Capitalism Does not Exist-part 1

This post will be multiple parts as it grows. The idea is to show when people talk about free market or capitalism it is a myth and does not exist. It is to show how it cannot solve problems like many political people will say. "Get government out of business or the market place, the market will solve the problem" Other statements like this are just not true. Adam Smith the founder of capitalism or modern economics came up with the idea of capitalism and the invisible hand. He was arguing for capitalism versus mercantilism. Adam Smith believed in the idea of competition and the role of the government was to protect property rights, resolve property right disputes and prevent monopolies. At his time the East India Trading Company was the largest company in the world and had monopolies in multiple areas. Free enterprise and capitalism is where people and firms answer the 3 basic economic questions and own the factors of production. Characteristics of capitalism is voluntary exchange, limited government, private property, competition, price system, profit motive and economic freedom. Now most would say we have voluntary exchange, private property, profit motive and economic freedom. The areas that kill capitalism is the lack of competition which is key. My conservatives would say that government is not limited and is too active in the economy. The price system is modified by government is some industries but for the most part would be a characteristic that works for capitalism. Perfect competition markets have four characteristics and none of them truly exist in any industry or market in the US. Number one rule or evidence of perfect competition is that no company or person controls the price. The market will set the price. You can see this characteristic in that there is no menu or set price, but people and firms negotiate prices. The products are identical or very similar in that the buyer does not care who he or she buys from. I can buy from anyone and the product is roughly the same. There is open and free information about the product and prices. It is easy to get information about all products, all companies and quality. Another characteristic is that firms can enter and exit the industry very easily. If profits are large in an industry, a firm will see this and join the industry or market to make the product. This entrance will in effect lower prices and improve quality as more companies are competing for the sales. The last characteristic is that there are many buyers and sellers and this is key. There are not 1, 3, 5 or 20 firms selling the products but thousands or millions. The more companies the better. It is better to have buyers and sellers be close to equal but not required. All of these characteristics and ideas are to improve the product quality and lower the price. With this situation, innovation will occur and even wages will increase as there is competition for workers to innovate and make better products. There is no industry that has these characteristics but most economic classes will point to agriculture, restaurants like pizza or maybe the stock market to visualize this concept. Most of the United States industries have monopolies with one firm in the industry, oligopolies with 3-4 companies controlling a market or monopolistic competition with 5-20 companies controlling industries. Each of these types causes less competition, higher prices, less output or sales and less innovation. They restrict competition and encourage and want higher prices. These industries are oil, cars, breakfast cereals, TV or computers, software, utilities, movies and entertainment, airlines and all of the US economy. We do not have perfect competition or free enterprise. The role of government would be to limit mergers and generate competition. The anti trust busting needs to come back to the US. The not allowing any merger and to make too big to fail a reality. Companies should be cut up to have competition. Most people are against this and do not believe this should be done as it is against people's freedom of enterprise even though it goes against competition. Name one company that wants competition? They want to kill the competition and gobble up the competition. In the early days of the US, the government was involved in business and markets. The railroads could not have been built without the government. Government gave corporations charters, created rules, created tariffs to protect business and gave subsidies to companies to survive. The US government has always been involved in business. Business have been great in marking free enterprise while taking subsidies and grants to make more money. Does EXXON need subsidies? United? Walmart? GE? Agribusiness? The government not only bails out companies but gives free money to companies. Lets get over the idea we are capitalist or have a free market. We don't. It is an economic theory like communism. Just remember one of the US's greatest achievements-winning World War II or landing on the Moon were government controlled and manipulated. I will cover racism and discrimination, innovation and new industries, free trade, privitization government functions, public goods, rules to improve capitalism or how to make it work for everyone and income inequality. Let's discuss the issues and problems with capitalism. Let's learn and make rules that don't change daily. Let's make it work for everyone. Let's stop saying the free market will solve the problem.

