Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Musings on Movie Monday
I think it was Krugman's column in the NYT this morning, "When Zombies Win", that decided me on musings with only a tiny touch of movies today.
Krugman's column discusses that known failed economic ideas (trickle down economics, etc) have unbelievably made a resurgence throughout the world; this time unfortunately in zombie form and you know how tough those buggers are to kill.
I know I still have raw nerves from The Road whose vision of the future may be coming so much closer. Sort of like the warning on your side view car mirrors: Objects may be closer than they appear.
Last night, our NJ Gov appeared on 60 Minutes (didn't watch) and said: The day of reckoning has arrived....I mean, listen, the bottom line is I don't have the money.
Well, the rich sure do. But neither the NJ state government nor US federal government has the balls to tax them. Instead they sell a myth to a stupid, naive, gullible, really, really stupid large portion of the US voting public that if you let the rich keep all their money they will create jobs for you. You know, just like feudalism. But they leave out that last line.
Then last Friday, I had two conversations; one with a Chinese woman who had just returned from visiting her former home in China and one with an Indian woman who had made the same trip but to India.
Both were astounded by the wealth they found in their countries. In China, I was told there are roads everywhere, one family lived in 5 floor house (her emphasis on only one family.) Cars were everywhere. And she corrected my misconception; she lived in a village, not a city. Ditto from the Indian woman. The wealth and spending was unbelievable in her town in southern India. She said they'll spent $10,000 on a TV and think nothing of it.
Anecdotal stories, I know, should not be used to formulate theories but this was the first time I heard first-hand of the wealth of China and India. I would have had to be living under a rock not to notice the economic ascendancy of both countries but here were personal stories from people seeing the changes and they are tremendous.
So now, let me pose this question: If you were a rich capitalist in the USA and you had all this money (because the US government obviously doesn't want it) where would you invest?
There's a dirty little secret about not taxing the rich: Private money always travels to the best profits. Jobs, benefits, and pensions in the US really don't fit that bill. It's not just US purchases of foreign goods which is adding to riches for China and India; it's also US private investments in these soon-to-be world's economic powerhouses.
Wake up, America. 98% of you will never be super-rich or even rich. Don't think that tax breaks for the rich will give you a better chance of one day joining them. You won't. The rich will just have you chasing your tail. And you know where that gets the dog.
This is a lie:....the bottom line is I don't have the money. Our government has money sources; it just seems to like the way the rich live by keeping all their money. We, as citizens, really have a two-part job: Get the government to tax the rich. Then take a part in our government to see that these tax monies are spent well.
Wake up, America or we're all going to have a bleak road ahead.
Krugman's column discusses that known failed economic ideas (trickle down economics, etc) have unbelievably made a resurgence throughout the world; this time unfortunately in zombie form and you know how tough those buggers are to kill.
I know I still have raw nerves from The Road whose vision of the future may be coming so much closer. Sort of like the warning on your side view car mirrors: Objects may be closer than they appear.
Last night, our NJ Gov appeared on 60 Minutes (didn't watch) and said: The day of reckoning has arrived....I mean, listen, the bottom line is I don't have the money.
Well, the rich sure do. But neither the NJ state government nor US federal government has the balls to tax them. Instead they sell a myth to a stupid, naive, gullible, really, really stupid large portion of the US voting public that if you let the rich keep all their money they will create jobs for you. You know, just like feudalism. But they leave out that last line.
Then last Friday, I had two conversations; one with a Chinese woman who had just returned from visiting her former home in China and one with an Indian woman who had made the same trip but to India.
Both were astounded by the wealth they found in their countries. In China, I was told there are roads everywhere, one family lived in 5 floor house (her emphasis on only one family.) Cars were everywhere. And she corrected my misconception; she lived in a village, not a city. Ditto from the Indian woman. The wealth and spending was unbelievable in her town in southern India. She said they'll spent $10,000 on a TV and think nothing of it.
Anecdotal stories, I know, should not be used to formulate theories but this was the first time I heard first-hand of the wealth of China and India. I would have had to be living under a rock not to notice the economic ascendancy of both countries but here were personal stories from people seeing the changes and they are tremendous.
So now, let me pose this question: If you were a rich capitalist in the USA and you had all this money (because the US government obviously doesn't want it) where would you invest?
There's a dirty little secret about not taxing the rich: Private money always travels to the best profits. Jobs, benefits, and pensions in the US really don't fit that bill. It's not just US purchases of foreign goods which is adding to riches for China and India; it's also US private investments in these soon-to-be world's economic powerhouses.
Wake up, America. 98% of you will never be super-rich or even rich. Don't think that tax breaks for the rich will give you a better chance of one day joining them. You won't. The rich will just have you chasing your tail. And you know where that gets the dog.
This is a lie:....the bottom line is I don't have the money. Our government has money sources; it just seems to like the way the rich live by keeping all their money. We, as citizens, really have a two-part job: Get the government to tax the rich. Then take a part in our government to see that these tax monies are spent well.
Wake up, America or we're all going to have a bleak road ahead.
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