Subject:
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Re: Break Out the Cristal (trickle-down economics explained with champagne!)
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Wed, 26 Mar 2003 20:24:04 GMT
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Viewed:
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353 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, David Koudys writes:
> Will, or could, the "American Empire" fall, much akin to the former Soviet
> Union? Perhaps these large empires are doomed from the beginning because of
> the 'over-reach' these empires seem to get into--as the article points out.
Absolutely. It's called overextending yourself. Spread yourself thinly
enough, gamble enough, and you may find yourself in the position of the
snail getting salt dumped on him. You dissolve.
And Empire means spreading yourself thin hoping you don't face much
resistance in view of all that you are risking. I think history teaches
this plainly in the rising and falling of diffferent civilizations. You
don't have to dig for it. I mean, where is the Pax Romanus today? Right.
Nowhere.
> Will at some point in the near future the point be made that "The American
> Way" may have outlived Soviet Communism, but only by a few decades?
I am not sure it's quite as idealogical as all of that -- we do not
represent a pure capitalism just as Soviet Russia was hardly a pure
communism. In the main we are unfortunately controlled by greedy rulers
with their own agendas. Always follow the money. Look to the banking and
world trade organizations. And be careful, they are not your friends.
> Are these 'cracks' in the structure of America deep faults that cannot be
> patched?
Actually, yes -- I think so. I do actually think we are doomed.
> Is capitalism the 'American god' of today--and all things are subservient to
> that god, and/or is capitalism doomed to fail because in the 'capitalist'
> world, there are winners and there are losers, and no one wants to be a
> loser.
This is what may seem weird. I believe in the win-win scenario because in
its simplest form barter means something for something. Once you get into
things like something for something plus interest, somebody is being robbed
even if that somebody has agreed to it via contract. Inequalities result
and the players on the board start to shift positions.
A related problem that reared its ugly head in another thread is the obvious
fact that there is no such thing as a level playing field from which to
begin the game -- instead we begin from a point of disparity between many of
the players. Some have different level of wealth, some are bound to "social
contracts" with which they may not be in agreement, Etc.
Beware the Robin Hoods of culture that think they can redistribute wealth
and thereby encourage equality -- sounds like our respective governments,
right? Don't be so sure they aren't siphoning off a lot of money into their
own and their buddies' pockets. Actually, you can be quite sure that that
is exactly what is happening -- hence social ponzi schemes like Social Security.
But where does it all go?
-- Hop-Frog
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