Chystia Freeland’s op-ed in the NY Times.
And Kathleen Geier’s response at Washington Monthly.
But her essential point — that contemporary American elites, by acting exclusively according to what is in their interest in the short term by extracting our collective wealth for themselves and closing off opportunities for social mobility to others, are in the long-run sowing the seeds of destruction for themselves, our economy, and our society. Some of the smarter plutocrats like Warren Buffet understand this phenomenon and are trying to reverse it, but most of the rest of them are completely blind to it. Either that, or they simply don’t care; in the charming parlance of the Wall Street, it’s a case of “IBGYBG” — “I’ll be gone, you’ll be gone.”
Didn’t somebody once say about capitalists, “Give them enough rope and they’ll hang themselves?” Indeed.
The basic point of both articles is that America’s wealthiest are engaging in an age-old and ultimately self-destructive pattern of behavior.
#1 by brewski on October 14, 2012 - 8:52 pm
“Job one for the 12 is to pare down some future promises that even a rich America can’t fulfill. Big money must be saved here.”
Warren Buffett
#2 by Revolver on October 14, 2012 - 9:13 pm
No they aren’t Mrs. Article writer Kathleen, those elites are well able to go anyplace they wish, they made this possible long ago before they decidered to close this high class restaurant and turn it into a PRISON camp mess hall, because it makes them more dough. It might not be as toney and status oriented, but it sure makes money, and you don’t have to wash the tablecloths.
They can live and go anywhere, which is why they have no trouble ass fucking the American public.
Maybe propping this up,… this addled gimme society, is just proving to be not worth it anymore. Low % of profit compared of what has to put out there as the nut. Could be why they just print money and live it up until the checks bounce..
marks (no ecks key) said he would SELL the capitalists the rope which communists would hang them with.
What a misinformed bunch of claptrap this article contains. The rich are the rich are the rich no matter what happens to the “little people”.
#3 by cav on October 14, 2012 - 10:46 pm
The American Dream – you have to be asleep to believe it.
#4 by cav on October 14, 2012 - 10:50 pm
So it’s been established Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely.
What’s the clarifying notion when we address Powerlessness?
It can’t be good for democracy.
#5 by cav on October 14, 2012 - 11:10 pm
Fresh, steaming Krugman:
“So let’s be brutally honest here. The Romney-Ryan position on health care is that many millions of Americans must be denied health insurance, and millions more deprived of the security Medicare now provides, in order to save money. At the same time, of course, Mr. Romney and Mr. Ryan are proposing trillions of dollars in tax cuts for the wealthy. So a literal description of their plan is that they want to expose many Americans to financial insecurity, and let some of them die, so that a handful of already wealthy people can have a higher after-tax income.
It’s not a pretty picture — and you can see why Mr. Romney chooses not to see it.”
#6 by brewski on October 14, 2012 - 11:11 pm
False.
#7 by cav on October 14, 2012 - 11:13 pm
The link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/15/opinion/krugman-death-by-ideology.html?comments&_r=0#permid=21
#8 by cav on October 14, 2012 - 11:40 pm
“The modern conservative is engaged in one of man’s oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.”
-John Kenneth Galbraith
#9 by brewski on October 15, 2012 - 5:12 am
“Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.”
Winston Churchill
#10 by brewski on October 15, 2012 - 5:14 am
The Statist censors have me in moderation.
#11 by brewski on October 15, 2012 - 5:16 am
“Liberalism is totalitarianism with a human face.”
Thomas Sowell
#12 by brewski on October 15, 2012 - 5:18 am
“Liberalism is financed by the dividends from Conservatism.”
Craig Bruce
#13 by cav on October 15, 2012 - 8:40 am
Yeah, but our CEOs have mind-wobbling bonuses and 7 mansions and car elevators! USA!
#14 by Richard Warnick on October 15, 2012 - 9:43 am
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin is reputed to have said, “When the last of the bourgeoisie is hung, a capitalist will sell us the rope.” But there is no record of him saying that.
#15 by cav on October 15, 2012 - 10:11 am
The way to get there:
First: roll medicare, medicaid, veterans admin, plans for all federal employees (including congress) into one unified plan.
Next: Make the plan available to state govs.
Next: Make the plan available to employers
Next: Make the plan available to individuals
Next: start lowering the age for medicare
#16 by brewski on October 15, 2012 - 10:34 am
Next: entirely change the way we think about health care.
#17 by brewski on October 15, 2012 - 10:39 am
“But there is no record of him saying that.”
Because Lenin killed all the witnesses.
#18 by Richard Warnick on October 15, 2012 - 11:13 am
Paraphrasing Dean Baker, the philosophy of Romney-Ryan and their backers all comes down to this:
A dollar that is in the pocket of working class or middle class people is a dollar that could be in the pocket of the rich.
#19 by cav on October 15, 2012 - 11:25 am
Now, if the ‘Plan’ meant I could get a multi-thousand dollar voucher every couple of months, then I might be persuaded.
