oligarchy and George Carlin

I've arrived at several ideas about oligarchy and current events in my thinking, alone, and it's always nice when you see the things you thunk up in textbooks or hear them said by others whom you respect.

I put oligarchy in youtube and found ron paul and bernie sanders saying the same things I was thinking, and then George Carlin. Apparently he is quite into it. (it being agreeing with me.)

I am looking for the one from 2015 I was watching last night, in which he was in an interview or roundtable, not standing up on stage; I don't see it at the moment, but am enjoying this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVZMifGcW64

On Monday, April 26, 2021 at 3:25:44 PM UTC-7, Doug Landau wrote:
I've arrived at several ideas about oligarchy and current events in my thinking, alone, and it's always nice when you see the things you thunk up in textbooks or hear them said by others whom you respect.

I put oligarchy in youtube and found ron paul and bernie sanders saying the same things I was thinking, and then George Carlin. Apparently he is quite into it. (it being agreeing with me.)

I am looking for the one from 2015 I was watching last night, in which he was in an interview or roundtable, not standing up on stage; I don't see it at the moment, but am enjoying this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVZMifGcW64

I have a slogan "The public sucks"

On Monday, April 26, 2021 at 5:28:17 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Monday, April 26, 2021 at 3:25:44 PM UTC-7, Doug Landau wrote:
I've arrived at several ideas about oligarchy and current events in my thinking, alone, and it's always nice when you see the things you thunk up in textbooks or hear them said by others whom you respect.

I put oligarchy in youtube and found ron paul and bernie sanders saying the same things I was thinking, and then George Carlin. Apparently he is quite into it. (it being agreeing with me.)

I am looking for the one from 2015 I was watching last night, in which he was in an interview or roundtable, not standing up on stage; I don't see it at the moment, but am enjoying this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVZMifGcW64
I have a slogan "The public sucks"


Regarding oligarchies, they are always great if you are in or running the oligarchy. Similar to government debt, deficits. Its only a problem and tragedy if its caused by the other party. If its caused by you, ain't no problem at all.

On Tue, 27 Apr 2021 15:49:32 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

On Monday, April 26, 2021 at 5:28:17 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Monday, April 26, 2021 at 3:25:44 PM UTC-7, Doug Landau wrote:
I've arrived at several ideas about oligarchy and current events in my thinking, alone, and it's always nice when you see the things you thunk up in textbooks or hear them said by others whom you respect.

I put oligarchy in youtube and found ron paul and bernie sanders saying the same things I was thinking, and then George Carlin. Apparently he is quite into it. (it being agreeing with me.)

I am looking for the one from 2015 I was watching last night, in which he was in an interview or roundtable, not standing up on stage; I don't see it at the moment, but am enjoying this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVZMifGcW64
I have a slogan "The public sucks"


Regarding oligarchies, they are always great if you are in or running the oligarchy. Similar to government debt, deficits. Its only a problem and tragedy if its caused by the other party. If its caused by you, ain't no problem at all.

But aren't all "democracies" today a form of Oligarchy? Where a
relatively small number of individuals actually rule? At least I can't
think of any country that uses the pure form of democracy as first
practiced in Athens.
--
Cheers,

John B.

On Tuesday, April 27, 2021 at 3:49:33 PM UTC-7, wrote:
On Monday, April 26, 2021 at 5:28:17 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Monday, April 26, 2021 at 3:25:44 PM UTC-7, Doug Landau wrote:
I've arrived at several ideas about oligarchy and current events in my thinking, alone, and it's always nice when you see the things you thunk up in textbooks or hear them said by others whom you respect.

I put oligarchy in youtube and found ron paul and bernie sanders saying the same things I was thinking, and then George Carlin. Apparently he is quite into it. (it being agreeing with me.)

