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So the largest violence monopolists in the world are using the unique opportunity handed to them by the pandemic to create a cartel with two purposes: - raise
by nickpp 5y ago
So the largest violence monopolists in the world are using the unique opportunity handed to them by the pandemic to create a cartel with two purposes:
- raise the protection tax they levy on their subjects
- prevent smaller violence monopolists from undercutting their protection fees through competition
Basically governments deciding competition is not good for them and everyone should just pay up.
- miohtama 5y agoIt's good if all competition can be taxed equal. Small biz cannot compete against Amazon that pays 0% tax in their international arrangements.
- nickpp 5y agoSmall biz can use their creativity to find other ways of competing, not just price. Support for example, which Amazon is atrocious for. We cannot held consumers hostage for the good of the "small biz".
- mnouquet 5y ago"Small business" are just the "think of the children" or "9/11" argument to justify money grab. True motive is simply to siphon more money to the ruling western elites.
- grey-area 5y agoThis is all true, but I think I marginally prefer the dominion of politicians I can vote for to the feudal structure of multinational corporations, which we have even less power over.
- nickpp 5y agoThere are 3 ways to vote in a corporation: - with your wallet: buy or not buy from them - with your broker: invest (and then literally vote from the inside) or not in them - with your feet: work or not for them Corporate interests are directly aligned with us exactly because without these votes they are finished. That is why corporates try to create products clients want, profit investors want and salaries workers want. On top of that, social responsibility programs to keep everyone happy and pay their taxes. There is only one way to vote when it for politicians: with your feet. And they don't care since they win by getting votes and they get votes by spending money which is taken from us. They have no interest aligned to ours. That is why I much prefer the dominions of corporations.
- avianlyric 5y agoThis is such crap. While in theory you’re right, it ignores the biggest difference. With politicians ever person only gets one vote, theoretically equal power to force change. With corporations, the number of votes a person gets is directly related to their bank balance. There’s no such thing as equal power for the people, only the rich get to vote.
- nickpp 5y agoThat is exactly how we got the planet to its current state: if you give more power to the numbers you'll encourage more numbers. Maybe it's time to give more weight to another human accomplishment than reproduction, like to the value created. But I don't hear governments giving more voting rights to more populous countries, instead it's to the "more developed" (PIB) and "more powerful" (military) both proxies for wealth.
- dane-pgp 5y ago> like to the value created. Or to the value stolen. You have to understand that by giving state power to the wealthy, they will declare their own actions legitimate and the actions of the poor to be illegitimate.
- avianlyric 5y agoWell that’s clearly not true. Not sure if you noticed but most democratic developed countries are on the verge of population decline. Not to mention a big chunk of human progress happened well before the development of democracy. Actually the worst aspects of human development seem to have been driving primarily by greed and wealth accumulation. The thing you seem to be advocating for.