Some millennials are attracted to socialism because…

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achievement, capitalism, centralized capitalism, communties, decentralized capitalism, dignity, equality, escapism, government efficacy, government paternalism, helicopter parenting, jingoism, local economies, millennials, narcissism, patriotism, profit maximization, self esteem, self-reliance, social welfare, socialism, wasteland of the free

… they grew up under helicopter parenting. They grew up under the delusion that someone, something — even if mom and/or dad failed at this — should provide protection. The expectation is that paternal government should take care of them.

For those on the left, when “mom” failed to secure the White House in 2016, this held the traumatic equivalency of witnessing one’s parent or parents being shot in front of them. Of course, those on the right saw the cheered ascendancy of the last macho, stern “dad” enter the White House, still believing in the illusion that a few welts on the ass will cure all of our troubles.

In either case, these deceived Americans cling to the belief, despite so much evidence to the contrary in the 21st century, that government should not only attend to all social ills (positively or negatively), but that it is still capable of attending to all social ills.

In addition, millennials are unaware of the distinctions between centralized and decentralized capitalism. Millennials were not around when the last neighborhood grocery stores and independent hardware stores disappeared in the ’60s and ’70s (save for some neighborhoods in major urban areas), when the last vestiges of the decentralized capitalism mentality from earlier times finally faded, when corporations turned from being stewards of their hometowns to focusing solely on profit maximization.

All changes in the zeitgeist that came at the expense of society’s welfare, of ensuring a level playing field.

And thanks to that profit maximization mentality, present and future generations of Americans will lose their sense of self responsibility, of looking out for others in their neighborhoods and communities, of knowing the dignity that comes with substantive achievement, and substantive failures— not achievement manufactured in a bubble to protect “self esteem.”

They will never be provided a chance to find their place under the sun. From here on out, the focus will increasingly be about survival, about the continued unfolding of the Shitty Society, of completing the formation of the Wasteland of the Free.

And so, the individual’s reliance on social media to “create themselves” or “find themselves” will remain. When that flavor enhancer loses its saltiness, they’ll increasingly turn to the use of legal and illegal drugs, of alcohol, of virtual reality games, of adrenaline-pumping extreme sports, of travel, of anything that feeds their narcissism, that provides escapism.

And the last vestiges of American society will disappear with this surge in misdirected motion disguised as effort.

All that will remain is senseless American patriotic jingoism, a paper-thin veneer to convince us we still have a country.

Until that veneer rips in two….

Racism, Sexism and the Consuming Society

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absolute scarcity, belonging, centralization, coherence, community, competition, comprehension, consumerism, consumption, contentment, envy, globalization, institutions, liberty, life, manageability, meaning, pursuit of happiness, racism, recognition, salutogenesis, sexism, value, zero-sum game

When we build a society around a hyper-competitive form of centralized economics, generation after generation is indoctrinated with the idea that life is a zero-sum game. When one takes, another must lose.

Thus, we must live in a world of absolute scarcity.

All comers are in competition with me.

I must have a “better” address. I must have a “better” vehicle, a “better” job, “better” clothes, “better” memberships.

When I Jones my neighbors, I must be “winning.”

The comparisons are nearby, at arm’s length. The human brain more readily comprehends that which is local, not that which is distantly removed.

Yet, our world becomes increasingly globalized, and the negative effects of that globalization is what causes our lives to sink into oblivion.

Freedom

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clothing, consumerism, contentment, desire, dignity, food, freedom, happiness, liberty, love, materialism, relationships, shelter

The one who meets his needs, but rises above his wants, has found freedom.

Turkey’s Crackdown on a Free Press, Free Speech and Asli Erdogan

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2016 Turkish coup, Asli Erdogan, authoritarian government, authors, Bill of Rights, censorship, Fethullah Gülen, free speech, freedom of the press, human rights, journalists, Kurdish Movement, Kurdistan Workers Party, Kurds, media, newspapers, Ozgur Gundem, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, The City in Crimson Cloak, Turkey, tyranny, writers

During the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign, a Trump supporter (background here) was photographed wearing a t-shirt that read: “Rope. Tree. Journalist. Some assembly required.”

Perhaps the t-shirt’s message was meant to be tongue-in-cheek, but the message landed with a dull thud. Free speech and a free press are pillars of the U.S. Bill of Rights, even if those freedoms are abused by certain quarters. There is little room to joke about such matters.

And such matters as a free press become more poignant in light of international attacks on a free press, particularly in Turkey.

There, in the wake of a coup attempt to oust President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, mass arrests of journalists have been undertaken, media outlets closed, and many other civil and military purges undertaken.

To humanize the situation in Turkey, simply follow the stories (here and here) of Turkish novelist Asli Erdogan (no relation to the Turkish president).

You Didn’t See That Trump Voter Coming.

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2016 presidential campaign, affirmative action, age-ism, American workers, college costs, college tuition, declining middle class, dignity, Donald Trump, equal opportunity employer, extended households, foreign workers, free trade, futility, globalization, healthcare insurance, Hillary Clinton, indignity, inflation, middle-class anger, misogyny, offshoring, racism, rural counties, rust belt, stagnant income, student loans, substance abuse, Trump voters, underemployment, unemployment, women in the workforce, xenophobia

This place has changed for good
Your economic theory said it would
It’s hard for us to understand
We can’t give up our jobs the way we should

“We Work the Black Seam” – Sting

__________

You didn’t see him. He blindsided you. You didn’t catch a glimpse of him out of the corner of your eye. You couldn’t feel his presence every time you traveled past the shadowlands of the Rust Belt, or through those rural counties you had to tolerate while you drove to some place where the sun still shines. You couldn’t hear his heavy breathing, seething at the realities that were descending upon his disintegrating existence.

