept this situation as “the new normal” as some economist proclaim.

Our approach as the 99 Percent must be both short-term and long-term. is to think ‘outside of the box.’  We cannot continue to churn in the plight that has been delivered to us by the One Percent.  It is not acceptable for qualified creative people to be receiving unemployment or being unemployed on a micro or macro level. 

The first preliminary step is to recognize that the present system of capitalism is decaying and any effort to work within it will result in frustration and ultimate failure.  The second preliminary step is to visualize what you can do as an individual to go around this decay and build an alternative existence that will benefit you and your family and be in coordination with others building “the New Economy”, “the New Democracy” and the next paradigm.  Some of this is already happening ‘by accident’ and others by direct action.  One of the problems inherent in this situation is a feeling of disconnection and lack of solidarity.  This is changing, but slowly. In fact, we have to recognize that this disconnect is being manipulated by the One Percent for their own selfish purposes.   The issues are extremely complicated and interrelated and can be seen as an insurmountable barrier.

In order to survive, we have to decouple ourselves from the ‘traps’ that have been set for us which mostly revolve around consumerism.  We have been brainwashed that we have to have things beyond just mere survival or what we need.  Most things we think 'we need', is the result of being fooled by the marketing ploys of major corporations. Our peceived needs have been developed to to get us hooked on credit and dependent on the One Percent, thus feeding them. In the remainder of this blog entry, I will start to enumerate ways that people can survive personally and also how this makes a statement in done collectively. Many people are already doing this. What they may not be aware of is that they are also making a a public statement. 

Step Number One is: eliminate all credit cards and live according to your family’s income and put money into credit unions.  This action works on various levels.  For an individual, it is absolutely necessary to survive.  For a message to the One Percent, it means I am divesting myself from you and giving you less power over my life.  If enough people did this , there would be a collapse of major banks and financial institutions. They would cease to have control and the majority of financial control would be allocated to the shareholders of credit unions.  You as a member of a credit union have a say in financial policies.  The major banks don’t want this, so they will do everything to prevent their downfall.

Step Number Two is:  buy nothing  new.  You can find many acceptable items for your household such as clothes, appliances, furniture, automobiles etc. at yard sales or thrift stores such as GoodWill.  Most are more than reasonably priced and in good condition.  You have to be a discerning shopper as there are no warranties associated when you buy at these venues.  Most retail items are over-priced and wear out just as fast as those bought at yard sales and thrift stores.  If you avoid purchase of a vehicle in places that have good public transport, this would also be a good move that would decrease all the costs related to owning a vehicle (i.e., insurance, gas, etc.) These items are normally should be bought with cash or with available funds in accordance with the first step.  For those with minimal income, you will find your budget goes much further.  This ultimately sends a message to the One Percent that you do not buy into consumerism and over the long term will cause the collapse of ‘big box’ stores such as Walmart who pay workers barely above minimum wage, support outsourcing and exploit developing nations.

To Be Continued

Thinking ‘Outside of the Box’: A Necessity for Survival in the New Economy

I read today (9 July 2012) a tragic story in the Huffington Post  of a woman and her child that are now living in a storage locker (see http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-s-goodman/latest-jobs-report_b_1654661.html .)  The woman is not a drug addict, has emotional problems or otherwise unemployable.  She, like many are victims of a horrible economy where there are too many qualified people seeking a job in amidst a stagnant or declining job pool for their skills.  Meanwhile, those that could alleviate this problem are doing nothing.  The onus is upon individuals acting in concert to create solutions as those ‘elites’ which we once thought could give solutions absolutely do not care. 

The political pundits are calling high unemployment and a stagnating economy for most developed countries, the ‘new normal.’  What an absolutely dismal prediction!  It also means by extrapolation, the increasing disparity of incomes and increasing of wealth, not only in the developed world, but the developing.  This may be sustainable in their eyes, but in actuality is non-sustainable, even within the present boundaries of capitalism.  The present state will result in a collapse of the retail/service sector as people will have declining income and a further slump in the housing market, as most will not be able to afford houses.  Although there is some indication that incomes are slightly rising among  the middle class and there is some increase in housing prices, this is an aberration among the reality of almost 20 Percent actual unemployment  and an overwhelming decline in absolute wages. These experts must realize that there is no status quo, that an economy must grow or it must decline.

This acceptance of this new reality is now present in the public forum.  It is commonly heard amoung the lackeys of the One Percent that those who do not have work are lazy and not open to other opportunities.  This basically translates into: “You are not willing to accept minimum wage jobs which equate to living at poverty level, while we (the One Percent) live off your labor, manipulate financial markets, and increase the funds that we inherited. “  In addition, many of the unemployed or under-employed hear the statements by others who may still have full-time jobs, “It could be worse. You could be living on the street.”  This is not comforting because it means with the end of your unemployment, the depletion of your savings and a low paying job, if you can find one, your fate will soon be that of a homeless person. This is the antithesis of the American Dream.  This has already happened to many  They have depleted their unemployment, their savings and have even lost a low paying  job, as referred to earlier.

