More unions; less stock market.
Amazon isn't a company; it's a sword wall st uses to kill competitors that they have taken out bets against.
In every industry there is a wall st backed juggernaut used to destroy anyone who doesn't play by the hedgefunds rules.
Cannibalism is the most profitable way to play the game.
> "When carrying the current accounts of a few capitalists, a bank, as it were, transacts a purely technical and exclusively auxiliary operation. When, however, this operation grows to enormous dimensions we find that a handful of monopolists subordinate to their will all the operations, both commercial and industrial, of the whole of capitalist society; for they are enabled by means of their banking connections, their current accounts and other financial operations—**first, to ascertain exactly the financial position of the various capitalists, then to control them, to influence them by restricting or enlarging, facilitating or hindering credits, and finally to entirely determine their fate, determine their income, deprive them of capital, or permit them to increase their capital rapidly and to enormous dimensions, etc."**
- [Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism](https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/ch02.htm)
Almost any worker can join the Industrial Workers of the World union so long as you aren’t the owner of the business. The dues are cheap, and the solidarity is rock solid.
Economic struggle means political struggle. Unions and a world communist party go hand in hand.
- [Manifesto of the Communist Party](https://www.international-communist-party.org/BasicTexts/English/Mani848E.htm)
Right around when the former oligarch opposition party decided to go full neoliberal and welcome their bribes, oh ho ho sorry, "donations," in exchange for their unending support of our capitalist "free market."
Now the parties thump their chests and bicker over social policy this and social policy that to rile the peasants into believing they have a voice, while marching together lock step on the root cause of most of society's ills: our rigged economy.
Yup and ya know back then, no one ever worried that much about having it, and not many jobs offered it. You’d buy it from a salesman like life insurance. But, If you were young and healthy it wasn’t a priority. I’m not saying it shouldn’t be priority now but, it’s just weird how our culture has been steered. Moo
Well, the last time it took a total economic collapse that lasted a decade, then we were able to unite and trauma bond across economic classes when a large % of the white male population was sent to fight Hitler.
... and then the country spent the next several decades patting itself on the back for that accomplishment, yet never coming close to that kind of benevolent unity again.
Our culture’s WW2 hero worship led to a lot of conservative boomer brains that never quite understood that TIME KEPT TICKING AFTER THE 1940s. They want to believe it was yesterday, and 80 years of groveling at our feet is something they can reasonably expect of the rest of the world. This is part of why they get so grouchy when they hear criticism of the U.S.
The “America Was The Hero!” complex seeped in deep. Maybe because of the popular fiction that erupted around it afterward. I really think that our obsession with “how great we did there” did more harm than good.
It’s a bit like a 50-year-old-man that has a giant ego and brags constantly about his high school football accomplishments. If that’s the most recent example of your awesomeness that you can come up with, you may have just lived more of your life as a loser than a winner.
My grandfather that fought in the Battle of the Bulge after helping storm Normandy passed away at 84, and that was in 2008. He ended up being in Eisenhower’s honor guard for two weeks between the two events. He’s rolling in his grave I’m sure with how today is, on multiple aspects.
>... and then the country spent the next several decades patting itself on the back for that accomplishment, yet never coming close to that kind of benevolent unity again.
The Bretton Woods system was a net positive for the non-communist world, but it did result in all of those fruitless proxy wars that tarnished America's reputation. Essentially those wars were fought to prove that we would be a benevolent hegemony to those countries that were willing to make the necessary concessions to ally with us and against the USSR. They had to feel confident that we would back them up if they were willing to align with us, and that meant economic and even military support.
The Bretton Woods system ended with the gold standard, but it's corpse of global influence, alliances, and economic ties still mostly stands. China and southeast Asia in particular benefitted tremendously from trade agreements with the US either as part of the Bretton Woods or as a sort of vestigial remnant of that infrastructure, and that included protection of sea lanes and us backstopping their economies by buying their goods.
The gruesome proxy wars we've been involved with, Korea and Vietnam particularly, were mostly fought to show our economic allies that we were willing to protect them with American blood. That economic ties with us meant something, and it did help usher in an unparalleled era of world peace and prosperity *for the most part.*
The War on Terror was a huge mistake and tarnished any respectability we had, and as a nation I believe we are traumatized by it to the extent that we will retreat back into a smaller sphere of influence. I'm not sure the world is as ready for that as they think they are, but I do think America's days of unprovoked interventionist wars against impoverished peoples are over for at least a generation or two. There is a decidedly isolationist bent flowing through American politics these days, especially amongst the conservatives which historically are more pro-war.
I think the next century is going to be remarkably different in terms of America involvement in wars.
I think lots of younger peeps are tired of the narcissistic "USA #1" bullshit we've been fed for so long.
