Comments on: Shock Wears Off In Malawi http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/04/shock-wears-off-in-malawi/ Firedoglake weblog Sun, 22 Nov 2009 06:19:19 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: ekunin http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/04/shock-wears-off-in-malawi/#comment-1132858 ekunin Tue, 04 Dec 2007 21:13:15 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/04/shock-wears-off-in-malawi/#comment-1132858 <p>Jobs and profits are the same thing with the same need to maintain the status quo. Jobs, of course, don’t pay as well as profits but the principle is the same. Someone said markets exist to distribute scarce property or capital. There need be no scarcity except for the fact we are seriously deranged. If we didn’t throw away property and capital in places like Iraq, all of us could live nicely indeed. However the military industrial complex, like the petroleum complex and other complexes, exists to provide profits and jobs. Hegel said a classless society would exist indefinitely, there being no class conflict to bring it down. I suspect most of you do not believe a classless society is a human possibility. You might ask yourself why?</p> Jobs and profits are the same thing with the same need to maintain the status quo. Jobs, of course, don’t pay as well as profits but the principle is the same. Someone said markets exist to distribute scarce property or capital. There need be no scarcity except for the fact we are seriously deranged. If we didn’t throw away property and capital in places like Iraq, all of us could live nicely indeed. However the military industrial complex, like the petroleum complex and other complexes, exists to provide profits and jobs. Hegel said a classless society would exist indefinitely, there being no class conflict to bring it down. I suspect most of you do not believe a classless society is a human possibility. You might ask yourself why?

]]> By: SunnyNobility http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/04/shock-wears-off-in-malawi/#comment-1132384 SunnyNobility Tue, 04 Dec 2007 16:13:37 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/04/shock-wears-off-in-malawi/#comment-1132384 <p>I miss preview too.</p> <p>Correction at 139. Of course I meant unsanitized.</p> I miss preview too.

Correction at 139. Of course I meant unsanitized.

]]> By: SunnyNobility http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/04/shock-wears-off-in-malawi/#comment-1132374 SunnyNobility Tue, 04 Dec 2007 16:10:21 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/04/shock-wears-off-in-malawi/#comment-1132374 <blockquote><p>You’re welcome. At least here there are a couple of people who are interested, which is a couple more than I found on Wall St. /bitter</p> </blockquote> <p>More than a couple, but surely you at least suspect that. You sent me to the dictionary on atomistic. Cool word. Antonym: holistic. </p> <p>I had lots of fun in B-school, but never mastered economics in a usable way. However, I did study economic history, which was a shocker. First time I ran into the sanitized, non-patriotic version of many events. Came out of it convinced it should be part of mandatory high school curriculum. Still believe we’d have better informed citizens if it were.</p>

You’re welcome. At least here there are a couple of people who are interested, which is a couple more than I found on Wall St. /bitter

More than a couple, but surely you at least suspect that. You sent me to the dictionary on atomistic. Cool word. Antonym: holistic.

I had lots of fun in B-school, but never mastered economics in a usable way. However, I did study economic history, which was a shocker. First time I ran into the sanitized, non-patriotic version of many events. Came out of it convinced it should be part of mandatory high school curriculum. Still believe we’d have better informed citizens if it were.

]]> By: IrishJIm http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/04/shock-wears-off-in-malawi/#comment-1132305 IrishJIm Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:35:12 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/04/shock-wears-off-in-malawi/#comment-1132305 <p>Most all of the Polls have a statistical margin of error of +/-4.5%. So any given day, you could see a swing of 4 to 5% for any of the candidates. Which is why I dislike this MSM coverage of the horserace. In Iowa, the three front runners have been in a statistical tie for several months now.</p> Most all of the Polls have a statistical margin of error of +/-4.5%. So any given day, you could see a swing of 4 to 5% for any of the candidates. Which is why I dislike this MSM coverage of the horserace. In Iowa, the three front runners have been in a statistical tie for several months now.

]]> By: SanderO http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/04/shock-wears-off-in-malawi/#comment-1132272 SanderO Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:16:25 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/04/shock-wears-off-in-malawi/#comment-1132272 <p>Isn’t there enough proof that capitalism does not work and when you introduce some control measures you need to decide who is to be the beneficiary of those measures?</p> <p>Capitalism is inherently flawed because it moves wealth creation to the property own classes by extracting the value added of labor.</p> <p>If labor is strong and demands the value added to be distributed to the workers (who created it) then the incentive for capital is lost. Capital plays for bigger stakes and wants these absurd ROIs which means crippling the system, crushing labor and so forth. If capitalism is not profitable, capitalists will resort to straight out thievery. How can you have wealth with out class and with out the poor to work for YOUR wealth?</p> <p>When you have Hedge funds taxed as capital gains you can see the gloves are off for the wealthy. It’s all about getting as much as you can from the system and a better world is simply not part of the equation. Any social purpose for the corporation is subordinate to profits. Don’t let them tell you other wise. Fly the friendly skies eh?</p> Isn’t there enough proof that capitalism does not work and when you introduce some control measures you need to decide who is to be the beneficiary of those measures?