This is not acceptable!  All citizens of the world must organize to create a different future.  There is a new economy and new political reality developing, but it is not status quo or a revision or minor reform.
The new economy is already developing as financial capitialism is declining.  The One Percent want us to accept this decrepit form of capitalism as the ‘new normal’ because it suits their short term aims of increasing their wealth and of completely turning the majority of the world into economic slaves and lackeys.

We, as individuals, must take responsibility for change within our limited spheres of operation which have been defined by the One Percent.  We must think “outside of the box.”  This “box” is a metaphor for a ‘universe’ or paradigm which is collapsing and creating multiple tragedies because whole populations have become victims of its perverse nature.  The ultimate tragedy is of those who have signed up willingly for the armed forces to fight not one tour of duty, but several and do not come back, or come back physically or mentally damaged. Many would not have signed up if the unemployment rate had not been so high.  The unemployment rate is serving the One Percent in their aims to solidify most as economic slaves for their purposes.  Now, they are planning their next war, which is one with Iran. If the developed world follows their dictates, it will lead to further tragedy.
 

 Working outside the box will not take the form of one form of action, but numerous  forms reflecting the complex and interconnected world that is now the norm. 

In future blog entries, I will explore some, but definitely not all of the methods that indivduals, cities, and nations can work outside of the box.

Wake Up!!

Many people in the United States and in other countries are still towing the line according what has been given to them.  You hear the tired phrases like:
Don’t complain; You will find a job---you just have to have hope; If you work hard, you will get ahead; You are just not looking hard enough and other meaningless platitudes.  Those that say this, with good intention, are merely saying this because they don’t want to recognize reality.   The first reality is that many people are unemployed, under-employed or fearful that that they will lose their jobs, or stuck in jobs that offer little increase in wages and no opportunities.  The second reality is that citizens of any country have absolutely no control of their destiny because everything is now controlled by corporations and the economic elite that have no interest in making things better for the public, just making higher profits for their stockholders and accumulating more money to influence politics, and enable speculation and financial ‘gambling’ such as hedge funds and derivatives.

Although it will not help improve the personal status of many people, the mere recognition that one is fully aware that: The American Dream is a now a Myth propagated by the One Percent; Democracy is a sham in the United States and other countries because of the pervasive power of multi-national corporations and economic globalization; There has never been a free market and waiting for a magical recovery is a delusion manufactured by economic royalty; Capitalism in its present form in obsolete and harmful to the majority of global citizens; and Deliberate, thoughtful, pragmatic and substantial  change, not readjustments in financial systems, is the only way to improve democracy and the economies of the world—is progress.  Political and economic changes will follow if Americans and other people recognized these basic premises.
 

It is now the time for global citizens to :Wake up!

A Logic Gap

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Somehow the members of the Tea Party have a hard time grasping the logical connection as illustrated in the above graphic. The US Government is controlled by the One Percent. Therefore, there is no difference between the two.  Actually, the Tea Party and the Occupy Movement should be on the same side. The Tea Party itself has become the vassal of corporate interests and the economic elite, being diverted from its original protest against the bailout of major banks. When they wake-up to the fact that they are supporting their oppressors, you will see all popular support will drain from supporting the puppets of the One Percent. This will further broaden the Occupy Movement transforming it from a minority to a majority movement.  Ultimately, We the People  must see that both parties have been corrupted by 'big money' and this is not a partisan struggle, but one of the majority confronting the tyranny of the economic elite. This is about defending American democracy and upholding the  values of the Declaration of Independence and The U.S. Constitution.

 

Capitalism Hits the Fan (Video of Richard Wolff, Ph.D.)

Dr. Wolff  discusses the problems of the present global  political economy in a very straight forward manner.
These are not contrived or manipulated statistics, nor are the basic assumptions, which other economists, such as Reich, and Krugman agree. What is different is Wolffs proposal for the future which is basically the formation of worker-owned enterprises overtaking the present economic system. This is happening 'under the radar' with the diversion of money from corporate banks into credit unions, the increased proliferation of energy co-opts, the formation of state banks, and the slow increase in worker or employee owned small enterprises. This is the beginning of the New Economy, slowly eroding the control of the One Percent and pointing toward a new and better future for all citizens.


Capitalism, as we know it, is 'gasping for breath.' announcing the demise of a plutocracy dominated by  the One Percent.  Why do you think that the multinationals and the economic elite are pouring millions of dollars into the campaigns of 'their owned party"--the Republican Party?  (Be also aware that their multinationals are loyal only to the U.S. as it serves their needs for increased profits, have no social concussions, and will without hesitation abandon any nation not serving their needs.) Why do you think they are using their media to convince the masses that the status quo is the best for them and spewing out some of the most egregious propaganda about the left, including the Occupy and Progressive Movement and stooping to mud-sling  moderate Republicans and Democrats.   They know that the end is near for their domination of politics and the economy.  They have no solutions.  Do you think that magically that by cutting the budget, eliminating departments, reducing regulations, keeping lower taxes for the wealthy and continual unrealistic defense funding that the economy will  suddenly  recover? Absolutely not.  You wonder who can believe in the Republicans' 'half-baked' economic proposals, which only serve the One Percent.  The systematic problems with the American political economy (and also the global economy) as outlined by Dr. Wolff in the video, are  deeply structural and beyond minor adjustments.  Unfortunately, the Middle Class followers of the Republicans have realized this yet. When they do, they will leave the Republican Party in mass and join the present Occupy and Progressive Movement.  The Republican Party will go the way of the Whigs and be an anachronism--which they are now. but the majority in their party have not realized this yet. The electorate of France and the Netherlands have already determined that austerity is not the solution. However, neither is going back to a stagnant economies burdened with crippling social programs. structures.