You didn’t notice that Trump voter, that 50-year-old former tool-and-die maker with 25 years of experience.

That 50-something tool-and-die maker knows how to cut metal to a thousandth of an inch, knows how to set up a job blindfolded. His job was taken over by some kid who is the victim of a dysfunctional education system, willing to take half the salary; little matter his inexperience cut productivity of the position in half.

Or more likely, that tool-and-die maker saw his job shipped overseas, all in the name of free trade and globalization. The tool-and-die makers in Southeast Asia work for a fifth of what that American tool-and-die maker earned. Why should that American keep his job, unless he’s willing to accept a fifth of what he made last year?

You were hoping that tool-and-die maker would simply drop into a deep crevice somewhere, and he was supposed to accept life in that crevice, because that was the way of “free trade,” of “globalization.”

In fact, “free trade” has little to do with the trade of goods, and more to do with American corporations finding overseas sources of the lowest-cost labor. But the tool-and-die maker hears the phrase “free trade,” and his hatred of this misnomer grows, exponentially.

Decentralizing economies.

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centralized capitalism, corporate profits, Corporatism, decentralized capitalism, economic ecosystems, effectiveness, efficiency, Hayek, human capital, human dignity, Indiana University Kelley School of Business, local economies, modern complex societies, Schumpeter, social capital, sustainability

Over Thanksgiving break, a vandal scrawled the following graffiti across an exterior wall at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business:

“Fuck Capitalism.”

It may be a convenience for a graffiti artist to use “capitalism” as a monolithic term – just as “socialism,” “communism” or “anarchism” are treated in the same fashion – but it is indeed small minded to maintain this monolithic treatment within serious discussions. There is – surprise – more than one type of capitalism, and the time to discuss the alternatives has arrived, now.

The attempt to erase the “Fuck Capitalism” sentiment, added to the Kelley School of Business in November 2014, was in vain.

The arguments against (centralized) capitalism are numerous, and the examples of the dysfunctional nature of centralized capitalism – as it has emerged over the past couple of centuries – are readily found. But I remain supportive of (decentralized) capitalism because I believe there is something intrinsic in the nature of humanity that desires recognition for one’s efforts.

Sadly, this “recognition” has been translated by centralized capitalism to mean one’s salary, but that is a very empty translation. We can live in trendy neighborhoods, drive expensive vehicles and join the exclusive clubs but at the end of our lives, on our deathbeds, we realize we were just another anonymous gnat on the ass of the universe. The world, at large, does not know us, appreciate us, or can even comprehend what in the hell we actually accomplished while manipulating spreadsheets on our computer monitors. Centralized capitalism – with the exception of the very few – renders us anonymous, insignificant, and isolated.

Decentralized capitalism holds the potential to render us valuable, as being significant, as holding meaning… within a local community, within a local economy. I may be nothing more than the village butcher, baker or candlestick maker, but I provide an invaluable service to the local residents of my neighborhood or village. I am recognized for my work, and the value I bring to a community. Such recognition, value and sense of dignity cannot be bought with a paycheck.

The Economic Metaphors of ‘All is Lost’

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Academy Awards, All is Lost, American skills, American worker, artificial intelligence, Cal Yacht, cheap goods, China, Corporatism, critical thinking, decline of household wages, economic metaphors, economic rescue, globalization, J.C. Chandor, Margin Call, offshoring jobs, Oscars, profits, Robert Redford

Now that the hub-bub of the Oscars is over, it’s an appropriate time to examine the metaphor-laden film, All is Lost. It was nominated for an Academy Award in sound editing (but ultimately taken by Gravity), but received little attention during Oscar season. I believe the economic metaphors were recognized by the elites, and they weren’t very interested in promoting All is Lost any more than necessary.

I must provide a spoiler alert, although the film is one of those “have-to-see-it” experiences. Having read summaries before seeing All is Lost, I held some trepidation about the film, wondering if a single cast member with a dialogue-less script (there is a short voice-over at the beginning) could really pull it off.

It works. As I said, you have to see it for yourself to believe such a sparse premise can keep your attention.

However, I do not plan to undertake a scene-by-scene analysis here. The broader strokes are discussed. I’ll leave it to the viewer to fill in the gaps. And forgive me if some of the descriptions show my lack of understanding the nomenclature. Having hailed from the Midwest doesn’t lend itself to a very full education of maritime knowledge.

The economic overtures are already at a start when we learn All is Lost was written and directed by J.C. Chandor, who garnered an Academy Award nomination for best original screenplay for Margin Call, an excellent film on Wall Street’s role in the Global Financial Crisis.

The Focus is on Cheap Labor, Not Immigration

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aging labor force, cheap labor, demographic cliff, green card, guest workers, H-1B visas, H-1B workers, illegal immigrants, immigration, immigration reform, IT, labor markets, population growth, Silicon Valley, skilled labor, STEM, technology industry, technology sector, temporary workers

Today is May Day, a universal recognition of labor everywhere save the U.S.: We have  “Labor Day” in September, which serves as a proxy for the end of summer. Thus, Labor Day is a bit of a downer, even if the weather doesn’t start to change towards fall for another month.

May Day, however, has always been tinged with workers’ movements, socialism, communism, etc., etc., so its always been viewed as a little unseemly, hence the U.S. had to create its own day for labor recognition.

Nevertheless, labor is a hot-button issue these days in the U.S., so May Day seems to be a good day to post on labor issues.

Wait. What labor issues? Who’s talking about labor issues?

Well, if truth be told, the entire immigration reform battle, er, discussion, revolves around the labor issue, not the immigration issue. More specifically, cheap labor, and more specifically than that, cheap skilled labor.