The late P.J. O'Rourke once declared that the three branches of Government were 'money, television, and bullsh*t'. They could equally be the constituent elements of 'The Apprentice' and the means of State Capture.
'they saw and liked Trump on TV’s The Apprentice and bought into the great fun it would mean to have him in charge'
.................................
The comparison with youngsters who bought into the military recruitment ads is tragically resonant, and I can't help suspect that some Trump voters bought into the illusion upon which 'The Apprentice' was predicated: Trump as the successful self-made man: ('you too could be like me !'). For many, this on its own may have been seductive enough even without the 'owning the libtards' BS. As for electing a tyrant, that's something that happens in other countries...
What I don't understand is the continuing delusion about Trump as a 'dealmaker' - how many dodgy bankruptcies, bailouts and backhanders vs STRAIGHT deals ? (Not to mention the 30+ convictions for dishonest business practices.)
That’s a decent line, but just as P.J. O’Rourke became an unfunny boot-licking libertarian later in his descent, but the line refers not to the junior partner that is government, but to the real three branches of government: corporations, corporations, corporations. Religions, are, of course, corporations in the US.
Take whatever “actions” you want against these powers, but be real about futility.
The bombs have already been made. The obesity snack foods have already been produced across the globe. Offshore tax havens like the US control the world’s financial system. Bullshit jobs are the only way to make a buck.
Does Russ not know this? Should we just keep up this charade of “fighting” comprehensive evil with nothing more than a sneeze?
Grouchy Chomskyian complaining about... everything...is not a good look. You havent told me a single thing I and everyone else doesn't know. You're justifiably angry at "the system" -- and who isn't? But generations of people railing against it has produced what, concretely, please? And, pray tell, what enormous sacrifice have you made, personally? And what impact has that had? Change seems to come from ordinary people making small decisions to care about things. Don't insult others who are trying to at least apply some pressure where they can.
Nah, it's the precise opposite of Chomsky, to his devoting every single waking hour to the documentation of every successful horror perpetuated by the supersystem that governs our lives. To what end?
"Generations of people railing against it has produced what" - isn't that the question I've asked of you? It's produced nothing but this dystopia. Do you think the system should never be questioned, even by its beneficiaries?
What "enormous sacrifice" have I made? Is the the price of entry to being a social critic? Are you asking yourself and all your followers to renounce all their fossil fuel privileges and live under a rock?
What Margaret Mead-style "change" do you allege is coming from "ordinary people making small decisions"? A nicer corporate shopping site?
People tend to all pissed off if the effect of their good intentions is in any way questioned. It's like the Fourth Rail of human communication.
This is an exhausting, exhaustive list of predation, but the windup seems off - living in the global corporate supersystem is not an elective. The social power held by extraction/production corporations is beyond comprehension in its scale and massivity.
The late P.J. O'Rourke once declared that the three branches of Government were 'money, television, and bullsh*t'. They could equally be the constituent elements of 'The Apprentice' and the means of State Capture.
'they saw and liked Trump on TV’s The Apprentice and bought into the great fun it would mean to have him in charge'
.................................
The comparison with youngsters who bought into the military recruitment ads is tragically resonant, and I can't help suspect that some Trump voters bought into the illusion upon which 'The Apprentice' was predicated: Trump as the successful self-made man: ('you too could be like me !'). For many, this on its own may have been seductive enough even without the 'owning the libtards' BS. As for electing a tyrant, that's something that happens in other countries...
What I don't understand is the continuing delusion about Trump as a 'dealmaker' - how many dodgy bankruptcies, bailouts and backhanders vs STRAIGHT deals ? (Not to mention the 30+ convictions for dishonest business practices.)
'Money, television, and bullsh*t' anybody ?
That’s a decent line, but just as P.J. O’Rourke became an unfunny boot-licking libertarian later in his descent, but the line refers not to the junior partner that is government, but to the real three branches of government: corporations, corporations, corporations. Religions, are, of course, corporations in the US.
Take whatever “actions” you want against these powers, but be real about futility.
The bombs have already been made. The obesity snack foods have already been produced across the globe. Offshore tax havens like the US control the world’s financial system. Bullshit jobs are the only way to make a buck.
Does Russ not know this? Should we just keep up this charade of “fighting” comprehensive evil with nothing more than a sneeze?
Grouchy Chomskyian complaining about... everything...is not a good look. You havent told me a single thing I and everyone else doesn't know. You're justifiably angry at "the system" -- and who isn't? But generations of people railing against it has produced what, concretely, please? And, pray tell, what enormous sacrifice have you made, personally? And what impact has that had? Change seems to come from ordinary people making small decisions to care about things. Don't insult others who are trying to at least apply some pressure where they can.
Nah, it's the precise opposite of Chomsky, to his devoting every single waking hour to the documentation of every successful horror perpetuated by the supersystem that governs our lives. To what end?
"Generations of people railing against it has produced what" - isn't that the question I've asked of you? It's produced nothing but this dystopia. Do you think the system should never be questioned, even by its beneficiaries?
What "enormous sacrifice" have I made? Is the the price of entry to being a social critic? Are you asking yourself and all your followers to renounce all their fossil fuel privileges and live under a rock?
What Margaret Mead-style "change" do you allege is coming from "ordinary people making small decisions"? A nicer corporate shopping site?
People tend to all pissed off if the effect of their good intentions is in any way questioned. It's like the Fourth Rail of human communication.
This is an exhausting, exhaustive list of predation, but the windup seems off - living in the global corporate supersystem is not an elective. The social power held by extraction/production corporations is beyond comprehension in its scale and massivity.
All the more reason to take whatever action we can ?
Thank you for speaking out, Russ!