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This is Real and It's Happening with Breathtaking Speed

Freaking Heck's picture




 

By: Chris at www.CapitalistExploits.at

I've long since argued that democracy isn't necessary for prosperity. Rather than railing against democracy I merely am making the point that economic liberty is more important to wealth creation than political liberty. It is a market economy that is the key to unlocking wealth.

The reason this is so is because humans are, well, human.

Maslow's Hiearchy of Needs

Part of being human involves looking out for our own best interests, and accordingly Maslow's hierarchy of needs provides a good starting point. Any system that halts the progress of any stage in the above diagram will simultaneously halt wealth creation and any system that assists or allows humans to pursue their own needs, ideas, passions and wants will foster wealth creation.

Over the last 100 years or so Europeans and Americans have been fortunate enough to have been born with their bum in the butter so to speak. They have enjoyed:

  1. Leadership in economic liberty
  2. Political liberty
  3. Superior judicial systems
  4. High standards of education, and thus leaders in technology
  5. And also, although it seems laughable when considering FACTA, capital controls, MF Global and any myriad other frauds, a superior financial system with banking, stock exchanges and financial instruments, which ostensibly assisted in the US Dollar and Euro becoming reserve currencies

This superior status has led to all sorts of ludicrous assumptions being made from those who typically know little of history, geopolitics and economics, which typically includes congress, the Troika and entire swathes of the media fed populace. It is how once great powers wither into the dust bowl of history. The populace blissfully unaware of what has happened, or worse yet believing that something has happened to make their lives miserable which is completely divorced from reality.

The media is so astonishingly powerful over a populace fast asleep and trusting. I present one such example: I still come across people telling me about global warming. Haven't they heard of climate gate? Haven't they figured out that Al Gore duped the world? Yes, the ice caps are safe and smiling polar bears are to be found frolicking with their little cubs. Turn the heat up.

Looking at the recent G20 meeting it's astonishing that an air of superiority remains. You can see it written all over the faces of western leaders: "We do things differently" or "we're smarter, more sophisticated, it's in our genes".

I can see how it happens. I recall the first time I visited the Pyramids in Giza. I thought to myself, how the hell did Egyptians build these amazing buildings when today they clearly can't put up anything that will last more than a few short years? The place is now falling apart. I'm sure at some point Egyptians were nodding appreciatively to one another over a hooka pipe saying "We're Egyptian, of course we're smarter, of course we're better".

This is what is happening in the West today.

Try starting up and running a new business in Europe. Heck, I've a friend who is simply trying to build a home. When you see the enormous barriers to economic activity you begin to understand how this happens. By the time you've complied with the hundreds of asinine laws, hired yourself your tradespeople who typically can only now do very specific jobs, for fear of being caught wiring a plug without the correct license to do so, then it's not hard to see how Europe is decaying with such breathtaking speed. The punitive tax system together with regulation of staggering magnitude have quenched any entrepreneurship, while concessions for what is left are awarded to large corporations in multiple fields of activities. The ability for small business, which is coincidentally the lifeblood of any and every vibrant economy, is stymied.

The truth, as always, lies in the facts. The West is in its death throes and we see this in Western powers pressuring Russia or striking out in the Middle East. This is an attempt to remain relevant and establish hegemony. Why this desperation?

Consider that in 1990 the combined GDP of the G7 countries stood at US$14.4 trillion. At the same time the "emerging 7" (China, India, Russia, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico and South Korea) sported a GDP of US$2.3 trillion. Last year the figures stood at US$32 trillion for the G7 and US$35 trillion for the "emerging 7".

These are massive global shifts that are taking place right in front of us. What this looks like in 10, 20 years time is a factor of that which it is today. Within 15 years the Asian middle class alone will make up over 2/3rds of the global middle class. Today it is 1/3rd.

