the main problem i see with capitalism as it is, is that it puts profits over people, it doesn't seem to recognize that its own employees are also the consumer, just the shareholder or ceo.
no, because it pushes the commodity down, ie the person growing the coffee beans or making the widget, low wages. and when they are not low enough here in the US, they go overseas
yes, the four noble truths, and yes, my mistake of not being more informative. frankly this is not the forum for this due to nuance and subtlety, but i can try my best and simplicity. First it is true that there are several schools and flavors, one element of Buddhism which I think makes it somewhat unique is it's nature to change it's own form in relation to a new culture it moves into. B in Japan is different than in Thailand, for example.
btw, i get the Anathema part, where does Wahkanta come from? Native?
how long do you think before a biochem agent is 'accidentally' relaesed from a us lab? that osama will 'turn up' or that there will be another 'terrorist' attack on us soil just in time for the election? i don't know if you saw, but we are opening new bio-defense work in existing labs in CA & NM. defense my ass. i wonder what it would take to provoke a spill outside SF of the newest bio agent?
the 'export' is the deficit in terms of bonds, etc. we sell us dollars to prop up value of the dollar and thereby the entire economy. i call it an export though it is not in terms of the trade deficit. its basically credit we issue out so the deficit is financed by foreign investors, now mostly asia and europe.
who's beliefs are these? i've never heard anything like this. are these your beliefs? did you make them up? have you been talking to the voices again? really, where does this comes from, who said these things?
again, there is much misunderstanding of Buddhism in general as well as it's treory and practice in particular. Buddhism does not suggest anything regarding the suppression of happiness. and your comment on desire begetting suffereing and worth the investment only reveals your lack of understanding in how the notion of desire is used in Buddhism. Please refrain from criticism or opinion if you haven't gone deep enough into it to understand the basic
the form of capitalism in practice today is closer to legalized exploitation. it is so far from anything resembling free markets we really shouldn't be referring to it as capitalism. it is all set up and protected by laws and regulations and these generally written in the interest of themselves and against that of the consumer. so let's not pretend to use a dictionary definitaion as something having much to do with reality.
i never mentioned anything about socialism. in fact to put socialism against capitalism is a typical move of conservatives. you make it as if it's impossible to criticise capitalism without praising socialism, i never hinted at any such thing. nor did i say anything about handing it over to corrupt governement. the probelm with capitalism is that it has no conscience, on a global market it runs out of control to the detriment of real people.
no, I'm not talking about trade deficit, i'm talking about nat'l debt
You make some good points and I don't necessarily disagree. But to try explaining the deficit by means of domestic spending really misses the larger point. Namely that cash is our largest export, this si what the deficit represents. It's purpose is in maintaing the dollar on global market and thereby maintaining international financial power, the WMD of modern times. Foreign nations hold our debt, to suggest it is caused by a drop in the bucket social spending really misses the heart of the
and i dont mean this to be a criticism, just noting a dirrefence in methodology.
"but it seems when you consider that Buddhists seek to shrug off existence that the distinction is semantic. We see it as bad, they don't call it bad, but they want rid of it too, right?" no, this is a misunderstanding, though a common one generally made from an outside perspective. Buddhism does not shrug off existence, this would fall into nihilism, though I do understand how this perception is formed. Buddhism does speak of' 'emptiness' o
there should be a rule against everything, then society would be fine
Denial leads to Armageddon, see you there. Here's another for you: Now the Pentagon Tells Bush: Climate Change Will Destroy Us
"Where Buddhism, and often Christianity, goes wrong for me is the the idea that the 'world' is not functioning correctly, and that the basic structure of it is wrong" this is a misunderstanding of Buddhism and what it means by 'suffering'. Suffering is not bad or wrong, nor good or right. It is merely the state we are in, period. Any notion of good or bad is something extra that you place on it. But as for making any inquiry with open min
stevendedalus, aka White Tara, Bodhisattva of All-Encomassing Beneficient Action
"Capitalism is the Devil's wet dream" Ani DiFranco
how's that for my own idea?
man am i glad that I don't live in a pyramid. you should stick you head out once in awhile and come see how refreshing it is out here. and to go on the old, "democrats are weak" bullshit, only pegs you somehwere in the 1970's. get with it man. we aren't going to take anybody's shit anymore that you are. the difference is that we see value in having good relations with our neighbors and do not share the veiw that money is god.
i think that's a great idea.
The irony that none has commented on this poignent post is not lost on me. So sadly it is that the very folks who need to hear this truth are the most deaf. Thanks for another important post.
You guys hit the nail speaking of money in so-called journalism. It becomes learned quite quickly to speak the truth not too loud so that the bought and paid for editor doesn't just fire you. with some luck, the internet will change this with the evolution of blogs, et al, and as more of the real truth comes out people will naturally gravitate to it, those concerned about the truth anyway. Others will still get their fill of mis-information via the
running for election or not, the next decade will prove Nader to be right on virtually every issue and then America may finally wake up. the perceived kerry/ bush divide is merely one of the color of wallpaper in the background as the corporate fist rages on.
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