tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12113707.comments2023-09-22T03:14:45.251-07:00Cwech BlugCwechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265090139402953230noreply@blogger.comBlogger208125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12113707.post-53903380664352985972010-01-28T21:46:43.309-08:002010-01-28T21:46:43.309-08:00Generally I do not post on sites, but I would like...Generally I do not post on sites, but I would like to say that this article really forced me to do so! Thanks, really nice article.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.ddsagency.com/" rel="nofollow">seo company</a>ashwininoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12113707.post-33775079293782477272009-09-01T17:57:33.473-07:002009-09-01T17:57:33.473-07:00But Steele is a moderate, Chris Matthews says so !...But Steele is a moderate, Chris Matthews says so !Abehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391869701853659136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12113707.post-37287417964467468622009-08-29T11:42:29.451-07:002009-08-29T11:42:29.451-07:00no, while single payer is a better idea, what I...no, while single payer is a better idea, what I'm saying is that measures that stop short of universal coverage never get us to where we want to be, we cover the elderly, we cover the poor, we cover children, we enact insurance reform, and still we fall short of a health care system that works, and we fall short of universal coverage, until somebody clamps down and says, "damnit we're going to do this," it never happens and we still end up stuck with a dysfunctional health care system that can't deliver anything to a huge number of people.<br /><br />The public option was a compromise between single payer and a health insurance exchange with no governmental program, it is a very moderate proposal, but its not a half measure, I would of course rather have single payer as I think it would work better, but the public option is not the kind of incremental policy that I'm disparaging. Dumping universal coverage is.<br /><br />As a side note, I think it would have been a better strategy to go for single payer at the beginning anyway, since most people seem to think that's what's been proposed in spite of it all.Cwechhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12265090139402953230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12113707.post-53928775172210941432009-08-28T18:47:11.421-07:002009-08-28T18:47:11.421-07:00So are you saying no public option go straight to ...So are you saying no public option go straight to single payer?Abehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391869701853659136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12113707.post-85874697997109413492008-04-26T03:26:00.000-07:002008-04-26T03:26:00.000-07:00Info: Black MEN got the right to vote in the 1860'...Info: <BR/><BR/>Black MEN got the right to vote in the 1860's...more than 140 years ago. <BR/><BR/>No WOMAN of Any Color got the right to vote until the 1920's<BR/>...about 80 years ago.<BR/><BR/>WOMEN & CHILDREN were SLAVES until the 1920's. Before that: Women were not allowed to Own Proerty; women and children were the Property of their husbands; it was legal to beat women & children so long as the man did not use a stick any bigger around than his thumb.<BR/><BR/>Here's waht's happening now:<BR/><BR/>Headline: Obama says YES to Cheney<BR/> (& GE)<BR/><BR/>Foreword: I wrote the following comments about an hour before I heard Olberman report that Rush Limbaugh was promoting on his website: RIOTS at the Democratic Convention in Denver<BR/><BR/>We all know the ECONOMY is the #1 ISSUE in this campaign season.<BR/><BR/>Since ENERGY is an important basis of economics our nation's Energy Policy is<BR/>EXTREMELY IMPORTANT ... as we have all seen with the increasing cost of FUEL and FOOD engendered by the rise in Oil Prices.<BR/><BR/>The Mainstream Media has failed to address or air the 3 Presidential candidates' ENERGY POLICIES. (Have YOU heard anything about The Cheney Energy Bill?)<BR/><BR/>It was passed in 2005 ... while the Republicans still had control of Congress. Obama Voted FOR the Cheney Energy Bill. McCain Voted FOR it.<BR/>Clinton Voted AGAINST it.<BR/><BR/>Most of us, upon hearing of the EXISTENCE of a CHENEY Energy Bill would...assume it to be...NOT in the best interests of our nation or any of us Not Wealthy humans...i.e. some kind of RIPOFF of the American taxpaying public. <BR/><BR/>It would also seems strikingly ODD tthat Obama,<BR/>appearing to be a very LIBERAL DEMOCRAT, Voted FOR The Cheney Energy Bill.<BR/><BR/>Clinton has brought up Obama's YES to Cheney VOTE several times during the televised debates. YET...the News People asking the debate questions <BR/>never followup by asking Obama: WHY DID YOU VOTE FOR THE CHENEY ENERGY BILL?. They Never followup by asking: What IS the Cheney Energy Bill about?