[extropy-chat] [Politics] Real Politick

[Robert Lindauer]

Bret Kulakovich wrote:

>
>> I take it you favor enhanced military and corresponding taxation to  
>> fund our status-keeping -whatever the cost-?
>
>
> 1. Yes. Because the alternative is insufficient for my system of  
> propagation and society, which I believe are superior to those  
> available. (take this in the context of my previous response of 1:22  
> pm EST today before blurting out 'racist harlot' or something. tnx!)  
> My daughter's future != burka :. stop Muslim expansionism.


I think the keyword here is "whatever the cost".

It may cost your daughter to fund the stopping of Muslim expansionism - 
is that okay?

It may also cost you many pieces of your freedom, give the police the 
right to search your house because your last name may be Mohammed or 
first name Al.

>
>
>> You know, there IS another way to retain our status, e.g. producing  
>> great goods and services and having a great society.    Military  
>> deterrence, once achieved, is irrelevant.  The "war on terror" is a  
>> bogey, generated mostly to induce fear in our population by  military 
>> domination of other countries for the economic benefit of  a powerful 
>> few people.  Same as it ever was.
>
>
> 2. We can't afford to be a producer, only a consumer and inventor.


That's not so.  For instance, the US remains the best per-acre producer 
of produce.  We're good at producing, we should focus on it.  The more 
we produce, the better our society becomes.

> We  have seen a half dozen or more 'economies' pass through our 
> country  in the past 100 or so years. Agrarian,

Our agrarian economy is not gone.  We produce tonnes and tonnes and 
tonnes of food for the whole world.  It is what keeps the rest of our 
economy alive.  Without our basic ability to produce food, we'd be like 
any other third-world country with people starving on the streets.

> textile,


Having lived in Los Angeles and New York, I can tell you our textile 
industry is also alive and well.

> manufacturing,


Our manufacturing remains strong albeit China, India, Korea and Japan 
are beating us at it today - mostly because they're smart enough to know 
that if you produce great products at a great price people will buy them 
from you and you will prosper.  Americans apparently -used- to know 
this.  Now we think paying others is a good idea.  I don't know how long 
that illusion can last with the Chinese buying up all the US savings 
bonds and soon all the American companies they can..

> and  now (surprise!) service is packing its bags to not just leave the 
> US  citizen (which it by and large has via illegal immigrants)


What the heck are you talking about.  The service-jobs that illegal 
immigrants do for us (maid services, agricultural workers, kitchen 
labor, etc.) CAN'T leave the country, that's why they come HERE to do 
them. 

> but also  physically as well via outsourcing. 


It's a sad fact that our technology work is going out of the country and 
no doubt we'll pay for it in ten years when india and china have better 
technology than we do.  It's a testament to the idiocy of the current 
administration that they don't see this.

> The fact is, we're a pop-economy.  SUVs, NASA mattresses, XBoxen.


No, we remain fundamentally, an agrarian economy.  In order to get food, 
we must grow food.  We're very efficient at growing food, so there's 
lots of leisure time for doing other things like building things, 
selling things, etc.  As many xboxen as you like NEVER add up to a 
McDonald's Hamburger.

>
> And what's wrong with people profiting from the high price of  gasoline?


They use your and my tax money to make it happen.

> That's capitalism in a commodity market. 


That's capitalism in a protectionist oligarchy.  -They- should allow 
people to make as much alcohol as they want at home for personal use or 
for sale without regulating the sale of it.  That would end the fuel 
crisis relatively quickly.

> Some invested  well, others did not.


You live in a fairy-tale world?  I suggest a good read of "Ruling 
America, a History of Wealth and Power in a Democracy"
http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog/FRARUL.html

> Why the sour grapes? We are commending and  condemning the same 
> system, at the same time.


Who's commending?  Sour grapes?  Well, for one thing, I'm tired of being 
told I'm free but not being -really- free, tired of hearing about 
equality and then seeing the massive difference between the wealthy and 
the poor here at home.  Tired of hearing about "Christian Love" combined 
with shock-and-awe bombing of a major metropolitan area.  Tired of 
hearing about "Democracy" in a oligarchical republic.  That's why.

Robbie Lindauer