Why does everything have to be 100% one or the other. Societies have proven some basics of human life should not be for profit: healthcare, policing, fire departments, military, schools and universities, the postal service, the prison system -- and I'd add to this, Internet and infrastructure. If we paid construction specialists well, without a profit motive -- think about how amazing and on-time our highways, bridges, cell towers, fiber lines, and affordable housing would be. For most everything else, let a well-regulated free market do it's thing.
i spent ten years writing a book on how we would redesign our civic infrastructure for post-capitalism... it was resoundingly ignored. You can find it on Amazon: How Soon Is Now. People always say they want to have this conversation, but generally they do not have the ability to focus on it. I also developed some of my ideas further in today's post, "A Proposal for Zorhan" - it is here: https://substack.com/@danielpinchbeck/p-178492088
"So, while it is broadly true that Democrats folded, and this is the reaction across the party base, what has folded is the corporate Democratic Leadership Council wing of the party, in British terms, the Liberal Democrats. In Mexican terms, the new PRI. In other words, a pro-corporate centrist-right party."
I disagree, I think senate dems played this about as well as they could have. This was never really about healthcare - they had no choice but to shut down the government, the rest of their party would have revolted if they hadn't. They just had to pick a reason that voters actually cared about. I was initially skeptical that ACA subsidies was the right issue, but in retrospect I think it was. If the republicans had caved, then dems could have run on that victory. But from a purely ruthless political perspective, it's probably better that dems "lost". The increased premiums affect huge numbers of voters across the political spectrum in a very concrete way, and assuming dems don't screw up the messaging (never a sure bet), they can make this an albatross around republicans' necks during the midterms and beyond.
I also don't think that prolonging the shutdown would lead to a different outcome - it's clear that the republican donor class hates the ACA too much. The question then is simply one of timing. Right now, the public blames republicans slightly more for the shutdown than dems. Prolonging it might swing opinion more against republicans, especially if Trump decides to ratchet up the cruelty, but also risks backfiring. There's also the misery being caused right now. Feds have now gone without pay for more than a month and the lack of SNAP benefits is putting lives at risk. I can't blame them for not rolling the dice on a couple more weeks.
Thiel most definitely did not say that "capitalism is failing"!
What has failed is government interfence with capitalism. Housing is not being built because of government overregulation, not because capitalists do not want to build it. Student loans are overburdensome because government loaned money to people to whom capitalists would not loan money.
C'mon, Ben, please make some effort to get the basic facts right.
As a long time reader, I am very aware of Ben's disdain for what he calls "Identity Politics" even though what that means has always felt very vague. If the term is supposed to mean catering to one group or another based on how they identify, then I have some bad news because you know who abso-fucking-lutely LOVES that? Literally ALL REPUBLICANS. Turns out you can mobilize most of white America by telling it that it's special just cause and you will literally eradicate all those inferior darker skinned people for them, and what's more, you can steal anything you want while you do it.
Maybe mention that once in a while when shitting on Democrats for noticing how that actually worked.
Travis, I spend most of my time going after Republicans and the MAGA movement. Their version of identity politics is far worse. I just don't want to see the left go down the same path, so I'm calling it out.
Millennials or anyone who wants Scandinavian style social democracy should know taxpayers in those countries all pay higher taxes, including lower middle working class folks. Rich people will of course pay more but their social safety net was not achieved by just taxing the rich. I bet most people who want to embrace socialism only want higher taxes for someone richer than they are.
1. Trump didn't win because he said what was on his mind. He won because he said the racist, homophobic, and misogynistic things on his mind.
2. No one cares about Sweeney Todd except people who make money off of caring about Sweeney Todd.
3. The billionaires are worried the young and poor will revolt because every revolution is preceded by economic inequality. There is a reason Bannon calls himself the next Robespierre.
Peter Thiel’s boomer-bashing is disgraceful. Want to see people stupid, entitled or brainwashed? Look in a fucking mirror, Peter. Thiel is proof that being rich doesn’t necessarily correlate with being smart. 🤔😉😊
what's needed is to educate young people on how capitalism IS in fact "working for them" and always will. And how Socialism can only be implemented from top/down loss of liberty and choice and abundance.
You want to win? Elect new Democrats. That’s the only way this can ever work but it seems people are so resentful that they have to do the heavy lifting. My advice: deal with it and win.
Why does everything have to be 100% one or the other. Societies have proven some basics of human life should not be for profit: healthcare, policing, fire departments, military, schools and universities, the postal service, the prison system -- and I'd add to this, Internet and infrastructure. If we paid construction specialists well, without a profit motive -- think about how amazing and on-time our highways, bridges, cell towers, fiber lines, and affordable housing would be. For most everything else, let a well-regulated free market do it's thing.