Media Bias Against Democrats-Both Bernie and Hillary

The conservative, corporate media have a definite bias against both Bernie and Hillary which supports the republican party. The media does not do research, investigative reporting or even serious news anymore. This includes Sunday News programs like Face the Nation or Meet the Press. The media is more a gate-keeper and they decide what is on the news or score keeper, give shallow details or stories. The more scandals or fights the better. The media in search of profits has changed greatly how they cover the news and that includes politics. The Corporate media is now involved in the discussions and will promote policies and views that support the news organization and parent company. To have extreme candidates, that support policies that ignore evolution, ignore and deny climate change, promote failed economics tax cuts for the rich, cutting safety net programs or infrastructure, that are seen as serious candidates or never called out. In the past these candidates like Ted Cruz or Mike Huckabee would be ignored or called out for their stupidity but today they are promoted and given a platform and not just on Fox News. Extreme positions are allowed to be spewed and never questioned. Now some extreme views are called out like Todd Akin's "legitimate rape" but you never saw the media follow up and show how this view is followed by a good many representatives and a strong view in Christian culture. With Bernie, the media calls him the extreme candidate and a clown. He is a democratic socialist and owns the title but the media uses this label to ignore him. They will have him on the news and talk only about the label and not his views. They will exaggerate his views and make him as a clown versus talk about his views. Bernie has had more people show up to his campaign stops than any other 2016 candidate from either side. Bernie has momentum and excitement and the regular news is treating him poorly as a clown. He is running an excellent campaign, using social media, Q & A sessions and the media when he can. He does not shy away from answering tough questions from people or the press. He is doing an excellent job but the media is biased against him. He deserves so much positive media attention and deserves attention more than any republican candidate except maybe Jeb Bush. Let's see the score keeping of Bernie versus Ted or Bernie versus Chris Christie for campaign stops, issues and number of attendees. Hillary is another story altogether. I am of the belief that everything that I hear or see in the press about Hillary is false. The right wing news from Drudge, Breitbart or World News Daily will throw out conspiracy theories, wild stories and they get picked up by the press. Benghazi has been seen as a terrible scandal but with over 5 investigations and another in process, there is no way that Hillary was involved in any way with the deaths, a stand down or even the aftermath. The email scandal and today the rope scandal. The press will just attack Hillary because she is Hillary. I totally understand her not wanting to talk to the press. Does anyone remember the 1990's? The constant attack, the constant press criticism against the Clinton's. The media has agenda and it is not fair to Hillary in any way possible. The idea is to put out wild remarks or "scandals" to hurt her image and her campaign. Citizens United was a movie against Hillary. The media and right wing have a strong agenda to attack, attack Hillary. With the media not doing their job and looking for ratings, this will hurt Hillary. What is the solution? Break up the companies and not allow any mergers in media. Make sure we have more competition and less large media outlets. Make sure media does not control multiple outlets and in different locations. The media as the fourth branch of government has disappeared. The media as journalism has disappeared. I just laugh when I hear the liberal media. It is people just repeating a meme that has no truth in fact.

Confederate Flag MUST Come Down

States must take the Confederate Flag from government offices and buildings. This treasonous flag needs to be removed from government buildings, monuments as this flag is racist and represents racist heritage. Most people that mention heritage, forget that this is a heritage of hate.This flag and all different types of Stars and Bars flags represent the history of slavery and segregation. This flag represents the economy of the South, it represents the Institution of Slavery, it represents the fight against Civil Rights. When I see the Confederate Flag I think of treason and war. This flag represents actual secession and states leaving the Union. This flag represents over 600,000 deaths over the issue of slavery. The South as noted in the Cornerstone Speech or the individual Acts of Secession by Alabama, Mississippi and other states all point to Slavery as being the main point and reason. Those for the flag give facts that not everyone owned slaves or that the soldiers did not favor slavery. These are empty statistics. The South's economy, government, laws, trade, jobs were based on the agricultural economy of slavery. I hear the War was over states rights, well it was the state's rights to own and have slaves. Today the Flags are used by the KKK, League of the South and Sons of the Confederacy as a symbol of their "heritage" which is really white supremacy. People will say the racism is of the past but recent events show the KKK and other hate groups are on the rise. Southern Black Churches are burning down. Black men are dying in the hands of police or stand your ground laws. Much of the mass killer in Charleston manifesto is what people that fly the Confederate Flag believe. Maybe not all, but a good majority. Look at Southern policies-reducing welfare, arrests, voter ID laws, lack of jobs, not helping with medical care-all of these are directly aimed at southern black people even though they can hurt poor whites as well. They all have views that blacks are inferior, blacks are to blame for ills of the country. While these groups hate other groups like the Jewish People, most of the hate is towards blacks. The Confederate flag definitely causes a hostile work environment for any black american seeing this symbol of hate daily. It is a reminder of the not so distant history of slavery, segregation, Jim Crow, lynchings and discrimination. I am not proposing like the Germans to outlaw the flag (maybe in the future), but lets put the flag in museum. Removing this flag will not stop racism or reduce discrimination, but it is a small beginning to show blacks that this symbol will not be part of government or hailed as a great symbol. It will not be treated just like the American flag but as a symbol of hate and secession. It is time to come down. It is time to remove the flag from buildings, license plates and government property. We are better than this.

