grafmax

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391.
by grafmax 1y ago
Not all laws are the same. Not all laws are just. It’s a wealthy minority that controls the laws in our country and opportunistically uses them to advance their own interests. The anti-immigrant sentiment Trump has stirred up is an example
392.
by grafmax 1y ago
Authoritarian regimes thrive on fatalism and despair. But they also inspire resistance. We did not have mass protests a few months ago. Our society is in deep crisis and the outcome can still swing either way. For all the progress they’ve m
393.
by grafmax 1y ago
It’s questionable whether this bully continues to have as much influence as it thinks it does.
394.
by grafmax 1y ago
I’m very sorry about what happened to your mom. What has happened to her is not fair to her or you. However regarding immigration law, the reality is that this law isn’t designed to distinguish between people who are dangerous and people t
395.
by grafmax 1y ago
One person’s crime doesn’t define a whole group. Most undocumented immigrants follow the law. Justice demands that we hold individuals accountable without using isolated cases to justify broad prejudice.
396.
by grafmax 1y ago
Fascinating interview. Here is Immanuel Wallerstein making a similar point in 2009: https://youtu.be/nLvszWBf6BQ?si=vooaKzrHHyRj9sHz
397.
by grafmax 1y ago
These crises are occurring right now so I don’t think it will take multiple generations. The rise of neo-fascism, the climate crisis, and the escalating warmongering toward China - a nuclear power - should be seen as symptoms of a system b
398.
by grafmax 1y ago
As long as we have this concentration of wealth in this country we are going to have this selective enforcement of laws based on class lines.
399.
by grafmax 1y ago
> selling everything and giving it away — would often create more suffering This is turning our eye to our own choices of wealth rather than looking to the wealthiest in our society and asking ourselves if such hoarding of wealth is jus
400.
by grafmax 1y ago
China’s economy has been responsible for approximately 75% of the global poverty reduction since the late 1970s [1]. It seems like we should credit socialism not capitalism with the reduction in poverty. Today we enjoy countless benefits d
401.
by grafmax 1y ago
The reason for democracy’s failure is the concentration of power that comes from wealth inequality. This lets a minority use their money to disproportionately influence the democratic process in their favor.
402.
by grafmax 1y ago
It seems the people with the wealth and power are focused on hoarding it rather than sharing it. I would say that they can’t see the big picture. But the reality is the “big picture” for them is one of cynicism and ruthlessness and they cre
403.
by grafmax 2y ago
Cowing Harvard - one of the world’s greatest universities - would mark a pivotal victory for the dictatorship taking shape before our eyes. Dictatorships derive their power from the submission of a society’s key institutions. That’s what’s
404.
by grafmax 2y ago
Given the ongoing pattern of bullying, power grabs, and disregard for the law - including the trampling of constitutional rights - dismissing this latest threat as mere bluster seems less like reason and more like denial.
405.
by grafmax 2y ago
Let’s be real. This has nothing to do with Qatar. It’s just the Trump administration retaliating against any institution that doesn’t fall in line. That’s the only thing these people care about: loyalty and control, plain and simple.
406.
by grafmax 2y ago
The top 11–12 richest individuals in the U.S. hold assets equivalent to the national budget deficit. Let’s not fool ourselves. The money is there.
407.
by grafmax 2y ago
The idea that the free market will self-correct and optimize outcomes is a well-documented fantasy. Markets don’t account for externalities, they concentrate wealth (and therefore political power), and they routinely underprovide merit good
408.
by grafmax 2y ago
Neoliberal policy has failed the working class. That’s what’s driven so many people toward Trump’s brand of populism. We need an alternative that actually prioritizes working people, not just the “free market” interests of a different set o
409.
by grafmax 2y ago
I’d argue this is the biggest issue, because it’s ultimately about who controls the political process. Unless we can wrest that control from the hands of the wealthy, it’s hard to see how we can make lasting progress on other fronts. They r
410.
by grafmax 2y ago
In the US the upper class rules by soft power that gives people the illusion of choice while actually they hold all the power. I agree it’s better that we don’t yet see individuals directly punished at scale for dissent. But if this is all
411.
by grafmax 2y ago
Conversely the Chinese government has split their economy into 50% privately owned and 50% state owned, which has fueled decades of rapid and consistent economic growth, so much so that the current administration now views China as our prim
412.
by grafmax 2y ago
Their stated rationale is obviously BS. They’re just trying to extract more from fewer workers by intensifying your working conditions. That’s why the managers are retained but not the juniors. Sure seems like they view you guys as advers
413.
by grafmax 2y ago
The money supply argument seems flawed to me. As long as poorer people gain a larger share of the money supply, their increased spending power would outpace inflation. That’s because inflation is a function of the money supply in total,
414.
by grafmax 2y ago
As long as lower economic strata gain an increased portion of the money supply, they ought to be able to purchase more than they did before, even after inflation. At a high level inflation is a function of the money supply not the money su
415.
by grafmax 2y ago
“Threatens American national security” is just the administration’s double speak to justify cynical foreign policy decisions. Since 1945 America has struggled with the prospect of its decline. The US would come to exchange a trade deficit
416.
by grafmax 2y ago
“Appreciate how good you have it” doesn’t help the exploited be any less exploited. Instead it serves to nudge the comparatively-less-exploited to feel guilty enough to stay quiet.
417.
by grafmax 2y ago
The implications if they overturn this ruling are dangerous. Deporting an innocent person to a foreign prison with no due process sets a chilling precedent. Are we sliding into a world where the government make anyone they wish disappear?
418.
by grafmax 2y ago
There will always be cynicism, quietism, fear, injustice. Yet it is possible for people to come together and change the world for the better. This has happened many times before, on a global scale: the spread of democracy, abolition of slav
419.
by grafmax 2y ago
Taxes should be raised on the rich. Elon Musk alone is worth $330 billion. There is plenty of money to pay for what we need. The question is whether we can muster the political will to do it.
420.
by grafmax 2y ago
Our inability to come together to act for collective good has led to many evils including poisoning our environment - which could very well be the undoing of us all. The stakes for quietism are high.

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