Michael Moore and Capitalist Immorality

There's both the human drive to create and the human drive to acquire in this economic system. But the potential of capitalism to acquire is temptation. That's why the trick of combining capitalism with democracy is to have systems where the democratic process provides a check on the worst excesses of greed.
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Excellent analysis, but the conclusion is faulty. The statement should read, "That's why the trick of combining capitalism with Christian faith and obedience to God" .... or to define it as an important system to "check on the worst excesses of greed."

That is why George Washington, among others, tells us that democracy requires a religious and moral people, and that without these, the freedom of democracy will not stand. I have no love for the insurance companies or corporate CEO's that amass fortunes for them as individuals while employees and the companies themselves take nose-dives. This indeed is true immorality. But is the collective greed of a democratic populace in what is being manifested as 'class warfare' any better than the personal greed of the few (CEO's, politicians) with sufficient power to manipulate the economic systems?

The secular humanist philosophies of our day (primarily existentialism) mandate that lacking the existence of God, and unshackled from antiquated Biblical morality, each man and woman has the power and the right to choose for themselves the meaning for their own existence. They can make their own pursuit of happiness, what ever it may be. Thus values clarification became a principle teaching tool for students deciding for themselves - What is moral? What is ethical? What is my pleasure? (See Neitsche's Man & Superman taking it to its logical conclusion)

Thus, is it surprising that street thugs have a staunch morality to addict and sell drugs to others and kill rival gang members for the greed of individuals and the protection of the gang's power on their turf; or is it surprising that those with economic power are willing to sacrifice the pension funds of others in order to guarantee their own financial security in the future?

Why shouldn't they? If there is no higher power than they themselves to decide what is right and wrong, and they have the power to obtain what they want, then why shouldn't they?

Only God knows.

It's a slow death and a tragic scene. There's not a lot you can do.

Some stand around, some cry, some call for help, some actually say, "don't do anything". Some scream and actually try and do something(moore).
They are bleeding out!

I will tell you this, a sheriff and his deputies will more often jump in, right next to you and try and help, then step back.

It's a test. I failed.
Failure to obey a lawful order.

"What is now broken in our American capitalist system is that the drive for acquisition is completely unregulated;"

In what world does Susan Thistlewaite live if she thinks this is true?

As far as health care goes, I find the concept of loading more financial demand on the younger, healthier and poorer to pay for the older, sicker and wealthier older population a dicey moral prospect.

The poor among them were consigned to misery by some of the first upper-class Christians in the "New World." The post prominent of the consigners was probably John Winthrop, Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Continued: The devil's "MARGIN" should have it's own CALL or PUT in it's place. (Borrowing 10-100% against ones own Portfolio's Current stock value or a corporates 'Market Capitilization') , a BULL's Friend & a BEAR's Enemy; Should Be Abolished! Or discouraged!

Note: Selling/Betting SHORT or LONG should be abolished or strictly curtailed!!

"LENDING PERTRO DOLLARS" (Lending Local CONSUMERS Deposits of non-local Foreigners money here, i.e., OPEC's or Saudia Arabian's (who say, get 2% (contrary to Sharia laws) for such deposits from CHASE BANK et al and inturn charginging you/consumers 5.5% where the bank makes 3.5% for Stock Holders? but not Depositers!?) this practice Should Also be Abolished; unless All Depositers Automaticly get issued Shares of their own bank just for Depositing~! For HOLDing our Money under the Pretext of Very very Low Intewrest Rates?

RE-PACKAGED SUBPRIME MORTGAGES or Any American based Home or Commercial Mortgage's should Never Be Sold, to say the S.outh KOREANS; whom sneakilly ended up with most of the Runnaway Mortgage Money from Investment Houses which Forced Uncle/Aunt SAM to gurantee. The KOREANS caused alot of this Mortgage Bubble Burstings.

"FLIPPING" aka Reckless Speculation & potential INFLATION creation, of Any Realestate Property, Especially Private Homes; should Be ABOLISHED! And

The "SECURITIES EXCHANGE COMMISH & the FEDERAL RESERVE & the U.S. TREASURY" should be ONE-1 INSTITUTION, and All Mortgage Agency's (Freddie Mac, Fanny May, includes Country-Wide's) need to be ONE-1 Institution: And

ALL of These Institutions (No Exceptions) Must Each Have a Deligate representing CONGRESS interest directly & Report Weekly or Semi Weekly to "The PEOPLE" and inform Us , via Print & or Electronic bulletin board, about What is Happening in the financial Markets-Place (locally & Globally) and or what they (Captains Of) want to do, thus being OPEN, not Sneaky/stealthy! And WE can VOTE on PERMISSIONS!?

This is called "GRiDARIAN-DEMOCRACY" (not Socialism) which if the World hath listened to i [WE] Us 25 years ago; The U.S.A. would have never had this Finacial Tsunami or todays "Great-Global-Recession" dilemma that set America back 10 Years!?

Ooooppss.

TODAY GOLD (+/- $1,000 Ounce) is KING; and CASH (Dollars under Matress or banks) is QUEEN!

-- On: How to bring back the Roaring 2nd Millenia again: How?

