I drink your milkshake! a metaphor for capitalism

[oldngray]

im an equal opportunity critic. baffles me how people vote for either of these parties, unless your not paying attention or paying attention to the wrong sources.

theres this guy at my work and he doesnt use a reference system for his sources, he pretty much just reads anything he already agrees with or what people like on his facebook feed.

equal opportunity critic? Great to hear!

Now you can start bashing socialists too.

 

[rickyb]

equal opportunity critic? Great to hear!

Now you can start bashing socialists too.

gladly. im against the "socialists" who centralized all power in the state as much as i am against the capitalists who centralize power in the corporations.

 

[rickyb]

this quote from chris hedges only sorta belongs here. ill take constructive negativity over positivity anyday. i really go for negativity with some black humor:

"
Magical thinking is not limited to the beliefs and practices of pre-modern cultures. It defines the ideology of capitalism. Quotas and projected sales can always be met. Profits can always be raised. Growth is inevitable. The impossible is always possible. Human societies, if they bow before the dictates of the marketplace, will be ushered into capitalist paradise. It is only a question of having the right attitude and the right technique. When capitalism thrives, we are assured, we thrive. The merging of the self with the capitalist collective has robbed us of our agency, creativity, capacity for self-reflection and moral autonomy. We define our worth not by our independence or our character but by the material standards set by capitalism—personal wealth, brands, status and career advancement. We are molded into a compliant and repressed collective. This mass conformity is characteristic of totalitarian and authoritarian states. It is the Disneyfication of America, the land of eternally happy thoughts and positive attitudes. And when magical thinking does not work, we are told, and often accept, that we are the problem. We must have more faith. We must envision what we want. We must try harder. The system is never to blame. We failed it. It did not fail us.

All of our systems of information, from self-help gurus and Hollywood to political monstrosities such as Trump, sell us this snake oil. We blind ourselves to impending collapse. Our retreat into self-delusion is a career opportunity for charlatans who tell us what we want to hear. The magical thinking they espouse is a form of infantilism. It discredits facts and realities that defy the glowing cant of slogans such as “Make America great again.” Reality is banished for relentless and baseless optimism."

 

[rickyb]

DailyRadical History‏ @radicaldaily 3h3 hours ago




May 1 1886 – 340,000 workers in Chicago strike for 8hr day. Begins tradition of May Day as workers’ holiday. #MayDay2017

 

[wkmac]

gladly. im against the "socialists" who centralized all power in the state as much as i am against the capitalists who centralize power in the corporations.

Once you come to understand Statism itself as enemy, how others choose to live their lives becomes unimportant. Centralization of power under any form crushes the human experience. The only purpose of The State is something to undermine, tunnel under or go around and then cheer its implosion upon itself.

 

[BrownArmy]

Once you come to understand Statism itself as enemy, how others choose to live their lives becomes unimportant. Centralization of power under any form crushes the human experience. The only purpose of The State is something to undermine, tunnel under or go around and then cheer its implosion upon itself.

So what are your opinions on the 'State'?

 

[wkmac]

So what are your opinions on the 'State'?

I don't conflate it with community or institutions of mutual benefit.

 

[BrownArmy]

I don't conflate it with community or institutions of mutual benefit.

Huh.

The 'winking face' didn't make it past my phone.

Maybe I watched too much 'Star Trek' as a kid, so maybe I have an idealized version of what a 'State' could look like.

Clearly our 'State's of the last several centuries don't measure up to the fictionalized (and rarely seen) 'State' in the OG Star Trek, but it seems to me there's a case to be made for the 'State'.

We are conversing about the evils of the 'State' upon infrastructure that likely wouldn't exist without some modicum of centralized control.

Could it be better?

Hell yes!

It's a young experiment, and I'll grant you that so far, it generally goes south.

But it doesn't have to be that way...

 

[BrownArmy]

Get a job.

Where the hell is RB?

Here's a conspiracy theory for you - RB was a Russian plant.

For that matter, where's TOS?

Clinton plant?

Lulz.

 

[wkmac]

Huh.

The 'winking face' didn't make it past my phone.

Maybe I watched too much 'Star Trek' as a kid, so maybe I have an idealized version of what a 'State' could look like.

Clearly our 'State's of the last several centuries don't measure up to the fictionalized (and rarely seen) 'State' in the OG Star Trek, but it seems to me there's a case to be made for the 'State'.

We are conversing about the evils of the 'State' upon infrastructure that likely wouldn't exist without some modicum of centralized control.

Could it be better?

Hell yes!

It's a young experiment, and I'll grant you that so far, it generally goes south.

But it doesn't have to be that way...

