Excellent observation, Graham. My problem isn't with with the honesty of government - in my view, it is up to the voting public to insist on honest legislators, I follow what my Congressman, Senators, President, Assembly persons, State Senators and Governor are doing, If I disagree, I email them and demand answers.
As I've said before, communism does not exist. There are no communes where everyone pitches in to the extent of their ability, and everyone shares according to their needs. Those who call themselves communist leaders are dictators pure and simple - it is everyone pitches in but everything is for ME.
They may not demand honesty in collecting tickets for tram rides, but they also insist that you vote, And you do vote, your choice is Vladimir Putin or Vladimir Putin, In China it is Xi Jinping or Xi Jinping.
And woe and behold if you disagree.
Do all Americans keep tabs on their politicians? No. They're too bloody lazy. But that is the problem world wide. You can only have good honest government world wide if all citizens WANT and care to have good government.
Well, that's all well and good, Fay, but let me draw you back to the question at the end of what Claudia said: is it impossible to hope for a life in which the state will provide for a roof over our heads and work for our hands and zero crime, and still allow us to privately own property and freely to move ourselves and our capital as we wish? If not, if it's not impossible, why are we unable in the liberal West to achieve that, for everyone? If it is impossible, what element or elements would we need to dispense with in order to preserve the others?
Your understandable standpoint is that a state that guarantees freedom is unable to guarantee housing, or wages, or work. So, why could we not sacrifice freedom instead, and thus achieve utopia in every other respect? Work for all, a home for all, modest and guaranteed living for all, food for all, health for all, an annual holiday for all? Just, less freedom for all? Those who are prepared to fight for their freedom are blessed with it in surfeit. Those who are not prepared to fight, who embrace peace, must scrabble for the crumbs from the table. Which is how capitalism's war trumps communism's peace.
I think that Utopia is possible, but only if it highly regulated. The first time greed raises its ugly head that person exhibiting the greed would either have to be executed or exiled so far away the return would be impractical. The only freedom being given up is the freedom to be greedy, to want and attempt to take more than you need just for the sake of having more. Which is the greatest fault of unregulated capitalism. I never accounts for people like Elon Musk who, no matter how much he has of everything wants MORE.
Ha Ha. No, I would not fit into a commune, I'm too damned opinionated, and independent. I just think that any community living under agreed upon laws and regulations is happier and wealthier, than living under the utter lawlessness of dictatorships. Yes I know that's an oxymoron; but the rules and laws of authoritarianism favor only the dictator and his or her cronies.
My point is, Graham, that good government is possible only if all citizens demand, expect, and know what is going on. No state can or will guarantee freedom, if the citizens are so disinterested they can't be bothered looking to see what their government is doing. If you don't want to do anything for yourself and your family why should someone else care,
For example, the Russian serfs for a thousand years or more accepted their lives of hard labor, semi starvation poor food, clothing, and housing. They willingly accepted the emperor and aristocracy's right to live lavishly. It never occurred to them that their shitty lives were providing that lavish lifestyle.
Along came the 'Bolshevic' (for lack of a better word) revolution and those same serfs simply traded the dictators Lenin, Stalin, etc. for the emperors; and the politburo for the aristocracy.
What we have in America today is similar
Back in 1968, America elected a very dishonest, would-be dictator, Richard Nixon. His timing was perfect. Robert F Kennedy had just been murdered leaving us with Hubert Humphrey, a roly poly politician who had good intentions but lacked the ability to adequately express them. This was my first election in America (I got my citizenship in 1967). I had been a strong supporter and worker for Bobby Kennedy. I dutifully voted for Humphrey. Nixon won again in 1972, I voted for McGovern. Then came Watergate and all hell broke loose. Through all of this only a minority of us watched the trials, followed the unlawfulness and truly understood what happened and why. The break-in at Watergate was insignificant and would have simply disappeared if Nixon's clumsy attempts to cover it up had not exposed his real criminality.
Again Mr, Mrs. and Ms, USA paid little or no attention. They latched on to what was easy to understand - the break-in at Watergate.
From there we spiraled down hill, Reagan with his gush up tax program, union busting, and throwing out as many business regulations as he could get away with. But he was sooooo handsome, and had such a lovely he couldn't have been a bad man. Yeah, right. So the people (or at least most of them) maintained their blind eye.
Clinton wasn't a hell of a lot better. He screwed up our Social Services programs they were hardly services at all. And put another ail in the Union coffin. But the Republicans played it smart, they latched on to his least important 'sin' but one that attracted the attention of the idiot citizenry - Bill couldn't keep his pants zipped. Oh, he never raped any women, the were all willing participants - just bimbos. But it cost Al Gore the Presidency, which in my opinion was a catastrophe. The point is not enough voters care to do more than gripe among themselves.
We have 2 to 3 million Substackers - that's less than 1% of our population and a significant number, including you, Graham, don't even live here, so keeping track of our politicians is not even in your purview. President Biden might appreciate your good wishes, but my Congressman and two Senators wouldn't even read your email because you are not a constituent.
If all citizens demand, expect, and know what is going on, why would we need regulation, the regulation we need to achieve utopia?
Regulation is where people don't voluntarily self-regulate themselves. Utopia is always possible if it is self-regulated, but the trouble is that people don't self-regulate.
Washing machines self-regulate, but only because they're programmed to do so.
