Subject: More comments on Capitalism
Keith Quigley (kjq@onramp.net)
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1998 11:16:21 -0500
Message-Id: <35F7FB55.F97ED764@onramp.net> Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1998 11:16:21 -0500 From: Keith Quigley <kjq@onramp.net> To: roundtable@cni.org Subject: More comments on Capitalism References: <000001bddcb0$8ec26020$b77e4e0c@vig>
Vigdor Schreibman <fins98@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
>
> The choice is not, however, between one set
> of failed market mechanism or another but to
> supplant disastrous capitalism by shifting to
> a democratic system of decision making,
> which can serve the whole people. We should
> start by repeal of the Telecommunications Act,
> deal workers and citizens into the corporate
> control system for the future and return to first
> principles of a real democracy.
The reason people have such an "energetic" response to some
of the items posted by Mr. Schreibman is the use of certain
inflammatory and/or vague phrases and the continued lack of
concrete examples or solutions.
So we have a "disastrous" system of capitalism that must be
supplanted? Of course, the fact that we also have one of
the highest living standards in the world is merely a
byproduct of the "disaster" of which he speaks. And what it
would be supplanted with is merely given a good catch phrase
and never an example.
Repeal of the Telecommunications Act may or may not be a
good thing, however an example of how this single action
will "deal workers and citizens (are they different?) into
the corporate control system" would be helpful in
ascertaining whether any of the rest of the statement makes
any sense.
And what exactly is "the corporate control system" that
workers need to be dealt into? Is this the commercial aspect
of selling phone and Internet access or providing cable
services? Are you advocating they be made available free to
the public or merely controlled by "democratic" committees
of these workers and citizens?
Finally, examples of how any of this will bring about the
"first principles of a real democracy" should be preceded by
a cogent explanation of what this "real democracy" is.
I personally enjoy reading all the various opinions of the
participants of this list, however I find it difficult to
see how any position or cause can be furthered by postings
that almost sound as if one is running for the office of
Chief Despot or Head Dictator in some Third World state with
a chip on its shoulder about the hegemony or imperialism of
its culturally imposing and economically over-bearing
neighbor the US.
Besides, I happen to enjoy our current system as much as
Mark Twain did.
"I'm opposed to millionaires, but it would be dangerous to
offer me the position." -Mark Twain (1835-1910)
Regards,
Keith Quigley
Q@Whoever.com
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