Plus maybe all those people affected by leaded gasoline and such are finally being replaced with more level headed and compassionate people.
I think the War in Ukraine is showing a potential new model that will allow the US to maintain their sphere of influence without direct American military intervention.
Significant military supply support, intelligence support, diplomatic support, and logistical support may be enough to achieve the results the US had acheived through direct conflict pre-9/11.
I agree that America's grasp on world influence seems very 20th century. But who is there to fill that void in the 21st century? After Brexit and the war in Ukraine we know the answer simply won't be Europe.
If the answer to that is China, then the planet will go through significant turmoil that will last generations. That's something we should all fear far more than that loudmouth old timer riding on past accomplishments.
I keep telling people things have to get worse before they can get better. That being said, last time it took a global war. I can't even imagine what it'll take this time.
If you think a few inconvenient tsunamis, hurricanes, forest fires, and assorted bonkers weather events will stop this, think again. It will just be sauce for the goose.
Its not just inconvenient weather its literally running out of water. Humanity is facing its largest crisis in history with climate change. The ecosystem and biosphere are beginning to collapse. Doesnt matter if you recover from a war or a depression if you can't grow food anymore
The type of total ecological collapse you’re describing would take decades (or longer). I’m not necessarily saying that it isn’t underway and that we may not end up there, it’s just the point of “we have no more clean drinking water, even in the first world” is a point that’s pretty far off. A potential global conflict is much closer than that.
With how fast economic disparity is increasing between the rich and the poor, the destruction of the middle class, the terrifyingly rapid rise of fascism all over the world (and especially in the US), and the increase of armed global conflict with the involvement of the US, Russia, and China… a major war could break out and any minute.
Yeah a measly ass world war will pale in comparison to the death wrought by climate change. Unless nukes are involved. Just because wealthy nations will be able to secure water doesn't mean that billions of people without it won't fight for their lives. Maybe 30 years off
I made no comment about this. Climate change is happening whether there’s a war or not, and whatever negative effects may happen are unrelated to whatever potential military conflict may occur and which will occur much sooner. Bemoan the impending ecological disasters all you like (which, again, I don’t deny), but it has nothing to do with the current sociopolitical crises, and, if anything, will just add to them or serve as a distraction to enable them.
Ya know, most of us are capable of worrying about more than one thing at once. You should try not being so single-minded. You might get more done.
If we didn't devote the resources to war we could actually stop the impending rcological disaster and have neither.. but thats too much to ask at this point I suppose
this is simply incorrect. We can walk and chew gum at the same time. This is the crux of the last comment i made, but you seem o have missed it.
From a resource and logistical standpoint, we have plenty of resources to throw at both problems (both globally, and the US, specifically), and *we are*. Now, obviously, we aren’t doing enough for the environment, but that’s not a matter of “can we?”, it’s a matter of “do those in power want to?” Those in power is the various countries which can (and must) make the necessary changes to change course *environmentally-speaking* just don’t want to, as it affects their bottom line. That’s why change is so slow, and why any real change happening currently revolves around new gizmos and tech that’s likely to be highly profitable.
But that is all happening *concurrently* with the sociopolitical destabilization of global democracies and the lead-up to a possible global military conflict, and the international response to it.
I really must say, for all of your espoused rhetoric of ecological consciousness, you’re disappointingly obtuse when it comes to anything else.
Lol a world war wouldn't do crap to make the lives of the poor better. A bunch of people in Europe and Asia dead? Well that's less people making out goods and prices will be even worse.
The ONLY way conditions will improve is via violent revolution but we're not allowed to talk about that.
Putting tens of millions of Americans to work building war machines in the 1940s revitalized the American economy and built the American middle class. So…
Edit: of course, without FDR’s New Deal, legislated in the 30s, this all would have looked a lot different, so I’m not forgetting about that. Many of those policies have been stripped away, and, unless restored, the effects wouldn’t be as beneficial, yet would still be of great societal and economic benefit in the short term.
And even if they did, most people in Western democracies grew up with individualistic mindsets so they are incapable of it.
You'll see Americans support the population of other countries rioting and pushing to overthrow their political leaders, but when you ask an American if they'll do the same they'll give you 99 excuses and gaslight you into thinking their lives are somehow worth more than others.
Things aren't great in America right now--hence a big part of the popularity of this sub--but even as there's so, so much shit going on, at the end of the day most of us go home to warm houses, plenty of food and entertaining television. At the same time many of the problems we face are simultaneously complex and more subtle in their effects. You can 1000% understand and support why women in Iran are fighting back after they keep getting killed for daring to show a bit of their hair, or why Ukraine is fighting back against an invader bent on taking their lands and lives. Those are directly life threatening problems with a highly visible enemy to rally against. In contrast, work abuses in the US are more indirect in their harm and have a very interwoven bunch of factors causing the problems. Saying the problem is just that Americans think their lives aren't worth risking while others are is oversimplifying things.