<BR/><BR/>It is by far One of the most IMPORTANT ISSUES<BR/>of our time, but the "mainstream media" just doesn't cover it. WHAT is the reason for the mainstream media's SILENCE on an ISSUE so critically important to our future?<BR/><BR/>I asked myself that question and went looking for the answer. This iswhat I found:<BR/><BR/>GE owns NBC & MSNBC. Westinghouse owns CBS. GE is the 2nd largest corporation on the planet: BOTH corporations have, for many generations, pumped vast quantities of PRODUCT ... $ADVERTISING Dollars...into all forms of media.<BR/><BR/>GE and Westinghouse are the Major Players in the nuclear industry. An industry that was set to suffer a Slow DEATH...UNTIL...the Cheney Energy<BR/>Bill gave it "a new lease on life". NO new nukes have been built in the U.S for the past 30 years because the banks would not loan money to build them - too risky. <BR/><BR/>The Cheney Energy Bill Solved That Problem For The Nuke Industry by GUARANTEEING TAXPAYER Payback of any of the nuke loans that default. <BR/><BR/>(Given that the Congressional Budget Office rated the risk of default at 50%, or greater ...<BR/>do you think it was GOOD JUDGMENT for Obama to vote FOR it?)<BR/><BR/>(Given the already substantial economic damage done by the SubPrime mortgage meltdown -what amount of economic damage are we LIKELY to suffer from SubPrime: Not Credit Worthy - lending - to the nuke industry/compounded by the fact that US TAXPAYERS would PAY the full cost of a SUBPRIME Nuke Lending meltdown?) <BR/><BR/>The nuke industry's plans to build 29 new nuclear power plants are already far advanced. Licensing hearings for the first few nuke plants have already been scheduled.<BR/><BR/>Second Level Major Players in the Nuke Industry:<BR/>Excelon Corp. of Illinois - one of Obama's largest campaign contributors since his earliest days in politics - biggest nuke operator on the planet;<BR/>they own the nukes in Illinois; they own Con-Ed of New York.<BR/><BR/>Entergy - Owns many utilities in several Southern states.<BR/><BR/>3 Consortiums of other nuke industry players.<BR/><BR/>MSNBC & NBC have become more FAUX than FOX, the original Faux "news". All day everyday since last October when the campaign coverage<BR/>began ... have seen on MSNBC & NBC...ALL their "reporters" and "news analysts" -(from Joe Scarborough and Mika Berzinski on "Morning Joe"- to Chris Matthews on "Hardball" in the afternoon- to Keith Olbermann in the evening BLATANTLY promoting Pro-Obama PROPAGANDA/ Slamming & smeaaring the Clintons...everyday all day long.<BR/><BR/>I'm not the only one who noticed. Millions of people noticed and posted their complaints<BR/>about it on the internet. Last night Bill O'reilly on Fox news said - "MSNBC has become<BR/>the Obama Network". <BR/>(I call MSNBC/NBC -- BOP-N --Barack Obama Propaganda Networks.) <BR/><BR/>In response to...(unspecified...& unreported complaints about "media bias" against the Clintons, Howard Fineman, TIME magazine & MSNBC "News analyst"---whined to Chris Matthews on "Hardball" last week: Gov. Rendell said to me - "you're from the Obama Network"<BR/>-they shouldn't be complaining about US being biased against the Clintons WE're Journalists!<BR/>WE just report the facts. (Pathetic ... Fineman<BR/>...trying... to convince himself he's not <BR/>-exactly what he is- a highly paid Propaganda Pusher.)<BR/><BR/>Obama's 20 year history in politics arose from Chicago, Cook County, Illinois.<BR/><BR/>The Rezko trial involves charges of extortion, fraud, money laundering, kickbacks, bribes; CRIMES<BR/>& Political CORRUPTION (at every level of government City, County, State, National) involving: allegedly,<BR/>Rezko, Mayor Daley, Governor Blagojevich, et al for crimes committed in the U.S.; and involving internationally 3 Arabic men: Rezko, Auichi, Alsammarae - for crimes allegedly committed in massive international frauds.<BR/> <BR/>(Auichi was convicted a few years ago in the French Courts of massive fraud/robbery/looting involving the French ELF petroleum company and the U.N. Oil for Food Program. Alsammarae was convicted in the Iraqi Courts of looting the Iraq electricity grid while he was the Iraqi Minister of Electricity ...under Bush-Cheney's Coalition Provisional Authority... Rezko is accused of being Alsammarae's partner in that looting.<BR/><BR/>The mainstream media is airing...very little coverage...of the Rezko -City, County, State, National, and International Fraud/Looting trial. <BR/><BR/>For example, the Federal Prosecution's main witness testifed last week that Obama and his wife DID Attend a party thrown by Rezko at Rezko's Chicago mansion for his guest of honor AUICHI. Obama has previously stated that he: doesn't remember meeting Auichi. WHY is the mainstream media (TV, in particular) not covering the Rezko trial; has NOT Asked Obama if he DID or DID Not attend that party? Has NOT asked Michelle Obama if she did attend that party?