CAPITALISM

[Duchess]

Yea or nay?

[Donovan]

Capitalism is ok but we have taken it too far into toxicity especially with health care. We are going to destroy our selves with the obsessive pursuit of profit, as witnessed by the ridiculous professions we choose to reward.

[Duchess]

People in other countries are gobsmacked when they hear about our healthcare system.

[Donovan]

It stuns me with how awful it is and I work in the field. I just had a situation where an entire agency dedicated to health, medical and psych services for the population I work with, a substantially healthy and well-known growing agency, was "acquired" by a speculator predator company. The new owners proceeded to borrow against the existing company's name/credit standing, leveraged them to ridiculous debt load, stripmined everything of value, then abandoned the company and forced it into bankruptcy. The entire agency shut down and literally hundreds of people with disabilities lost all psych and medical and housing services. Fucking travesty and all perfectly legal. They do it to hospitals too.

[Carsman]

Yea! 

It isn’t perfect but it does have merit. 
Free market capitalism has been a powerful force for the overall good in the world. 
It has lifted millions of people out poverty, and given more hope to the homeless
then any other economic system in the world. 

The purpose is to ensure that all men are equally free.
Free to succeed, Free to choose, Free to fail. 

[cannongal]

People in other countries are gobsmacked when they hear about our healthcare system.

Tell me about it.   I used to have a really good general practitioner.   Went to him for everything from booster shots to minor surgery.    He retired like 5 years ago, and the kid who took over for him sends me to a specialist for everything.   The insurance company makes you wait for a referral,  the specialist sends you to the 'procedure wing' of the hospital for all sorts of tests, which you also have to get a referral on.   Once the tests come back,  they give you drugs and send you on to physical therapy,   yadda yadda.

[rothschild]

Yea! 

It isn’t perfect but it does have merit. 
Free market capitalism has been a powerful force for the overall good in the world. 
It has lifted millions of people out poverty, and given more hope to the homeless
then any other economic system in the world. 

The purpose is to ensure that all men are equally free.
Free to succeed, Free to choose, Free to fail. 

If that were true we wouldn't have billionaires. Crony capitalism enriches those at the top at the expense of those beneath them. "Free" markets are worse than poorly regulated markets because the end result is unrestrained economic warfare.

[Carsman]

Yea! 

It isn’t perfect but it does have merit. 
Free market capitalism has been a powerful force for the overall good in the world. 
It has lifted millions of people out poverty, and given more hope to the homeless
then any other economic system in the world. 

The purpose is to ensure that all men are equally free.
Free to succeed, Free to choose, Free to fail. 

If that were true we wouldn't have billionaires. Crony capitalism enriches those at the top at the expense of those beneath them. "Free" markets are worse than poorly regulated markets because the end result is unrestrained economic warfare.

You’re Free to express your opinions, no matter how out of touch with reality it is!

[Piglet]

Its a top down  universe whether you like it or not.  Bartering or trade is far from being bad, as always abuses exist.  Its the role of government to curb such things as corruption.   And the government is corrupt abusive etc. 

As always people like Rothschild see things in an absolutist way, if its not perfect, bin it, its a form of control and political power. And when a bad system is replaced, they impose their own corrupt system.    If i have wheat to sell, an you need that, and you have Barley, and i need that, are we not to trade?

As in all things a mountain, conquering ourselves, needs to be climbed, its not about the republicans and democrats, its all of us.    Just look at Russia.  And so it is that the more we can look at things from a higher perspective, so we move up.  This planet, in the grand scheme of things, must be hell.   Russian soldiers are freezing to death in the fields, are we not to help them too?

Children starve in Africa.   Are humans the top of the chain?  Lets hope not, because if thats true, we are in hell, forever.   Why are you here on this speck of shit?

Dont worry, i ask myself that question, and why im here in Britain, and not on some Somali sand hill slowly dying from hunger.  The answer is in the measure of everything i have helped. not hindered.  And you?    Be careful, next time around it may not be as good.   Voltaire once said that to be born twice is no more remarkable than once.   Be afraid.  If the judgement of yourself is bad.  Because you are.