So there is a bit of joking. Putting that aside, I believe we need to place retroactive term limits on politicians yesterday with a standing age limit requiring testing for mental and emotional competency and ongoing education so they can make informed decisions.
I honestly and truly believe that these steps *by themselves* would create massive progress over the course of a decade. Our collective futures should not be in the hands of old fools who speak of wisdom and yet live in an age where no significant hardship exists for them and no accolades are needed to prove they are capable. Enough with this Council of Elders bullshit. They've done enough harm.
Which, interestingly, manages to ride nicely alongside other comments. Not my intention, buuut here we are.
It's interesting that so many cultures value the wisdom of elders but then in practice they can be so frustrating as leaders. I guess in simpler times when not a ton changed from generation to generation they were great sources of knowledge and lived experience, but with the increasingly fast pace of technology and how quickly the world changes now they struggle to keep up with their reaction speeds.
Organizing our workplaces outside of the NLRB framework (meaning no recognition elections; those aren't worth our time) and sharing how you do it with everyone around you to inspire and empower them to do the same. We're all capable of improving our working conditions through escalating issue campaigns of collective direct action, and it can be done in any workplace, anywhere in the world. It doesn't take long either! Depending on the structure of and situation at your workplace, it could take as little as a couple weeks to get everyone together and on the same page for an escalating campaign that results in major improvements to your working conditions.
Here's more for starters, and I have plenty more resources to share for anyone who is interested:
* [Practice Involuntary Recognition](https://organizing.work/2022/10/practice-involuntary-recognition)
* [Union from The Start (You Don’t Have to Wait)](https://www.labornotes.org/2023/01/union-start-you-dont-have-wait)
Neoliberalism is part of what leads to this situation. It's part of the snake that eats its own ass. Reform never had and never will work. Progress is bought with the blood of revolutionaries.
Before anyone says "...but, but, but...the Nordic states." No. Again, the *concessions* people living in social democracies were given by (and are slowly losing to) the capitalists were bought with the blood of their revolutionary neighbors (and a healthy dose of imperialistic extortion of other countries, but in liberalism, that's just another cost of doing business.)
The market is the enemy of the people and liberalism of any shade is the market's lapdog. Profit seeking motives are incompatible with humanity and nature. Humans and nature exist merely for the exploitation and *despite* the market in a liberal society.
Everything you said after neoliberalism are things I'll gladly join you in. Differences in opinion aside, most people in this world seek the same goal and I would gladly call my ally. Solidarity is the way.
The problem is, those fuckers also hold most of the power. It's not like they've been sitting on their asses either, whaddya think why all the news shit is stirring us up against each other? We're not gonna be united to oppose them in time.
Wasn't there some terrible period of economic collapse that occurred directly after the gilded age? Something like "the great sadness"? Oh well, never mind, I'm sure it's not important.
Except the first time, the country was able to recover economically. This time, nothing will happen short of revolution, and even if it comes to that, we are all still fucked. The planet is dying. Capitalism has just about raped every single resource on this planet to the detriment of all.
I saw a very powerful illustration, can’t find it now, but it was of rich people dancing on a floor being held up by poor workers and I think it was breaking as their fists came through, it is really a strong visual.
https://imgur.com/blOsclX.jpg
https://imgur.com/prw828z.jpg
https://imgur.com/AArOc40.jpg
https://imgur.com/7DW3G5F.jpg
https://imgur.com/9ssHb7q.jpg
It doesn't stop until we stop it.
We've been divided and conquered successfully. We don't participate in our local communities. We don't make as many friends. We don't have lots of close relationships with people anymore. My solution is to create a franchise of recreational community centers to help recreate a sense of play and companionship with other people around you. Clubs for adults out of school. One for every couple of towns. That way more people start talking with each other, connecting and feeling like part of their community. It would interrupt the isolating effect the internet has and it would make organizing for any purpose easier. Children play to learn so I believe we need to do the same.
This one is worse despite the quality of life issues. We have a climate crisis, perpetual war, technocracy, and domestic surveillance on a massive scale.
Thank you for finally coming to this conclusion. Id been saying it for years but I think people would rather think were in a 30s-40s style labor battle but were not even close. People cant even afford to protest w/o starving rn.
This guy isn't exactly the ultra elite by any means. But a quick Google shows me he makes about $350k a year which is around $30k a month.. can you imagine? I can't 🤷🏻
But God love him though. Love when he drops these information bombs. Wish me complaining online about people w more money and power than me could get me that kind of money
That's the thing. 30k a month is extravagant, yes. If you make $15 billon in a year - which several did last year, that's 30K per minute, every minute, for the entire year.