<BR/> <BR/>The conclusion I have reached -from those and many other FACTS I have gathered from my impartial search is:<BR/><BR/>GE, et. al; the Corrupt Corporate "establishment"<BR/>-is running Obama and McCain for President<BR/>because they plan to reap $BILLIONS in RISK-FREE Profits from building 29 new nuclear power plants AND $BILLIONS more in RISK-FREE profits---For The NEXT 30-40 Years---from the HIGHER ELECTRICITY RATES produced by building nuke plants. i.e. The NEXT Big Dick Cheney MONOPOLY POWER <BR/>---ENERGY RIPOFF----<BR/>just...waiting in the wings...for Obama or McCain to get elected.<BR/><BR/>Currently, the mainstream media is PUSHING Obama for President and holding a lid on the BAD NEWS about him. If and when it reaches a point where Obama does not get the nomination the corporate-controlled media will drop him and start pumping out PRO-McCain Propaganda. <BR/><BR/>GE, Cheney, et al prefer it to be a NO-RISK,<BR/>Win-Win situation (for Them) Presidential election WITH Obama vs. McCain. The Media is NOW pumping out: the contest is Over, Obama's the Winner; the Nomination BETTER NOT get "stolen" from Obama or there'll be HELL to Pay and the Democrat candidate will lose in November.<BR/><BR/>The Obama campaign was caught red-handed playing the race card to win the South Carolina primary<BR/>...in a 4 page internal Obama campaign Memo published online by the Huffington Post...but the Media went right on PUSHING the BIG LIE -they blamed the Clintons. Obama has repeatedly played the race card every time he is in danger of losing.<BR/><BR/>There are indications online that Obama: used MOBS of poor black people cramming into small govt. offices in Chicago during his "organizing" days to get some of the "changes" he wanted; that Code Pink and a group named ReCreate '68 are threatening to mass mobs of 50,000 in Denver to protest/incite riots at the Democratic Convention IF Obama does not get the nomination. Obama may have connections to the groups threatenting HELL to pay at the convention if he doesn't get the nomination... that could be covered by ... plausible deniability.<BR/><BR/>Having already...recklessly, despicably, dangerously, played the race card repeatedly & supposing...Obama does have connections with/control of...extremist left wing groups and mobs...wouldn't electing him President be likely get us -WORSE THAN BUSH- Step 2 in CorporateNazi CONTROL of US... incitement of interracial strife for purposes of Political Control .... incitement of left-wing extremists/riots for purposes of Political CONTROL?<BR/><BR/>.... with the MEDIA aiding, abetting, lying and distorting ...Reality.... just like they are doing now. <BR/><BR/>Things that don't add up:<BR/><BR/>If Clinton is "the establishment" candidate - Why is her campaign constantly running out of money<BR/>while Obama has been rolling in CASH thruout the campaign? <BR/><BR/>The media tries to cover that by saying:<BR/>well...her wealthy contributors have already given the maximum amount the law allows -they can't contribute anymore funds. That's ridiculous. The "establishment" has enough cash to hire all the bundlers they need to go out and rustle up more cash from individuals employed at ALL Their Corporations, and from any other source. The media continues to PUSH the BIG LIE that Obama does not accept money from Lobbyists/Corporations (via individuals employed by them) /Wall Street/Oil/Drug Companies/Insurance Industry)<BR/><BR/>If Clinton is the "establishment" candidate .... WHY isn't the corporate-controlled MEDIA PUSHING her for President?<BR/><BR/>Obama's got the money. He's got the MEDIA Propaganda. He's the establishment candidate.<BR/><BR/>What's wrong with building 29 nuclear power plants?<BR/> <BR/>Hillary Clinton: nuclear can be considered in the future IF they can make it CHEAPER and find a way to safely and permanently dispose of the nuclear waste.<BR/><BR/>Nuke waste/nuke waste dumps have been a steadily deepening nightmare for the past 50 years. (Google: Hanford WA nuclear waste dump; Rocky Flats CO plutonium, Barnwell South Carolina groundwater nuclear waste dump.<BR/><BR/>ALL the nuke waste dumps are CLOSED. Nuke waste has been stored ON-SITE at the nuke plants for the past several DECADES; providing several hundred terrorist targets vulnerable to devastating consequences from just ONE RPG.<BR/><BR/>The nuclear industry is already running a modicum of Pro-Nuke Propaganda Ads. They have bought up a few "environmentalists" & manufactured a lot more - for the LAUNCH of their upcoming NUKE PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN (The Nukes are GREEN & CLEAN Ad Campaign)-that will start- right after the November Prersidential election.<BR/><BR/>What can YOU do about it? Copy & Paste this message -email it to everyone on your email list. Google: "North Carolina blogs politics" and post it everywhere you can -post it on Newspaper, TV, and radio blogs. Do the SAME for all the upcoming PRIMARY STATES...as far in advance of the Primary Date as you can.