Bernie For President

Bernie Sanders is a great candidate. He is honest, trustworthy and speaks from the heart. He marched with Martin Luther King in 1963, he supported gay marriage in 1972 and opposed both the Persian Gulf War and Iraq wars when this was unpopular. He is for the middle class and working class. He believes in $15 minimum wage, Medicare for all, free public education for all students, a roads and infrastructure works program. Not just this, he wants to get money out of politics. He wants to have Citizens United repealed, an amendment or just gone. Bernie believes that climate change is a huge problem and needs to be attacked. Bernie wants to reduce inequality and the wealth gap. He plans on increasing taxes on the wealthy by a few means: a real progressive income tax at higher rates, and a tax on stock transactions. Bernie has been against all types of inequality like discrimination against blacks, gays and lesbians and the poor. Bernie walks the walk and talks the walk. He has not taken any PAC funds and will not set up a Super Pac. This is the first time I have been really for a candidate. I might think that his weak point to me is his stance on gun control. How can I complain when the NRA gives him a grade of D-. While not the worst (best), it is still a grade that I support. I agree with this candidate at least 99% of the time on the issues. It feels wonderful to be for a candidate and not just voting for the lesser of two evils. The more I read, the more I learn about Bernie, the better I feel. Listen to him. Read about him. Do not just see the liberal or socialist or democrat. Look at his views, listen to him. You will be convinced.

Open Letter to the Koch Brothers

Dear David and Charles, It is my hope and dream that you read this letter from my heart. I know this is highly unlikely but it is my American Dream. You two brothers are doing a great job in destroying the middle class and regular working Americans. Your little experiment pouring money into local elections, state elections and national elections is destroying 90% of the population. It is my dream that you keep your billions and stop spending on politics, education or the economy. Just make your money and give it to your famuly. Be greedy and keep it to yourself. That would make me happy. 1) Your desire for tax cuts has brought our country from a creditor nation in the 1970's to a debtor nation of epic proporations today. We do not have a spending problem as you say, but revenue problem. In the 1980's even Ronald Reagan gave a speach that the rich should pay 50% tax rate to pay their share. Due to our constant decrease in taxes we have less money for education, less for the poor, working families and domestic programs. While you two are not the only people asking for more tax cuts, these are benefiting you the most. Your wealth has greatly increased since the charge to lower taxes as you make more money in investments. This is a wealth transfer from working people to you in the 1%. 2) Your campaign against climate change is killing our planet. YOur group is sponsoring lies. Take some of your money and make green technology companies-think long term and investment in safe industries-put noooo. You lie and I mean lie about climate change and then create a group of people that follow you blindly. The 90% will suffer as you can afford to protect yourself from many of the hazards or natural issues. 3) Your crusade against unions, workers and labor is just deplorable. While it helps you obviously, this is causing middle class and working class income, wealth to go down and it is causing a crisis for working people. You two are trying to destroy government programs to help people while paying people too little. Your groups will want to get rid of minimum wage, worker protections and any workplace regulations but you do not want government to help either. You are destroying people's lives by your actions. 4) Libertarianism does not nor has it ever worked. The market place does not make corrections or help people. The marketplace does not prevent slavery, poor working conditions or low wages. The market is imperfect and helps the owners of capital. Your business and your 1% are getting tax breaks, tax credits and government assistance and YOU DO NOT NEED ANY HELP. Working people and middle class needs help. How does any of your companies getting a subsidy follow libertarianism? It does not. You want government to help your business when you need no help but you call everyone else lazy. Why do you deserve any tax help when you inherited your money and I work for a living? 5) Your group attacks education by advocating vouchers, home schooling and charter schools. Any money diverted from public education hurts our country. Yes you are in the 1% and can afford to send your children anywhere-the others cannot. We need public free education. Demoracy requires an intelligent, smart electorate and that is something YOU DO NOT WANT. Most 1% do NOT WANT an informed electorate as they would find out how much you are stealing and taking away from Americans. Please stop advocating your beliefs and causes as they are against over 330 million Americans. What is good for you IS NOT GOOD for AMERICA. I can pick any issue-guns, climate change, education, unions, womens rights, immigration, debt, infrastructure, taxes, healthcare and you are ON THE WRONG SIDE of America. The only reason Republicans are against many of these issue is because of you TWO PEOPLE. Obamacare is a package of REBUBLICAN ideas but of course you are Libertarian and do not care if people die since they do not have a doctor. You do not care if people do not have police if they do not pay for it. You want roads, schools, parks, prisons, everything to be private...you can pay for it but others cannot. You are selfish and greedy and I just wish you kept your money and did not spend it on politics or politicans. Yes, you have that freedom but you do not have the right to hurt other Americans-and you are. Please just keep your money. Please do not kill any more Americans. Please let us work and survive. Your beliefs are killing us. Clayton Guy