Capitalism is inherently flawed because it moves wealth creation to the property own classes by extracting the value added of labor.

If labor is strong and demands the value added to be distributed to the workers (who created it) then the incentive for capital is lost. Capital plays for bigger stakes and wants these absurd ROIs which means crippling the system, crushing labor and so forth. If capitalism is not profitable, capitalists will resort to straight out thievery. How can you have wealth with out class and with out the poor to work for YOUR wealth?

When you have Hedge funds taxed as capital gains you can see the gloves are off for the wealthy. It’s all about getting as much as you can from the system and a better world is simply not part of the equation. Any social purpose for the corporation is subordinate to profits. Don’t let them tell you other wise. Fly the friendly skies eh?

]]> By: coral http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/04/shock-wears-off-in-malawi/#comment-1132265 coral Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:13:14 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/04/shock-wears-off-in-malawi/#comment-1132265 <p><a href="http://www.bamako-themovie.com/home.html">Bamako</a> is a fascinating African film about putting the World Bank and IMF on trial in a courtyard in the capital of Mali. It’s out in DVD. I highly recommend.</p> Bamako is a fascinating African film about putting the World Bank and IMF on trial in a courtyard in the capital of Mali. It’s out in DVD. I highly recommend.

]]> By: Jim Clausen http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/04/shock-wears-off-in-malawi/#comment-1132254 Jim Clausen Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:06:31 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/04/shock-wears-off-in-malawi/#comment-1132254 <p>This will be my second caucus. Thanks for the information. 2nd choice is certainly critical. Should be an interesting night.</p> This will be my second caucus. Thanks for the information. 2nd choice is certainly critical. Should be an interesting night.

]]> By: twolf1 http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/04/shock-wears-off-in-malawi/#comment-1132250 twolf1 Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:05:19 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/04/shock-wears-off-in-malawi/#comment-1132250 <p>chimp - “if congress passes an irresponsible spending bill, i will veto it”</p> <p>–then says some crap about passing a bill before santa comes down the chimney. I guess cheney hasn’t told him that there is no santa.</p> chimp – “if congress passes an irresponsible spending bill, i will veto it”

–then says some crap about passing a bill before santa comes down the chimney. I guess cheney hasn’t told him that there is no santa.

]]> By: Peterr http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/04/shock-wears-off-in-malawi/#comment-1132247 Peterr Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:03:06 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/04/shock-wears-off-in-malawi/#comment-1132247 <blockquote><p>That’s really odd. It varies quite a bit from the poll just a few days before that suggested Obama (28%) just ahead of Clinton (27%) and Edwards way below both. How odd. Quite a swing from the prior poll…must be some odd methodological issues with these polls.</p> </blockquote> <p>The odd methodological issue is trying to decide who is a “likely voter” or in this case, a “likely caucuser.” In an ordinary election poll, figuring out who is a likely voter is hard enough, but caucuses require more personal investment and are affected by lots of other factors. You have to show up at a specific time, stay for a certain amount of time, etc.</p> <p>It’s not that these polls aren’t important or accurate, but each carries its own limitations — as any responsible pollster will tell you.</p>

That’s really odd. It varies quite a bit from the poll just a few days before that suggested Obama (28%) just ahead of Clinton (27%) and Edwards way below both. How odd. Quite a swing from the prior poll…must be some odd methodological issues with these polls.

The odd methodological issue is trying to decide who is a “likely voter” or in this case, a “likely caucuser.” In an ordinary election poll, figuring out who is a likely voter is hard enough, but caucuses require more personal investment and are affected by lots of other factors. You have to show up at a specific time, stay for a certain amount of time, etc.

It’s not that these polls aren’t important or accurate, but each carries its own limitations — as any responsible pollster will tell you.

]]> By: TheraP http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/04/shock-wears-off-in-malawi/#comment-1132246 TheraP Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:03:05 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/04/shock-wears-off-in-malawi/#comment-1132246 <p><strong>Off Topic - But Huge!</strong></p> <blockquote><p>The 2004 operations manual for the detention facility at Guantanamo has been leaked and posted at Wikileaks. TPMmuckraker’s Spencer Ackerman is digging into it and needs your help. Take a look.</p> </blockquote> <p>Likely the links won’t work. But it’s worth a trip over to Josh’s at tpm. Top post on main page at the moment. It’s a document leak and everybody can help!</p> Off Topic – But Huge!

The 2004 operations manual for the detention facility at Guantanamo has been leaked and posted at Wikileaks. TPMmuckraker’s Spencer Ackerman is digging into it and needs your help. Take a look.

Likely the links won’t work. But it’s worth a trip over to Josh’s at tpm. Top post on main page at the moment. It’s a document leak and everybody can help!

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