<BR/><BR/>"Getting off coal to go nuclear is like giving up cigarettes to take up smoking crack" (I wish I knew where I read that quote so I could give credit to the author of it.)elmehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03544538227507504522noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12113707.post-58188444862762596422008-02-19T20:48:00.000-08:002008-02-19T20:48:00.000-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12113707.post-75354505644592101892008-01-23T23:05:00.000-08:002008-01-23T23:05:00.000-08:00Why was my husbands name mentioned at all in this?...Why was my husbands name mentioned at all in this? My husband died defending our freedoms and rights. Watada joined the military promising to do the same, but didn't. My husband died with honor and pride for his country. So please don't comapare him to some coward.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12113707.post-78703659402101860482007-11-21T05:43:00.000-08:002007-11-21T05:43:00.000-08:00Sorry to just drop this in on you Cor, but its bee...Sorry to just drop this in on you Cor, but its been on my mind for a while and I had post it somewhere. Sorry also for the UK English, I hope that your patriotic readers will forgive the artefacts of American's living in the commonwealth.johan in progresshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14043886418882432164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12113707.post-27059820765194196202007-03-02T12:42:00.000-08:002007-03-02T12:42:00.000-08:00This comment has been hidden from the blog.Cwechhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12265090139402953230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12113707.post-51661899939766684072007-03-02T12:20:00.000-08:002007-03-02T12:20:00.000-08:00I agreeI agreeCwechhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12265090139402953230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12113707.post-8035620965091241002007-03-02T01:26:00.000-08:002007-03-02T01:26:00.000-08:00I think we should unionize cucumber pickers ;-)I think we should unionize cucumber pickers ;-)Chuck Butcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13656874242638324636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12113707.post-46762111702806243582007-02-25T19:59:00.000-08:002007-02-25T19:59:00.000-08:00This comment has been hidden from the blog.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12113707.post-22191103693901534312007-02-15T14:12:00.000-08:002007-02-15T14:12:00.000-08:00Wtada is a traitor and deserve nothing less than t...Wtada is a traitor and deserve nothing less than the firing squad. You candy asses who have never served have no idea what you are talking about.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12113707.post-71276456353758677782007-02-08T21:44:00.000-08:002007-02-08T21:44:00.000-08:00Watada admitted he missed deployment. To that he ...Watada admitted he missed deployment. To that he does not dispute the facts. To that he pleads guilty. However, he not guilty plea is based on his utter belief that what he has done is the only correct course of action he could take. There is no guilt in that.Daniel Kirkdorfferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02329119887120469910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12113707.post-65048992876543189882007-02-02T00:28:00.000-08:002007-02-02T00:28:00.000-08:00food and rent are out along with some other things...food and rent are out along with some other things, so after you pay for that, as a lower income person, all your income is taxed at 5%. Still regressive as all get out.Chuck Butcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13656874242638324636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12113707.post-53117689170045272682007-01-25T21:51:00.000-08:002007-01-25T21:51:00.000-08:00Smith lacks the balls to stand up to his paymaster...Smith lacks the balls to stand up to his paymasters.<br /><br />I look forward to firing him.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12113707.post-10364052116853058282007-01-23T22:01:00.000-08:002007-01-23T22:01:00.000-08:00Hey Kari, thanks for the info. I'm doing my best ...Hey Kari, thanks for the info. I'm doing my best to get a sense of what Wyden proposed and what the effects of it will be. Its not a simple plan, and what I've written here is the general impressions of the proposal that I've picked up. Really I'm just glad that a national discussion is forming around this issue.Cwechhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12265090139402953230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12113707.post-26539165341666737122007-01-23T10:39:00.000-08:002007-01-23T10:39:00.000-08:00Wyden seems to think that we cant effectively cont...<i>Wyden seems to think that we cant effectively control the costs but we can ensure access to health care for all....</i><br /><br />Hey Cwech. I think you're mischaracterizing Wyden's plan here. <br /><br />First, full disclosure: I'm working for Senator Wyden to help him roll out a website, <a href=http://www.standtallforamerica.com>Stand Tall for America</a>, to help promote his health care plan and other things.