I've mentioned Naomi Klein's The Shock Doctrine from time to time in earlier posts in this blog. A considerable number of pages of that book describe the Milton Friedman experiment in Chile, brought to you by Augusto Pinochet - the murders and disappearances, the mass privatizations, the touted "miracle" which only benefited the few, and the mass poverty that experiment left in its still-present wake.
The video below contains an interview Amy Goodman had with Manfred Max-Neef, a Chilean economist. I find it very difficult to find anybody else who could be more of an expert on what happened in his homeland and it's after-effects, then an economist who was there where Augusto and Milton did their dirty work. It occupies the first half of the videocast, so just push play, and enjoy - if your conscience allows you to.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
The Europeans Seem To Get It...
...about a great many things, but especially about the current state of our political system and it's inability to affect change in this country, as seen in this article on AlterNet.
I think that the problem is even deeper than the article states, and it hits the nail right on the proverbial forehead. I'm now of the belief that our "democracy", "republic", whatever sticker you want to slap onto it, is a complete farce - a predictable, poorly-written piece of theater acted out on TV screens, radios, and the state and federal capitals, not to mention the so-called "TEA Party", which is about as "grass-roots" as the playing surface of the Astrodome. We're a corporatist state, what Mussolini referred to as "fascist" before the revisionists got a hold of the history books, Merriam-Webster, and the Wikipedia pages related to Il Duce.
Christopher Hedges created quite the stir with the release of his recent book, which deals with the failure of the liberal institutions which provided the political and monetary foundation of the pre-1980 Democratic Party. I'll get into reading it within the next week or two. My pre-read impression of the situation is: if we want to bring progressivism and liberalism back as relevant forces, we'll need to rebuild those foundations, namely labor union membership, increased activism on the campuses and investment in education, and the further creation and building of a viable media alternative to Foxy Noise and the rest of the corporate-backed outlets. After reading it, I'll need to see if my opinion changes. The Europeans have strong liberal traditions and social democracies, in large part embodied in strong labor unions.
Perhaps it takes an objective third party to see the problem - foxes can't smell their own holes, after all.
I think that the problem is even deeper than the article states, and it hits the nail right on the proverbial forehead. I'm now of the belief that our "democracy", "republic", whatever sticker you want to slap onto it, is a complete farce - a predictable, poorly-written piece of theater acted out on TV screens, radios, and the state and federal capitals, not to mention the so-called "TEA Party", which is about as "grass-roots" as the playing surface of the Astrodome. We're a corporatist state, what Mussolini referred to as "fascist" before the revisionists got a hold of the history books, Merriam-Webster, and the Wikipedia pages related to Il Duce.
Christopher Hedges created quite the stir with the release of his recent book, which deals with the failure of the liberal institutions which provided the political and monetary foundation of the pre-1980 Democratic Party. I'll get into reading it within the next week or two. My pre-read impression of the situation is: if we want to bring progressivism and liberalism back as relevant forces, we'll need to rebuild those foundations, namely labor union membership, increased activism on the campuses and investment in education, and the further creation and building of a viable media alternative to Foxy Noise and the rest of the corporate-backed outlets. After reading it, I'll need to see if my opinion changes. The Europeans have strong liberal traditions and social democracies, in large part embodied in strong labor unions.
Perhaps it takes an objective third party to see the problem - foxes can't smell their own holes, after all.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
More Quibbles and Bits (Vol. 3)
More morsels that are either tasty or repulsive, depending on your persuasion:
>>I've read and seen Johnny Boner and his pea-cock strutting about how he and his merry band will dismantle the health care law. They might be able to dent it somewhat with the purse strings, but with a Dem-led Senate (thanks, teabaggers - couldn't have done it without you!) and a Dem in the White House - fuggetaboutit for at least the next two years. When more and more voters are affected by the benefits of the new law - closing of the Medicare prescription drug donut-hole, dependents on a subscriber's coverage until 26, no rescission - it's not going to happen.