Excellent observation, Graham. My problem isn't with with the honesty of government - in my view, it is up to the voting public to insist on honest legislators, I follow what my Congressman, Senators, President, Assembly persons, State Senators and Governor are doing, If I disagree, I email them and demand answers.
As I've said before, communism does not exist. There are no communes where everyone pitches in to the extent of their ability, and everyone shares according to their needs. Those who call themselves communist leaders are dictators pure and simple - it is everyone pitches in but everything is for ME.
They may not demand honesty in collecting tickets for tram rides, but they also insist that you vote, And you do vote, your choice is Vladimir Putin or Vladimir Putin, In China it is Xi Jinping or Xi Jinping.
And woe and behold if you disagree.
Do all Americans keep tabs on their politicians? No. They're too bloody lazy. But that is the problem world wide. You can only have good honest government world wide if all citizens WANT and care to have good government.
Well, that's all well and good, Fay, but let me draw you back to the question at the end of what Claudia said: is it impossible to hope for a life in which the state will provide for a roof over our heads and work for our hands and zero crime, and still allow us to privately own property and freely to move ourselves and our capital as we wish? If not, if it's not impossible, why are we unable in the liberal West to achieve that, for everyone? If it is impossible, what element or elements would we need to dispense with in order to preserve the others?
Your understandable standpoint is that a state that guarantees freedom is unable to guarantee housing, or wages, or work. So, why could we not sacrifice freedom instead, and thus achieve utopia in every other respect? Work for all, a home for all, modest and guaranteed living for all, food for all, health for all, an annual holiday for all? Just, less freedom for all? Those who are prepared to fight for their freedom are blessed with it in surfeit. Those who are not prepared to fight, who embrace peace, must scrabble for the crumbs from the table. Which is how capitalism's war trumps communism's peace.
I think that Utopia is possible, but only if it highly regulated. The first time greed raises its ugly head that person exhibiting the greed would either have to be executed or exiled so far away the return would be impractical. The only freedom being given up is the freedom to be greedy, to want and attempt to take more than you need just for the sake of having more. Which is the greatest fault of unregulated capitalism. I never accounts for people like Elon Musk who, no matter how much he has of everything wants MORE.
"I think that Utopia is possible, but only if it highly regulated."
You're a communist, but don't want to admit it, Fay.
Ha Ha. No, I would not fit into a commune, I'm too damned opinionated, and independent. I just think that any community living under agreed upon laws and regulations is happier and wealthier, than living under the utter lawlessness of dictatorships. Yes I know that's an oxymoron; but the rules and laws of authoritarianism favor only the dictator and his or her cronies.
My point is, Graham, that good government is possible only if all citizens demand, expect, and know what is going on. No state can or will guarantee freedom, if the citizens are so disinterested they can't be bothered looking to see what their government is doing. If you don't want to do anything for yourself and your family why should someone else care,
For example, the Russian serfs for a thousand years or more accepted their lives of hard labor, semi starvation poor food, clothing, and housing. They willingly accepted the emperor and aristocracy's right to live lavishly. It never occurred to them that their shitty lives were providing that lavish lifestyle.
Along came the 'Bolshevic' (for lack of a better word) revolution and those same serfs simply traded the dictators Lenin, Stalin, etc. for the emperors; and the politburo for the aristocracy.
What we have in America today is similar
Back in 1968, America elected a very dishonest, would-be dictator, Richard Nixon. His timing was perfect. Robert F Kennedy had just been murdered leaving us with Hubert Humphrey, a roly poly politician who had good intentions but lacked the ability to adequately express them. This was my first election in America (I got my citizenship in 1967). I had been a strong supporter and worker for Bobby Kennedy. I dutifully voted for Humphrey. Nixon won again in 1972, I voted for McGovern. Then came Watergate and all hell broke loose. Through all of this only a minority of us watched the trials, followed the unlawfulness and truly understood what happened and why. The break-in at Watergate was insignificant and would have simply disappeared if Nixon's clumsy attempts to cover it up had not exposed his real criminality.
Again Mr, Mrs. and Ms, USA paid little or no attention. They latched on to what was easy to understand - the break-in at Watergate.
From there we spiraled down hill, Reagan with his gush up tax program, union busting, and throwing out as many business regulations as he could get away with. But he was sooooo handsome, and had such a lovely he couldn't have been a bad man. Yeah, right. So the people (or at least most of them) maintained their blind eye.
Clinton wasn't a hell of a lot better. He screwed up our Social Services programs they were hardly services at all. And put another ail in the Union coffin. But the Republicans played it smart, they latched on to his least important 'sin' but one that attracted the attention of the idiot citizenry - Bill couldn't keep his pants zipped. Oh, he never raped any women, the were all willing participants - just bimbos. But it cost Al Gore the Presidency, which in my opinion was a catastrophe. The point is not enough voters care to do more than gripe among themselves.
We have 2 to 3 million Substackers - that's less than 1% of our population and a significant number, including you, Graham, don't even live here, so keeping track of our politicians is not even in your purview. President Biden might appreciate your good wishes, but my Congressman and two Senators wouldn't even read your email because you are not a constituent.
If all citizens demand, expect, and know what is going on, why would we need regulation, the regulation we need to achieve utopia?
Regulation is where people don't voluntarily self-regulate themselves. Utopia is always possible if it is self-regulated, but the trouble is that people don't self-regulate.
Washing machines self-regulate, but only because they're programmed to do so.