I want the world to be better for everyone

I'm an economist. Now I hate economics. Don't get me wrong: it's why I am the way I am, and for that I'm thankful. Problem is this field is the study of limited resources. And this definition flies in the face of the one resource on our planet that has no limit - us. And that's only 1 unlimited resource! I want to harness these unlimited resources, because it will mean "standards of living" are also unlimited - to us! And that will mean the greed will go away. Nothing to do but blog.

Friday, June 24, 2005

Free Trade - a letter I sent to the local paper today

Header: Compelling! One reason to stop CAFTA.

Here's my "agenda" - don't repeat history, especially terrible history! We don't have to repeat history to remember it anyway. For over 100 years the United States of America has brought, through blood, sweat, and tears, civility to the marketplace. Over this span consumers in this great country, despite all our greed, have striven to keep businesses honest about what they produce, how they produce it, and what they consume in the process. We in this country, specifically unions, have tried our level best to assure that no longer do sweat shops operate with impunity, children work 84 hour work weeks in deadly textile mills, and people aren't figuratively and literally enslaved to the "market". We've gone out of our way to see that pallets of cash don't get flown to places like Iraq on cargo planes to be handed out to civilian contractors without receipt. Over this span of time this country has legislated rules such as the Sherman Antitrust Act and many other rules to govern the marketplace.

CAFTA would see clear for multinationals to bypass all of this, blood on hands, and wreak historical havoc elsewhere in the world where such rules don't exist - all over again! Just like NAFTA has. Just like WTO would. And we have only begun to reach civility in the United States of America, my great country! We have far to go.

Here's what I'll support (for those who don't like "whiners", but instead hypocritically, conservatively stick with bloody status quo): international rules and enforcement to prevent the horrible history I mentioned from repeating. I support the higher priority setup of a United Nations "rules and enforcement body" that will govern the international "market" exactly the same or better than the U.S. Constitution and enforcement guarantees in our country. This body would be membered, and supported by dues-paying multinationals operating under its umbrella. I see no compromise on this.

CAFTA, NAFTA, WTO and any other so-called "free trade" proposal are insidious in their serious undermining of the civility we've achieved so far at great price. They should be stopped in their tracks.

Thursday, June 16, 2005

What's freedom?

The Libertarians would argue even someone starving to death, dying of thirst, etc is an indication of true freedom. I'm not kidding! I posed the question to a Libertarian colleague one day of the mentally ill person in the street with noone to take care of him/her but charity, and they're all "booked up". I asked this colleague if it's OK to just let this person die there in the middle of the street instead of setting up a catchall government program to make sure this person is cared for. HE HAD NO ANSWER! How impossibly cruel and uncivilized!

It may be freedom to my colleague, this mentally ill person getting run over, starving to death, or dying of thirst. I bet if you asked this mentally ill person, he/she would disagree, especially if they didn't want to die.

So do I. This isn't freedom. This isn't civility. Civility is basic and is nonnegotiable to me.

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

Government of Conviction II

Karl Marx believed "labor's" takeover would be by war or dictation. I believe "labor's" takeover will be by dictation or conviction. And I define labor as all human beings. Already, by popular vote ( or dictation since, by definition, those who voted against are being commanded to follow those who voted for), the "state" is partly providing "according to need". And (a little humor here) based on my relative pay rate, I'd say, in my "state" job, I'm definitely giving according to my ability! I think we will progress from dictation even. One by one, and hopefully soon, every human being in the world will finally be convinced to make nonnegotiable the 5 basics for human existence: healthy food, clean air and water, the safest shelter, and the best health care.

I guess mine is a progression from Marx's apocolyptic view of humanity. I'm optimistic.

Monday, June 13, 2005

Government of Conviction

There seems to be a misunderstanding going on - especially by my work colleagues - but in general around Bryan/College Station. I try to compare my political/economic thinking to Marxist theory (it is so similar, to me). But I disagree with him on some really important points. For example, a "takeover" doesn't - ever - have to be violent, or even a takeover. In fact, it must be a resolve by everyone for such a thing to ever work. Anyway, automatically, I think, people assume I want a dictatorship for a government (see my June 2, 2005 post for my thinking that we've actually never known a Communist country, to this day - dictatorship, sure). They assume I want my views and proposals to be dictated to everyone. The government I propose is not one of dictation, but of conviction. My life purpose is to convince others - not command them - that we follow the "from each according to his ability, . . .", Marxist ideology. Once everyone is convinced (read slowly, detractors) by---------their---------own---------free---------will, then we're there, democratically, as in the Democratic Socialist model Marx theorized. Compare this to a traffic law: Why do we look left, then right before crossing a road? Why not right, then left? Because the traffic from the left is the first traffic you would cross. This kind of convincing may take awhile. So be it. One person at a time.

But we have to get past Lenin and Stalin. Aside, I think there is some jealousy still going on since the U.S.S.R. put the first human in space. No, we're so hateful of "Communism", especially the conservatives around my office (who by the way live off of "state funds" - EGAD, Communism!), that when I say Marx, or the C word, they automatically start defending "the good ole U.S. of A - Live Free or Die! Don't Tread on Me! Stop or I'll Shoot!"

I believe in Democracy, pure Democracy. The U.S. is not a pure democracy. We can't be yet; we're too greedy, and power hungry. We still have to dictatorially care for the poor. We don't yet take for granted how priceless every single human being is. This is dictatorship - those who want to care for the poor dictating to those who don't that we will do so. When we shake this and the PTSD of Capitalism off, Democratic Socialism will "take over" by---------our---------own---------free---------will.

Friday, June 10, 2005

Democrupation

Thought up a new word last night, late. I was watching FSTV and listening to a discussion of the American Press in the Middle East (more like American propaganda). At one time the speaker, a critic of the Middle East Press, said Democratization and Occupation so closely together, I thought I heard him say Democrupation.

The word is a combination of those 2 words, Democratization and Occupation. Definition: To cause another to free thought and action ironically, even hypocritically by force. I think I'll post it on my office door.

Thursday, June 02, 2005

Pay It Forward - Government and Market system

This movie presented a simple solution, though a difficult one to carry out: Pick the hardest thing you can possibly do for someone especially with least expectation of any return and do it. The acts permeated the country in this movie! Oh, Hollywood! I think it's possible, but really, it has to happen, because, again, we will be extinct if it doesn't. It's a very black and white issue to me: If we don't do this we'll die. But if we do, we can do anything!

Including set up a utopian Marxist system. "Pay it forward" is basically one part of Marx's famous phrase "from each according to his ability, . . ." We've never seen Marxism. We badmouth Communism, his theory, to this day, yet we've never even seen it. The U.S.S.R wasn't Communist though we call it that. Understandably it closely modeled the monarchies of the Czars as a dictatorship when it was a threat to the U.S. - under them, Stalin, Lenin, and Breshnev. Familiarity is contentment. It became slightly democratic when it became Russia under Gorbachev only after watching the U.S. and other "freer" countries for a hundred years. It was never Communist. China is a dictatorship. Cuba is a dictatorship. North Korea is a dictatorship. There is no Communist country on this planet. There never has been.

Marxism is for a more advanced civilization - the biggest reason why we've never seen it. Even we in the U.S. have inacted some "to each according to his need" type policies, like Social Security, State Parks, NASA, etc to move in a Communist direction. Unfortunately Capitalism mostly fits us now - we're still very greedy and proud. For Communism to ever work, 100% of the country must be beyond carelessness, pride, and greed.

I must be, but still I'm optimistic! Compassion and imagination are our best qualities! Not greed.