We are 'on the cusp' of a new political economy that will prosperity to all the citizens of the world,  and environmental and energy sustainability.  The solutions revolve around significant changes in democracy, the economic structure, global cooperation,  and adopting measures that will ensure sustainability, both for Europe, the U.S. and for developing nations.  These changes will not be without turmoil, conflict or further strain to national political and economic  The demise of the control of the One Percent is inevitable. But, in this struggle, the new reality and paradigm will slowly emerge.

Has soliciting for campaign funding in US politics become a barrier to democracy?

Everyday, I receive messages from various Progressive candidates and the Obama campaign urging me to give more so that they can equal the amount of money that is being spent by the Republicans. (Although I support the message of Progressive candidates, I find their frantic messages about funding distracting to their message.) The message is clear, although these candidates are blind to it, is that American politics is not about the issues, but about how much money one can spend to spread partisan propaganda. The underlying fault now in American democracy is that campaign funding has become a barrier to its even partial functioning. We have to eliminate or reduce campaign funding by corporations and wealthy individuals and return democracy back to the people. The real issue is not if this or that candidate is elected, but that the basic underpinnings of American democracy which are being threatened by the increasing influence of the One Percent. This spending frenzy is the direct result of the Citizen's United ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court.

This is above politics. The American electorate is deluded that contributing to one candidate or another will change anything. Real change will only happen when there is a bipartisan effort (demanded by the people) to change the operation of the political process through a Constitutional Amendment. Although radical, my proposal would be change the present system into a parliamentary one and have funding of elections though a blind fund where no individual or corporation will know who their money is being directed. (This was proposed by Robert Reich in his book, Supercaptialism.) However, the evolution of American politics and capitalism will not ocurr overnight, but unfortunately will be brought about by another crisis.

Capitalism is Dead!

Although somewhat dated, this is a very good video and good introduction to the text below. Notice that in this video that the commentator states that even the head of the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2012 stated that 'capitalism is dead.'

Yes, capitalism is gasping for breath. We have been experiencing the death of capitalism for at least thirty years. It has not been apparent because it was masked by many factors. The world has changed and many are holding on to a paradigm that emerged in 16^th Century and persisted till the late 20^th Century. The evidences of a dying system are: income inequality, environmental degradation (i.e, global warming, depletion of the Amazon rain forest, over-fishing, genetic engineering and decrease of agricultural species), a dependence on non-renewal resources for economic growth sustenance, uneven regional economic development, domination of multinational corporation over national interests, and faltering economic growth (slow/stagnant in developing countries, erratic in developing countries.) 

In the ashes of a dying capitalism, a phoenix is rising to take its place. It is now nebulous, but slowly coalescing and has been for decades.  With the economic crisis of 2008 and the continuing stagnation, it  is evident that this is ‘the end of the line’ for capitalism. (It is not the end of the free market for the exchange of goods, services, ideas, technology and now, software.  This is alive and well, but has been manipulated for the benefit of the One Percent under the guise of protecting capitalism.)The solutions that have been applied and are being proposed by nation-states, supranational organizations and think tanks are merely ‘band-aids’ to a system that needs not just overhaul, but creative destruction.  The present form of capitalism will not slip quietly away, as those who have a stake in its present form will use any means to keep it alive so that can ‘pick off the remnants of the corpse.’ 

The clues for the formation of this new paradigm are being found in emerging movements such as the Occupy Movement, Progressive Movement in the U.S., the international Pirate Party, the democracy movement in the Middle East, Africa and South America, global environmental movement, and the growing dissent in China.  These coalitions are presenting not just alternatives, but the building blocks for the next paradigm, replacing those of Modernism/Post-Modernism, Industrial/Post-Industrial, Fordism/Post-Ford- ism, and Realism/Noe-Conservatism/Liberalism. While many from the traditional Left and Right would like to tag these movements within the context of Marxism/Socialism/Anarchism, it is not following or adopting the overall premises of these philosophies, to the dislike of both political spectrums who would like to either bring them under their umbrella (the Left) or discredit them (the Right.) 

The emerging paradigm is a hybrid of past political and economic philosophies being energized and transformed by globalism and technology.