Our friend Doug Casey likes to joke that Europeans are going to be predominantly used as housemaids for the Chinese. When he says it in front of Europeans and Americans they still laugh. They shouldn't. It's happening.

Western politicians, as thick as they may be, can see their power ebbing away at every turn and their reaction has been to drive the dagger deeper into their economies increasing regulation, cramping entrepreneurship, raising taxes, taking on obscene debt loads and centralizing rather than decentralizing their economies.

Consider the points 1 through 5 I've made above.

  1. Leadership in economic liberty. Hong Kong and Singapore are at number 1 and 2 spots respectively with the USA down at 12th spot, trailing Estonia and much of Europe so far down the scale they're hardly even worth mentioning . Portugal, France, Spain lower down the economic freedom ranking than Rwanda, Kazakhstan.
  2. Political Liberty. This one I know I'll get flak for so let me just say this: just because you get to vote for a few podium donuts who are trotted up in front of you every few years, doesn't mean your vote means a damn.
  3. Superior Judicial System. Whoa, where to start. The complete dismantling of habeas corpus, militarizing of the police force, civil asset forfeitures, a bought and paid for congress via lobby groups.
  4. Education. Asia is racing ahead. A recent report produced by Pearson Education in their annual global education performance report shows once again that Asians are racing ahead. I'll spare you reading the entire report. The top ranking countries are (# 1) South Korea, (#2) Japan, (#3) Singapore and (#4) Hong Kong,

The fact is that the West used to be superior to the rest of the world but the competitive advantage has eroded substantially. At the same time emerging economies have embraced the market economy, strengthened judicial systems, enhanced education and most importantly of all managed to increasingly get out of the way of individuals looking to transact with one another.

Gratefully the world is an incredibly multi cultural place and with a little effort we can invest globally, we can domicile globally and in many instances live in places which please us and these various choices need not be the same. When it comes to investing capital the trends in motion are hard to ignore and this is but one reason that we're focused on emerging markets and Asia in particular. Given the balance of world population together with the growth and increasing dominance of the emerging markets it is I believe pure folly to ignore.

- Chris

 

"History is filled with the sound of silken slippers going downstairs and wooden shoes coming up." - Voltaire

 

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Wed, 11/19/2014 - 12:00 | 5465397 kaiserhoff
kaiserhoff's picture

As China and Japan implode.

booolshitso!

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 11:45 | 5465321 Consuelo
Consuelo's picture

'Excretion'...?

You mean like, the 'homeostasis' of relief that comes with taking a huge Dump...?    Ok - I can relate...

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 10:46 | 5465094 skipjack
skipjack's picture

OFFS - using government statistics ? Really ? Hasn't that been debunked over and over in many media ???

 

Every government massages and lies about its statistics. There is no comparison, except one liar against another. If the Fed printed 25 T, yes thats trillion, in $$ instead of a measly $4 T, then we might have a bigger GDP too. Or if CONgress blew another couple of trillion in building ghost cities etc, we'd all be chanting USA!USA!

 

C'mon, folks, this article has a point to make but not with lying statistics. And to pretend that an overtly facist system like China is better than a covertly fascist system like the US ??? I'm speechless any liberty-minded person accepts any of this crap ebing dished out.

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 12:06 | 5465438 marathonman
marathonman's picture

That's what I thought after reading the article.  I'm all for a good bashing of the USSA, but how many years ago was it that China was shooting student protesters in the streets around Tianeman Square?  And how many political dissidents have disappeared in Chinese prisons?  The US is now full of CIA, FBI, and DHS Gestapo, but how is that different than China?  I may very well be a house boy to the Chinese, but just because they're running the mercantilist strategy to perfection, what's to prevent the collapse of their house of cards because of the same heavy handed tactics and central planning that we're engaging in?

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 13:38 | 5465931 Onan_the_Barbarian
Onan_the_Barbarian's picture

How many years since the USA was shooting student protesters in the streets around Zucotti Park?