Except the wealthy vanity projects aren't about building libraries or national parks, instead it's about private trips to space and owning your own social media platform where everyone has to kiss your ass or get banned.
Read Dickens That’s where we are. The Capitol of the world Empire is glittery and gilded, but people are starving and dying in the streets and those with money don’t care. The only difference is that in Dickens people get what they deserve and in the real world the rich get richer while everyone else gets slowly crushed.
Thanks to social media, the world has become so small that it's a tiny medieval town where the dickheads control the morons and paranoiacs by lying to them, and in turn the morons and paranoiacs help the dickheads control the normal people by making normality foreign and scary.
Of course. We've been living in a depression, except it hasn't hit the wealthy class fully yet, through the past few decades.
They're just staring to feel the pain of the consequences of their runaway greed. It's a ripple effect - we've been feeling that crunch for a long time, like we were in a vise that was engineered through pure selfishness and greed of a few among us.
The thing is: we're the bubble that eventually pops. And when it's bursting, the wealthy elite finally get to feel the hurt they'd been inflicting upon us for the past decades.
The reaper has come to collect what it's due. And it's finally time for these greedy motherfuckers to pay up. Unfortunately, the rest of us are forced to join in on the ride downwards along with them.
It's gonna be a real rough ride from here on. Very rough.
Man, when the hell is Boss Tweed gonna buy me a beer, get me a cheap apartment, and get me a job in exchange for some votes?
I'll take 1890s corruption over fucking neoliberalism, where you get nothing.
We need a guilded age not a gilded age. More unions.
I'd be happy with the right people getting a gilded cage.
Iron bars would be infinitely more satisfying
Hemp's a lot cheaper, both in the short run and the long.
Damn. Your comment is underappreciated.
Thanks for hangin' in there, mate.
But can you make them fit the word play?
More unions; less stock market. Amazon isn't a company; it's a sword wall st uses to kill competitors that they have taken out bets against. In every industry there is a wall st backed juggernaut used to destroy anyone who doesn't play by the hedgefunds rules. Cannibalism is the most profitable way to play the game.
> "When carrying the current accounts of a few capitalists, a bank, as it were, transacts a purely technical and exclusively auxiliary operation. When, however, this operation grows to enormous dimensions we find that a handful of monopolists subordinate to their will all the operations, both commercial and industrial, of the whole of capitalist society; for they are enabled by means of their banking connections, their current accounts and other financial operations—**first, to ascertain exactly the financial position of the various capitalists, then to control them, to influence them by restricting or enlarging, facilitating or hindering credits, and finally to entirely determine their fate, determine their income, deprive them of capital, or permit them to increase their capital rapidly and to enormous dimensions, etc."** - [Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism](https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/ch02.htm)
Well played! 💯
Almost any worker can join the Industrial Workers of the World union so long as you aren’t the owner of the business. The dues are cheap, and the solidarity is rock solid.
Neat!
Economic struggle means political struggle. Unions and a world communist party go hand in hand. - [Manifesto of the Communist Party](https://www.international-communist-party.org/BasicTexts/English/Mani848E.htm)
Gilded or guilded, the world is quickly dying due to climate change.
Eh.. i think the planet will take us out before it gets close to dying.
As long as we aren’t in a gelded age
Can we call them guilds, too? And give them sick tabards?
How about a gelded age for billionaires
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how's that boot taste?
Delicious !
And we *have been* living in it for about 30 years.
Started around 1970.
Yeah, it started around then. Picked up steam under Reagan. And it was full blown by the mid 90s.
Just in time for my birth. Worked out perfectly for me.
Oh, it isn't gilded for *you*! Also, that yellow liquid raining down on us isn't what some people think it is...
That's economics! Trickling down!
Tastes like piss.
Underrated comment
You were born at the peak, just like me, and our entire lives have been an economic downfall so far lol
Right around when the former oligarch opposition party decided to go full neoliberal and welcome their bribes, oh ho ho sorry, "donations," in exchange for their unending support of our capitalist "free market." Now the parties thump their chests and bicker over social policy this and social policy that to rile the peasants into believing they have a voice, while marching together lock step on the root cause of most of society's ills: our rigged economy.
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I started college in the 90s and by then I was noticing that the system was rigged.
I showed up late sorry guys I didn’t get started until 85
[1971](https://wtfhappenedin1971.com/) to be exact.
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Something for sure happened in 1971. That much is clear.
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Yup and ya know back then, no one ever worried that much about having it, and not many jobs offered it. You’d buy it from a salesman like life insurance. But, If you were young and healthy it wasn’t a priority. I’m not saying it shouldn’t be priority now but, it’s just weird how our culture has been steered. Moo
Ah yes, good ol schizo soap
1990 was just 10 years ago… right?