In your experience, have government-run services been "amazing" and "on-time"?
i spent ten years writing a book on how we would redesign our civic infrastructure for post-capitalism... it was resoundingly ignored. You can find it on Amazon: How Soon Is Now. People always say they want to have this conversation, but generally they do not have the ability to focus on it. I also developed some of my ideas further in today's post, "A Proposal for Zorhan" - it is here: https://substack.com/@danielpinchbeck/p-178492088
Very interesting post Daniel. Will share.
"So, while it is broadly true that Democrats folded, and this is the reaction across the party base, what has folded is the corporate Democratic Leadership Council wing of the party, in British terms, the Liberal Democrats. In Mexican terms, the new PRI. In other words, a pro-corporate centrist-right party."
https://open.substack.com/pub/nadinabbott/p/the-end-of-the-shutdown-what-the
I disagree, I think senate dems played this about as well as they could have. This was never really about healthcare - they had no choice but to shut down the government, the rest of their party would have revolted if they hadn't. They just had to pick a reason that voters actually cared about. I was initially skeptical that ACA subsidies was the right issue, but in retrospect I think it was. If the republicans had caved, then dems could have run on that victory. But from a purely ruthless political perspective, it's probably better that dems "lost". The increased premiums affect huge numbers of voters across the political spectrum in a very concrete way, and assuming dems don't screw up the messaging (never a sure bet), they can make this an albatross around republicans' necks during the midterms and beyond.
I also don't think that prolonging the shutdown would lead to a different outcome - it's clear that the republican donor class hates the ACA too much. The question then is simply one of timing. Right now, the public blames republicans slightly more for the shutdown than dems. Prolonging it might swing opinion more against republicans, especially if Trump decides to ratchet up the cruelty, but also risks backfiring. There's also the misery being caused right now. Feds have now gone without pay for more than a month and the lack of SNAP benefits is putting lives at risk. I can't blame them for not rolling the dice on a couple more weeks.
Very good points Erik. Food for thought. I do agree that the increased premiums are a real poison pill for Republicans.
Thiel most definitely did not say that "capitalism is failing"!
What has failed is government interfence with capitalism. Housing is not being built because of government overregulation, not because capitalists do not want to build it. Student loans are overburdensome because government loaned money to people to whom capitalists would not loan money.
C'mon, Ben, please make some effort to get the basic facts right.
*yawn*
😴 💤
"it is clear she isn’t a malevolent person"
This is not at all clear to me.
Well it's completely clear that YOU are a malevolent person.
I've got a PhD from Stanford. What do you got?
As a long time reader, I am very aware of Ben's disdain for what he calls "Identity Politics" even though what that means has always felt very vague. If the term is supposed to mean catering to one group or another based on how they identify, then I have some bad news because you know who abso-fucking-lutely LOVES that? Literally ALL REPUBLICANS. Turns out you can mobilize most of white America by telling it that it's special just cause and you will literally eradicate all those inferior darker skinned people for them, and what's more, you can steal anything you want while you do it.
Maybe mention that once in a while when shitting on Democrats for noticing how that actually worked.
Travis, I spend most of my time going after Republicans and the MAGA movement. Their version of identity politics is far worse. I just don't want to see the left go down the same path, so I'm calling it out.
Millennials or anyone who wants Scandinavian style social democracy should know taxpayers in those countries all pay higher taxes, including lower middle working class folks. Rich people will of course pay more but their social safety net was not achieved by just taxing the rich. I bet most people who want to embrace socialism only want higher taxes for someone richer than they are.
1. Trump didn't win because he said what was on his mind. He won because he said the racist, homophobic, and misogynistic things on his mind.
2. No one cares about Sweeney Todd except people who make money off of caring about Sweeney Todd.
3. The billionaires are worried the young and poor will revolt because every revolution is preceded by economic inequality. There is a reason Bannon calls himself the next Robespierre.
Peter Thiel’s boomer-bashing is disgraceful. Want to see people stupid, entitled or brainwashed? Look in a fucking mirror, Peter. Thiel is proof that being rich doesn’t necessarily correlate with being smart. 🤔😉😊
I disagree. Peter Thiel is extraordinarily smart. This doesn't mean he's a good person, or right. Far from it. But he's not stupid.
So you concur on the entitled and brainwashed part? 🤔😉😊
what's needed is to educate young people on how capitalism IS in fact "working for them" and always will. And how Socialism can only be implemented from top/down loss of liberty and choice and abundance.
Ask the folks in Denmark and Sweden — and Israel — whether socialism (small “s”) is working for them. “Educating” young people is just propaganda. 🤔😉😊
all of which (like us) have mixed economies, some socialist aspects (roads, military, medical) plus democratic free market capitalism.
.
propaganda is what they get daily from MSN, CNN et al.
You want to win? Elect new Democrats. That’s the only way this can ever work but it seems people are so resentful that they have to do the heavy lifting. My advice: deal with it and win.
you feel we have time for that? With how many billions going to ICE?
Yup. And we have a year to work on it so let’s get started.