Ask yourself this; which direction are these two countries headed?  And at what velocity?

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 09:53 | 5464863 therover
therover's picture

I am opening up a new business, and need capital. My product is called Bum Butter. It looks good but tastes like shit ! 

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 09:25 | 5464767 tc06rtw
tc06rtw's picture

 “Face Tattoos”  are an inverse indicator . . .

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 09:22 | 5464760 lordbyroniv
lordbyroniv's picture

 

 

 

I dont understand.

 

 

Why would someone want their bum in a tub of butter???

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 11:14 | 5465186 Winston of Oceania
Winston of Oceania's picture

Kind of makes up for big gub'ment not giving the old reach around before diving in so to speak...

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 09:29 | 5464776 tc06rtw
tc06rtw's picture

 Don't knock it till you’ve tried  it!

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 08:59 | 5464693 Direct Democracy
Direct Democracy's picture

I believe a Direct Democracy trumps your 5 points.

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 08:48 | 5464669 beaglebog
beaglebog's picture

If you have economic liberty ... then political liberty is automatically in your gift.

 

Every action of the elected politician offends the economic liberty of the individual.

 

Can you think of any political action which does not harm the "economic liberty" of some individual?

 

No.   For that reason, I would suggest that economic freedom and politics are mutually-exclusive.  Take one or the other, but, you can't have both.

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 10:36 | 5465045 Czar of Defenes...
Czar of Defenestration's picture

DEFINE YOUR TERMS.

IF you mean: can "the government" do anything that *won't* harm the individual?,

THEN the answer is YES:

national defense (keeping evil away before you have to shoot from your front porch), and

roads (though state/local government can do this to a degree)

just to name two.

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 11:19 | 5465207 Winston of Oceania
Winston of Oceania's picture

As far as roads go the gub'ment builds them using the poorest materials at the highest cost for both product and labor. Corruption is rampant in both the military procurement arena and the handouts to labor interests regarding road construction and maintainance.

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 07:49 | 5464559 AdvancingTime
AdvancingTime's picture

 Too many people it appears a struggle is occurring to unseat America as the worlds most dominate nation. For many proud Americans who see the United States as having a right to be in control it is both threatening and frustrating to see that control slip away.

It is threatening to think the country might quickly fall to the position of a second rate power mired in debt with many of the options we have come to see as our right suddenly ripped away. It is frustrating that in many ways America appears to have become its own worse enemy guilty of political inaction and squandering its power through a series of bad choices and missteps. More in the article below about the continuing massive shift in power to Asia and how America must immediately face its problems to set its house in order.

 http://brucewilds.blogspot.com/2014/06/americas-struggle-to-stay-on-top.html

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 07:22 | 5464522 Vendetta
Vendetta's picture

funny what 'little' things like trade policies and not protecting domestic manufacturing industries can do

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 07:02 | 5464488 TeethVillage88s
TeethVillage88s's picture

No. I like the article & see value in the Author.

But the USA is infused with Patriarch & Unchallenged Values or "Memes" that seem to be Propaganda. Sure, I admit the Europeans Grew from Monarchy and Manoralism.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manorialism

Before a lord could grant land (a fief) to someone, he had to make that person a vassal. This was done at a formal and symbolic ceremony called a commendation ceremony, which was composed of the two-part act of homage and oath of fealty.

"Over the last 100 years or so Europeans and Americans have been fortunate enough to have been born with their bum in the butter so to speak. They have enjoyed: "

Article glosses over these points.

