Poverty November 5. 2004
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One problem I have noticed (and I don't know if it's because I'm poor) is that I've started to eat my tongue at night. I just noticed it this morning when I was brushing my teeth. I have huge pieces of tongue missing. There is no blood or anything else gross like that just nips of my tongue missing. Oh well, at least I'm not hungry in the morning 
I'm sure Capouch has mentioned to you his proposal that we eliminate the concept of post-mortem private property... what do you think of that as a step in the direction of poverty?
I think it would be great.. but that doesn't look like it will happen anytime soon... GW wants to get rid of the inheritance tax. http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/reports/taxplan.html (look at bullet point 4)
Maybe Bush should read some history:
"...This object can be attained by making the tax very small on moderate amounts of property left; because the prime object should be to put a constantly increasing burden on the inheritance of those swollen fortunes which it is certainly of no benefit to this country to perpetuate." -- President Theodore Roosevelt, 1906
Maybe Bush should read some history:
"...This object can be attained by making the tax very small on moderate amounts of property left; because the prime object should be to put a constantly increasing burden on the inheritance of those swollen fortunes which it is certainly of no benefit to this country to perpetuate." -- President Theodore Roosevelt, 1906
This is my favorite part of Bush's tax plan... it says exactly what I've been saying... This administration is facist!
"President Bush believes that the bias of the death tax against the family farm and family business is the antithesis of the American Dream."
"President Bush believes that the bias of the death tax against the family farm and family business is the antithesis of the American Dream."
I'm pretty ignorant about fascism so I had to look it up on Wikipedia:
* exalts up nation and sometimes race above the individual,
* uses violence and modern techniques of propaganda and censorship to forcibly suppress political opposition,
* engages in severe economic and social regimentation, and
* espouses of nationalism and sometimes racism or ethnic nationalism.
I fail to see the similarities...
* exalts up nation and sometimes race above the individual,
* uses violence and modern techniques of propaganda and censorship to forcibly suppress political opposition,
* engages in severe economic and social regimentation, and
* espouses of nationalism and sometimes racism or ethnic nationalism.
I fail to see the similarities...
"Fascism should more accurately be named corporatism, since it is the merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini
This is the type of fascism to which I am refering.
This link might help too:
http://www.zianet.com/earth/essay14.htm
This is the type of fascism to which I am refering.
This link might help too:
http://www.zianet.com/earth/essay14.htm
If the issue is the somewhat merging of state and corporate power, you are at odds with something more basic to the very structure of our country, rather than something as seasonal as the current administration. If it seems that the current administration is succeeding particularly well at this merging, it's only because they are playing by the rules better than any have in the past. The rules: capitalism, fabrication of corporation as individual, are basic concepts of our country that are far from new.
It is far from new and I do have issues with capitalism as a means of creating humans from corporations but for me it seems that recently the tide has shifted to where the government has started to push the notion of capitalism not democracy around the world in hopes of greater wealth for the privilaged few. Multinational corporations and Globalization are the products of this kind of thinking. Facism at it's best?
Again, that's why people need to be poor for part of their lives.
peace
Again, that's why people need to be poor for part of their lives.
peace
Departing momentarily from Fascism, what is the problem with these 2 products? Multinational Corporations and a Global Economy... how are they innately bad? Or are there particular failings (such as..?) within them that need to be avoided in some way?
(I agree that *I* ought to be poor for part of *my* life, but pursuing physical/financial poverty seems like nearly as unhealthy a fear of the world as the contrary pursuit is an unhealthy addiction to the world.)
(I agree that *I* ought to be poor for part of *my* life, but pursuing physical/financial poverty seems like nearly as unhealthy a fear of the world as the contrary pursuit is an unhealthy addiction to the world.)
Multinational Corporations and Global Economy are evil in the way they extract "resources" from the world as an abstraction seperate and away from the dignity of creation. The ultimate goals of these "entities" are to turn the world into a means of producing wealth for themselves. They may profess benefits for humanity along the way but these are only symptoms of their disease.
As far as pursuing physical/financial poverty... that is not my point. In the system in which we live today, I find a period of poverty to be beneficial in helping people have a more well rounded experience when it comes to interacting with other human beings. There is a benifit to being anti-materialistic though. Simplicity (especially in the post-modern information age) brings sanity to the tossed spirit.
As far as pursuing physical/financial poverty... that is not my point. In the system in which we live today, I find a period of poverty to be beneficial in helping people have a more well rounded experience when it comes to interacting with other human beings. There is a benifit to being anti-materialistic though. Simplicity (especially in the post-modern information age) brings sanity to the tossed spirit.
For all of your praise of inclusiveness, the observations you're making here are pretty exclusive. The "ultimate goals" of a multinational corporation are limited entirely to it's mission statement.
While recognizing that moral evil can be perpetuated only by human beings, you are actually furthering the mistake of considering corporations to be entities on the same playing field as human beings. How about looking at a multinational corporation as simply a democracy that transcends geographical boundaries. Democracy, as you will readily agree, is capable of much evil, but only through the moral evil of it's members, not out of some evil quality of it's essence.
Also... there's a difference between being anti-materialistic and non-materialistic... anti-materialistic would seem to be just as complex as materialistic. Sorry, I'm sure this is more semantics than anything.
While recognizing that moral evil can be perpetuated only by human beings, you are actually furthering the mistake of considering corporations to be entities on the same playing field as human beings. How about looking at a multinational corporation as simply a democracy that transcends geographical boundaries. Democracy, as you will readily agree, is capable of much evil, but only through the moral evil of it's members, not out of some evil quality of it's essence.
Also... there's a difference between being anti-materialistic and non-materialistic... anti-materialistic would seem to be just as complex as materialistic. Sorry, I'm sure this is more semantics than anything.
Again thank you for your comments.
The ultimate goal of any business is to be profitable and in a market economy that means making money.
Do some research on the multinational company Monsonto and how they are destroying the Indian farmers as well as some of their dealings with Canadian citizens. I have yet to find another multinational company that does not practice "business" in this way.
As far as the anti/non thingy... I think it is semantics. I'm sure we agree that extreams in either direction are prohibitive to the glory of the spirit filling our lives.
The ultimate goal of any business is to be profitable and in a market economy that means making money.
Do some research on the multinational company Monsonto and how they are destroying the Indian farmers as well as some of their dealings with Canadian citizens. I have yet to find another multinational company that does not practice "business" in this way.
As far as the anti/non thingy... I think it is semantics. I'm sure we agree that extreams in either direction are prohibitive to the glory of the spirit filling our lives.
Michel Foucault. Discipline & Punish: The Birth of the Prison.
Wayne A. Meeks. The First Urban Christians: The Social World of the Apostle Paul.
Michel Foucault. The History of Sexuality Vol. 3: The Care of the Self.
Presbyterian Church (USA). Book of Common Worship.
