Capitalism 1 - Salem-News.Com

Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of cells--growth for the sake of growth, to the point of killing its host.

(CALGARY, Alberta) - "Capitalism is the best system ever devised," said George W. Bush when speaking to the right-wing Manhattan Institute.

Despite its faults, failings and inequities, almost everyone basically agrees uncritically with that sentiment.

What I’m going to do is briefly outline how our capitalist system came to be and show how capitalism is, in actuality, an anti-human system that in the next few decades—it’s that bad—may destroy the earth as we know it and, in doing so, make the planet unlivable for many species, including any humans who may survive.

Capitalism has one primary imperative: growth for growth’s sake. We are bombarded by the news every day. The Dow Jones is up or down. The GDP must grow a certain percentage—too low and the economy goes into recession or depression, too high and inflation becomes a destroyer of wealth. Corporate success is measured by quarterly numbers—are compared to the previous quarter and the quarter of a year before. It’s all about growth.

We don’t think of it quite the same but there is one other system we know that works the same way. Cancer. Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of cells—growth just for growth’s sake to the point of killing its host.

Joseph Heller, author of Catch-22 was at a function hosted by a hedge-fund billionaire with his friend science fiction writer Kurt Vonnegut. Vonnegut told him that the billionaire earned more in a day than Heller had earned in his entire career from his book. Heller responded, saying that he had something the billionaire would never have. Enough.

And that’s the story of capitalism. The entire earth can be consumed and it still won’t be enough.

No one seemed able to articulate it, but that, in a nutshell is what the Occupy Wall Street movement is about. Trying to save mankind from himself.

He has always been concerned about fairness in the world and the plight of the underprivileged/underdog.

As a professional writer he sold his first paid article in 1974 and, while employed at other jobs, started selling a few pieces in assorted places.

Over the next 15 years, Daniel eked out a living as a writer doing, among other things, national writing and both radio and TV broadcasting for the CBC, Maclean’s (the national newsmagazine) and a wide variety of smaller publications. Interweaved throughout this period was soul-killing corporate and public relations writing.

It was through the 1960s and 1970s that he got his university experience. In his first year at the University of Calgary, he majored in psychology/mathematics; in his second year he switched to physics/mathematics. He then learned of an independent study program at the University of Lethbridge where he attended the next two years, studying philosophy and economics. In the end he attended university over nine years (four full time) but never qualified for a degree because he didn't have the right number of courses in any particular field.

In 1990 he published his first (and so far, only) book: Practical History: A guide to Will and Ariel Durant’s “The Story of Civilization” (Polymath Press, Calgary)

Newly appointed as the Deputy Executive Editor in August 2011, he has been writing exclusively for Salem-News.com since March 2009 and, as of summer 2012, has published more than 210 stories.

Salem-News.com Top Stories

2025: Hope for the Best, Prepare for the Worst

Two Wars with No Way Out

No One Owns the Future

The Ugly Origins of Trump's America First Policy

A One-State Solution Could Transform the World

Comments Leave a comment on this story.

All comments and messages are approved by people and self promotional links or unacceptable comments are denied.

Anonymous September 16, 2012 10:33 am (Pacific time)

So as stupid people, why waste your time giving us all your magnificent insight? Does the doctor have a cure for the diagnosis? Does your cure have anything

to do with "income redistribution?" For healthy capitalism, that is to adapt positively for the masses [my opinion], are you familiar with our corporate tax laws? Both

federal and the 50 different state corporate tax laws? Some of our states do much better budget-wise than others, and those with lower taxes do the best.

Let's say I'm selling a product to Germany, and my direct competition for my "Widget" product is France. My American corporate tax rate is 35%, and France

has a much lower tax rate, so what does Germany do? Pay more for our similar widget? Please note the corporate tax rate in Canada is, I believe, 15%.

American CEO's have a fiduciary responsibility to their stockholders (please note corporations are made up of people, and that our nations various pension

programs [includes directly over approx. 100 million workers/retirees, not counting family members] are made up of millions of people who depend on CEO's to maximize

profits so they can get that pension check each month). There is a natural movement for corporations, and any size profit making organization, to reduce

their exposure to high taxes/fees. Many incorporate in other countries. It is legal. Ted Kennedy kept over $500 million of his family assets in a bank in Guam.