1. Leadership in economic liberty (Control the Patriarchy, News & Education, Control the Propaganda)
2. Political liberty, (No Way, Try to live as a Socialist, Social Workers Party, or Communist Party worker in the USA)
3. Superior judicial systems (Industry buys Seminars and Continuing Education Certifications for Justices)
4. High standards of education, (Industry buys Big Pharma Studies for New Drugs through University, Pays for FDA Fees, and Pays for Education Credits at University, Total Access)
5. superior financial system with banking, stock exchanges and financial instruments, (You guys are High, the Meme is that the Global Market Place has faith in US Markets, but after the Ripoff of Pensions, Retirements, Municipal Funds, Trust Funds, Universities, and foreign Investors... it is Fascist Insider System at Best... at worst it may still lead to a World War or global shunning of US Financial & Asset Markets)

Author is older guy I guess and he learned a lot from older guys who never really turned over the Reins of the Business or Operations to him... just like me.

Patriarchy makes us Complacent & through dominance ends the questions and end the honest investigation needed for Free Markets. Truth.

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 06:27 | 5464461 messystateofaffairs
messystateofaffairs's picture

Laissez-faire capitalism is democracy practiced at the individual transactional level. Every time an individual buys or sells something they cast a vote backed up by real work and effort, they put their money where their mouth is. The only limitation is the golden rule, you can't engage in a transaction that deprives other individuals of their property without their uncoerced consent. There are nuances and morals involved with this rule that could fill a fat book. Competitors taking away your business and adversely affecting your lifestyle (ok, its allowed), gays coming out aggressively in open society and posing a dilemma to heterosexual families rearing children (don't know what to say, except move slowly to allow for assimilation), women choosing to abort (when does soul inhabit body, another hard one between individuals and their God). So the golden rule has culture clash issues, but they should be worked out by cooperation and not by conflict. Non sentient animals animals use conflict to sort out their resource needs issues in a Darwinian world, we sentient humans emerged out of that but still put a sentient spin on conflict to pursue our resource wants and needs rather than using cooperation. Sentients using conflict rather than cooperation is not sustainable and as sentient technology grows without the commiserate growth in morality, extinction is inevitable. (The word WAR in GWB's skull clubhouse and their penchant for the Hegelian Principle, even though GWB is probably not sentient)

Democracy is sovereign individual freedom with the golden rule as its proscribing basis and the moral and cultural conflicts with the rule worked out via transparent cooperation. The human rights flowing from this paradigm are immutable and cannot be overruled by anything except political force whether it comes from the barrel of a gun or the tyranny of a useful idiot majority.

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 12:35 | 5465609 livefreediefree
livefreediefree's picture

Oh, I can see it now, your wonderful, wonderful, wonderful utopian world full of cooperation rather than competition. I look forward (as do all other human beings) to winning the gold medal in the Olympics 100-meter dash, and winning gold medals for all other Olympic events, too. In a world full of cooperation, it would be the ultimate simplicity to hand out some 1.5 trillion gold medals. Imagine the cooperation that would take!

Then, again, I look forward to the cooperative venture of each of us -- and all of us -- being Emperor of the World. In this wonderful, wonderful, wonderful utopian world full of cooperation rather than competition, it would be the ultimate simplicity for 7 billion-plus Emperors of the World to work together in perfect harmony.

Ebony and ivory live together in perfect harmony
Side by side on my piano keyboard, oh Lord, why don't we...

Your message is so important, could you edit it and make it even bolder?

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 06:41 | 5464472 TeethVillage88s
TeethVillage88s's picture

I think this is your Status Quo Economy or Laissez Faire Capitalism... Seems to be Dominated by a Central State Married to Big Conglomerates:

An Economy that is Command Controlled is called Communist if you have Centralized Government, Centralized Economic Decisions, the Power is Centralized, the Military is Centralized and the Government Owns the Means of Production.

I might get this a little Wrong, but US has Military Republic, not anything Else.

But... you have to look at how the government grants access to those with big money, lobbyist, gift givers,... how legislation comes from Lobbying... how War Powers are granted to One Person, the US President, How Federal Budgets & Wall Street Banks drive the Economy both through Centralized Funding and through Centralized Regulations that dominate the States,.... then you see the Presences of "Systemic Fraud" and the Lack of Concern & Clean up by the DOJ & FBI,....

