The Impending Death of Modern Capitalism
Let's make sure we're all on the same page on the definition of capitalism.
It's basically a system in which private owne
The oligarchs don't care. They're the house taking their rake. And it's not like an impossible issue to fix. Basically raising taxes an additional 20-25% on incomes over $150K, if redistributed would be enough to lift all incomes up to our current median level.It's not just the oligarchs not wanting to give anything up.
It’s actually true that there are many politicians who want the wealthy to be wealthier more than many of the wealthy want to be wealthier.
The oligarchs don't care. They're the house taking their rake. And it's not like an impossible issue to fix. Basically raising taxes an additional 20-25% on incomes over $150K, if redistributed would be enough to lift all incomes up to our current median level.It's not just the oligarchs not wanting to give anything up.
maybe .
But it’s the only ones that wouldn’t see a damn difference if they were stuck to pay 20% more taxes income .
Them and 1 or 2 generations afterwards wouldn’t feel a damn thing .
Not for someone earning 200k .
They would feel the pinch immediately.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/us/po...
Things are getting really dark ..... as we have a) allowed residential housing to be commoditized and monopolized by investors to gouge maximum rent and b) made it impossible for young people to get on the property ladder and c) have failed to create a critical mass of financially rewarding careers ..... we have initiated a crisis in homelessness.
In 2024, official homelessness increased by 18% in the US. A national record.
What these people need is a meal and a place to sleep. Instead they are going to be imprisoned in places where the govt lies to the public about the intentions for these people. They claim to be interested in mental health rehabilitation ..... the only problem is that the mental health providers are already overbooked. There is no resource of trained professionals waiting to fill such positions.
Mass homelessness is the output of the American capitalist system which only does one thing well ..... aggregate wealth in the hands of fewer and fewer people. Money has a gravitational force and it wants to multiply. Money is an idea like a virus which has hacked into its human host. Mega billionaires accumulate money as a manifestation of primitive dominance rituals. It's a dick measuring contest between people like Musk, Bezos, Ellison and even lesser billionaires like Trump.
Instead of only enriching these people, we could build dormitories which could house and feed people while allowing them the freedom to enjoy public parks and mingle with the rest of the public. We could give them a choice of different kinds of volunteer work.
This is what we did to the Japanese in WW2. We put them into internment camps. That's how the Nazi's started with the Jews. They sequestered them in ghettos.
The oligarchs are trying to hide the ugliness of the system by removing the losers from view. They are out of control ..... they are compulsively hoarding at the expense of the stable social fabric of the nation.
maybe .
But it’s the only ones that wouldn’t see a damn difference if they were stuck to pay 20% more taxes income .
As I've said, there aren't enough of them to make much difference. The bottom 99% consume 90% of the goods and services produced. So whether they feel a pinch or not, the only way to make much difference for the bottom 50% is by redistributing consumption from the next 49%.
As I've said, there aren't enough of them to make much difference. The bottom 99% consume 90% of the goods and services produced. So whether they feel a pinch or not, the only way to make much difference for the bottom 50% is by redistributing consumption from the next 49%.
We’d probably improve everyones lives if we took 25% of all upper middle class mens stuff. Instead of living in an $800,000 Mcmansion, now you live in a charming $600,000 rancher. Instead of driving chevy corvette stinger now you drive a volvo. Instead of 5 fitted suits you now have four suits you got from jos a banks. Instead of a 74 inch tv you have 56 inch tv. Instead of eating out at steakhouses now you eat at pokebowl and vietnamese restuarants. Instead of buying colections of books you wont read, youll actually pore through books and records at the library. Absolute moral and spiritual victory.
We should get rid of capitalism entirely but that would require us to socially construct something better than money. I don’t think humans are capable of that right now. Maybe in the future when we have better people.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/us/po...Things are getting really dark ..... as we have a) allowed residential housing to be commoditized and monopolized by investors to gouge maximum rent and b) made it impossible for young people to get on the property ladder and c) have failed to create a critical mass of financially rewarding careers ..
You couldn’t be more right. The last sentence has shade of Michel Foucault who often wrote about the implications of society shifting punishment away from the public square and out of view. The hard right wants a return to the institutions of the 1920’s-1960’s that kept all the “damaged” people away for good.
As I've said, there aren't enough of them to make much difference. The bottom 99% consume 90% of the goods and services produced. So whether they feel a pinch or not, the only way to make much difference for the bottom 50% is by redistributing consumption from the next 49%.
again...
we live in a debt based sytem, meaning we have more debts then money.
that concept is irrelevant.
the economy isnt working on net cash.
them paying more tax would have big effect.
As I've said, there aren't enough of them to make much difference. The bottom 99% consume 90% of the goods and services produced. So whether they feel a pinch or not, the only way to make much difference for the bottom 50% is by redistributing consumption from the next 49%.