>>The real reason for all of this attention given to the new health care law has little to do with the law itself, and much more to do with the person who signed the bill into law. This whole charade, in my opinion, is about CREDIT: much of what is in the health care law was originally proposed by Republicans, and the concept of the mandate for purchase was initiated in Massachusetts under Mitt Romney. The Repubs want health care reform to be THEIR issue, thus this push for "repeal and replace". Replace - with what? Probably the same basic scheme with fewer mandates. After all, if you lend credence to George Carlin's observations, who really owns and operates this joint anyway? It isn't we the people. It isn't the puppets we elect, either.
>>So the businesses who provide health care insurance don't like being told how to run their businesses? And horror of horrors, by those representing us PLEBS?
This is one of those areas where you can't serve two masters. Remember that Jewish rabbi who said you can't serve both God and Mammon? Health care coverage is a prime example - the profit motive, when taken to it's extreme in the cases of severe illnesses such as cancer which requires millions of dollars per patient to treat, is simply incompatible with providing primary care coverage to the millions who need it - especially for those whose jobs are being sent overseas at an ever-increasing rate. For this reason, many countries which allow private insurers to provide primary care coverage mandate that those insurers operate as non-profits.
So to the Anthems, UHCs, Humanas, and the rest of them, I only have two words: Tough Shit.
>>I've read and seen Johnny Boner and his pea-cock strutting about how he and his merry band will dismantle the health care law. They might be able to dent it somewhat with the purse strings, but with a Dem-led Senate (thanks, teabaggers - couldn't have done it without you!) and a Dem in the White House - fuggetaboutit for at least the next two years. When more and more voters are affected by the benefits of the new law - closing of the Medicare prescription drug donut-hole, dependents on a subscriber's coverage until 26, no rescission - it's not going to happen.
>>The real reason for all of this attention given to the new health care law has little to do with the law itself, and much more to do with the person who signed the bill into law. This whole charade, in my opinion, is about CREDIT: much of what is in the health care law was originally proposed by Republicans, and the concept of the mandate for purchase was initiated in Massachusetts under Mitt Romney. The Repubs want health care reform to be THEIR issue, thus this push for "repeal and replace". Replace - with what? Probably the same basic scheme with fewer mandates. After all, if you lend credence to George Carlin's observations, who really owns and operates this joint anyway? It isn't we the people. It isn't the puppets we elect, either.
>>So the businesses who provide health care insurance don't like being told how to run their businesses? And horror of horrors, by those representing us PLEBS?
This is one of those areas where you can't serve two masters. Remember that Jewish rabbi who said you can't serve both God and Mammon? Health care coverage is a prime example - the profit motive, when taken to it's extreme in the cases of severe illnesses such as cancer which requires millions of dollars per patient to treat, is simply incompatible with providing primary care coverage to the millions who need it - especially for those whose jobs are being sent overseas at an ever-increasing rate. For this reason, many countries which allow private insurers to provide primary care coverage mandate that those insurers operate as non-profits.
So to the Anthems, UHCs, Humanas, and the rest of them, I only have two words: Tough Shit.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Quibbles and Bits, Volume 2
Thoughts on the 2010 election results...
>>I'm not surprised, not in the slightest;
>>The record amounts spent by the Brothers Koch, Newt's organizations, et. al. are a pauper's pittance compared to what is going to be spent in 2012. My advice - find the remaining progressive legislators such as Bernie Sanders and Dennis Kucinich, and start donating to their reelection campaigns now. You better believe these guys are going to have HUGE targets on them for the next election cycle, and they need to marshall their resources for the upcoming cash tsunami;
>>To Russ Feingold and Alan Grayson: thank you for your service and for standing for progressive principles loudly, forcefully, and unashamedly - even in the face of defeat. I hope you guys stay active in politics, because I sense we will be needing your voices again very soon;
>>Obama's biggest problem: He's an enlightened man in an unenlightened time, and gives the citizens of this country more credit than they deserve;
>>That the country will undoubtedly veer further to the right is not a surprise to me at all - it's still a shock to many in this country, especially of the Caucasian persuasion, that a black man actually won the White House. You bet this election was in part an expression of that ugly thread in our nation's fabric;
>>Progressives are going to have to face something very uncomfortable: we are outnumbered, and that as much as I hate to admit it, the MSM is right about one thing - the USA is, and in fact always has been, a center-right country. The only time we have ventured into progressivism of any type was when we needed bailing out (see: New Deal), and then, only when there was a benefit to the elites - the preservation of the existing social and economic order.
