The Social Contract - What real class warfare looks like - Krugman

[malaise]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/23/opinion/krugman-the-social-contract.html?_r=1
<snip>
Elizabeth Warren, the financial reformer who is now running for the United States Senate in Massachusetts, recently made some eloquent remarks to this effect that are, rightly, getting a lot of attention. “There is nobody in this country who got rich on his own. Nobody,” she declared, pointing out that the rich can only get rich thanks to the “social contract” that provides a decent, functioning society in which they can prosper.

Which brings us back to those cries of “class warfare.”

Republicans claim to be deeply worried by budget deficits. Indeed, Mr. Ryan has called the deficit an “existential threat” to America. Yet they are insisting that the wealthy — who presumably have as much of a stake as everyone else in the nation’s future — should not be called upon to play any role in warding off that existential threat.

Well, that amounts to a demand that a small number of very lucky people be exempted from the social contract that applies to everyone else. And that, in case you’re wondering, is what real class warfare looks like.

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[malaise]

2. Sources missing

:shrug:

[Angry Dragon]

4. here

http://ampedstatus.com/the-economic-elite-vs-the-people-of-the-united-states-of-america-part-i/

[blindpig]

3. Hey, Jack....

Capitalism has no social contract.

None whatsoever.

You are free to sell your labor at the prevailing rate or you can eat shit and die.

[malaise]

5. Valid point n/t

[SocalSteve]

6. True....

However, the problem with capitalism is that it isn't a perfect solution and there are issues within a society that capitalism can not address.
Fraud & societal issues:

If this were a perfect world capitalism would fair much better but for example individuals with alot of financial backing are constantly manipulating the system at the systems peril more often than not.

What type of society do you want to live in? This is a much more important question than what type of economic market structure do you want for your society. Too much capitalism unbridled and you get the monopolistic robber barons that take advantage of the markets limited resources and access to fair trade in the markets. Capitalism is an extremely competitive and very cutthroat at times. Every capitalistic society has had to determine the rules by which they would operate within their "Fair" system. This determines what type of society we want.

Fairness:
Whether you like it or not, fairness is a big part of human nature. To presume that humans are not interested in fairness would be the same thing as blinding yourself to the centuries of laws the European and US societies have struggled to create in order to create "more perfect societies." Its beyond ludacris to assume that fairness doesnt have a dominant role in societies.

It also seems like your comment was inferring that capitalism is the end all be all of a societies happiness and health. Its not. It's merely a vehicle for attaining those things.

Your comment also infers that labor is bound to prevailing rates ala serfdom. Basically, a "take it or leave it attitude." Wrong again! Labor has bargaining rights in a free DEMOCRACY! A choice! The society makes the rules in this case, and not the markets. I think you better rethink what your idea of a democracy and freedom actually is. Because based your "snappy" comments you haven't a clue.

[blindpig]

7. "Labor has bargaining rights"

Those rights have been increasingly restricted since the passage of Taft-Hartley in 1948, today they are nearly gone. GM workers are saddled with a 'no strike' clause as are other unions, particularly public workers. There can be no effective bargaining without the threat of strike.

That is the opposite of what I was inferring about Capitalism, it is anathema to humanity.

As far as 'fraud, greed, bad actors, blah blah blah' goes, these are results, not causes of capitalism, a system which thrives upon, depends upon such acquisitiveness in order to achieve it's necessity of continual growth and capital accumulation.

[SocalSteve]

11. ??

And what points are you tryng to make here? Doesn't seem like you understand my post.

[mdmc]

10. welcome to du

peace and low stress

[SocalSteve]

12. haha!

Just listened to the link. Kool jam bro =)

[mdmc]

14. your welcome my friend

www.dead.net sent me that link in an email..

:~)

[Stuart G]

8. k & r thanks for posting...nt

[mdmc]

9. 1

[senseandsensibility]

13. kick for those that haven't seen it

too late to rec