Then when they changed the laws to tax those kinds of funds, he was "grandfathered " in so he did not have that new tax liability. There is a reason why we

have the term "Limousine Liberals." Check out the assets of the really rich in our congress. So is our 35% corporate tax rate fair when we compete with others

who can undercut us because their rates are lower? Is Canada's 15%? How about state subsidized corporations like those found in China? China have union and

pension problems? When Japan took off economically in their auto/electronics industries their government gave them very generous tax-waiver support. Our

country's businesses have had to deal with some serious overhead costs coming from the unions and the democrats in government(all levels) who create tax/fee policies that do

not consider long term consequences. "Just get the money now!" "Spend it, does not matter on what, just spend!". Please also note that the majority of our

jobs come from businesses that have fewer than 50 employees, and they make up 2/3's of our economy. Nearly 50% of our workers pay no federal income taxes,

zip. So the term "Fair Share" is pretty much a bumper slogan for political propaganda. If we grabbed all cash and other assets (100%!) from those who make

over $250,000 per year, we could run the government for maybe two/three weeks. OWS know that? Then what? No one would have jobs outside of government, and who pays the

taxes to pay them? Capitalism has some flaws, but it is the desire to improve one's life that will always assure it's existence. It is those who cannot

compete who want a system that provides for their needs, like a cancer they are...and pretty stupid, and oblivious to their stupidity.

As a troll, you can count yourself among their number.

Anonymous September 16, 2012 9:11 am (Pacific time)

The same thing is happening in canada, via the central bankers who own canada's politicians.
1. Canada housing bubble about to explode: http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/09/11/canadas-housing-bubble-set-to-burst/
2. Canada selling its soul to America/london/queen/central bankers: http://rense.com/general95/canada-selling-soul.html
3: Canada supporting israel and cutting ties with Iran: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjdmrJIzp9s
Canada is, and has been owned by central bankers, and in the next 6 months, it will become painfully obvious.

You might find this of interest: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/09/15/opinion/sunday/20110916_letters.html?

Anonymous September 16, 2012 9:02 am (Pacific time)

What the author is missing here is the research involving "crony capitolism" a term that those "in the know" discuss frequently. Author should do the research. The fact is, it simply doesn't matter anymore. The federal reserve bank is what caused/causing the demise of this country. With most all candidtates/politicians being bought and paid for by the central bankers, they are too powerful to stop, especially with the education (indoctrination) system, mainstream media, video games, flouride etc. dumbing people down. I myself, and many others, Ron Paul, Alex Jones, Gerald Celente, Jim Rogers and many others have been ringing the bell for over a decade. Nobody listened, and now we are months away from an economic crash that will make the great depression look like a cake walk. I suggest people prepare. Listen, the government itself says 1 out of 6 on food stamps. Salem has a population of about 160,000. That means, if there were no EBT debit cards, you would see 27,000 people, in downtown Salem, waiting in bread lines every day. Being that Salem is highly populated by government workers, we either have tax payed government workers/contractors and those who service the government workers, or people on welfare. How long can this last? It is the "keynes" mentality of spend spend spend that is going to bring this country to its knees. Another thought: If the federal reserve bank can continue endlessly printing money out of thin air, why do they need our taxes? There is NO monetary system that can work when allowed to break rules. It started in 1913, but Nixon began the rule breaking in 1971, Clinton broke the rules in 1999, and bush and obama took advantage and spent us into oblivion gaining military to take over the middle east and afrrica, and building a massive police state in the U.S. for when the economic crash comes. THey have also allowed the central bankers ie: goldman sachs, JP Morgan, to create havoc and breaking most every economic law there is. If elected, Romney will do the same thing..they are all owned/controlled by the central bankers. Its not a question of what monetary system per se, but a question of integrity by those who run it. And the integrity we have by those who run it, is zero.

Anonymous September 16, 2012 6:51 am (Pacific time)

The OWS is many different things, but one thing it is not, and that is any type of benevolent [organized] movement. Essentially you have a mass of disorganized narcissistic personalities pursuing their own offbeat goals with anarchy as the over riding element. Have you ever been to one of these gatherings? You familiar with the phrase? Two many chiefs, not enough Indians?" or "Too many cooks spoil the soup?" I have been to several, and they are all different and all the same, that is, a big waste of time. Each time they gather they anger the folks, and will never have any relevant impact because they are made up of fringe thinkers that are nothing more than unemployed drifters. Capitalism has it's faults, but what is a better replacement? Where does the wealth come to pay for the lazy socialists' lifestyle that far left individuals say they have a right to?

Allowing for your conclusion for the moment, from where comes the right of the plutocrats , who have bought and now control your democracy? In 1864, Abraham Lincoln wrote:

"I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country...Corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working on the prejudices of the people, until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed. "

You're essentially there now and the OWS people, for all their lack of sophistication, are the only ones so far who seem to have noticed. America, as a result, has become (to borrow from Mr. Lincoln, again) a society of the stupid, by the stupid and for the stupid.

Anonymous September 16, 2012 12:44 am (Pacific time)

You are so far from reality with this absurd posting it amazes me. Talk to Ersun, he could set you straight, I think...

You might find this of interest: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/09/15/opinion/sunday/20110916_letters.html?

[Return to Top]