Comments on: Disaster Capitalism: Coming Soon to a Bridge Near You!

By: northcoaster

northcoaster — Wed, 14 May 2008 00:28:00 +0000

DISASTER CAPITALISM by NAOMI KLEIN Most amazing book – most amazingly brillaint woman author – READ IT and weep ! Then dry your eyes and pitch in to change the course of history with your new found knowledge.

By: perris

perris — Wed, 14 May 2008 00:23:44 +0000

thus what we refer to as “the commons”

it would be impossible for any private interest to put together the infrastructure that’s required to provide most “commons”

does anyone really think verizon or sprint or ateeandtee could possibly afford the real estate that they have been using the establish their business?

or even the rent?

and those “commons” are used by every business, it’s how they get their water, their electricity and it includes the roads everyone uses to get to their establishment

these costs must be born by those who realize profit, that born income is not tax though that’s what it’s called, the revenue realized from businesses must be called something besides a tax

I prefer usage fees

in that scenario it will be very hard for a business concern to complain their taxes are too high, they would have to rather argue that they shouldn’t have to pay the bills they have themselves written against their profit margin

By: MiMiCcS

MiMiCcS — Wed, 14 May 2008 00:09:35 +0000

National Suicide by design.

Our infrastructure problems can be solved by issuing our own money debt free, instead of borrowing it from the Fed or China. As Thomas Edison said, any nation that can issue 30 billion in bonds, can issue 30 billion in cash.

Read the Web of Debt by Ellen Brown, or google it to find her web site.

By: BooRadley

BooRadley — Wed, 14 May 2008 00:00:51 +0000

Thanks Jane. I think liberals have to find some accountants who can illustrate the value for all taxpayers of a dollar invested in infrastructure over a dollar invested in residential home building. The entire residential home building industry, including suppliers, is teaming with Reagan Democrats. If Democrats can show them that Democrats will help them transition into infrastructure construction, it’s a huge plus for Democrats. At the low end of the skill set, dry-wallers, painters, there will still be problems. Carpenters, electricians, earth moving, concrete, surveyors, general contractors, engineers, … will all imho make the transition pretty seamlessly.

By: dmac

dmac — Tue, 13 May 2008 21:06:57 +0000

ctuttle at 60

you know the person who would wear that shirt is with his wife who is wearing the ’i’m with stupid’ with an arrow shirt…..

By: rwcole

rwcole — Tue, 13 May 2008 21:02:10 +0000

I think that Krugman attacked the “speculator” hypothesis the other day as the cause of high oil prices….he says that the earmarks of a speculator fueled market are not there. He (and I) believes that the price run up is a longer term issue caused by increasing demand meeting supply that cannot be increased much- at least in the short run- and perhaps in the long…

The big discoveried of new oil just aren’t happening- and it appears that many OPEC nations have beeen lying about their reserves for years.

By: BargainCountertenor

BargainCountertenor — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:58:21 +0000

Deleveraging the commodities markets would be an excellent idea. Get the speculators out, or at least force them to put all their money on the line when they place a bet.

And that’s what it is, folks. Speculators are placing bets, it’s not much different from a high stakes poker table, except that you won’t be allowed to bet on margin at the poker table.

By: oldtree

oldtree — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:56:03 +0000

Everyone do a count for yourself of the transportation routes you use. Count the bridges you cross daily to any destination you count on reaching for the things you need. Know where the water is available if you have an issue where it isn’t coming from the tap or the well because you have no power. Some of these things may fail in a minor quake that the region has not seen, so be prepared to wait out the reply from the government. And you know how long you are likely to wait, hmm?

By: BargainCountertenor

BargainCountertenor — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:55:50 +0000

RW,

Given the capital costs involved in their creation and maintenance, water utilities are natural monopolies. If population density and environmental conditions force communal sewage treatment facilities, those are also natural monopolies. They have to be regulated.

In our area, there are three or four (I forget right now) suppliers of fresh water. They fight over the right to supply new development, and it ain’t pretty.

By: Sixty Something

Sixty Something — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:41:39 +0000

That should be deregulation of I believe the phone companies.