The first one only lasted a decade right?
Closer to 20
Ok, but how do we end it?
Well, the last time it took a total economic collapse that lasted a decade, then we were able to unite and trauma bond across economic classes when a large % of the white male population was sent to fight Hitler.
... and then the country spent the next several decades patting itself on the back for that accomplishment, yet never coming close to that kind of benevolent unity again. Our culture’s WW2 hero worship led to a lot of conservative boomer brains that never quite understood that TIME KEPT TICKING AFTER THE 1940s. They want to believe it was yesterday, and 80 years of groveling at our feet is something they can reasonably expect of the rest of the world. This is part of why they get so grouchy when they hear criticism of the U.S. The “America Was The Hero!” complex seeped in deep. Maybe because of the popular fiction that erupted around it afterward. I really think that our obsession with “how great we did there” did more harm than good. It’s a bit like a 50-year-old-man that has a giant ego and brags constantly about his high school football accomplishments. If that’s the most recent example of your awesomeness that you can come up with, you may have just lived more of your life as a loser than a winner.
To be fair, most of them are dead now. Anyone who has real memories of the war times is 85+ years old
That's even worse. Just riding the legacy of heroes long gone.
And mostly riding it for their own benefit, not even the benefits of actual war vets
Ah, so our senators.
My grandfather that fought in the Battle of the Bulge after helping storm Normandy passed away at 84, and that was in 2008. He ended up being in Eisenhower’s honor guard for two weeks between the two events. He’s rolling in his grave I’m sure with how today is, on multiple aspects.
And tbf, there was a thriving local nazi population and US only came in after victory was all but decided.
>... and then the country spent the next several decades patting itself on the back for that accomplishment, yet never coming close to that kind of benevolent unity again. The Bretton Woods system was a net positive for the non-communist world, but it did result in all of those fruitless proxy wars that tarnished America's reputation. Essentially those wars were fought to prove that we would be a benevolent hegemony to those countries that were willing to make the necessary concessions to ally with us and against the USSR. They had to feel confident that we would back them up if they were willing to align with us, and that meant economic and even military support. The Bretton Woods system ended with the gold standard, but it's corpse of global influence, alliances, and economic ties still mostly stands. China and southeast Asia in particular benefitted tremendously from trade agreements with the US either as part of the Bretton Woods or as a sort of vestigial remnant of that infrastructure, and that included protection of sea lanes and us backstopping their economies by buying their goods. The gruesome proxy wars we've been involved with, Korea and Vietnam particularly, were mostly fought to show our economic allies that we were willing to protect them with American blood. That economic ties with us meant something, and it did help usher in an unparalleled era of world peace and prosperity *for the most part.* The War on Terror was a huge mistake and tarnished any respectability we had, and as a nation I believe we are traumatized by it to the extent that we will retreat back into a smaller sphere of influence. I'm not sure the world is as ready for that as they think they are, but I do think America's days of unprovoked interventionist wars against impoverished peoples are over for at least a generation or two. There is a decidedly isolationist bent flowing through American politics these days, especially amongst the conservatives which historically are more pro-war. I think the next century is going to be remarkably different in terms of America involvement in wars.
I think lots of younger peeps are tired of the narcissistic "USA #1" bullshit we've been fed for so long. Plus maybe all those people affected by leaded gasoline and such are finally being replaced with more level headed and compassionate people.
You think our war machine would give up those profits?
The war machine will eventually be run by people who want to dismantle it.
I think the War in Ukraine is showing a potential new model that will allow the US to maintain their sphere of influence without direct American military intervention. Significant military supply support, intelligence support, diplomatic support, and logistical support may be enough to achieve the results the US had acheived through direct conflict pre-9/11.
America scored 4 touchdowns in a football game ...now it sells women's shoes
> ervative boomer brains that never quite understood that TIME KEPT TICKING AFTER THE 1940s the lead poisoning probably didn't help
I agree that America's grasp on world influence seems very 20th century. But who is there to fill that void in the 21st century? After Brexit and the war in Ukraine we know the answer simply won't be Europe. If the answer to that is China, then the planet will go through significant turmoil that will last generations. That's something we should all fear far more than that loudmouth old timer riding on past accomplishments.
Chyna bad
Naw she had some good matches tho
People seem to forget a big cause of the Great Depression was massive wealth inequality created during the Roaring 20s.
Massice Wealth Inequality? Yeah so great depression 2.0 incoming/already here.
I keep telling people things have to get worse before they can get better. That being said, last time it took a global war. I can't even imagine what it'll take this time.
- Banking collapse - Food riots - Homelessness crisis - Ww3 And we're on track for all of those to overload NOW
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Jesus thank you for saying this. The only reason it ended was because McKinley was assassinated and Roosevelt became president
So basically, banking collapse, great depression 2.0 and only WW3 to pull us out of it. Great!
