• Friendly reminder: The politics section is a place where a lot of differing opinions are raised. You may not like what you read here but it is someone's opinion. As long as the debate is respectful you are free to debate freely. Also, the views and opinions expressed by forum members may not necessarily reflect those of GBAtemp. Messages that the staff consider offensive or inflammatory may be removed in line with existing forum terms and conditions.

Those Seattle CHOP COPS done shot & killed 'em some children.

Xzi

Hi-Fi Beats to Thrash to
Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2013
Messages
15,791
Trophies
2
Location
The Lands Between
Website
gbatemp.net
XP
4,054
Country
United States
Usually, individuals who operate companies become wealthy/successful because the consumer has elected their product/service as important. meaning the consumer has granted them wealth for their service. This is in contrast to a true totalitarian regime, who have achieved their power by exploiting the masses.
The consumer gets the illusion of choice. Coke or Pepsi, either way it's sugar water produced for less than $0.05 a gallon and priced at $1.00+ for 20 ounces. Similarly, almost all food and beverage companies are owned by a few mega-corporations when you trace things back to their roots. This is the case across nearly all industries and sectors in the US. Multiple friendly faces for what ultimately amounts to one option.

The US very much has a large, exploited proletariat. We just don't view ourselves that way, which is extremely convenient to the powers that be.

Furthermore, wealth in capitalism is always changing hands.
In the sense that we have a trickle-up economy, that's true, but once it reaches the top, that wealth goes nowhere.

The power is distributed according to the consumers will.
Nonsense, your average consumer doesn't have an army of lobbyists in DC to distribute power as they see fit. Corporations and the wealthy elite do.

(This relationship is often fractured by government, in the establishment of Monopolies or Trusts that are not a consequence of capitalism).
Oh give me a break, in what way are monopolies not a direct result of unregulated capitalism? A corporation with the power to corner a certain market will always choose to exercise that power.

Again, true totalitarian regimes have power that rarely changes hands.
Aside from the tech sector, the US has several "royal families" which were around for 100+ years before my birth, and without some sort of revolution, will still be around for 100+ years after my death. The Federal Reserve itself is a private entity that isn't going away any time soon, let alone Wal-Mart or any major bank.
 
Last edited by Xzi,

Hanafuda

Well-Known Member
OP
Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2005
Messages
4,020
Trophies
2
XP
5,844
Country
United States
"Change the subject! Talk about something else!" :P


The 14 year old who was shot and the 16 year old that was shot and murdered are black. Not in Proud Boys, I'd wager.

Do their black lives matter? Were the CHOP Security persons who shot them white?? Where's the media? Why has this been disappeared off CNN's frontpage?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Fugelmir

0x3000027E

Well-Known Member
Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2018
Messages
341
Trophies
0
Age
43
XP
1,372
Country
United States
My initial comments where directed at your comparison of capitalism and totalitarian regime, but I will still speak to some of your comments here:

The consumer gets the illusion of choice.
We have plenty of choice in the market. I'm not going to spend any time arguing this.

once it reaches the top, that wealth goes nowhere
Wealth is rarely 'going nowhere'. Once obtained, It is usually placed in a position where it can grow, i.e. investments and property.

Nonsense, your average consumer doesn't have an army of lobbyists in DC to distribute power as they see fit.
Correct, however we are now discussing government involvement in capitalism, which is another debate. (The solution to this problem is a simple one; vote term limits and remove career politicians from congress to make lobbying less attractive. But as I said, part of a different discussion).

in what way are monopolies not a direct result of unregulated capitalism?
The formation of monopoly is possible, sure, but it is a weak monopoly without the power of legislation to back it. This is precisely why companies spend millions of dollars and a great amount of time lobbying congress. Why bother if a monopoly/trust can be so readily achieved?

Aside from the tech sector, the US has several "royal families" which were around for 100+ years before my birth
Meh, Who really gives a fuck? A few families harbor old money, so what? As long as you have the potential to generate to the same wealth, I don't see the concern.
 
Last edited by 0x3000027E,

ghostbit

Well-Known Member
Newcomer
Joined
Jun 8, 2020
Messages
68
Trophies
0
Age
111
XP
219
Country
United States
Meh, Who really gives a fuck? A few families harbor old money, so what?
well_there_it_is_jurassic_park.gif
 
  • Like
Reactions: Xzi

ghostbit

Well-Known Member
Newcomer
Joined
Jun 8, 2020
Messages
68
Trophies
0
Age
111
XP
219
Country
United States
Read the second-half of the post ghostbit.
I didn't respond to that half out of politeness, but if you legitimately think you can still (or arguably ever in our history, but I'll pass on that for the moment) go from 0 to Bezos in this country with nothing but elbow grease you're completely deluded out of your gourd.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Xzi

0x3000027E

Well-Known Member
Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2018
Messages
341
Trophies
0
Age
43
XP
1,372
Country
United States
I didn't respond to that half out of politeness, but if you legitimately think you can still (or arguably ever in our history, but I'll pass on that for the moment) go from 0 to Bezos in this country with nothing but elbow grease you're completely deluded out of your gourd.
Elbow grease?! Shit, you dont even need talent to become a millionaire in this country. Some cats streaming video games on Twitch make more money than you or I. Look around.
 

Xzi

Hi-Fi Beats to Thrash to
Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2013
Messages
15,791
Trophies
2
Location
The Lands Between
Website
gbatemp.net
XP
4,054
Country
United States
Correct, however we are now discussing government involvement in capitalism, which is another debate. (The solution to this problem is a simple one; vote term limits and remove career politicians from congress to make lobbying less attractive. But as I said, part of a different discussion).
No, we're discussing capitalist (corporate) manipulation of government, not the other way around. Again, this is the inevitable result of allowing near-infinite wealth to be accumulated at the top, in the hands of people who did nothing to earn it. In a country whose only true god is money, they view themselves as above government and above the law, and for all intents and purposes, they are. They're oligarchs.

The formation of monopoly is possible, sure, but it is a weak monopoly without the power of legislation to back it. This is precisely why companies spend millions of dollars and a great amount of time lobbying congress. Why bother if a monopoly/trust can be so readily achieved?
Err...yeah, that was the point? Guess you agree with me on that one. If you're suggesting that lobbying is some sort of "major sacrifice" for corporations and the wealthy elite, I've got some bad news for you: it isn't. They don't have to spend anywhere near 1% or even 0.01% of their total accumulated wealth to get everything they want out of government. Their leashed politicians have already ensured that government will be in debt for decades, if not centuries to come, putting it in a perpetually weakened position so that it can never negotiate fairer wages and labor laws for the working class.

Meh, Who really gives a fuck? A few families harbor old money, so what? As long as you have the potential to generate to the same wealth, I don't see the concern.
You might as well have said, "as long as you have the potential to win the lottery, I don't see the concern." Apparently someone hasn't seen The Hunger Games. ;)
 

Viri

Well-Known Member
Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2009
Messages
3,925
Trophies
2
XP
6,061
Country
United States
RIP CHAZ/CHOP and all it took was 2 unarmed black teens getting shot, and them having a "Summer of Love" festival outside the Mayor's house! I hope they pay the Mayor a visit again.


And yes, the cops took back their building.
 
Last edited by Viri,
  • Like
Reactions: CallmeBerto

Viri

Well-Known Member
Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2009
Messages
3,925
Trophies
2
XP
6,061
Country
United States
So, is everyone just going to forget the fact that Chop's "security" force just shot and killed a black teen, straight up executed the guy. Did they just get away with murder?
 
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
    K3N1 @ K3N1: https://youtube.com/shorts/PArWUK0WyDQ?feature=share