You conclude we have a Duopoly... but look at Zaibatsu.

Support For:

- Trashing the US Constitution
- Systemic Wall Street Fraud
- Systemic Fraudulent Financial Ratings
- Jon Corzine Trading with Segregated Customer Funds
- Naked Short Selling, HFT, ALgo Trading, No Investigation of 9-11 Airlines Trade worth Billions
- Sub-Prime Mortgage Fraud, Ninja Loans, Sub-Prime AAA Rated Derivative Tranches with No Investigation
- US Labor Competing with Slave Labor overseas
- US Capital Flight from USA, 40% of Working Age Labor Force Not working and Not Consuming
- Your Older Relatives have to rely on MEDICARE & Social Security as they Lost a $1 Trillion in Pensions & Retirement Savings

Systemic Corruption:

- Regulation Capture
- Government Capture
- Exponential Private Executive Compensation Increases
- Revolving Door to Industry for Regulators & Government Employees/Military Officers
- Gresham's Law
- Exponential Federal Budget Increases
- Exponential US Debt
- Exponential Securitization of Assets & Debt
- Augustines' Law, by 2054 the DOD will only be able to buy one airplane which must be shared BTW Services since the cost of Weapons is Increasing Exponentially
- Doctors & Justices Accept Gifts of Seminars for Professional Development & Certifications, these Gifts come from Industry who want to put their Agenda in Place
- Money in Politics, Gift Giving, are Systemic Corruption

Many Financial Beta Tests;

Predatory Capitalism is action

- Bail Out
- Bail In
- QE & 5 years of ZIRP
- Ninja Loans & foreclosures
- Rehypothicated mortgages

- US Financial Schemes Damaged International Faith in USA, US Financial Markets, US Petro Dollar, and Damaged European Investors
- Retirement savings & Pension Funds Quantifiably Damaged
- No investment Interest for Savings Accounts
- US Municipalities & Counties & University Trusts Damaged
- High Gas Prices 6 years from 2008 Surplus

- EU & Euro
- Price Fixing commodities & LIBOR
- Detroit Bankruptcy was the Beta Test.
- Post Office Liabilities to Heath Care
- Sub-Prime Loans
- S&L Crisis

- Yet Neither Rs or Ds in 2 Party system take any action to address Economic, banking, Jobs, Pension, Debt issues

How do we control people:

- Courts, Laws, Rules, standards
- Authorities, Patriarchy, Matriarchy, Legislation
- Fear & Propaganda
- Control of Information & History
- Conditioning, Behaviorism
- Crisis Creation, False Flags, using Crisis to implement change
- Money, Inflation, Controlling Credit, Indebtedness, Fear of money insecurity & lack of success, Peer Pressure

Look at:

- Fascist
- Democide
- Duopoly
- Corporacracy
- Stratocracy
- Plutocracy
- Inverted Totalitarianism
- Crony Capitalism

Yeah, Fascist or Organized Crime Cartel.

Should we call it Empire, Neo-Monarchism, Duopoly, Inverted Totalitarianism, stratocracy, Corporatism, Plutocracy, Crony Capitalism,...

- Empire
- Mafia
- Cartel
- Conglomerates
- Keiretsu
- Zaibatsu
- Yakuza
- Chaebol
- Hong
- Tongs
- Jesuits
- Crusaders
- Corporation
- Money Trust
- Lobbyist

"Look we put our Zaibatsu against your Zaibatsu any day of the week."

The Wealthy & the Political Class like the system exactly like this.

- Volunteer Military, Contractor Army = very Flexible
- Lobbying gives Wealthy the Access
- No US States can leave the Union
- No US States can hold a vote and make a big difference in national policy
- Foreign Policy, Rumsfeld Doctrine, Cheney Doctrine = can't be influenced by individual US States
- US Banking, Accounting, Financial Integrity = can't be influenced by individual US States

-

We got issues. They need more than a fuzzy "No" posted.