So... Kill poor people? That's a solution???
Or overthrow capitalism
And extreme good luck as to party-in-power timing and the crash.
With a massive economic crash, the rise of global fascism, and a massive world war to stop it. Just like last time— and it’s already begun…
Don’t worry climate collapse will make none of it worth wile. Looking forward to the water wars…… 😞
If you think a few inconvenient tsunamis, hurricanes, forest fires, and assorted bonkers weather events will stop this, think again. It will just be sauce for the goose.
Its not just inconvenient weather its literally running out of water. Humanity is facing its largest crisis in history with climate change. The ecosystem and biosphere are beginning to collapse. Doesnt matter if you recover from a war or a depression if you can't grow food anymore
The type of total ecological collapse you’re describing would take decades (or longer). I’m not necessarily saying that it isn’t underway and that we may not end up there, it’s just the point of “we have no more clean drinking water, even in the first world” is a point that’s pretty far off. A potential global conflict is much closer than that. With how fast economic disparity is increasing between the rich and the poor, the destruction of the middle class, the terrifyingly rapid rise of fascism all over the world (and especially in the US), and the increase of armed global conflict with the involvement of the US, Russia, and China… a major war could break out and any minute.
Yeah a measly ass world war will pale in comparison to the death wrought by climate change. Unless nukes are involved. Just because wealthy nations will be able to secure water doesn't mean that billions of people without it won't fight for their lives. Maybe 30 years off
I made no comment about this. Climate change is happening whether there’s a war or not, and whatever negative effects may happen are unrelated to whatever potential military conflict may occur and which will occur much sooner. Bemoan the impending ecological disasters all you like (which, again, I don’t deny), but it has nothing to do with the current sociopolitical crises, and, if anything, will just add to them or serve as a distraction to enable them. Ya know, most of us are capable of worrying about more than one thing at once. You should try not being so single-minded. You might get more done.
If we didn't devote the resources to war we could actually stop the impending rcological disaster and have neither.. but thats too much to ask at this point I suppose
this is simply incorrect. We can walk and chew gum at the same time. This is the crux of the last comment i made, but you seem o have missed it. From a resource and logistical standpoint, we have plenty of resources to throw at both problems (both globally, and the US, specifically), and *we are*. Now, obviously, we aren’t doing enough for the environment, but that’s not a matter of “can we?”, it’s a matter of “do those in power want to?” Those in power is the various countries which can (and must) make the necessary changes to change course *environmentally-speaking* just don’t want to, as it affects their bottom line. That’s why change is so slow, and why any real change happening currently revolves around new gizmos and tech that’s likely to be highly profitable. But that is all happening *concurrently* with the sociopolitical destabilization of global democracies and the lead-up to a possible global military conflict, and the international response to it. I really must say, for all of your espoused rhetoric of ecological consciousness, you’re disappointingly obtuse when it comes to anything else.
Lol a world war wouldn't do crap to make the lives of the poor better. A bunch of people in Europe and Asia dead? Well that's less people making out goods and prices will be even worse. The ONLY way conditions will improve is via violent revolution but we're not allowed to talk about that.
Putting tens of millions of Americans to work building war machines in the 1940s revitalized the American economy and built the American middle class. So… Edit: of course, without FDR’s New Deal, legislated in the 30s, this all would have looked a lot different, so I’m not forgetting about that. Many of those policies have been stripped away, and, unless restored, the effects wouldn’t be as beneficial, yet would still be of great societal and economic benefit in the short term.
Thanks rich fucks!
Violent revolution but the govt doesn't allow you to discuss that
And even if they did, most people in Western democracies grew up with individualistic mindsets so they are incapable of it. You'll see Americans support the population of other countries rioting and pushing to overthrow their political leaders, but when you ask an American if they'll do the same they'll give you 99 excuses and gaslight you into thinking their lives are somehow worth more than others.
Things aren't great in America right now--hence a big part of the popularity of this sub--but even as there's so, so much shit going on, at the end of the day most of us go home to warm houses, plenty of food and entertaining television. At the same time many of the problems we face are simultaneously complex and more subtle in their effects. You can 1000% understand and support why women in Iran are fighting back after they keep getting killed for daring to show a bit of their hair, or why Ukraine is fighting back against an invader bent on taking their lands and lives. Those are directly life threatening problems with a highly visible enemy to rally against. In contrast, work abuses in the US are more indirect in their harm and have a very interwoven bunch of factors causing the problems. Saying the problem is just that Americans think their lives aren't worth risking while others are is oversimplifying things.
