Mastodawn

Pragmatikon May 15, 2023

Capitalism is only a “failure” if your definition of a “successful” political system is one that accomplishes the most good for the most people. #definition #politics #capitalism

RE: https://sfba.social/users/professorhank/statuses/110374924208406000

Professor Hank 🤘✊ ☑ 🍻🖖 (@[email protected])

#Capitalism is a failure. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/14/business/economy/wealth-generations.html #Politics #Socialism

SFBA.social

Pragmatikon May 9, 2023

Ancient Christians believed that usury (what we moderns call “finance”) was a sin worse than murder.

Judas is still hymned as a traitor for the sake of silver in Orthodox churches.

RE: https://mastodon.sdf.org/users/ItsMissRiss/statuses/110334993722415299

Miss Riss (@[email protected])

Guys, I think commodifying every single aspect of existence into for profit ventures might have some downsides.

Mastodon @ SDF

Pragmatikon May 6, 2023

PSA for 🇺🇸 people (with parallels in other countries):

If you're a former Democrat or Republican, and you have reached the point in your political evolution where you're already calling yourself an independent -- please be reassured that there are multitudes of us outside the walled garden of partisan politics who are rooting for you.

We don't all agree with each other out here in the open, but we know that's just part of being human. It's a lot less "winner-take-all" out here; much less like living in a dysfunctional family, and much more like living in a college dorm, or engaging in a friendly if vigorous debate with new acquaintances at the local watering hole.

We'd love it if you joined us. We understand that you may not be ready, yet. You may still think that one political party is merely incompetent, but is the only alternative against the pure evil of the other. You might still watch or read the propaganda of one party and believe that it is "more factual" than the cable channel or newspaper of the other.

When you're ready, though, go ahead and dip one tentative toe in the waters of the politically homeless. There are journalists, bloggers, news organizations, podcasters aplenty, who all read the same news you do, but have a very different understanding of what's being communicated. You'd be amazed at the good that can come from just a few months of listening to the experiences and insights of someone who grew up in the same abusive political family you did, but who has been through enough therapy to see the dysfunction for what it is.

Wherever you are in your journey, on behalf of all of us out here breathing free air and thinking free thoughts: keep going!

Pragmatikon May 6, 2023

Do the decent thing: chip in.

We’ve been given a lot; let’s give back a little.

If you can afford recurring, give the value you receive.

If you can’t, set up a manual renewal.

But go ahead and commit. Even a one-time $5 donation will make a huge difference.

RE: https://stop.voring.me/notes/939cai1rty

ThatOneCalculator (@thatonecalculator)

:boost_requested: I'm now accepting donations! :boost_requested: I'm working on (and will continue to work on) #Calckey and would love some support. Doesn't have to be anything major, but a couple coffees or meals would be pretty awesome as right now I'm not employed :calchappy: https://liberapay.com/ThatOneCalculator/

ThoseFewCalculators

Pragmatikon Apr 26, 2023

Janel Comeau Apr 11, 2023

incredible that we spent decades worrying about dystopias where the government chooses your housing and food, only to end up in an even dumber dystopia where the government simply doesn't care that you can't afford either

Pragmatikon Apr 26, 2023

https://mastodon.sdf.org/@HaysPost/110264552033574157

One of the problems with capitalism, and "intellectual property" specifically, is that lots of people at John Deere think it's moral to hold farmers hostage.

Their goal is to hold hostage the food supply of their victims. This is the behavior of raiders, barbarians, ravaging hordes throughout history.

The most workable historical solution to such existential threats has been to slaughter the invaders and destroy their ability to wage war and starve their victims.

Laws like this are helpful at slowing the spread of our culture's return to a type of feudalism, but they're the equivalent of lying down at a construction site in front of the bulldozer.

John Deere (DE) is almost 80% institutionally owned. The civilizational question is therefore probably: how many hedge fund managers and John Deere C-suite would need to be slaughtered in battle in order to reset the cultural expectations that created this fiasco in the first place?

Hays Post (@[email protected])

Attached: 1 image State is 1st to pass ‘right to repair’ for farmers https://hayspost.com/posts/22fa9d59-cb29-4b71-92cb-a29926a8be1b?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon

Mastodon @ SDF

Pragmatikon Apr 25, 2023

🔥 right now: @atomicpoet explaining how decisions shape culture.

The lens is #Mastodon, the #Fediverse, #TwitterExiles, etc.

But the lesson is decentralization vs. surveillance capitalism, and it is universal and timeless.

Pragmatikon Apr 24, 2023

https://zehr.substack.com/p/student-loan-math

A republic "can only exist until its people discover they can vote themselves largesse out of the public treasury."

Because our culture worships money, we tend to apply this dictum to the poor and starving. We many of moderate means do not question the propaganda of our wealthiers, and are inclined to parrot them by describing the basic quality-of-life re-allocations of capital necessary to sustain a free society as "welfare", while euphemising handouts to the rich with phrases like "capital gains taxes".

But to sustain a free society, that society must ensure that citizens have basic needs met; things like getting to & from places, eating, raising children, recovering from injuries, what we wear, educating ourselves, providing shelter.

In spite of our religious devotion to money, we implicitly understand these things have always and at all times been governed and regulated. That's why we haven't yet renamed government agencies, which regulate the cultural necessities of a free society, the way we have like to euphemize handouts for the rich; else we'd be calling the department of Transportation something like "Aid to Families with Needy Distances".

In a free society, Transportation and Health and Work and Food and Housing and more besides are regulated in ways that preserve a free people. If we wanted to destroy liberty, we would first destroy equality of opportunity.

To identify who's a danger to a free society, we have only to look for those who know how to acquire the most largesse from the public treasury.

To know whether a law or regulation will promote a free society, we have only to ask where the bulk of the benefit will end up? does the rule promote equality of opportunity? or does it redistribute the public treasury in ways that promote inequality?

If the effect of something is inequality, but it is propagandized as something to promote equality of opportunity, we're witnessing what's called a "confidence scam" - a con. Student loans are just such a con. They're a long con, but they're a con.

Call the perpetrators what we will: grifters, con artists, "corrupt" politicians; Ayn Rand types like to use the word "looters". If the shoe fits...

Student Loan Math

Something doesn't add up...

The Creative Generalist