Christian Econ

How Capitalism Is Generating A Global Third World Economy

2011-10-13T18:50:00.000-07:00

In a nutshell, as capitalism matures, the ultra wealthy are simply buying more and more money out of the economy (investment income as opposed to productivity), so there's less and less left for the people doing the work producing the wealth, and less and less for those sacrificed at the bottom*.

(*Capitalism always benefits from higher unemployment, because it keeps the price of labor, lower as more people must compete for jobs--thus capitalism provides an incentive for higher unemployment rates. This constitutes "those sacrificed at the bottom.")

The fact money buys money (one doesn't necessarily have to produce wealth in order to gain in a capitalist economy) means the economic system is a feedback loop. It must be regulated since a feedback loop is unsustainable.

At this point the capitalist system is for the most part one global economy with some nation-state intervention, and the U.S. is simply part of it.

A Global Free Market Economy

2011-08-15T11:18:00.001-07:00

The ultra wealthy have long since abandoned caring anything about the United States. They've moved on to creating a global third-world free-market system for themselves.

They still use patriotism and nationalism to win elections to this end however, causing enough distraction and using enough dis-information (via Fox "News," e.g.) that Republican voters won't notice the wealthy's main corporate sources are now trans-national, generate more and more jobs overseas, in China, etc.

Why Free Market Capitalism is Unsustainable

2011-07-28T14:49:00.000-07:00

An unregulated free market--whereby money can simply buy money (investment income)--constitutes a feedback loop, and therefore constitutes an unsustainable system.

This is why, as capitalism matures in the U.S., more and more of its business is comprised of financial scamming, even simply preying on the financial mishaps of others, while less and less of its business consists of producing something of value.

StudentsFirst.org--Yet Another Corporate Funded Lobbyist Attack on Teachers

2011-06-21T13:57:00.000-07:00

Are you a monumentally successful public institution that doesn't fill the pockets of wealthy investors? Are you unionized, supporting a healthier and more balanced economy--and better pay and benefits for the people doing the actual work, making the sacrifices, and producing the actual wealth? Do you want to teach science in science classes instead of creationism and Exxon ScienceTM?

Well guess what, you will have generated well-funded enemies, the latest of which is "studentsfirst.org," the latest corporate-funded teacher and union-bashing lobbyist organization, formed by Michelle Rhee (who is currently under investigation for fudging test scores to make her former schools appear to have performed better). As "Chancellor" of the DC public school system she fired many teachers due to their students' performance; student performance is for obvious reasons based on many factors beyond teachers' control.

Now StudentsFirst.org recommends teacher evaluations based on student performance on standardized tests, thus re-doubling efforts in pretty much the worst thing going on in public education today: re-enforcing teacher mediocrity through micromanagement and teaching to tests based on low-level thinking skills, then holding teachers accountable for it, despite factors beyond their control, not the least of which is an increasingly free-market third-world style economy, with all the concomitant problems their students arrive with.

Improving education actually involves allowing teachers more freedom to take risks and innovate, and engage students in more interesting and stimulating real-world and cooperative problem solving. Brain science has informed us of this.

But let's see, if I were going to attack teachers, I'd design something that pits them against the well-being of their students. "Students first" means putting students first instead of teachers. (That's the implication, right?) I would portray teachers as selfish people who didn't care about kids.

Sadly, this kind of seemingly transparent tactic (the "Patriot Act," the "Death Tax," "Death Panels," etc.) is very effective on lots of people, which explains why the demonization of unionization has accompanied the decline of the American middle class and the vitality of our superpower economy generally, for example.

The world's finest education institutions with the highest student performance all feature strong and well-respected teacher unions. That's a fact you won't find at "studentsfirst.org."

The more we crack down on teachers for phony reasons, the less our best and brightest will be attracted to the profession. Things will naturally go down hill.

The last thing we need is yet another underhanded non-transparent corporate and wealthy-funded lobbyist organization undermining our indispensible teachers, our education system, and our economy.

