Bill Maher: NEW RULES ... (a really good one on capitalism)

[applegrove]

"How about this for a New Rule: Not everything in America has to make a profit. It used to be that there were some services and institutions so vital to our nation that they were exempt from market pressures. Some things we just didn't do for money. The United States always defined capitalism, but it didn't used to define us. But now it's becoming all that we are.

Did you know, for example, that there was a time when being called a "war profiteer" was a bad thing? But now our war zones are dominated by private contractors and mercenaries who work for corporations. There are more private contractors in Iraq than American troops, and we pay them generous salaries to do jobs the troops used to do for themselves ­-- like laundry. War is not supposed to turn a profit, but our wars have become boondoggles for weapons manufacturers and connected civilian contractors.

Prisons used to be a non-profit business, too. And for good reason --­ who the hell wants to own a prison? By definition you're going to have trouble with the tenants. But now prisons are big business. A company called the Corrections Corporation of America is on the New York Stock Exchange, which is convenient since that's where all the real crime is happening anyway. The CCA and similar corporations actually lobby Congress for stiffer sentencing laws so they can lock more people up and make more money. That's why America has the world;s largest prison population ­-- because actually rehabilitating people would have a negative impact on the bottom line.

Television news is another area that used to be roped off from the profit motive. When Walter Cronkite died last week, it was odd to see news anchor after news anchor talking about how much better the news coverage was back in Cronkite's day. I thought, "Gee, if only you were in a position to do something about it."

SNIP....."

http://therealbillmaher.blogspot.com/

[DrToast]

1. It is a good one. Thank Reagan for all that.

[alcibiades_mystery]

2. Profit is the axiom

If you let it in a little, it eventually swamps the whole system. It's also untenable.

[applegrove]

3. Profit has its' place. But its' place isn't to be everywhere. Some things

work very well as non profits or not for profits or government. Look at the mid 20th century. The west did very well by having mixed market economies. This whole profit must be the goal of everything is just a way for rich people in the USA to get out of paying taxes.

The economist did a story on businesss schools and how after 1990 students in MBA schools were taught that their competators were government (regulation), employees (union power and wages and benefits), custmers (ever tried to go to a company website to make a complaint? You can't because they don't list emails), etc. It was the corporate way or the highway they were taught. This idea helps those rich people who want to pay even less in taxes. Doesn't help anyone else. Just the owners of the corporations.

[alcibiades_mystery]

5. Don't agree

The mid-20th century system was untenable: either residual feudalism or incipient socialism was going to kill profit, or the other way around. There is no mixed economy as a stasis. Just struggle between forms of life. They exist together only for brief periods of equilibrium, like stalemate in clash of forces. Then they move again.

[applegrove]

6. We'll have to agree to disagree then.

[RandomThoughts]

4. Here is a Cartoon from 1948

Watch the video at 5:00 It shows an example of capitalism. Then actually says people do not have to be ashamed to be investors, defending the making of money from money.

Why did they have to defend Capitalism? Because there used to be different thoughts on capitalism, and people used to have thoughts about how making money from money is not the most noble method, and that Capitalism itself has some weaknesses that need to be regulated.

Can you imagine anyone apologizing for Capitalism in our media? Why would they need to have it in that toon years ago? Why do they have to say don't be ashamed to an investor back then?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVh75ylAUXY

[Blue_Tires]

7. spot on about war profiteering

it used to be that 'mercenary' was one of the worst and most disgusting things you could call somebody...now we have assclowns who are not only proud of it, they are pulling in six figures in taxpayer-funded salary...

[Blue_Tires]

8. sunday kick