>>If the Rand Pauls get their way and our economy needs to be "rebooted" with a dose of the "Shock Therapy" described by Naomi Klein's masterpiece - and expect to hear talk like that within the coming weeks - then the resultant economic hardship (ask the Chileans) might be the only thing that breaks us of our economic "Stockholm Syndrome" (as a recent Thom Hartmann caller described it);
>>Expecting a healthy dose of hippie-punching in this election's aftermath? How 'bout an MMA-style pummeling. And since so much of progressive media is on the Internet and not found on MSM, I can only wonder about how much push or care will be given to the issue of net neutrality by the remaining Dems in the House/Senate.
>>On the inevitable touchdown dances and crowing and all the rest of the on-and-on from Foxy Noise and the rest of 'em - my solution: I'll be taking a media "holiday" of at least one week, so I don't have to be subjected to it.
>>Last, but not least: I'm curious about what's going to happen in a couple of years,when Obamacare isn't repealed as promised (trust me: it won't be repealed), and when all of the investigations Issa and Bachmann promise turn up absolute squat. I'd love to see how Foxy News spins all this...
Hang on, Ladies and Gents. The ride is about to get very interesting.
>>I'm not surprised, not in the slightest;
>>The record amounts spent by the Brothers Koch, Newt's organizations, et. al. are a pauper's pittance compared to what is going to be spent in 2012. My advice - find the remaining progressive legislators such as Bernie Sanders and Dennis Kucinich, and start donating to their reelection campaigns now. You better believe these guys are going to have HUGE targets on them for the next election cycle, and they need to marshall their resources for the upcoming cash tsunami;
>>To Russ Feingold and Alan Grayson: thank you for your service and for standing for progressive principles loudly, forcefully, and unashamedly - even in the face of defeat. I hope you guys stay active in politics, because I sense we will be needing your voices again very soon;
>>Obama's biggest problem: He's an enlightened man in an unenlightened time, and gives the citizens of this country more credit than they deserve;
>>That the country will undoubtedly veer further to the right is not a surprise to me at all - it's still a shock to many in this country, especially of the Caucasian persuasion, that a black man actually won the White House. You bet this election was in part an expression of that ugly thread in our nation's fabric;
>>Progressives are going to have to face something very uncomfortable: we are outnumbered, and that as much as I hate to admit it, the MSM is right about one thing - the USA is, and in fact always has been, a center-right country. The only time we have ventured into progressivism of any type was when we needed bailing out (see: New Deal), and then, only when there was a benefit to the elites - the preservation of the existing social and economic order.
>>If the Rand Pauls get their way and our economy needs to be "rebooted" with a dose of the "Shock Therapy" described by Naomi Klein's masterpiece - and expect to hear talk like that within the coming weeks - then the resultant economic hardship (ask the Chileans) might be the only thing that breaks us of our economic "Stockholm Syndrome" (as a recent Thom Hartmann caller described it);
>>Expecting a healthy dose of hippie-punching in this election's aftermath? How 'bout an MMA-style pummeling. And since so much of progressive media is on the Internet and not found on MSM, I can only wonder about how much push or care will be given to the issue of net neutrality by the remaining Dems in the House/Senate.
>>On the inevitable touchdown dances and crowing and all the rest of the on-and-on from Foxy Noise and the rest of 'em - my solution: I'll be taking a media "holiday" of at least one week, so I don't have to be subjected to it.
>>Last, but not least: I'm curious about what's going to happen in a couple of years,when Obamacare isn't repealed as promised (trust me: it won't be repealed), and when all of the investigations Issa and Bachmann promise turn up absolute squat. I'd love to see how Foxy News spins all this...
Hang on, Ladies and Gents. The ride is about to get very interesting.
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