I am looking for the one from 2015 I was watching last night, in which he was in an interview or roundtable, not standing up on stage; I don't see it at the moment, but am enjoying this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVZMifGcW64
I have a slogan "The public sucks"
Regarding oligarchies, they are always great if you are in or running the oligarchy. Similar to government debt, deficits. Its only a problem and tragedy if its caused by the other party. If its caused by you, ain't no problem at all.
Russell, you're no economist. You don't understand that because of economic growth in a good economy all you have to do it hold off the growth of the national debt BELOW the economic growth rate and suddenly the growth of the economy takes over and pays all the debt off. That is what the Republicans attempt to do, but the Democrats simply spend money to pay off promises.

There is an extremely large difference in the growth of national growth under Republicans and usually but not always under Democrats. Bill Clinton actually cut the capital gains taxes and the result but the largest drop in the national debt in modern history. Trump was setting the economy up for another of those expansions.

On Wednesday, April 28, 2021 at 2:47:04 AM UTC+1, John B. wrote:

But aren't all "democracies" today a form of Oligarchy? Where a
relatively small number of individuals actually rule? At least I can't
think of any country that uses the pure form of democracy as first
practiced in Athens.
--
Cheers,

John B.

But aren't all posts from Slow Johnny a form of inadequate reading and/or inadequate thought?

Do yourself a favour, Shortass. Get a free copy of the Brittanica 1911, which is the authoritative version, and give the wretched Wikipedia a miss. Try the Gutenberg Project for a good transfer into the ether.

You will instantly discover a world of facts from genuine experts in their subjects. For instance, it is Greek democracy that should be in scare quotes. It was a very limited form of "democracy". Women could not vote, nor slaves, nor those who hadn't completed their military service -- which also imposed an age qualification which approximates middle age today, nor those without property of a certain value. It isn't even true that every man's vote counted the same, as there was no secret ballot but decisions by acclaim, and often by intimidation. It was about as democratic as those French "parlemnents" before the Revolution in which lawyers sat by hereditary right, and only lawyers, just in case you're too slack to go look it up for yourself. The government of Athens, in short, was by a meritocracy verging on an aristocracy; calling it democracy is a courtesy to generations of ancestors who did, but that didn't fool the American Founding Fathers, who were men who read widely, and though deeply, and because of that feared the demos, by which they didn't mean the Athenian voters but the street mobs of European cities under the sway of demagogues.

Andre Jute
A helpful tip free of charge because the consistently thoughtless crap you put out pains me.

PS For brownie points, come explain to us how the entire ruling class of Athens was, by definition, perfectly woke.

On Wednesday, April 28, 2021 at 2:33:04 PM UTC+1, wrote:

Russell, you're no economist.

A severe understatement. Russell has a habit of stepping outside the limits of his ability.

You don't understand that because of economic growth in a good economy all you have to do it hold off the growth of the national debt BELOW the economic growth rate and suddenly the growth of the economy takes over and pays all the debt off.

An acute point. An interesting question is, What is the limiting debt (say as so many multiples of GDP) beyond which the disconnect becomes too big and economic growth never catches up with debt?

That is what the Republicans attempt to do, but the Democrats simply spend money to pay off promises.

A particularised version of my question above: Will the Donkey Party and Geriatric Joe manage to spend enough on the "infrastructure" to send the US, which had a sound economy under Mr Trump, into a tailspin of permanent stagflation, last experienced in the 1970s?

There is an extremely large difference in the growth of national growth under Republicans and usually but not always under Democrats. Bill Clinton actually cut the capital gains taxes and the result but the largest drop in the national debt in modern history. Trump was setting the economy up for another of those expansions.

Creepy Willie was one smart kid until syphilis ate his brains. Imagine what the Rhodes Scholar boyo inside the pervert coulda done if he were not led around by his dick by any passing woman.

Andre Jute
Most history is economics, not warfare.

On 4/28/2021 9:19 AM, Andre Jute wrote:
On Wednesday, April 28, 2021 at 2:33:04 PM UTC+1, wrote:

Russell, you're no economist.

A severe understatement. Russell has a habit of stepping outside the limits of his ability.

You don't understand that because of economic growth in a good economy all you have to do it hold off the growth of the national debt BELOW the economic growth rate and suddenly the growth of the economy takes over and pays all the debt off.

An acute point. An interesting question is, What is the limiting debt (say as so many multiples of GDP) beyond which the disconnect becomes too big and economic growth never catches up with debt?