A Vote for Republicans in 2014 is a disaster

If the Republicans win in the House and Senate in 2014, this will be a disaster for the US. It means no more laws or actual governance in two years. It most likely means impeachment for the President. It means fighting, arguements and nothing getting done. It means more partisanship. For women, it means less access to abortion. It means a miscarriage is a homocide. It means less contraception acces, it means women will die having abortions. It will mean worse women's health and less access to health care for women. It means more fighting on gay marriage, with more state laws and possibly nullification of court decisions in states. It means less gun laws and more access to guns. It means more guns in bars, in schools, in public. Guns allowed anywhere. It means cutting government, police, teachers, prisons, roads, highways-less government services, less government people. It means lowere GDP and less jobs, and higher unemployment. It means less worker rights-less unions, less pay, less hours, less rights. Business will be able to steal wages as they do now, cut hours that were worked, cut pay that employee earned. No increase in minimum wage It means more war and more fighting overseas. Congress will want to wage war in Syria, Ukraine, and other places-John McCain and others have never turned down any wars to fight. It any fighting with President Obama on everything. Republicans will believe that they have a mandate and they are the only ones who have an opinion. They will disagree with the President on everything. I am still waiting for the Republicans to disagree with the President when he says it is raining. Obamacare were Rebpublican ideas, Cap and Trade is a Republican idea, and there are many ideas that once the President has agreed and used, the Republicans have done the opposite. Republicans care more about their Party than the country. They will cause the country to not pay its bills, default and make unemployment worse. Republicans express joy at bad economic news. Republicans are happy when the US is doing poorly-this is terrible but the Republicans do not care about the US-only winning elections. If the House and Senate are in Republican hands the US will be worse off. Since the President is still there, they will either try to impeach or make the economy and country worse off. They only want to win elections and keep their jobs.

Confederate Flag means Treason

I continue to see the Confederate Flag on people's cars, flying beside the highway-in VA or in Arizona a person flying the US and Confederate Flag at the same time. Many people who fly the Confederate Flag say they love their country. I know to African Americans the Confederate Flag means racism and slavery. I agree but will add that anyone who flys the Confederate Flag, it means Treason. Johnny Reb-reb is short for rebel. The Confederate States of America fought the US in a 4 year war. They committed treason by all definitions. The military men had to pledge an oath to the US and agree to come into the Union. Many felt that they were allowed to come back and be citizens too easily. That is not for this discussion but Conderates are rebels and supported treason. We need to remember this, and not to glorify the treason. How can anyone say they love their country and support treason and war with the US? Yes this is part of our history but not to be glorified and seen as a positive. When I hear the Civil War was the War of Northern Aggression, I can tell this person loves the Confederacy and beleived in Treason, probably today. If I hear nullification, again treason and breaking the constitution. Most of the South and their beliefs lost in the war and there is other way to see the flag but as treason and not supporting the United States of America.