What do we call this new paradigm?  The best so far has been to term the next form of economics ‘natural capitalism’ as outlined by Paul Hawkins, Amory Lovings and Hunter Lovings in their book, Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution.  (For further information, go to the books website at: http://www.natcap.org/ .)  However, this does not adequately encompass the developing paradigm.  There are hints of the formulation of this paradigm in works by Robert Reich (Beyond Outrage, After Shock, Supercapitalism—for more information go to : http://robertreich.org/), Richard Wolff (Democracy at Work: A Cure for Capitalism, Occupying the Economy: Challenging  Capitalism, Capitalism Hits the Fan: The Global Economic Meltdown and What to Do About It and many others—for more information go to : http://rdwolff.com/ Paul Krugman (End this Depression Now!, The Conscience of a Liberal, and more—for more information go to: http://www.pkarchive.org/ .  Always controversial and interesting is Noam Chomsky, his new book, Occupy, concerns his views on the Movement and  can be order via the Zucottti Park Press at http://www.zuccottiparkpress.com/chomsky.html.  A new book, which I am just starting to read is a collection of articles concerning the Occupy Movement, The Occupy Handbook, offers diverse and interesting views from a wide variety of authors. It is available from Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/The-Occupy-Handbook-Janet-Byrne/dp/0316220213 ) or Barnes and Nobles (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-occupy-handbook-janet-byrne/1107957786 .) 

The above authors are not political pundits, such as Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck and others speaking for the Tea Party and the new conservatives (notice the little ‘c’ as I don’t believe these guys are true Conservatives.) If you take a more than casual glace, among them are experienced energy experts, professors in Economics and Political Science, a renowned linguist  and social critic, and a Noble Peace prize winner.  These people are not flakes, wild-eyed kooks, but knowledgeable and sane individuals who have studied problems and present the framework for a new future.  

The Tea Party which is dominating the Republican Party are merely stooges for the One Percent. They betray the Conservatism that W.F. Buckley, Jr. single-handily created which was intellectual, fair, respectful of the opposition, and well-grounded in Conservative economic and political theory.  I think he would be appalled at the viciousness of the rhetoric of the Tea Party, the brazenness of the supporters of the Republican Party to pour money into campaigns to malign candidates, the uncompromising positions being held toward moral issues, their anti-intellectual nature and the overt and ‘not so’ covert adoption of the principles of Ayn Rand. In addition, the Tea Party has drawn to it those who believe in conspiracy theory, survivalists and perhaps Neo-Nazis. It is a motley bunch that true Conservatives are probably hesitant to be associated. 

The body of work that are being created by the aforementioned intellectuals are preparing the foundation of a new future. It is one of hope, prosperity, equality, justice, direct democracy, peace, protection of the environment, responsible energy use, and ultimately the creation of a sustainable world. The Republicans and their brand of conservatism represent a thinly veiled attempt to maintain the status quo mainly to keep the One Percent on top, controlling the world for their selfish ends and maintaining a capitalism that is corrupted and unsustainable.  This is a Hobbesian world through the philosophical eyes of Ayn Rand. Their agenda will surely fail because it translates into tyranny and many in the U.S. and the world now know exactly what is their aim.

Capitalism is dead and the future is here!

Both parties have their 'hands in the till'

There something very insidious occurring in campaign funding.  Both parties are claiming they have ‘grassroots’ funding support, but the problem is that both Democrats and Republicans have their ‘hands in the till’; Republicans apparently more than Democrats, but this is debatable.  While Republicans are obviously under the influence of the One Percent, the Democrats are not much better. Many of the same corporations fund both parties with intent that they will be granted political favors. (The notion that they are doing out of good will for the American political process is Pollyannish.)  Although according to the latest data, corporations (particularly energy-oriented ones) are leaning more toward the Republican Party than the Democrats. (By the way, you can tell I am not a member of the Tea Party, as I am interested in data and facts.)  The data for campaign contributions by corporations can be found at: http://www.opensecrets.org/overview/topcontribs.php .  There is little doubt who is determining the agenda for the Republicans.

However, this lack of overt funding of most Democrats does not mean that they are not influenced by corporations, particularly those involved in the military-industrial complex.  The problem for the lack of direction in the Democratic Party is the adherence to Neo-New Deal philosophy which is assoiciated with minorities, unions, the poor, the Middle Class (this is a new constituency which is being courted away from the Republicans.)

 The Young Turks of the Democratic Party,those  being associated with the Progressive Movement, represent the ‘new’ Democratic Party.  They number among their ranks in Congress those such as Bernie Sanders, Al Franken and Allan Grayson, who appear to be the most vocal.  (Nancy Pelosi claims to be a Progressive Democrat, but I would more classify her as an opportunistic, former Blue Dog Democrat who has no idea of what is it like ‘outside the Beltway.’) There are those on the outside such as Elizabeth Warren (hopefully to be elected to the US Congress) and Russ Feingold (former Senator from Wisconsin—the birthplace of the Progressive Movement—and founder of Progressives United.) who also could be considered as part of the Young Turks of the Democratic Party.  These represent women and men of conviction, honesty, ethics, intelligence who know that the U.S. needs major reform.  