That is what the Republicans attempt to do, but the Democrats simply spend money to pay off promises.

A particularised version of my question above: Will the Donkey Party and Geriatric Joe manage to spend enough on the "infrastructure" to send the US, which had a sound economy under Mr Trump, into a tailspin of permanent stagflation, last experienced in the 1970s?

There is an extremely large difference in the growth of national growth under Republicans and usually but not always under Democrats. Bill Clinton actually cut the capital gains taxes and the result but the largest drop in the national debt in modern history. Trump was setting the economy up for another of those expansions.

Creepy Willie was one smart kid until syphilis ate his brains. Imagine what the Rhodes Scholar boyo inside the pervert coulda done if he were not led around by his dick by any passing woman.

Andre Jute
Most history is economics, not warfare.


I'm sorry I can't let that pass without comment.

One might say the Left talking points are dismissive of any
fiscal restraint. One might say that the Repugnicans speak
earnestly (with fingers crossed) about spending limits.

But any rational person will not find practical or
significant differences in behavior over the last couple of
generations. Wishes or ideological cant aside, they do not
differ in this regard, much to our (eventual=soon, and
devastating) national loss.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Wednesday, April 28, 2021 at 10:42:48 AM UTC-7, AMuzi wrote:
On 4/28/2021 9:19 AM, Andre Jute wrote:
On Wednesday, April 28, 2021 at 2:33:04 PM UTC+1, wrote:

Russell, you're no economist.

A severe understatement. Russell has a habit of stepping outside the limits of his ability.

You don't understand that because of economic growth in a good economy all you have to do it hold off the growth of the national debt BELOW the economic growth rate and suddenly the growth of the economy takes over and pays all the debt off.

An acute point. An interesting question is, What is the limiting debt (say as so many multiples of GDP) beyond which the disconnect becomes too big and economic growth never catches up with debt?

That is what the Republicans attempt to do, but the Democrats simply spend money to pay off promises.

A particularised version of my question above: Will the Donkey Party and Geriatric Joe manage to spend enough on the "infrastructure" to send the US, which had a sound economy under Mr Trump, into a tailspin of permanent stagflation, last experienced in the 1970s?

There is an extremely large difference in the growth of national growth under Republicans and usually but not always under Democrats. Bill Clinton actually cut the capital gains taxes and the result but the largest drop in the national debt in modern history. Trump was setting the economy up for another of those expansions.

Creepy Willie was one smart kid until syphilis ate his brains. Imagine what the Rhodes Scholar boyo inside the pervert coulda done if he were not led around by his dick by any passing woman.

Andre Jute
Most history is economics, not warfare.

I'm sorry I can't let that pass without comment.

One might say the Left talking points are dismissive of any
fiscal restraint. One might say that the Repugnicans speak
earnestly (with fingers crossed) about spending limits.

But any rational person will not find practical or
significant differences in behavior over the last couple of
generations. Wishes or ideological cant aside, they do not
differ in this regard, much to our (eventual=soon, and
devastating) national loss.

If you look over the expansion of the GNP over the last 5 Presidents, aside from Willie the Weenie, you will discover quite strong restraint by the Republicans and no restraint at all by the Democrats. And while Bill Clinton was good with the economy he is the one that started the war in Iraq which led to 9/11 and eventually to the endless wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Biden is saying that he is going to pull out of Afghanistan and perhaps he will since the war he has started soto vox in Syria is going to absorb almost our entire defense allotment.

On 4/28/2021 10:42 AM, AMuzi wrote:

snip

One might say the Left talking points are dismissive of any fiscal
restraint. One might say that the Repugnicans speak earnestly (with
fingers crossed) about spending limits.

The Republican playbook since Reagan:

1. Run up the debt with tax cuts.
2. Spend extravagantly, especially on unneeded military spending.
3. Blame socialism for the debt.
4. Wait for a Democratic president.
5. Blame them for the debt.
6. Block Democratic attempts to solve the problem.
7. Call them failures.
8. Use it to win the next election.
9. Go to 1.