Could it be better?

So far your ideal or the idea of a centralized State is the vast majority opinion and yet historically speaking you've yet to show it actually works and that mankind as a whole benefits.​

In fact, the more centralized, the more problematic it all becomes. Power Corrupts, Absolute Power...we all know the rest.

People are driven by fear, mostly the fear if I let the other guy just live his life, I can't live mine. Why is that ASSUMPTION true?

The secret is scale. The smaller the scale, the better.

People like me will shut up and go away when you demonstrate this State ideal can actually deliver as so many claim. When your idea has to use force to impose your idea, you might just have a bad idea.

 

[wkmac]

Here's a conspiracy theory for you - RB was a Russian plant.



Clinton plant?

Lulz.

New kinds of Cannabis?

 

[Catatonic]

this quote from chris hedges only sorta belongs here. ill take constructive negativity over positivity anyday. i really go for negativity with some black humor:

That's racist!

 

[BrownArmy]

Could it be better?

So far your ideal or the idea of a centralized State is the vast majority opinion and yet historically speaking you've yet to show it actually works and that mankind as a whole benefits.​

In fact, the more centralized, the more problematic it all becomes. Power Corrupts, Absolute Power...we all know the rest...

Sooo...

You never watched Star Trek?

 

[wkmac]

Sooo...

You never watched Star Trek?

Soooo...

Your argument is on the grounds of a fictional TV show?

Square the Prime Directive with the idea of forcing people today into a 1 size fits all system?

 

[BrownArmy]

Soooo...

Your argument is on the grounds of a fictional TV show?

Square the Prime Directive with the idea of forcing people today into a 1 size fits all system?

Neither you or I are happy about the state of our 'State', or about 'States' in general.

Yet, both of us have profited greatly by being participants in our current 'State'.

Explain to me how you could possibly order the Toyota under any other circumstances?

Star Trek is fiction, but like other fictions, it points us to worlds that don't exist, but might.

 

[wkmac]

Just an aside and since Star Trek was brought up, one of the best episodes was the Star Trek TNG episode entitled Drumhead and the other also a TNG episode entitled I, Borg.

And any episode with Worf's brother Kurn was good. He was bad arse!

 

[wkmac]

Neither you or I are happy about the state of our 'State', or about 'States' in general.

Yet, both of us have profited greatly by being participants in our current 'State'.

Explain to me how you could possibly order the Toyota under any other circumstances?

Star Trek is fiction, but like other fictions, it points us to worlds that don't exist, but might.

Are you arguing that my good fortune is solely the result of State action?

Or could my good fortune have something to do with human action, human interaction and mutual benefit?

BTW: Picked up the Tundra Saturday and yes, enjoying it very much. Lots of plans. LOTS OF PLANS!

Wife and I headed Off Road Sunday afternoon and this was one view we enjoyed.

 

[rickyb]

Once you come to understand Statism itself as enemy, how others choose to live their lives becomes unimportant. Centralization of power under any form crushes the human experience. The only purpose of The State is something to undermine, tunnel under or go around and then cheer its implosion upon itself.

yea im not sure of the opinions of enough of the guys that i respect to know whether we should get rid of the state or not.

 

[rickyb]

Are you arguing that my good fortune is solely the result of State action?

Or could my good fortune have something to do with human action, human interaction and mutual benefit?

BTW: Picked up the Tundra Saturday and yes, enjoying it very much. Lots of plans. LOTS OF PLANS!

Wife and I headed Off Road Sunday afternoon and this was one view we enjoyed.

i like how spaced out your houses are.

tundras are fast, i think they accelerate as fast as a bmw 3 series.

i used to have a tacoma. at the time i think it was the fastest in its segment. but then i came to my senses and realized i dont need a truck. it was probably the only toyota that actually looked good as well.

i pretty much dislike all the car companies except for tesla, but i think honda has the best engineering like for example their new civic has more storage space on the inside than some SUVs.

and i think theres a conspiracy why all cars cant have seats that fold flat in the ground like the stow and go minivans.

 

[DriveInDriveOut]

i like how spaced out your houses are.

tundras are fast, i think they accelerate as fast as a bmw 3 series.

i used to have a tacoma. at the time i think it was the fastest in its segment. but then i came to my senses and realized i dont need a truck. it was probably the only toyota that actually looked good as well.

i pretty much dislike all the car companies except for tesla, but i think honda has the best engineering like for example their new civic has more storage space on the inside than some SUVs.

and i think theres a conspiracy why all cars cant have seats that fold flat in the ground like the stow and go minivans.

https://psychcentral.com/quizzes/ADDquiz.htm