 Contrast these individuals with many in the Republican Party who are bitter, sexist, elitist, and dogmatic.  And, you wonder when the US electorate will have their ‘I could have had a V-8’ moment.’  Hopefully, it will be sooner than later, but for now many Middle Class Tea Party followers are being blinded by the populist propaganda being meted out by the Republican Party (of course serving the interests of the One Percent.)  ( For those who forget history, the populist propaganda of the Republican party has the same ring of that of George Wallace and Huey Long, but made politically correct and minus the tirerades of Huey Long against the oil companies, which by the way still control Louisiana.) The Middle Class Tea Party followers are totally unaware that they are supporting their oppressors, much in the same way the initial followers of Hitler were captured by his rhetoric.

May Day 2012: the beginning of the American Spring

Liberty leading the People" by Eugène Delacroix 

There were many May Day celebrations connected with the Occupy Movement around the world Was this May Day the ‘spark’ for more actions to come?   No.. it was not a 'call to revolution' as probably anticipated by some, but a visible symbol of the transformation and broadening of the Movement. Maybe this is a disappointment to some who may have imagined a 'storming of the Bastille.' According to the Huffington Post on 2 May 2012, the mainstream liberal establishment joined forces with the Occupy Movement  this May Day (see http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/01/may-day-protests-occupy-wall-street_n_1469229.html .)  There was an eclectic mixing at May Day. Overall, it was not violent, but peaceful..which is the hallmark of the Occupy Movement.  What can one make of these diverse groups coming together on this May Day?

  Some of the comments for this article indicate various reactions to the slant of this article from indicating that this is a positive move, to those stating the Democratic Party as co-opting the movement and on the far end of the other spectrum dominated by adherents to the Far Right stating that the participants at this May Day represent the unusual suspects of radicals (Socialists, Marxists, Anarchists. ) In my hometown as in others around the nation, the day passed without fanfare.

My perspective on the assembly of various groups involved with May Day and the centrality of the Occupy Movement in this day represents not disorganization, but a subtle but significant transition. One, the Occupy Movement has moved away from the mere occupation of public places.  Two, there is now a broad and amorphous coalition around the tenets of the Occupy Movement.  Three, the Occupy Movement did not on this May Day repeat the historic clashes (with some exceptions) of one dominated by the labor movements and the police, indicating that this movement intends on bringing a peaceful resolution to themes such as income inequality, domination of politics by the One Percent, and unsustainable development. Four, the Movement is global as May Day in the US was connected with Occupy Movements around the world.  

Ultimately, the Occupy Movement has become like a good painting, one that represents many things depending on the perspective of the individual.  At the center of this painting is hope.  Hope that one segment of global politics and economics (the One Percent) will cease to dictate all aspects of economy, politics, and culture.  Hope that the Ninety-Nine Percent can start to ‘write the history’ of this century and beyond. Hope that we can have true democracy in all nations.  Hope that the differences in income can be diminished and that everyone can share in prosperity.  Hope that the continual warfare that has been the hallmark of the nation-state systems will stop. And the list goes on….Juxtapose this with the angry voices (i.e., the Far Right including the Tea Party) denouncing the Movement who are mostly white middle class holding on to their traditional and fading values and threatened by the message of the hope held up by the Occupy Movement and how it is stagnating and hopeless—just a continuation of the present system—and it is apparent that the Movement will not go away, but grow.  This May Day, although not dramatic, represents that we will see a blossoming of the Occupy Movement that will be a transforming factor in the coming years.

May Day 2012

Solidarity with those who are protesting around the world!

George Carlin on the American Dream

The Late George Carlin, known for his acerbic and insightful humor stated, "It’s called the American Dream, because you have to be asleep to believe it." (See http://shoqvalue.com/george-carlin-on-the-american-dream-with-transcript#ixzz1qjLILQNJ  for a transcript of this now classic comedy bit.) Carlin expressed what many Americans now know is the reality despite propaganda by the Left and Right. The American Dream ceased to be a reality thirty years ago, yet the myth pervaded and drove consumer spending and debt until the system collapsed in 2008. Both sides are is denying that our country is no longer a democracy, but a plutocracy, run by corporations and the extremely wealthy (the One Percent.) The One Percent wants Americans to uneducated and follow their program which has made the majority of Americans economic slaves. Carlin recognized this many years before the Economic Crisis of 2008 and the Occupy Movement brought this blatant reality to the forefront of most Americans.

Is capitalism in crisis?

Until the 1970s, American real wages were increasing and standards of living was improving. Starting in the late 1970s to the present, the real American wages have reminded stagnant while the One Percent gained by a very large amount. Meanwhile,
Americans have never been more productive. Why did they not share in the greater profits that companies were making? The reason lies, as Wolff states because the corporations and financial institutions realized they could take this enormous profit and lend it back to the Middle Class at exorbitant interest rates.


Robert Wolff, Visiting Professor at the New School, reveals the details of why the Economic Crisis is a temporary blip, but it a structural problem of the plutocracy dominating the U.S. and global eonomy.