- Stagnant Capital
- Monetary Leakage
- Economic Leakage
- Labor Demand is Chronic Problem
- Most Industries that paid well are in decline
- There aren't that many jobs in Drilling & Mining
- Smartest People go into Finance which doesn't produce anything
- US Engineering is lower and flat, specializing in Weapons mostly
- Corporations are getting larger, giving them not only power over pricing & Distribution, but also over governments, legislation, and industry employment

-

- No resemblance to Order at all
- Both Parties are War Monger Parties
- Third Parties are suppressed
- There is no SOTU Speech nor Presidential Debates
- There is no Democracy, we have a Military Republic
- There is no means to National Referendums
- Corporate Money influences doctors, judges, congress, and starts wars
- There is no justification in the last 100 years to enter a war over 600 miles from CONUS

- Still we do get food & trade from overseas and through vulnerable sea routes

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 13:41 | 5465945 Onan_the_Barbarian
Onan_the_Barbarian's picture

TL; DR

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 05:41 | 5464449 Troy Ounce
Troy Ounce's picture

 

 

You pyramid is lacking something most important:

 

http://weknowmemes.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/maslows-heirarchy-of-n...

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 04:13 | 5464361 Leraconteur
Leraconteur's picture

Over the last 100 years or so Europeans and Americans have been fortunate enough to have been born with their bum in the butter so to speak.

 

They were not fortunate, at all. They created the systems that allowed economies to flourish. Had the values, and institutions that permitted wealth creation.

You probably think that North America was cleared of trees and that the Europeans just had to plant seeds and everything worked itself out in 1620.

If you look at a satellite image of North America east of the Mississippi River, every clearing and field there was cleared, by hand sometimes, one stump, one tree at a time, without machines. Several men on a chain, one with an axe. Chop down the tree, drag it away, dig up and cut up the stump (cannot poison it - this will be a producing field of crops), drag the stump away. Burn the trees or make into dwellings. 

Repeat for 200 years, then slowly add machines from 1820-present.

North America was dirt POOR until 1800. It was not some accident that the area became wealthy.

DENMARK had more wealth than North America in 1600, 1700, 1750.

1700-1820. In 120 years that part of the world went from nearly dead last poor, to richer than Spain. 1870. In another 50, #4. 2013. In another 43, #1.

Yep, all just luck. No work required. /sarc

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 04:50 | 5464402 _disengage_
_disengage_'s picture

North America was poor? I guess that is why the Spanish came and took all the gold/silver from Mexico (in the early 1500s). Similarly in California and Alaska you could literally pick up gold on the ground.

Sure they "worked hard" to cut down the environment that had provided for the natives for however long and left us with shitty near mono-culture forest replanted for one purpose: timber/profit.

I go hiking today and you know what I don't see? Trees that are productive (fruits etc). All I see are timber timber and timber. Our ancestors stole (through hard work) everything they could from this land.

In closing: fuck everyone that "worked hard" to make N. America what is is today.

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 11:20 | 5465212 dracos_ghost
dracos_ghost's picture

Thanks for your insightful input as you have leisure time to hike through the forests.

So whom do we admire then from your viewpoint? (10-1 there is communism involved).

And enough of the 1970's crying Indian(who was Italian) nostalgia of Native Americans. The first thing tribes did were clear cut and hunt the animals in the region to near extinction. Pick up and move to the next sucker. The European settlers boxed them out. And now with Kennewick man, it's not even a given "Native Americans" were here first. Oops, the big government paycheck might be in trouble.

Every single bullet item from this dickhead is because of Progressive Socialism/Fascism over the last 40-50 years. How about a little Mea Culpa from that camp. Won't happen because they are NEVER wrong. It's evil capitalism who is forcing my X-Games biking workout to be sullied by what I think nature should be at this point.

