An Indefensible Economic System

Someone needs to explain to me why there are so many Americans making average or even substandard wages who continue to defend the capitalistic status quo. I think this is where Robert Reich is correct, that people are simply afraid. In a labor market where employers have all the power, people just feel lucky to have a job.

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Does The Second Amendment Simply Say, ‘A well regulated Militia shall not be infringed’?

It’s true that we all carry baggage when engaged in a debate. We all have our own ideas about how things should work and what things mean. So when it comes to a debate on guns and the Second Amendment, my baggage is “regulation.” A gun rights advocate will haul around their “unfettered access to firearms” attaché.  So it’s likely our interpretations, in a parsing of the Second Amendment, will be quite different.

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FCC Indecency Standards: Conservative Sponsored Government Censorship

The only people hanging on to antiquated FCC indecency regulations are conservatives and their various “family” groups. The rest of us recognize this for what it is, government censorship. Everyone could point to something they dislike when it comes to big media companies, but that is not a reason to violate the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Government can regulate industries, but it should never stifle free speech.

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UK Takes On ‘Too Big To Fail’ Banks

There is no political will in the United States to do what’s necessary to make sure we don’t see a repeat of the 2008 financial meltdown. The reason might be more complex, but at the root of it is this: money in politics. Our elected officials are beholden to the banks, not the citizens. Across the pond, some are showing the political courage necessary to stabilize the financial system, and make it more amiable to the average person. If successful, banks in the UK will no longer be able to gamble with customer deposits. No longer will banks lean on taxpayer bailouts to hedge against unnecessary risk.

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Many on Wall Street say greed is necessary

Many on Wall Street say greed is good, or at least necessary. Apparently they watched the Oliver Stone movie Wall Street (1987) and interpreted it as a training tool for how to get rich instead of its intended purpose of revealing what’s wrong with the financial system.

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Greed: It’s Why We Need Strong Financial Regulations To Avoid Another Meltdown

I think it’s safe to say that all but the most extreme (and potentially selfish) anti-government libertarians would be for regulations when it comes to aviation including the safety of the airplane that takes you to see Aunt Betty in St. Louis. I think most would be hesitant to trust a for-profit company to regulate itself when it comes to the flight-worthiness of an aircraft. Sure, a company that neglects maintenance and has many fatal accidents is likely to go out of business quickly but nobody is willing to allow that market to work itself out because it means putting your life on the line when you board an airplane.

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A Brief: The State Of Capitalism In The United States Of America

I want to make one point very clear, there has never been a “free market” in the United States. If lobbyists can descend on Washington to sway congress to shape legislation in favor of their clients (corporations) then there is nothing free about the marketplace of capitalism in this country. A free market would mean no oversight, no favors, and no regulations. I’m not saying that would be desirable, I’m simply pointing out a fact that gets overlooked when people talk about the free market. They are talking about something that doesn’t exist.

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