Repost from Alan Grayson; Relevance of words of Robert F. Kennedy to racial tensions in Florida over death of Trayvon Martin

The following is a re post from an e-mail that was sent to me from the Office of Alan Grayson (Dem-FL)  on 26 March 2012.   Grayson is the kind of voice we need in Washington. Help support the reelection of Grayson

Alan Grayson states:

I live in Orlando, so a number of people have asked me what I think about the death of Trayvon Martin. Trayvon, a teenager, was shot dead by a "neighborhood watch" member as Trayvon was walking home from a convenience store. Trayvon was armed with nothing but a bottle of iced tea and a bag of Skittles. For me, it calls to mind the sentiments in the speech that Robert F. Kennedy gave from his heart on April 4, 1968, in Indianapolis, after Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed. This is what Robert F. Kennedy said:

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I'm only going to talk to you just for a minute or so this evening, because I have some – some very sad news for all of you – Could you lower those signs, please? – I have some very sad news for all of you, and, I think, sad news for all of our fellow citizens, and people who love peace all over the world; and that is that Martin Luther King was shot and was killed tonight in Memphis, Tennessee.

Martin Luther King dedicated his life to love and to justice between fellow human beings. He died in the cause of that effort. In this difficult day, in this difficult time for the United States, it's perhaps well to ask what kind of a nation we are and what direction we want to move in. For those of you who are black – considering the evidence evidently is that there were white people who were responsible – you can be filled with bitterness, and with hatred, and a desire for revenge.

We can move in that direction as a country, in greater polarization – black people amongst blacks, and white amongst whites, filled with hatred toward one another. Or we can make an effort, as Martin Luther King did, to understand, and to comprehend, and replace that violence, that stain of bloodshed that has spread across our land, with an effort to understand, compassion, and love.

For those of you who are black and are tempted to be filled with hatred and mistrust of the injustice of such an act, against all white people, I would only say that I can also feel in my own heart the same kind of feeling. I had a member of my family killed, but he was killed by a white man.

But we have to make an effort in the United States. We have to make an effort to understand, to get beyond, or go beyond these rather difficult times.

My favorite poet was Aeschylus. And he once wrote:

Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget
falls drop by drop upon the heart,
until, in our own despair,
against our will,
comes wisdom
through the awful grace of God.

What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love, and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or whether they be black.

So I ask you tonight to return home, to say a prayer for the family of Martin Luther King, but more importantly to say a prayer for our own country, which all of us love – a prayer for understanding and that compassion of which I spoke.

We can do well in this country. We will have difficult times. We've had difficult times in the past, but we – and we will have difficult times in the future. It is not the end of violence; it is not the end of lawlessness; and it's not the end of disorder.

But the vast majority of white people and the vast majority of black people in this country want to live together, want to improve the quality of our life, and want justice for all human beings that abide in our land.

And let's dedicate ourselves to what the Greeks wrote so many years ago: to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world. Let us dedicate ourselves to that, and say a prayer for our country and for our people.

Thank you very much.

Courage,

Alan Grayson

Do rap and hip hop popular performers serve the One Percent?

This morning I was switched on my radio while in my car to a radio station that plays top ten selections.  This time there was a current hip hop song playing.  I listened to the lyrics and they concerned the usual:  abusive references to women, drugs, and money.  Hip hop and rap have long since ceased to be a Post-Modern critical vehicle of the ills of  post-industrial urban life  and the plutocracy, but one that encourages uber-consumerism and the opiates of sex and drugs. Religion is not the opiate of the masses now. It has been substituted by the plutocracy with the basal desires of humans and has elevated them to the status of a religion.  The One Percent never allows anything that would lead to a disintegration of their control.  They own the majority of media and therefore have co-opted performers to serve their needs.  However, as with anything which is presumed to absolute, chaotic elements emerge to upset them.   As the Occupy Movement grows, there will be an opposing group of musicians, writers, actors and artists what will soon come to the forefront to bring the message to the general public, despite all that can be imposed by the One Percent.

Why Progressives must win

Today (24 March 2012), Common Dreams,  reposted an article by Robert Reich titled, “Big Government' Isn't the Problem, Big Money Is” that was originally  published in The Nation on 23 March 2012  (go to http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/03/23-2 . )  His words in this article are succinct and poignant. A clear example of this in this article is when he states,” Millionaires and billionaires aren’t donating to politicians out of generosity. They consider these expenditures to be investments, and they expect a good return on them.”  There is only one correct term for a minority acting in their own interest against a majority—tyranny.

Do we need a clearer statement as one expressed by Reich to understand why the U.S. has come to the point that we are now a declining nation slowly evolving toward a developing nation?  Is this being a ‘chicken little’ or alarmist? It is arrogant to think that American will continue to be the leader in the world economically and politically, without reigning in the control of the One Percent over our present economic and political system, 

The dreary future that the One Percent presents to the world is one of further concentration of wealth to a minority, dictation of all policy by multinational corporations and financial institutions; a rapidly declining Middle Class and real wages; environmental degradation; continued dependence on non-renewable resources; elimination of the social net, restriction of freedoms and constant war based on control of countries with key resources.. Is it their intention to buy out American politics so that it will serve their need?  Yes.  If the One Percent can bully the political system and manipulate the population, the U.S. will have a sham democracy and ‘pretend’ capitalism.  Some could say we already have this and they may be correct.
 