Let's hope more and more that people see through these types of tactics.

Free Markets Send American Jobs Overseas

2011-01-30T08:33:00.001-08:00

Unregulated free market economics have sent more and more American jobs overseas (seeking out the lowest priced labor) ever since Reagan took office. The solution to job loss and third world conditions creeping in, according to Fox "News," rightwing talk radio, and Tool Partiers? Less government! (Of course.) And more free market economics.

Sarah Palin Wants Us to Restore Accountability in America

2011-01-13T17:16:00.000-08:00

I'm not responsible, you are! That's what "personal responsibility" equates to, in a nutshell.

In trying to avoid accountability for, among other things, placing gunsight crosshairs on a political map including the district of wounded congresswoman Gifford, Sarah Palin tells us, using a standard rightwing fallacy, we should place 100% of the blame on the shooter and "restore accountability in America." That way, the blame is taken off herself. Palin's "logic": We need to restore accountability in America, therefore I'm not accountable.

Obviously a democracy can't function with this level of illiteracy actually in play amongst its citizenry.

The standard Libertarian/rightwing conservative fallacy (normally used to rationalize welfare for the rich and absolve them of responsibility--see below) that everyone lives in a vacuum, there's no interdependence, no interaction, and no one and no thing ever influences anything or anyone else ("personal responsibility" is the phrase conservatives developed to fool people) is what Palin falls back on here, while going on TV in an attempt to--you got it--influence others.

"Personal responsibility" is a logical contradiction. All responsibility is social, therefore "personal responsibility" equates to, logically, irresponsibility. The syllogism: Everyone's responsible for themselves, therefore, I'm not responsible. (Works well for the idle investor class cashing in via free market economics on the backs of working people, for example.)

What's wrong with the concept of responsibility? Nothing--it needs no modification. "Personal responsibility" therefore actually equates to irresponsibility, and the phrase is used for the purpose of abdicating actual responsibility.

A Third World U.S. Economy and Joblessness

2010-12-23T05:05:00.000-08:00

Capital will always look for someone who will do more for less--and cheaper labor will be found increasingly in 3rd world countries, states that pay less, and on and on. It is increasingly unregulated free market capitalism that has put our workforce in direct competition with the third world, and thus why the U.S. is quickly heading for that kind of wealth distribution itself. It's a race to the bottom for all working people, sad to say.

A Major Reason Government Is More Efficient Than the Private Sector

2010-11-19T16:37:00.001-08:00

Government doesn't take profits; the private sector does. Thus, a dollar for government-run health care--for example--results in a dollar's worth of health care, while an increasing percentage of that dollar goes to private profits for idle investors in the private sector (an ever-decreasing percentage goes toward actual healthcare the more free-market elements are implemented, as market leverage continually concentrates along with wealth concentration).

This explains in part why countries with more socialistic economies are more efficient, have higher living standards, and rapidly increasing life expectancies compared to the U.S. The European Union spends slightly more than half what the U.S. spends on healthcare, yet they are all guaranteed coverage from cradle to grave.

Would conservatives ever really give up their socialist rights--elections for example?

2010-10-30T05:07:00.000-07:00

An election constitutes a governmental interference in the free market (any interference constitutes socialism, according to conservatives themselves).

So if you're a real conservative, you believe in voting only with dollars in the free market; don't vote Nov. 2.

The Ethics Underpinning Socialism and Capitalism

2010-10-20T17:25:00.000-07:00

The ethical basis for economic philosophies:

Socialism: People have a right to the wealth they create/produce.

Capitalism: The richest have a right to the wealth others create/produce.

In the latter case, the more wealth one owns, the more wealth one can in turn purchase (via mere investment) without producing any. This is why free market capitalism is a self-devouring, unsustainable system.

2010-10-10T08:19:00.000-07:00

Jesus Christ was the ultimate authority (God), and could have done anything he wanted or had anything he wanted. Instead, as that authority, he chose to sacrifice himself for others. It was the greatest sacrifice in history.