<br /><br />To the topic. For starters, his plan contains tough controls on administrative costs. <br /><br />More importantly, the cost containment in his plan comes from the fact that with individuals buying their own health coverage, they're going to be very price-sensitive and able to act on that sensitivity.<br /><br />Right now, there's barely a free market for health care. Most people get coverage through their employer. If you're Nike or Intel or Linfield College, it's a massive shock to your organization to change health insurance companies. They'll have to staff up their HR departments, and some employees will always revolt. ("But I love my doctor"!) So, major employers rarely change health carriers. They're basically stuck -- and so the insurance companies can just jack up prices every year.<br /><br />Under Wyden's plan, the health insurance market would be a lot like the car insurance market (except everyone in a community would have the same rates, and they couldn't deny anyone.) You'll see billboards and TV ads - "Buy Blue Cross, just $425 a month!" Consumers will choose health coverage based on price - which will be OK, because the minimum plan will be very comprehensive. With that price sensitivity, the insurance companies will be forced to reduce their costs - but not by denying people care.<br /><br />Hope that helps. C'mon over to <a href=http://www.standtallforamerica.com>Stand Tall for America</a> for lots more info, including links to news and blogs (including critics.)Kari Chisholmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12974173677103113874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12113707.post-5804115840826581892007-01-21T07:16:00.000-08:002007-01-21T07:16:00.000-08:00Part of the problem is that sigificant snowfall is...Part of the problem is that sigificant snowfall is so rare in the north valley that a lot of jurisdictions don't even own a snowplow.<br /><br />But yes, I had many of the same reactions after moving to McMinnville from Maine in 1991.Greghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12619127166808455637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12113707.post-26229345718640361342007-01-06T18:22:00.000-08:002007-01-06T18:22:00.000-08:00I love your post, and your passion, brother. And ...I love your post, and your passion, brother. And we are not commodities.<br /><br />Although I do take issue with your characterization of cows as commodities. They may be traded as commodities, just like a bushel of wheat, but each cow is, just like us, a living, breathing, feeling creature with a desire to live and raise her children in peace.<br /><br />What George Will has done is to recast the working poor and middle classes as cows for his consumption, but all of us, just like the noble cow, deserve the right to run free, to have a decent life, and to have a bright and shining future for our children.Tahoma Activisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09651911314887304989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12113707.post-19772506339534808562007-01-06T15:44:00.000-08:002007-01-06T15:44:00.000-08:00National health insurance sounds very attractive, ...National health insurance sounds very attractive, until you talk to people who are currently in this type of plan. For example, when HillaryCare was in the forefront of discussion in the early ninety's, I happened to be in Germany, which has a national health plan. This plan was the model on which HillaryCare was being considered so I thought it might be interesting to get the perspective of people who were in that plan. Overwhelmingly, I was told that it was a farce and that anyone who could afford to was opting for private insurance. This was because a national health care plan in fact subjects partici-pants to long waits for care, even for critical care, i.e., MRI's, CAT Scans and necessary surgical procedures. <br />Closer to home, we have Canadian Health Plan to look at and it's documented that many participants have had to wait for critical pro- cedures, even so far as dying before the procedure was approved. In fact, Ottawa has recently passed legislation allowing private insurance as an alterna-tive because of the limitations posed on people by the National Health Plan. Why do you suppose that may Canadians cross the border to seek health care at their own expense when they have access to the Canadian Health Plan? I have had personal conver- sations with many Canadian citizens who tell me that their national plan leaves a lot to be desired.<br />I understand that there is an urgent need to find some means of providing for those people who can-not provide for their own insurance, however, I am unwilling to subject the millions of people who have health insurance and are quite happy with it to a plan which would cover everyone but ration vital health services, i.e., a national HMO.