Romney Economics

This video is interesting. I think it speaks to not just Romney Economics, but a very dangerous, selfish portion of corporate America's agenda. Unregulated capitalism is about quick profit, not community, not job creation, not sustainability. It's about profit. That's it. Whatever gets in the way of profit is deemed anti-capitalism, which is in turn deemed anti-American.

http://www.romneyeconomics.com/gst/gst-intro/video

Cooperativism or Balanced Capitalism

It is time for something new.  Unregulated pure capitalism has proven to be as detrimental to the majority as socialism has been in practice. Unregulated capitalism has left us with an extremely concentrated wealth and ravaged other countries resources in ways not unlike early colonialism. We need something different. It's time for a Bourdieu doxa moment of realization. 

I attended a chakra balancing session at my yoga studio the other night. (Go ahead and roll your eyes.) I don't really understand what chakras are or that I believe in them. I just like to try new things. Well, the relevance here is that at the end of the session she started talking about contested dates for the end of the Mayan calendar. She explained that she thought the two dates described a period of shifting and that she thinks we are basically in the midst of a paradigm shift. This reminded me of The Watershed: A Biography of Johannes Kepler that I read in college. The book describes the time period in which Western European thought made a major paradigm shift. The chakra session leader noted the global uprising against our current economic values and asserted we are not happy with the way things are and that she thinks things are beginning to shift. 

I've also been reading in magazines such as Yes! and in online articles and videos about new ways of doing business. Social entrepreneurialism, in particular, catches my attention. There is so much emphasis now on business models more like Tom's Shoes, businesses that benefit the customer, the employees and owner, and the greater community. These businesses thrive best in a capitalist environment and shy away from any taboo labels such as socialist. I think they are portents of what's to come though and what we should all be advocating for. 

Cooperativism or, if that sounds too radical, balanced capitalism is how I would describe my ideal vision for our economy, both globally and at home. Cooperativism is business that is beneficial to all stake holders. Profit becomes only one of goals with value rather than the only goal of value. Our resources and the sustainable use of those resources from extraction to disposal has equal value to profit from product. The life of the product and it's disposal, benefit to community and need has equal value to profit. The health and wellbeing of those that create the product has equal value to the product itself. Most importantly, corporations do not have equal value to the individuals that make up that corporation. 

Things like those single serving coffee makers would be devalued since they create an enormous amount of waste.... 

Confession

So, I actually have things I'd like to say on Facebook but don't much more often than I post here. I have to admit that each time I start to rant about something I feel like I will put a little dent in the universe. And I mean dent in a bad way. Like, does it really help to post my negativity?

Once in a while I like to pick up a new magazine just to look through it and see if anything catches my eye. Most recently I picked up issues of "Urban Farm" and "Yes". The latter really has stuck with me and has become my toilet reading of choice. (Yes, I read on the toilet and if you don't, you're missing out on some quality reading time.)  "Yes"  has kept my attention with articles on state banks and ideas for sustainable and self-created jobs in a down market. The thing is, most of the articles are presenting ideas, alternative options, and highlighting actual achievements rather than just criticisms of what is wrong with our world.

When it really comes down to it, that is what I'd rather be putting out in the universe, but I also have some gripes to get off my chest. So, we'll let this blog slide as my chest getting off place and just remember that it's only one part of how I view the world and my place in it. There, I feel better about dumping on you now in the future. Maybe I'll post a little more often here. Only if you promise not to take me too seriously and know that I have open ears and love a good argument.

Some things that just don't make sense to me....

If folks want government to run like business, why don't they pay government workers like business employees get paid and give government agencies budgets like businesses have (oh wait, government is NOT-FOR-PROFIT)? Why are they against government budget surpluses (they would be great for lean times like this) - that's right states like Oregon don't allow surpluses to carry forward - they literally spend additional money sending surpluses back to the tax payers - that doesn't seem to be good fiscal planning to me)? Why do they require government agencies to be more accountable than businesses (but don't want to fund that accountability)?

If tea party folks believe that they know what the Founding Father's want for us, why don't they advocate for limits to the length of time a corporation can exist? Why do they advocate for more corporate rights than individual rights?

And most of all, why do people who aren't in the top 1% wealthy of our nation agree with them at all?? Don't most people like access to free public education that attempts to do more than train workers, 40 hour work weeks, child labor protections, national holidays (um, family values??), safe equipment, fair wages for labor, a retirement safety net in the event markets crash (including real estate), protections against Potter-like bank practices... I could go on. I just don't get it.

Why don't the Bachmann's and Perry's ask themselves, "If God is communicating through disaster his displeasure, could he be displeased that we are fleecing the poor and rewarding the most powerful and richest?"

13 Year Old Boys Take Sudden Interest in Politics

I saw this link on a friend's Facebook page last night John Boehner Stays Silent on Weiner Scandal. Laying in bed this morning it hit me, this is a pre-pubescent boy's gift from the media. Can you imagine the Government and Law or history class papers and presentations?

• The not so creative child: My paper will be on "Weiner's and Boehners"
• Class clown: For show and tell and I would like to show my Weiner and maybe later my Boehner. 
• The politically optimistic young student: Sexting scandel may bring Weiner and Boehner together. 
• The young feminist: My paper is titled: "Why there are too many Weiners and Boehners in politics." 

Not Your "The Graduate" Moment

So after a week of food poisoning induced diarrhea I now have the need to use some Preparation H wipes. I won't go into detail. I just want to say that it would really be no big deal to purchase these wipes if the cashier were a 50 year old man or woman - OK even a 40 year old. Better yet, bring on the 80 year old retiree. 'Cause you know they've been there, done that. But really, a 17 year old boy. You know he's thinking, "Gross, I will never need those." Just you wait kiddo.

Nothing in this blog is intended as a factual statement.