This is the opposite of the "virtue of selfishness" (Ayn Rand), the ethic capitalism stands upon. Jesus was not a warmongering advocate of greed, capitalism, and irresponsible self-interest.

Honest Christians who consider themselves conservatives need to re-evaluate what it is they advocate politically.

VOTE! You're a socialist.

2010-10-10T07:51:00.000-07:00

In a free market one votes with dollars; anything else, such as voting in democratic elections, constitutes a socialist governmental interference in the market. So vote like the good socialist you are Nov. 2, but if you're not a socialist of course, don't.

Tea Party Script Written In Washington (VIDEO)

2010-09-24T17:13:00.001-07:00

GOPaganda amounts to selling welfare for the rich as the opposite, which is why it's always such a struggle for them. They count on lots of people being unacquainted with logic.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Glenn Beck vs. Christ the Liberator

2010-09-05T08:47:00.001-07:00

Very much like when conservatives decided to modify the concept of responsibility with "personal," in order to abdicate actual responsibility.
About Glenn Beck
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Glenn Beck vs. Christ the Liberator

2010-09-05T08:28:00.001-07:00

I really wonder how long the Christian right will be able to carry on with this blatant contradiction.

I remember reading a few months ago about how a group of Christian conservatives proposed re-writing the Bible to eliminate the leftist interpretations. I think if they did that we'd end up with not much more than a pamphlet.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Robin Carnahan, Missouri Senate Candidate, Wants Bush Tax Cuts Extended For Wealthy

2010-08-19T08:56:00.001-07:00

Republican logic: the biggest crisis our nation faces is that billionaires don't have enough money.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Jon Stewart Brings Back His Glenn Beck Impression (VIDEO)

2010-08-19T07:21:00.001-07:00

It's not the donation that's important, it's the fact Newscorp's spokespeople, in defense of the donation, came right out and said their agenda is to support rightwing ideology (and in turn that they've been duping their hapless audience with the "fair and balanced" ploy all along).
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Sarah Palin Supports Dr. Laura Via Twitter: 'don't retreat ... reload!'

2010-08-19T05:53:00.001-07:00

Only the big horrible government can protect Dr. Laura's first amendment rights Sarah, not the free market. Figure it out.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Money can represent anything that's of value to anyone...

2010-08-17T13:15:00.000-07:00

...including any instrument or method of compulsion or coercion.

News Corp Donates $1 MILLION To Republican Governors Association

2010-08-17T07:56:00.001-07:00

The rightwing m.o. for success: Buy and Lie.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

First Punish The Unemployed, Then Declare War On The Employed

2010-08-06T10:31:00.001-07:00

Republicans have been punishing the employed for 30 years.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Fannie Mae: Home Prices To Decline Into Next Year

2010-08-06T07:01:00.001-07:00

Capitalism has concentrated wealth to the point the system can barely function, as would be expected.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

New Credit Card Tricks: Banks Have Already Dreamed Up New Ways To Trip Up Consumers

2010-07-31T12:17:00.001-07:00

But the problem is the engine of capitalism is greased by people in the system not having the means.
About Banks
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

The (Un)employment Chronicles: Voices Of The Degreed And Jobless

2010-07-21T07:01:00.001-07:00

Belief-based conservatives have no recognition of reality. They think an economy magically provides a job for everyone who needs one, while promoting the ideology that dictates unemployment to drive down the price of unearned wealth for the rich.

Unemployment drives down labor costs and thus increases the value of wealth (produced by labor) purchased by investors in a capitalist system.

Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Obama SLAMS Republicans For Obstructing Economic Progress In Weekly Address (VIDEO)

2010-07-17T10:38:00.001-07:00

R's like 5 workers competing for every 1 opening, because it keeps down the cost of free wealth (more workers competing for jobs equals cheaper labor, and thus cheaper prices for those rich enough to be simply purchasing wealth via capitalism).

Then again there's the Tool Partiers who probably can't even grok the 5-to-1 math...

Read the Article at HuffingtonPost