<br />According to many, there are apprx 44 million uninsured individuals in the U.S., however, this figure includes several million who choose not to insure themselves for whatever reason they choose. There is also the issue of having to provide health services to people who are in this country illegally. If you doubt this, just do some research as to the effect that requiring that public health care facilities in those cities and states close to the Mexican border has had on those jurisdic- tions bottomline. In fact, in Los Angeles, where I lived for about 63 years before moving to Idaho in 2003 has had several hospital and emergency closures due to budge-tary limitations. <br />Be very careful for what you wish, or you may live to experience the failure of such a plan.Stanley Deanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15938611538394313969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12113707.post-18421152894908926272007-01-06T08:39:00.000-08:002007-01-06T08:39:00.000-08:00Chuck,
It seems that labor simply has its positio...Chuck,<br /><br />It seems that labor simply <i>has</i> its position in the manner you say, whether anybody accords it any respect or gives it any notice. It is what it is. <br /><br />The system is called capitalism because the economy is driven by the private ownership of capital. It's not even a "system" in the sense of something designed and applied (such as a mercantile policy or centralized control of the means of production) but rather freedom for individuals to act in their own economic interest. The greatest amount of human design in capitalism comes in the form of regulation, which is to say limitation of freedom. (Some degree of which I believe is necessary, by the way.)<br /><br />The system is no different than any other in that the poor are at a disadvantage vis a vis the rich. It's true that free laborers have less built-in economic security than serfs or slaves. If labor is all you've got (just like any other commodity), you have to find a buyer for it. However, private citizens are free to accumulate capital and invest it, in their own projects and/or in others' projects. Thus they can better their lot. Their opportunities to do so are vastly more limited under economic regimes where individuals are not free.<br /><br />Private citizens are also free to form syndicates and guilds, as they have in free commercial districts for many centuries. <br /><br />-AnthonyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12113707.post-55417869188661337932007-01-05T23:20:00.000-08:002007-01-05T23:20:00.000-08:00What is true about labor is that it is the basis o...What is true about labor is that it is the basis of all capital, nothing has value without labor added into it. Gold in the ground is valueless, etc. Is labor afforded its position in this respect? Absolutely not, that's why the system is called capitalism, sometimes labor can withhold its asset - strike - but generally it cannot afford to.Chuck Butcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13656874242638324636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12113707.post-89173502324014610452007-01-05T09:00:00.000-08:002007-01-05T09:00:00.000-08:00Certainly, per Kant's categorical imperative, labo...Certainly, per Kant's categorical imperative, laborers should be treated as ends in themselves, not just means to an end. But what they provide is still a commodity. In this crucial respect, Chuck agrees with George. <br /><br />What management does is also a commodity. Entrepreneurs and other investors are not a commodity (though entrepreneurs typically also provide services in the capacity of managers and other roles) for the simple reason that they provide the commodity of capital, and they assume the risk/liability associated with their investment.<br /><br />-AnthonyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12113707.post-59560979412333546942007-01-05T01:23:00.000-08:002007-01-05T01:23:00.000-08:00Corey,
I'm a perfectly good leftie, but I'm also a...Corey,<br />I'm a perfectly good leftie, but I'm also a construction contractor, I'm not a commodity, but what I do, labor, is. Like any commodity, labor is subject to supply and demand. I've railed aganst illegial immigration/illegal hiring on that basis, that a flood of labor depresses wages. Now minimum wage has not squat to do with what I pay, or make, but I do have to be cognizant of what makes my market tick. (and it's ticking badly)<br /><br />What Will is ignoring is that his commodity approach is only applied to labor in the income scheme, the entire system is built to the advantage of capital and assets, not labor. Now we could go his way, but he might object to the unwashed mob in front of his house with torches and guns. He also would have you believe this is a great economy, demonstrating that he has no experience with the bottom half of the economic scale.Chuck Butcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13656874242638324636noreply@blogger.com