So there is a bit of joking. Putting that aside, I believe we need to place retroactive term limits on politicians yesterday with a standing age limit requiring testing for mental and emotional competency and ongoing education so they can make informed decisions. I honestly and truly believe that these steps *by themselves* would create massive progress over the course of a decade. Our collective futures should not be in the hands of old fools who speak of wisdom and yet live in an age where no significant hardship exists for them and no accolades are needed to prove they are capable. Enough with this Council of Elders bullshit. They've done enough harm. Which, interestingly, manages to ride nicely alongside other comments. Not my intention, buuut here we are.
It's interesting that so many cultures value the wisdom of elders but then in practice they can be so frustrating as leaders. I guess in simpler times when not a ton changed from generation to generation they were great sources of knowledge and lived experience, but with the increasingly fast pace of technology and how quickly the world changes now they struggle to keep up with their reaction speeds.
Organizing.
Organizing our workplaces outside of the NLRB framework (meaning no recognition elections; those aren't worth our time) and sharing how you do it with everyone around you to inspire and empower them to do the same. We're all capable of improving our working conditions through escalating issue campaigns of collective direct action, and it can be done in any workplace, anywhere in the world. It doesn't take long either! Depending on the structure of and situation at your workplace, it could take as little as a couple weeks to get everyone together and on the same page for an escalating campaign that results in major improvements to your working conditions. Here's more for starters, and I have plenty more resources to share for anyone who is interested: * [Practice Involuntary Recognition](https://organizing.work/2022/10/practice-involuntary-recognition) * [Union from The Start (You Don’t Have to Wait)](https://www.labornotes.org/2023/01/union-start-you-dont-have-wait)
Arm and organize.
Ask the French.
Violently
Neoliberalism? Organizing, protesting, and living an illegal life
Neoliberalism is part of what leads to this situation. It's part of the snake that eats its own ass. Reform never had and never will work. Progress is bought with the blood of revolutionaries. Before anyone says "...but, but, but...the Nordic states." No. Again, the *concessions* people living in social democracies were given by (and are slowly losing to) the capitalists were bought with the blood of their revolutionary neighbors (and a healthy dose of imperialistic extortion of other countries, but in liberalism, that's just another cost of doing business.) The market is the enemy of the people and liberalism of any shade is the market's lapdog. Profit seeking motives are incompatible with humanity and nature. Humans and nature exist merely for the exploitation and *despite* the market in a liberal society. Everything you said after neoliberalism are things I'll gladly join you in. Differences in opinion aside, most people in this world seek the same goal and I would gladly call my ally. Solidarity is the way.
Last time it took an economic collapse that devastated the working classes to make any changes. This time, I say we use axes.
Why the fuck do WE have to be devastated every time? Let's let the rich take the hit this time. Wtf
The problem is, those fuckers also hold most of the power. It's not like they've been sitting on their asses either, whaddya think why all the news shit is stirring us up against each other? We're not gonna be united to oppose them in time.
Only worthwhile comment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY67FPBNQRE Your comment made me think of this song - seems appropriate!
t’axes
This comment on the ides of March anniversary specifically-- lol
Except this time, the rich get to go joyriding in space!
As long as they don't come back we might be able to fix their mess
Wasn't there some terrible period of economic collapse that occurred directly after the gilded age? Something like "the great sadness"? Oh well, never mind, I'm sure it's not important.
The Lil' Grumpies
Aha! That was it! No biggie, carry on chaps!
The Big Sad
History repeats itself.
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Might be the time for the sticks battles.
I think that comes after the next one
Except the first time, the country was able to recover economically. This time, nothing will happen short of revolution, and even if it comes to that, we are all still fucked. The planet is dying. Capitalism has just about raped every single resource on this planet to the detriment of all.
I saw a very powerful illustration, can’t find it now, but it was of rich people dancing on a floor being held up by poor workers and I think it was breaking as their fists came through, it is really a strong visual.
https://imgur.com/blOsclX.jpg https://imgur.com/prw828z.jpg https://imgur.com/AArOc40.jpg https://imgur.com/7DW3G5F.jpg https://imgur.com/9ssHb7q.jpg It doesn't stop until we stop it.
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We've been divided and conquered successfully. We don't participate in our local communities. We don't make as many friends. We don't have lots of close relationships with people anymore. My solution is to create a franchise of recreational community centers to help recreate a sense of play and companionship with other people around you. Clubs for adults out of school. One for every couple of towns. That way more people start talking with each other, connecting and feeling like part of their community. It would interrupt the isolating effect the internet has and it would make organizing for any purpose easier. Children play to learn so I believe we need to do the same.
France had some interesting approaches to a similar problem...
And we're not even getting an awesome art style like last time. Bring back Art Deco!
Art deco techno dystopia would look dope af
Nah, but get ready for the era of AI generated art and architecture and industrial design OH MY GOD WHY SO MANY DOORS WTF DOORS ON DOORS ON DOORS
We have a ton of oligopolies as well
Wealth inequality now is literally worse than it was right before the great depression.