But all that would be coming out of the pockets of the 1% so I won’t be holding my breath. Instead, I’ll have to be very careful just which diseases I allow myself and my family to contract. Then I’ll worry about paying for it.
#20 by Mike Taylor on October 15, 2012 - 11:56 am
Hey Larry and all the rest of you progressives with cranial anal packing issues, it might be time to hear that “popping noise” which accompanies the cranium being forcefully removed from your anuses.
I know you all think that obama is on your side but hahahahaah!! Guess what?
Your Freak Prince obama appointed me to be the FDA CzAr in Jan 2010!! (Food and Drug administration) Oh happy day. For Monsanto!
You know what I used to do? I was the Vice president for Monsanto, now I am the overseer on obama’s new plantation for the FDA!!
It just keeps getting better and better for mega corporations under this president, we bought this dumbass president on the cheap!!
https://plus.google.com/103533326117556337218/posts/CYa8zHXLAeC
#21 by brewski on October 15, 2012 - 12:12 pm
There are a few Dean Baker quotes you probably don’t like.
#22 by O'Bwana on October 15, 2012 - 12:23 pm
This is what you should have read this weekend, a great summation of how obama has enlarged the Fascist States of America’s “Security” apparatus.
I would vote for somnambulistic stinkbug before I ever cast a vote for this low grade chicago tyrant.
http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/10/12/how-obama-expanded-the-national-security-state/
#23 by Richard Warnick on October 15, 2012 - 3:08 pm
Romney’s Unraveling Claim That Six Studies Validate His Tax Plan
#24 by Tainted ObamiNation on October 15, 2012 - 3:18 pm
Cav the clarifying notion for the not so powerless is written into the 2nd amendment.
Nothing quite as clarifying as bullets whistling around your head.
#25 by cav on October 15, 2012 - 3:22 pm
You become ONE BIG EAR. Thanks
#26 by brewski on October 15, 2012 - 3:27 pm
I would bet that Romney would agree to this Democratic written bill in a heart beat. So let’s see, written by a Democrat, lowers rates, simplifies compliance, revenue neutral, hmmmm. Why won’t this work?
http://www.wyden.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Wyden-Coats%20Two%20Pager%20FINAL1.pdf
#27 by Richard Warnick on October 15, 2012 - 4:50 pm
You’d lose your bet because Grover Norquist has declared Wyden-Coats “fails many conservative tests of fundamental tax reform.”
#28 by brewski on October 15, 2012 - 5:38 pm
So?
#29 by Richard Warnick on October 15, 2012 - 6:39 pm
So, Romney has signed the Grover Norquist pledge. The right would never let him embrace anything that Norquist won’t approve.
#30 by brewski on October 15, 2012 - 6:58 pm
If we all lived in some kind of static little word then that would matter. But if Romney was president, the House was controlled by the GOP, plus many Dems would also support it, with a majority in the Senate going along with it, it would be incredibly easy for Romney to take the leadership position on this and declare that the bill meets his pledge and that Norquist is wrong the sign the bill in 15 seconds. Norquist would just have to deal with it. It would be pretty hard to see “the right” vote against a 24% corporate tax rate. It would pass easily. The only people who would vote against it ware the far looney left. I’d win the bet.
#31 by Larry Bergan on October 15, 2012 - 7:44 pm
cav:
In reference to your post at #7; the fee for an ambulance to drive you blocks from your house is actually $800, even if you are coherent enough to scream you don’t want to be taken there because you had already been through that once before.
The $2600 on top of the ambulance fee is standard.
Our health care system is not broken. It’s vaporized.
I’ve thought about getting a shirt that says; DO NOT TAKE ME TO THE HOSPITAL OR I’LL KILL YOU!
#32 by Larry Bergan on October 15, 2012 - 7:56 pm
The nice lady at the hospital refused to give my money back even when I told her I was “treated” against my will.
#33 by Larry Bergan on October 15, 2012 - 8:00 pm
I’ve obviously left out some details about my drunkenness, but the drunk tank would have been a lot cheaper.
Plus!
I wasn’t driving.
#34 by Larry Bergan on October 15, 2012 - 8:05 pm
George Carlin rocks from the grave!
#35 by Richard Warnick on October 16, 2012 - 1:26 pm
Larry–
Surely you are mistaken. Both George W. Bush and Willard (“Mitt”) Romney say that emergency room care is free to all. No need for any government help.
I had to go one time in my life, when I fell and broke my collarbone on a Sunday night when there was no other option. Did not call an ambulance, hoping to save money. The ER alone cost upwards of $15,000 (mostly for a bunch of unnecessary tests). Then they sent me to a hospital in an ambulance! For a day of unnecessary observation (they theorized I had a heart condition, but I didn’t).
#36 by Larry Bergan on October 16, 2012 - 6:44 pm
Yeah, if you want to go through the looking glass, just go to the emergency room. I could sure use the money they stole from me.
#37 by Richard Warnick on October 16, 2012 - 7:59 pm
Just for the record, I was lucky not to have any accidents when I was out of a job. Blue Cross covered my ER visit and the hospital.