The state maintained by a form of command capitalism and pseudo-democracy will remain in this way for a long period..  A U.S. dominated by a plutocracy will ultimately spell the decline of their even the One Percent’s wealth and influence.  It does not take a degree in economics to arrive at these conclusions!  America will not be destroyed by terrorists, but by our own.  As there is continuing stagnant growth more and more people will slip from being Middle Class to Lower Class.  Since the bulk of the tax revenue comes from the Middle Class, two things will result: increasing of the national debt and cuts in social services.  The rich will continue to have tax cuts and corporations will pay fewer taxes. Still replying on the financial stability of the U.S., corporations will ship more jobs overseas, further taking more people into menial jobs and poverty.   At the same time, wages will go down such that foreign companies will see it as an advantage to operate in the US.  Some American oriented multinational firms may relocate their operations, but the wages will mainly be slightly above the poverty level with reduced benefits.  However, without much discretionary income, consumers will shop less and the consumer-oriented society that feeds all types of retail (automobiles, clothing, restaurants, hair salons, insurance companies, health care etc.) will start to decline. (Some of this is already evident with the closing or decline of former ‘giants’ in retail such as Montgomery Ward, Sears, and K-Mart.)   This will mean more unemployment and further burden to the social net, if it survives. The end result will not be a resignation of the people to their plight, but a massive social upheaval resulting in a totally Facist government to protect the One Percent’s wealth from the masses or a violent revolution which result in a great tragedy for everyone. These basis for these scenarios have already been set in place.

There is an alternative and this is one that is being advocated by Progressives.  There are a growing amount of Progressive candidates running for Congress and presently in Congress.  Obama is a Progressive, but has been hampered by Republican dominated House and Blue Dog Democrats (Conservative Democrats that side with Republicans.)  The Progressives would limit campaign funding contributions by corporations, provide incentives to build a Green economy, side for diplomacy instead of involvement in foreign wars, encourage participatory democracy, reduce unnecessary military spending, reform education, provide pragmatic and balanced means to reduce the deficit without causing damage to the social net, provide universal health care, lessen income inequality, provide for significant financial reform , bring jobs back to the U.S., rectify problems with illegal immigration, establish the right to marry for gays and lesbians,  and legalize drugs—thus eliminating a large amount of people now filling our prisons. Which do you think is the future that America should pursue?  There is no viable alternative coming from Conservatives.  Progressive Republicans and Democrats are the framers of the new future of the U.S.

We the People, need to make the One Percent aware of our influence by: signing petitions, calling/writing our Congress person, voting for Progressive candidates at all levels, and supporting the Occupy Movement financially or joining in their demonstrations.  We fought against tyranny to gain our independence from the autocrats of the day, the British; and will have to struggle against them again.  The fortunate thing is that is that we have three powerful tools: democracy, the U.S. Constitution and a relatively free press that will eventually ‘turn the tide’ to bring us back to the democracy and society that was envisioned by the Framers of the U.S. Constitution.

Neo-Conservatives’ are lurking in the background of the present conflict with Iran

The recent justification of the defense of Israel's right to exist is related to an apocalyptic view that Charismatic/fundamentalist hold. They believe that to support Israel means that when Armageddon occurs that America will be spared.  The original reason for the establishment of Israel was on humanitarian reasons to protect Jews from further persecution by creating a homeland where they could feel secure. Despite almost continual warfare Israel has prospered, albeit with substantial military and economic support from the U.S. It is also a democratic nation surrounded by totalitarian regimes, until about 1 year ago.  However, its belligerence in the persecution of Palestinians and the refusal to allow for a limited autonomy for the Palestinian State has placed the US in a precarious situation and has generally caused Israel to be considered a liability to Liberals in the U.S. instead of an asset.  Israel has also alienated the one democracy in the area, Turkey, which it once had friendly relations.

The other reason that the U.S. supports Israel is geopolitical. It provides for a country that is friendly to the US amidst those that are moderately to lukewarm about the US presence in the Middle East. Israel gives us a permanent proxy base in the region to defend American interests. In a Realist point of view of foreign policy, this trumps the previously mention religious view and the humanitarian view for reasons to defend Israel. It is the U.S.’s self-interest to defend Israel as a paid surrogate for protecting its economic and political concerns.

These stances are not new, but have been prevalent in American foreign policy and political thought for  several decades. What has brought these world views into the forefront is the possibility of Iran developing nuclear weapons and threats from Iran toward Israel.

Behind the curtains, in the present conflict with Iran is a Noe-Conservative agenda to secure another country-Iran-to be brought into the sphere of influence of the US and provide it with cheap petroleum.  Conveniently  (and perhaps orchestrated by this group of radical Republicans), as the conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan are dissipating,  a new war is being ‘invented’ to draw the U.S. into a war with Iran to serve their world vision.  They are co-opting the Religious Right's support of Israel and the threat of nuclear proliferation as a ruse for their ultimate view of creating a globe dominated by the US for the sole purpose of supplying it with the necessary natural resources and global economic/political domination.