Oh and fuck every little progressive hiker who shits in the face of people who created a comfortable life for them to hike.

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 12:21 | 5465517 donsluck
donsluck's picture

Jeez, why all this vitriol against hikers? What did we do? As for the resource extractors, sure they provided value, no doubt, but did you know the average work day for a tribal man is about 3 hours? I'm not attacking modern man, just asking for some balance.

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 12:56 | 5465717 tarabel
tarabel's picture

 

 

Average 9-5er 7.5 hours a day

Average welfare recipient 0

Average of the averages- 3.75 hours a day.

So we're close and we still get to watch TV and have computers and cars and stuff rather than live in a hide tent and scratch fleas.

 

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 12:16 | 5465477 falak pema
falak pema's picture

bogeyman and died in the wool words. Hate is the only smell that emerges.

Wait until you become the hunted not the hunter, and that smell will acquire a NEW purpose : just survival, not predatory winner take all hubris in wilderness liberated for a biker, son of indian piker.

Who can't tell capitalism's triumphant march of last 40-50 years from its own fall due to its own hubris. No one else but those died in the wool US elites created this mess for your little bike. There was no Commie in this funeral march for middle America.

Its the American rifleman who made the bison extinct, not the native american. He, the rifleman, didn't box them out, he sent them to Florida for mass oblivion, or he shot them to pieces in their reservations.

Do unto others ...but that is now just a phrase and the declaration of "I", pursuit of H,  a piece of paper. 

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 02:06 | 5464234 cheech_wizard
cheech_wizard's picture

Note to author...

Democracy always fails. Perhaps that's why the US was founded as a representative Republic. STOP referring to the US as a Democracy.

It demonstrates a particular ignorance of history and a general lack of critical thinking. I'd suggest re-reading the Federalist Papers for insight.

BTW, did you pay any royalties to Maslow's estate or did you just feel everyone needed a review of psychology 101?

 

 

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 13:38 | 5465927 falak pema
falak pema's picture

Jefferson's party was called Democratic Republican party when he opposed Hamilton's Federalism in the 1800 election.

So, your inference that democracy is not part of US republican tradition is contradicted by : Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Madison and Lincoln. 

All these people upheld the one man one vote principle that validated the Declaration of Independence, its signatories,  and all that followed. 

The subsequent collegial governance which dilutes direct democratic control of Republican elitist rule, by placing more power with the elected ( electoral college votes), does not nullify the popular election of each mandated grand elector. 

If democracy always fails so does dicatorship or oligarchy rule. As for anarchy, or every man for himself...

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 12:28 | 5465560 Jumbotron
Jumbotron's picture

How's that "Representative Republic" thing workin' out for ya' ?

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 09:23 | 5464765 Stanley Lord
Stanley Lord's picture

cheech_wizard Thanks for posting, you are 100% correct.

and we are taking stock tips from this clown?

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 03:42 | 5464335 roddy6667
roddy6667's picture

Just because it was a republic, that doesn't mean that is now. Or ever will be again.

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 02:28 | 5464266 Billy the Poet
Billy the Poet's picture

 

 

"A republic, if if you can keep it." -- Franklin

 

"If you like your republic you can keep your republic." -- Obama

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 11:27 | 5465193 OC Sure
OC Sure's picture

The United States is Despotism:

"...I think a general Government necessary for us, and there is no form of Government but what may be a blessing to the people if well administered, and believe farther that this is likely to be well administered for a course of years, and can only end in Despotism, as other forms have done before it, when the people shall become so corrupted as to need despotic Government, being incapable of any other."

 - Ben Franklin

http://usconstitution.com/constitution/speeches/speech-of-benjamin-franklin-at-1787-constitutional-convention/

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 12:15 | 5465479 donsluck
donsluck's picture

No, we are not yet in a despotism. If Congress wants to get rid of Obama, they can impeach based on the numerous laws he has broken (especially when it comes to war). If we end up with a king, it would clearly be Congress' fault.

