politics for the 99%

Published on naked capitalism, by #SlayTheSmaugs, July 22, 2016.

… Worshiping Wealth: … //
… Remembering Greed is Evil: … //
… The Stealth Violence of False Scarcity and Cutting Corners: … //
… The Falsity of Dollar Scarcity: … //
… Feel the Greed: … //

… In Conclusion:

Greed is evil, but it comes in different intensities. Petit greed is a corrosive illness that decays societies, but can be effectively ameliorated through norms and social capital. Smaug greed is so toxic, so potent, that the state is the only entity powerful enough to put it in check. Greed, particularly Smaug greed, must be put in check because the false scarcity it manufactures, and the unsafe workplaces it creates, maim and kill people. The stealth violence of Smaug greed justifies a tax to confiscate the hoards.

#GreedIsEvil. It’s time to #SlayTheSmaugs.

*One of the arguments against redistribution is that is against the sacrosanct efficient market, which forbids making one person better off if the price is making someone else worse off. But money has diminishing returns as money after a certain point; the purchasing power between someone with one billion and ten billion dollars is negligible, though the difference between someone with ten thousand and a hundred thousand, or a hundred thousand and a million is huge. After a certain level of accumulation money is simply ego gratifying points, it’s not money any more. Thus taking it and using it as money isn’t making someone ‘worse off’ in an economic sense. Also, when considering whether someone is ‘worse off’, it’s worth considering where their money comes from; how many people did they leave ‘worse off’ as they extracted the money?

(full text).

Links:

Trump supporters rising up, disgusted with elites, no trust in media, on RT, July 23, 2016;

Erdoğans Rache – ist die Türkei noch unser Partner? [HD], 59.55 min, von MediathekHD, mit Maybrit Illner am 21.07.2016 im ZDF: Ausnahmezustand in der Türkei: Der Putsch ist niedergeschlagen, die von Präsident Erdoğan ankündigten „Säuberungen“ laufen auf Hochtouren und den Verschwörern könnte die Todesstrafe drohen. Als Drahtzieher des Putschversuchs bezichtigt Erdogan den Prediger Fethullah Gülen, der in den USA lebt. Von Obama verlangt er deshalb dessen Auslieferung. Was ist in der Türkei wirklich passiert? Wer sind die Putschisten? Und wer waren die Menschen, die sich den Soldaten entgegenstellten? Wollten sie die Demokratie verteidigen oder den Präsidenten? Wohin steuert die Türkei jetzt? Wird aus dem Nato-Partner eine religiös geprägte Präsidialdiktatur? Welche Druckmittel hat Europa gegenüber Erdogan, den sie in vielerlei Hinsicht dringend braucht? Werden die Konflikte in der Türkei auch das Zusammenleben in Deutschland vergiften?

Putschversuch in der Türkei – Was macht Erdoğan jetzt? [HD], 56.19 min, von MediathekHD, mit Anne Will am 17. Juli 2016. Nach einer dramatischen Nacht erklärt die türkische Regierung den Putschversuch gegen Präsident Recep Tayyip Erdoğan für gescheitert. Der kündigte bereits ein hartes Vorgehen gegen die aufständischen Militärs an. Wie konnte es zu diesem Putsch kommen? Wird Erdoğan seine Macht jetzt noch weiter ausbauen? Und ist er für Deutschland noch ein vertrauenswürdiger Partner?

Brexit, Flüchtlingspolitik analysiert, 23.10 min, von Freie Propaganda … mit Hans-Werner Sinn am 4. Juli 2016;

The Origins of American Identity, A Cultural History of the Colonists of the United States (1998), 71.01 min, uploaded by The Book Archive … In the United States, Native Americans are considered to be people whose pre-Columbian ancestors were indigenous to the lands within the nation’s modern boundaries. These peoples were composed of numerous distinct tribes, bands, and ethnic groups, and many of these groups survive intact today as sovereign nations.
The terms Native Americans use to refer to themselves vary regionally and generationally, with many older Native Americans self-identifying as “Indians” or “American Indians”, while younger Native Americans often identify as “Indigenous” or “Aboriginal.” Which terms should be used to refer to Native Americans has at times been controversial. The term “Native American” has been adopted by major newspapers and some academic groups, but has not traditionally included Native Hawaiians or certain Alaskan Natives, such as Aleut, Yup’ik, or Inuit peoples. Indigenous American peoples from Canada are known as First Nations.
Since the end of the 15th century, the migration of Europeans to the Americas has led to centuries of exchange and adjustment between Old and New World societies. Most Native American groups had historically preserved their histories by oral traditions and artwork, which has resulted in the first written sources on the conflict being authored by Europeans[3] … (more);

… and this:

• Blowin in The Wind – Bob Dylan, 2.46 min, uploaded by Naucruz.