It is Iraq and Afghanistan repeated again within the Neo-Conservative's mindset. To them: Iraq was not compliant with supplying US with cheap petroleum. and Afghanistan was useful because of its connection with a proposed pipeline going from Central Asian to ports in Pakistan. Likewise, now is the time to bring Iran "under the umbrella' of  the domination of American capitalisit domination and within its political sphere of influence.. The Neo-Conservative subterfuge in the case of the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan was to ‘stop world terrorism’, precipitated by 9/11. In the case of Iran, they have found two very convenient means to create a ‘smoke-screen’ to hide their agenda. The Neo-Conservatives serve the One Percent and have no interest in the overall welfare of the US public, but only accumulating more wealth in the hands of a few. That the overall health of the U.S. economy and the lives of our young men and ladies are sacrifices for their cause is just a necessary evil for obtaining their distorted global vision.

Paralyzing polarities: the state of American politics

While there has always been a difference between the Republicans and Democrats, it seemed that
that before the present onslaught by Tea Party Republicans there was common ground (e.g., bipartisanship.)  U.S. Congress members used to brag about ‘reaching across the aisles’ and their close friends in another party.  This is unfortunately gone.

The Republicans has created a situation where there is no common ground.  This is very obvious in the U.S. Congress where the Republicans Party’s aim was not solving the economic, social and political problems in America, but opposing every effort by Obama to bring about change.  It is also represented by the radical  views of the Republican candidates for the nomination for President. However, in the same breath, one must point to the lackluster performance of the Democratic Party dominated by Blue Dog Democrats and mainline Democrats which are tied to the same corporate money and under the influence of the same special interests as the Republicans. The only bright spot is the Progressive Democrats and Republicans and the Occupy Movement. The Progressive Movement is gaining strength, but is being fought by the monies being poured into the campaigns of Republican Party candidates.  The outcome is still developing and solidifying.  This spring could be a very interesting one.

The jangling of keys.

During the Velvet Revolution in former Czechoslovakia, the protesters in the thousands, jangled their keys indicating the time for the regime was up. We need to do the same for those that support the One Percent. See the following link: http://www.nonviolent-conflict.org/index.php/movements-and-campaigns/movements-and-campaigns-summaries?sobi2Task=sobi2Details&sobi2Id=18

This one action and others are examples on how revolution can occur without violence and  a bit of  humor.
Those in the Occupy Movement and Progressives should like-wise follow the example of the Velvet Revolution and other non-violent movements.

The theme of the Occupy Movement must remain non-violence

Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.

Dalai Lama XIV

These insightful quotes by the Dalai Lama XIV contain some of the basic elements of non-violence resistance.  In the first statement, the Dalai Lama is urging people wanting change not to be overcome by the concept that violence is the route to achieve change.  Violence is the vehicle of despots, mob rule and persons who are valueless and without compassion.  The history of the world is littered with examples of those who sought to change the world by violence for a perceived ultimate end state, which brought about tragic consequences for humanity (i.e., Russian Revolution, purges of the U.S.S.R. by Stalin, the Khmer Rouge’s decimation of the population of Cambodia, China’s Great Cultural Revolution, Robespierre ‘Reign of Terror’, the Holocaust, genocide in multitude of locations etc.) The ends do not justify the means.  Likewise, those that advocate violence for social change, often become its victims.  The statement ,“If you live by the sword, you will die by the sword.,” still resounds as when it was first spoken by Jesus (Mathew 26: 52.)  Yet, we still ignore the statement’s truth and continue to propose violence as the means to resolve conflict.  The ends do not just the means, if the means are violence against society such as torture, persecution, imprisonment, and death to opponents.  This doesn’t rule out self-defense, which should be wielded with the upmost caution within a non-violent setting.

The second statement is predicated by the first.  To seek change, we must be wise and clever to use the tools of those that are seeking to oppress.   The greatest ‘rule breaker’ was Jesus.  He was the model for those to come, particularly Gandhi-the most influential non-violent leader in modern times.  The One Percent tout ideas of democracy, free market capitalism as a means for prosperity, freedom of speech, equality, security and protection of the people and human rights. However, these are just words to placate the masses, while their only goals are: to create more wealth for them and to use power to control to secure this. Those who are seeking non-violent change use, challenge or break: laws. They use the institutions grounded in the principles of Justice, basic human yearning and other universal principles to initiate change.   This deliberative process has been proven to effective  to bring about positive societal change. 

The basis of non-violence action is grounded on the thoughts handed down to us from great moral teachers who were not seeking regime change, but deep societal change.  The source of their Wisdom came from the Ultimate Force (God, YHVH, Allah, or any other name that we has humans have coined for this unknowable, mysterious, wonderful power that guides humans and set the world into motion.)  Jesus often stated, “My Kingdom is not of this World.”  In other words, I am not seeking to overthrow the Roman Empire in Israel, but seeking to change men and women’s thoughts and actions.. this is petty stuff.   John Lennon in ‘Revolution’ on the White Album of the Beatles is the lyrics, “you say you want to change the constitution.. you better free your mind instead.”  There is an ultimate Good that is more important than changing a regime, a political party or policies.  To be focused on a future state and negate values is destructive to the persons believing this and to the society they are seeking to change.  Non-violence stresses the upholding of a greater morality, individual well-being and spiritual health as important and working through and over the established laws to bring about change.