Thu, 11/20/2014 - 12:37 | 5468155 TruthHunter
TruthHunter's picture

Don't forget that the Roman Republic's gave virtually unlimited powers to

Augustus(27 BC), effectively ending the Republic. The Empire still kept the forms of the republic to the bitter end. 

 

Our non-functional Senate hasn't officially ended the Republic, but doubtless will.

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 14:31 | 5466135 nofluer
nofluer's picture

You can't blame Congress for what you did in the voting booth.

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 13:02 | 5465745 OC Sure
OC Sure's picture

The Republic was not kept. The USA is indeed despotism:

noun

 

1.

 

the rule of a despot; arbitrary, absolute, or tyrannical government

 

2.

 

arbitrary or tyrannical authority or behaviour

 

 http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/despotism?s=t

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 01:27 | 5464165 John Wilmot
John Wilmot's picture

The West cut its own throat a century ago.

It's been bleeding out ever since.

We are the generation with the privilage of living through its death rattle.

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 01:16 | 5464132 Panic Mode
Panic Mode's picture

Tell those idiots in HK.

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 00:43 | 5464043 Fred123
Fred123's picture

I've lived in Asia for the past 6 years and feel a heckuva lot freer here than in the US. In the US you have the boot of the gov't, the police, or special interest groups on your neck at all times. We either change this situation by 2016 or we should prepare our children to be under the boot of the Chinese.

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 03:45 | 5464338 roddy6667
roddy6667's picture

I am an American who has been living in China for 2 years. I feel freer here than in America. Remarks about "the boot of the Chinese" seem silly and malinformed to me.

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 04:40 | 5464393 CHX
CHX's picture

I think Fred refers to American's being under the boot IN America, not abroad.

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 04:13 | 5464363 Leraconteur
Leraconteur's picture

You need to live in China for at least 5 years to understand the culture...just a little. Get back to us in 3.

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 23:55 | 5468352 roddy6667
roddy6667's picture

Every year Americans lose more freedoms and have more restrictions on their lives. In China, people agree that things are (and have been) getting better every year. It doesn't take ten years to do the math.

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 11:55 | 5465375 laomei
laomei's picture

how about 15 years?

Tue, 11/18/2014 - 23:28 | 5463786 New American Re...
New American Revolution's picture

It's impossible to separate political liberty and economic liberty as whatever their distinction as they are one and the same, and so they must use the same operating model of government.  You can no more have a free economy in a tyrannical state (where the government rules the people), than you can have a centrally planned economy in a state of liberty (where the People Rule the government).  I will leave it to each ones imagination as to which form of government America operates under today.  www.scienceofliberty.us, electfawell.com electanewcongress.com 

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 12:31 | 5465554 Jumbotron
Jumbotron's picture

As long as "the market" relies on humans......it's fucked.

Every theory including socialism and communism works on paper.  Until it is applied by humans in the real world.  Then they fall apart due to man's inate corrupt nature.  Some fall apart faster than others.....ie.....socialism and communism.  But free markets will always fail eventually to human corruption.

Tyranny is the norm for humankind.  The pendulum always swings from time to time to liberty.  But it will always fall back and normalize on tyranny.

Welcome to the Matrix.  There is no escape.

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 01:55 | 5464224 John Wilmot
John Wilmot's picture

No

Democracy is not rule of the people. The people do not (and have never, and will never, and cannot by nature) even know what the government is doing (let alone what it ought to do), so how can they control it? Democracy is rule of the demagogues. Or, a step further back, rule of the people who finance the campaigns of the demagogues. It is a form of oligarchy. It is in no way necessary or even conducive to liberty; quite the opposite in fact. It is not an accident that the growth of the state has coincided with the expansion of the franchise.

I recommend "Freedom or Equality" by Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn

http://mises.org/library/liberty-or-equality-challenge-our-time

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