Just a flat increase across the board with a 30% tax hike above 200k will come somewhat close to matching what Covid stimulus did during the heyday. And a 30% across all incomes could easily be improved to a progressive rate for higher earners while dropping 200k'ers down to a fraction of that - if at all.
It would also
...not add debt like covid stim because its funded by taxes and you're not borrowing
...can be recurring instead of a one timer
...increases inflation at a much lower rate
The thing there is that you have a foundation to get yourself out of a potential shithole situation without burning up the economy. When all the fools start expressing that they want to eliminate capitalism because of some knuckle dragging emotional take, they'd be unknowingly eliminating the opportunity to help create a bit of lasting mobility and the very mechanisms that allow wealth redistribution to actually lift people out of poverty without collapsing the system.
We’d probably improve everyones lives if we took 25% of all upper middle class mens stuff. Instead of living in an $800,000 Mcmansion, now you live in a charming $600,000 rancher. Instead of driving chevy corvette stinger now you drive a volvo. Instead of 5 fitted suits you now have four suits you got from jos a banks. Instead of a 74 inch tv you have 56 inch tv. Instead of eat
You want to make a government agency whos job is to steal from people? Maybe we could call it IRSv2.
Let's make sure we're all on the same page on the definition of capitalism.It's basically a system in which private ownership of everything prevails. It's a system which provides rewards to the people who meet the marketplace desires of consumer. I will define "modern" as the system of the last half century when the dominant generation (Boomers) of the dominant nation (USA) ent
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The Trump Administration is beginning to garnish the wages of those in default on student loans.
The Trump Administration is beginning to garnish the wages of those in default on student loans.
Good, just like wages were garnished before the invisible enemy hit. But I'm sure those with loans were setting monthly payment money aside during the 43 months loan payments were paused so they're gonna be fine.
The Trump Administration is beginning to garnish the wages of those in default on student loans.
Good. Student loans were never forgiven they were just transferred from the person who borrowed and benefitted from the money to the taxpayer. Why do you believe the taxpayer should pay the bill?
its actually pretty funny the americans pays double the cost of the second most expensive healthcare provider in the world switzerland (which by themselves are very expensive compared to any other developed countries) and yet amercians think they have an amazing system.
but since they elected trump TWICE im not surprised on how much garbage they can swallow...
Good. Student loans were never forgiven they were just transferred from the person who borrowed and benefitted from the money to the taxpayer. Why do you believe the taxpayer should pay the bill
Societal stability and order is the master directive of the government that I would choose.
A century ago, the French and British insisted at Versailles on a debt load that the Germans couldn't pay. That decision worked out pretty poorly for all concerned.
Figure of speech ..... important not to break the camel's back, no ?
There's a limit to how much punishment people will tolerate before you get a rebellion on your hands.
Societal stability and order is the master directive of the government that I would choose. A century ago, the French and British insisted at Versailles on a debt load that the Germans couldn't pay. That decision worked out pretty poorly for all concerned. Figure of speech ..... important not to break the camel's back, no ?
Is the burden of student loan debt more or less likely to spark a rebellion than forcing people into prison camps with mandatory labor to meet your environmental goals?
I honestly feel like this is a good starting point to put a few things into perspective.
I don't remotely support prison camps etc but i think that's a false comparison
Obviously prison camps is a vastly bigger issue than free tuition but it's supposedly addressing a vastly bigger problem. So it could be argued it reduces the chance of a rebellion. Maybe more so that free tuition would.
Is the burden of student loan debt more or less likely to spark a rebellion than forcing people into prison camps with mandatory labor to meet your environmental goals?
I honestly feel like this is a good starting point to put a few things into perspective.
Mostly the actual issues are a veil for the lust of power over others.
I mean irrespective of what the wealthy are doing or the government isn't, Bernie, AOC et al have enough followers to end homelessness without hardly a burden. As I said helping people isn't an end in itself for people with political aspirations, just the means to satisfy their driving lust.
I don't remotely support prison camps etc but i think that's a false comparison
Obviously prison camps is a vastly bigger issue than free tuition but it's supposedly addressing a vastly bigger problem. So it could be argued it reduces the chance of a rebellion. Maybe more so that free tuition would.
I'd be interested in hearing you argue this.
The chances of a rebellion might be greatly increased if extreme weather events, fires, floods, water shortages, days with unbreathable hot air etc become increasingly common. While more and more people find their homes/businesses unviable/uninsurablea and the general economic costs massive. Refugees pressure from outside going through the roof. Internal movements of people causing discontent. Etc etc
If that was the alternative then measures to prevent might increase the chance of a rebellion from now but reduce it from what it would become if we didn't take those measures.
That's the argument. I believe it's a very serious problem but I don't think prison camps help so I wouldn't argue that bit.
