4 ms·

I agree with all those problems. But what are the solutions?

mschuster91 4y ago
We need to radically transform our economy. Critical infrastructure (electricity grids, power generation, gas grids, oil refineries and pipelines, telecommunication, rail, road and air transportation, airports, railway grids) must be nationalized and serve the people and companies instead of the bottom lines of their owners, news media must first be nationalized and then be re-organized as an independent public trust (similar to PBS or the German ARD/ZDF TV/radio networks). As an intermediate, at least media regulation needs to step up and mandate fair, unbiased and truthful reporting and a clear, visible separation of commentary and entertainment.
- fallingknife 4y ago
  In practice nationalized industries end up serving no one but the politicians who nationalized them and the people who draw their salaries from them. Nationalized news media is even worse.
  - mschuster91 4y ago
    I agree Germany's public broadcasters aren't without their issues (e.g. there's a massive corruption scandal at RBB and a couple other stations at the moment), but there is no credible evidence about them doing shady or biased reporting (other than COVID deniers and the far-right complaining that their bullshit is being called out). Our system was invented by the Allied occupation forces after WW2 precisely to enforce a publicly trusted news source as a prevention against lies and propaganda that led to the rise of the Nazis in the first place. Sad to see that the US hasn't dared and learned from the success - and now the US media system is objectively in shambles: Obvious crap like Tucker Carlson on a "news station", billionaires in control of major newspapers, and public trust in media fairness is at rock-bottom. As for nationalized industries: see my reply to a sibling comment of yours.
- rjtavares 4y ago
  > We need to radically transform our economy. Critical infrastructure (electricity grids, power generation, gas grids, oil refineries and pipelines, telecommunication, rail, road and air transportation, airports, railway grids) must be nationalized Are you going to do that without removing the influence of money over politicians? That'll create more problems, not less. > As an intermediate, at least media regulation needs to step up and mandate fair, unbiased and truthful reporting and a clear, visible separation of commentary and entertainment. That's fixing democracy, not capitalism (and I agree with that).
  - mschuster91 4y ago
    > Are you going to do that without removing the influence of money over politicians? That'll create more problems, not less. It was how the system worked for decades until the neoliberal vultures privatized it everywhere they could - generations of public investment and wealth sold off for pennies to the highest bidder. The result was price gouging and profiteering, while at the same time investments in maintenance were left behind and now taxpayers have to foot the bill in "rescue" operations. Critical infrastructure belongs in the hands of the parliaments, alone to keep some sort of accountability.
NoGravitas 4y ago
There's a wonderful French invention, a most humane one, that would be a start.

We need to radically transform our economy. Critical infrastructure (electricity grids, power generation, gas grids, oil refineries and pipelines, telecommunication, rail, road and air transportation, airports, railway grids) must be nationalized and serve the people and companies instead of the bottom lines of their owners, news media must first be nationalized and then be re-organized as an independent public trust (similar to PBS or the German ARD/ZDF TV/radio networks). As an intermediate, at least media regulation needs to step up and mandate fair, unbiased and truthful reporting and a clear, visible separation of commentary and entertainment.

fallingknife 4y ago
In practice nationalized industries end up serving no one but the politicians who nationalized them and the people who draw their salaries from them. Nationalized news media is even worse.
- mschuster91 4y ago
  I agree Germany's public broadcasters aren't without their issues (e.g. there's a massive corruption scandal at RBB and a couple other stations at the moment), but there is no credible evidence about them doing shady or biased reporting (other than COVID deniers and the far-right complaining that their bullshit is being called out). Our system was invented by the Allied occupation forces after WW2 precisely to enforce a publicly trusted news source as a prevention against lies and propaganda that led to the rise of the Nazis in the first place. Sad to see that the US hasn't dared and learned from the success - and now the US media system is objectively in shambles: Obvious crap like Tucker Carlson on a "news station", billionaires in control of major newspapers, and public trust in media fairness is at rock-bottom. As for nationalized industries: see my reply to a sibling comment of yours.
rjtavares 4y ago
> We need to radically transform our economy. Critical infrastructure (electricity grids, power generation, gas grids, oil refineries and pipelines, telecommunication, rail, road and air transportation, airports, railway grids) must be nationalized Are you going to do that without removing the influence of money over politicians? That'll create more problems, not less. > As an intermediate, at least media regulation needs to step up and mandate fair, unbiased and truthful reporting and a clear, visible separation of commentary and entertainment. That's fixing democracy, not capitalism (and I agree with that).
- mschuster91 4y ago
  > Are you going to do that without removing the influence of money over politicians? That'll create more problems, not less. It was how the system worked for decades until the neoliberal vultures privatized it everywhere they could - generations of public investment and wealth sold off for pennies to the highest bidder. The result was price gouging and profiteering, while at the same time investments in maintenance were left behind and now taxpayers have to foot the bill in "rescue" operations. Critical infrastructure belongs in the hands of the parliaments, alone to keep some sort of accountability.

NoGravitas 4y ago

There's a wonderful French invention, a most humane one, that would be a start.