HOW? by "DISARMING NUKES" [Worth more than GOLD or OIL's Potential] and those Nations who process/Produce "ENRICHED YELLOW CAKE", aka The HAVE(s) nations, should channel/SELL their URANiUM , for Peacefull purposes via U.N. to supply the "HAVE-NOT" nations to Powering their Nuclear Plants! BUT

but the catch-22 is, that ALL Enriching able Nations must Allow themselves Voluntarily but HONESTLY (no GREED allowed) to be Pooled into a "U.N. URANiUM-BANK" [IUB], for ALL THE PEOPLE on S.S. Earth, aka "Automatic Citizenz/Denizens of, and NO MOORE unjustly & exclusively for the selfish Petro-addicted individual nations.

URANIUM is not only an International Commodity, but of the stuff of OUR (not their) Holyi Cosmic Univerese!

i.e.; Suppose this EKLAH-ti-On I.U.B. has 1-Trillion [metric tonnes] of enriched Yellow-Cake Uranium DEPOSIT; that it will automatically entitle the Producers thereof CREDITS (that can be 'BARTTERED" or Exchanged for something else tangible or not) but Based on the REDUCED CONSUMPTION of PETRO/CARBON in the Future.

This will be a Guaranteed "CASH COW" for DEveloped Nations "FUTURE-BOUND-MEME"s & the Underlieing dependant nations kids too. This "Enriched-Uranium-POTENTIAL" scenerio is Better than Borrowing 5 or 10 or 20 or even 100 Years based on Illusionary, Speculative Annual, targeted, GNP or DNP of Any Nation!

Think from X|- (LAW Of average) a net GLOBAL-SAVINGS of say todays $75.00 a Barrel that because of long term Future savings of Enriched Uranium USE/Consuption that It can be brought down to an "imaginary" but inevitable $5.00 Per Barrel!

The Banks can LEND their Nationals Money, not based/Dependant on PETRO DOLLARS Deposits like they do here with, say, SAUDI Money; but on Enriched Uranium DOLLARS.

Imagine being abe to safely borrow 30 Years ahead, not like payng a 30 yr. Mortgage where at the End, you foolishly paid 2.5 times the money borrowed, from local-Bank?, back then (30 years ago) say 1979!

S.B.T.; MAM:

Like Seperating STATE from: CHURCH's: CAPITALsm is a "SECULAR' idea.

It means 'Seperation' From: Uncle/Aunt SAM's Business (collect Tax's & Regulate Economy) and America's main-street's "Mom & Pop's Stores/Business (paying tax's & Following Rule of Laws; state, Fed & Local, Ethics etc..).

The key word is E-C-O-nomics. Where Economics is Everything & Truly (opposite MYTH) means "TO MAKe a CHOICE/CHOOSE" therein or from based on a PROPENSITY to spend? vs. Save? or Invest?. So

The Question is, "Where were You Uncle SAM? [The People, not gods whom are elected/Chosen to Run it or them at the time of Finacial Tsunami, less Warnings?].

Example: The 1-first Financial-Tsunami-Domino, so to speaketh, to fall/Collapse, like a corpse, on the Markets, was Europes little IRELAND, a friend of the "Richman of Germany" & CO., Where Ireland's Privateers Borrowed their Current "Life-Styles" , with little GOVERNMENT oversite, by borowing 1,000 times, yes, 1,000 time (or YEARS ahead) via their Current or Targetted paper-Tiger of an Economy on their "Annual GNP/DNP"!???

Fact: Before this "GREAT RECESSION" happened; that The Entire 14-Trillion Dollar Stock Exchange(s) , in America, was established unjustly on only $ 1-Trillion Dollars.

The Wonders of Compound Interest Rates, Velocity of Money, Multiplyer Effects, Market Effeciency & afew other Key words explains the inherit GREED that's built-in to a Runaway Economy(s)!

The POWER OF ADVERTISING also has a Culprit like Role here. And Yes, the MEDIA Company's that helped Public & Private Mortgage Firms & Banks promote their Stocks via Ad's to the JOE & Jane Public & not to mention Night Shows openly showing how to 'SPECULATE' by 'FLIPPING real estate for a "FAST Buck!???

Boom or Bust, the "Stock-Market/Boarse" is still an ILLUSION.

i.e., When a Company has a I.P.O. or Initial Public Offerings, they get or got their EQUITY, not You Joe Public. All Joe & Jain Public After the IPO is really doing is PLAYING a GAMBLING or SPECULATING, based on "HOPE" & FEARS"!

I [WE] Know as an Experience/Professional SPECULATER Investor, that when it comes to Playing the Game (in an Illusionary World like in Stocks Trading) that one needs to have "NO-Hopes & NO-Fears"; but must play the Game COLD, in order to WINN! Greed FREE! Else Ye will Loos.

Opppss. The Wonders/powers of "MARGIN" is the DEVIL that killed them Speculators all over the worlds xchanges/houses!

That, in a nut-shell, is the immorality. The caretakers consigning the helpless poor to misery and an uncertain future for the sake of filthy lucre.

"The health care industry doesn't want democratic capitalism, they want to continue their excessive profits with no regulation and no competition. So they did what they could. They spent enough money to buy the votes they needed in Congress."

Thanks for the post. It should help to make clear the distinction between the irrational "socialsm" label and the morally responsible democratic capitalism that the health care reform really is.

Shame on them and all who oppose the public option on those grounds. Shame.