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The government is propping up the companies because that's what the companies made happen. Your framing suggests that government did this on its own. It did n
by dd36 8y ago
The government is propping up the companies because that's what the companies made happen. Your framing suggests that government did this on its own. It did not. The outsized ability of companies to influence the government is the core problem that must first be solved. It is the root of most people's gripes with the government.
- goldenkey 8y agoThe introduction to State and Power by V. I. Lenin says exactly this - the state will always become a proxy for the rich owners of production (GDP generation.) And not in a nefarious way but in an inevitable "forces" way. Democracy is the best government for large/rich entities in a capitalistic environment. It presents the appearance of fairness and legitimacy, yet delegates most of its power and direction to the heads of production via influence, lobbyists, etc.
- cbnotfromthere 8y agoIs that you, Bernie?
- goldenkey 8y agoI'm just paraphrasing Lenin. Even if you are emotionally repelled by the horrors committed in the name of communism, The Communist Manifesto and State and Power are worth a read. Lenin was the best writer of the bunch, direct and explanatory. Marx is wordy and almost writes in an obfuscated fashion. The problems with democracy that were described _still_ exist today. One can dislike communism and still acknowledge the criticisms of capitalism as valid and in need of address. Communism was never actually executed true to the image. The state of the proleteriat was supposed to wither away - instead it became a dictatorship with secret police. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Withering_away_of_the_state https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Withering_away_of_the_state
- harry8 8y agoAnd it's all utter crap. Power corrupts. The price of freedom is eternal vigilance etc etc. Leninist states have consistently always been massively more corrupt than democracies because there is absolutely nothing you can do about the corruption. Stronger anti-corruption measures are possible in democracy, they are not in facist and totalitarian states which every single leninist, marxist and maoist idealogically blinded government becomes very, very rapidly on taking power. Remember the time those holding the power in a communist state got "voted out" resulting in them losing that power? Neither does anyone else, but quite a few have heard tanks coming. But Stalin wasn't a corporation, right?
- goldenkey 8y agoI didn't write anything in support of communism, just that the critiques of capitalism are still valid and need to be addressed. I have no interest in a fallacious debate.
- alanlamm 8y agowhy was this flagged? I'm no fan of communism, but it appears to be a valid response to the parent.
- goldenkey 8y agoI have no idea - I'm not usually one to espouse political ideas unless wholly relevant to a topic at hand. It seems that a band of HN users are politically adverse - which is sad, since capital rules our lives and society, and merely ignoring its flaws does nothing to abate them.
- chongli 8y agoThe outsized ability of companies to influence the government is the core problem that must first be solved. Replace companies with nobility or aristocracy and you're talking about a problem as old as civilization itself. The fact is, small groups with control over a lot of resource (elites) will always work to consolidate and secure their power. Barring some radical, unforeseen technology, the masses of people will always have a more difficult time coordinating their actions to prevent this. This is the class struggle narrative of history.
- dd36 8y agoI don’t disagree. We need to get money out of politics. It’s been done before. It can be done again.
- chadlavi 8y ago> It's been done before. When was that?
- dd36 8y agohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campaign_finance_reform_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campaign_finance_reform_in_the... Some of it has been overturned recently but limits have existed for periods of time.
- chongli 8y agoI don't want to downplay the importance of campaign finance reform but that's just a drop in the bucket. Look at all the wealthy donors that endow the Ivy League. Look at all the charity speaking engagements, yacht clubs, Davos junkets, private island parties. Meanwhile, mainstream television is waning in influence for political advertising. Now it's all about Facebook. Think of the micro-targeting turnout power they have. It's obscene!