We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

We have no money so central banks give more money to banks

Click here to access article by Pete Dolack from Systemic Disorder

We must thank Dolack once again for explaining what the language of our capitalist masters really means and what is occurring in the economies of the Empire, mostly NATO countries and Japan, which are under the control of these people who are a tiny segment of their respective populations. What I don't think he makes clear is that the decisions our masters are making are dictated to a large extent by the inherent nature of capitalism which is a "systemic disorder" that promotes the interests of capitalists, our masters. Thus, their decisions are not irrational or stupid, but the logical consequence of class rule guided by an economic system that favors them with wealth which readily transfers into power. It is power that they are primarily after, not wealth. Wealth is a means to power. Perhaps I need to explain this further.

There is no doubt that the capitalist system brings tremendous wealth and fabulous lifestyles to capitalists, but I am thoroughly convinced that this is far less important to them than the power it gives capitalists to decide on every significant issue facing societies. This conviction is based on various serendipitous experiences I've had ranging from a personal observation of a CEO of a major corporation, my contacts with other high ranking people in banking, and the observations of other observing people whose experiences brought them into contact with powerful capitalists. After all, after one has a million dollars or so, what more does one need to satisfy their material needs whims and fantasies? These capitalists are amassing fortunes of 1000 times more than that! And they are always plotting to make more money, and they don't care how they do it and whether it wrecks the planet for future generations. Thus, it can't be because they are striving to improve their lifestyles. Obviously they want more control of, or dominance over, other capitalists and over entire societies--that's us. Capitalists are essentially control freaks and they are in control of most of the world! 

However, is capitalism any different in this way than the systems of domination that have governed societies since civilization began around 10 to 15 thousand years ago? We have learned that control structures existed in theocratic, military, and feudal societies. Capitalism is just another "systemic disorder". I think we must learn from anthropological evidence which indicates the major role that cooperation and egalitarian social relations played in the 98% of human existence which preceded the advent of civilization. 

It appears that the more humans began to control their material means of survival, the more they have viewed nature and their fellow humans in instrumental terms to be exploited for their own benefit. This type of experience has alienated humans from the deeper reality of humans as merely another life form created by nature and dependent on it. There must also be a fundamental acknowledgement that nature is our planet and that we must give up any illusions of transferring to another planet. It follows logically from this argument that to survive, humans must return to much more cooperative societal arrangements that emphasize real equality or we will be eliminated like so many other creatures that preceded us and couldn't adapt.