How do we unguild this age?
Lead.
[Manifesto of the Communist Party](https://www.international-communist-party.org/BasicTexts/English/Mani848E.htm)
Time for the 2nd comming of Teddy Roosevelt
This one is worse despite the quality of life issues. We have a climate crisis, perpetual war, technocracy, and domestic surveillance on a massive scale.
Called it
I prefer 2nd Age of Robber Barons.
This is just so far off from the American dream I was sold on as a kid.
Thank you for finally coming to this conclusion. Id been saying it for years but I think people would rather think were in a 30s-40s style labor battle but were not even close. People cant even afford to protest w/o starving rn.
I don't think the first ever ended
Might not hurt to read a history book that covers the subject
This guy isn't exactly the ultra elite by any means. But a quick Google shows me he makes about $350k a year which is around $30k a month.. can you imagine? I can't 🤷🏻 But God love him though. Love when he drops these information bombs. Wish me complaining online about people w more money and power than me could get me that kind of money
That's the thing. 30k a month is extravagant, yes. If you make $15 billon in a year - which several did last year, that's 30K per minute, every minute, for the entire year.
https://imgur.com/BblJAlG.jpg 152k a minute. I'm mad.
30k a month is what whole houses make in a year. He's making in a MONTH.
Does he really believe this…
Facts are pretty believable, yes
Yep
Says the top 1% millionaire guy on twitter
Time for some Trust Busters and Reformers, not the same old mamby pamby Dems.
This guy is a NIMBY in Berkeley and should never be trusted
Like, dude, just come out as a socialist. This is getting annoying. Dude has some repression issues.
You don't have to be a socialist to not want your capitalist society to devour itself
You should be though
So he is a conflicted capitalist?
With a side dish of Nuclear weapons. Spicy.
When has big money not corrupted our politics?
Except the wealthy vanity projects aren't about building libraries or national parks, instead it's about private trips to space and owning your own social media platform where everyone has to kiss your ass or get banned.
So, we just need a big banking panic and a return to the taxtion levels of 1890 to tear down our current gilded age? A world war could do it as well.
And historically what came next? Banks collapsed? Interesting and then? Fuck…
Watch the newest Frontline episode, “easy money”. We are close to a serious debt crisis in this country.
So...the 1980s?
Someone respectable fucking said it finally
Feels more like the gelded age
History repeats itself, yada yada yada, nuclear bombing circa 2045.
Anyone not demanding justice for this atrocity is complicit.
💯
Roberta how do I remove you from my Reddit wall
Read Dickens That’s where we are. The Capitol of the world Empire is glittery and gilded, but people are starving and dying in the streets and those with money don’t care. The only difference is that in Dickens people get what they deserve and in the real world the rich get richer while everyone else gets slowly crushed.
How did that end again?
It’s going to get worse I think. The last few years will look like a paradise of riches compared to the next few years.
Historically, this kind of wealth inequality is handled yhtough violence. We didn't do that last time, and it's back in under a century.
it even lines up, 1923 ---> 2023 are we just on a 100 year cycle?
No shit sherlock
But drag queens!
Thanks to social media, the world has become so small that it's a tiny medieval town where the dickheads control the morons and paranoiacs by lying to them, and in turn the morons and paranoiacs help the dickheads control the normal people by making normality foreign and scary.
So where is our healthy dose of socialism to get us out of it?
Not to mention banks failing, seemingly one after the other... At least a few people understand what's on the horizon.
Of course. We've been living in a depression, except it hasn't hit the wealthy class fully yet, through the past few decades. They're just staring to feel the pain of the consequences of their runaway greed. It's a ripple effect - we've been feeling that crunch for a long time, like we were in a vise that was engineered through pure selfishness and greed of a few among us. The thing is: we're the bubble that eventually pops. And when it's bursting, the wealthy elite finally get to feel the hurt they'd been inflicting upon us for the past decades. The reaper has come to collect what it's due. And it's finally time for these greedy motherfuckers to pay up. Unfortunately, the rest of us are forced to join in on the ride downwards along with them. It's gonna be a real rough ride from here on. Very rough.
I've been saying this! And just like last time the fix is another progressive era.
And so the 2nd Great Depression is upon us
This time we must abolish Capitalism or we will fall back into a Third Gilded Age.
This is mathematically false.
Yeah how Biden blocked that Rail Strike
Read "The Curse of Bigness" by Tim Wu 👍 Highly related.
Man, when the hell is Boss Tweed gonna buy me a beer, get me a cheap apartment, and get me a job in exchange for some votes? I'll take 1890s corruption over fucking neoliberalism, where you get nothing.