Friends,
May I present to you a proposal. What if I told you that we — THIS generation — face an opportunity that no preceding generation has had? We truly are in a paradigm shift. Perhaps you think I am exaggerating. However, this opportunity will NOT come without some pain — growing pains, have you. We are at the precipice of daunting upheaval and change. I don’t tell you this as an alarmist, but as a harbinger of hope. I don’t think the sky is falling, on the contrary, I think we face the opportunity to abandon the hierarchical system that humanity has lived under our entire history — except possibly the Athenian Republic, about 2,500 years ago.
That’s the irony. Our elites memorialize Socrates because he was an Elitist of the Athenian Republic. The Greeks understood this threat and sentenced him to death. Just 60 years later, was Alexander the Great and about a century after that was the first emperor of China.
However, today we have the opportunity to transcend all hopes of previous generations. We actually face the opportunity to break free from the hierarchical systems which have plagued us these last 2,000 years. Sure, in a less sophisticated society, these efforts to maximize returns to help avoid the misallocation of resources only makes sense. However, today, Capitalism is endorsed by our elites. Why? It is NOT coincidence that modern corporations are hierarchical structures. Also, division of labor and specialization which Capitalists use as a means to maximize productivity, are exactly the strategies advocated by Socrates over two millennia ago.
No, I’m not suggesting we abandon Capitalism, but I am suggesting we abandon what we call today “the American model of Capitalism.” As the American Industrial Revolution was still underway, a small group of Elitists seized power. They formed a syndicate and established cartels — one of which was the Phoebus Cartel (1924) which I wrote about in my last article. The Phoebus Cartel did something most insidious! They invented Planned Obsolescence. They justified it in the guise of protecting jobs, but in reality, it was an effort to guarantee scarcity remained an integral part of the Capitalist economic model. In fact, I assert that Global Warming is even an effort to build scarcity into any and all resources — including air!
They tell us with better science and better measurements means better understanding. However, simply because we can count our raw materials more effectively does not mean everything is finite. They would have us believe that the world is Zero Sum Game. If we Americans don’t claim that resource, the Russians or Chinese will get it.
They tell us the world is overpopulated. What if I told you that we could take every man, woman and child on planet Earth and move them to the State of Texas and everyone could still live rather comfortably. Overpopulation is a myth. Global Warming is an ideology, not science. American Capitalism is a fraud. They built scarcity into the equation by sabotaging their own products. They say they have a right to pursue their own business model. They say they have a right to profit. At what cost? I concur with both, as long as you’re not playing me for a fool! Nobody likes to be played… conned. They have been artificially sustaining scarcity within the American model of Capitalism for almost a full century. The light bulb was the first victim of Planned Obsolescence… there have been numerous others. “The Light Bulb Conspiracy” — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdHIqa53-tY
What will the economy of tomorrow look like? You can help decide. It is within each and every one of us the potential to decide what we think is proper, appropriate and just. I implore you, my friends, do not let this opportunity pass you by. My last article was “The Economy of Tomorrow.” I presented three alternative models: The gold standard, the digital economy, and the resource-based economy. There are others, I assure you. However, would you consider these three? Don’t remain mute on this issue. Sadly, we must tolerate Senator Chuck Schumer because too many of us have remained mute to his shenanigans and misconduct… even after he threatened two Supreme Court Justices. We all have a dog in this fight.
The full article by Adam Tooze is here: https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/04/09/unemployment-coronavirus-pandemic-normal-economy-is-never-coming-back/
Your friend and fellow patriot,
Volshebny