[rothschild]

You couldn't be more wrong. Trade is essential, obviously, but "Free market" capitalism means globalism, which has destroyed small business and healthy commerce. Do you like the present state of the world? It's the end result of "free market" globalism.

The problem with capitalism per se is that it's an honor system, and honor is a scarce commodity in this world -- which is not to say that government controlled economies are the solution because representative government is also an honor system. The reality is that there is not an ideological solution, as theories fall apart when confronted with the vagaries of human nature. They work fine in controlled environments, but the multiverse we inhabit is an open system that is constantly changing, which is the diametrical opposite of a controlled environment. So there are no easy answers. The only one I know of is for humanity to pull itself up by it's bootstraps, which seems unlikely, but appearances can be deceiving so who knows what will happen in the near future.

[Donovan]

Capitalism is a lie.

[Piglet]

I never thought id say it, but i agree Rothschild.  Taking back to basics, humans are an animal programmed to survive, and it will be done even if i hurt you.   Democracy is a way of deciding who has power without war.   Capitalism  can be  accumulating survival, and i will do it even though i may harm all else, mindlessly.   Which is why we  need a referee, a government.

Which fails because the power struggles will not address the needs of all.       Oliver Cromwell dissolved parliament over and over, because the barons would not pass laws that were applicable to everyone in  all of England, and in so doing created democracy.  We have that in Britain.  Badly, but it works.

The democrats in your country have no interest in fairness, allowing destitute people to die on the streets, horribly.    They prefer to talk about gender lgbq or whatever.    The survival of the fittest there, as in any savanna in Africa.    And in America survival of the fittest is about money.    There we have it, how does mankind emerge from the animalistic sense of surival to survival for all.?

There is a parable about a prince wandering in a jungle who comes across a starving tiger, and he offers the tiger his arm to eat.

There is jesus being crucified, he chose that.  Those are extreme examples, but what have you done today like that?  The way forward to higher spheres of existence is to give, not accumulate.  Have you checked on your elderly neighbour. ?    Have you spoken to your children about their problems and feelings?

To give money to the homeless.    Adopt an old unwanted dog.  Feed the birds.  There is a spark of god in everyone, it needs to be found.  A garden of Eden is possible.

[Clang McFly]

I'm giving up my time today to help my brother Ed. He was evicted from his place as of 10 am. If he hadn't freaked out this morning he could have grabbed more clothes and stuff and brought it to the City Mission with him. Right now he's got what he is wearing, his important papers, and some toiletries. He's got a month to make an appointment to get the rest of his stuff out, or whatever he can get out. Currently he's at the Department of Social Services because that is what the City Mission told him to do. I have a friend crashing at my place a few days and I told my brother he could crash there as well also. I won't let my brother sleep on the street even in this freakishly warm weather...55 degrees today.

[Duchess]

You've always been a good brother to Ed, Clang.

Why did he get evicted?

[sally]

What are your brother's problems in life? Drugs, alcohol, mental disorders, depression or just a lazy bum?

[rothschild]

All of the above.

[Clang McFly]

You've always been a good brother to Ed, Clang.

Why did he get evicted?

Behind on his rent and the slumlord allegedly wants to move family members in there. His neighbor was evicted also. Ed reported code violations again after he was evicted this morning. Currently at Social Services and hoping they'll let Ed move into the City Mission tonight. If not he'll be at my place tonight along with a friend I'm letting crash at my place for a few nights. I also lent this friend $60 until New Years Eve when he gets paid. I'm too damn nice sometimes.

[Clang McFly]

All of the above.

Minus the alcohol. But the weed seems to help keep him calm and less depressed.

[rothschild]

All of the above.

Minus the alcohol. But the weed seems to help keep him calm and less depressed.

How long can he stay in the shelter?

[Clang McFly]

All of the above.

Minus the alcohol. But the weed seems to help keep him calm and less depressed.

How long can he stay in the shelter?

Indefinitely. He has friends in high places there from when he was there for 3 years and graduated from their program.