MISTER DOUG NOTES
Communism. Communist Manifesto. Karl Marx. Friedrich Engels.
Wikipedia describes Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels as “political theorists.” I disagree. What came out of the “Communist Manifesto” of 1848 was more closely related to economics than to political science.
In this manifesto, was there not an attack on capitalism? Capitalism is about economics, not politics. Adam Smith was a proponent of capitalism as an economic system to replace feudalism and mercantile systems which had existed up to his day. According to the writings of P.J. O’Rourke and former Congressperson (and Republican), Joe Scarborough, Adam Smith advocated a government intervention and regulation of the excesses of banks and unbridled speculation. That was Smith’s foray into politics, yet the ultra-conservatives today will call those who advocate what Smith advocated as being “communist.” Marx and Engels, my friends, came some 50 or so years after Adam Smith, so check your facts, rather than striking out, like bullies, at good people, even if we, too, can make mistakes.
Marx and Engels assessed the economic systems around 1848 and concluded the systems were “capitalist.” Even with the time period of 50 years following Adam Smith, capitalism had not fully taken root. As a musician, I see the early 19th-century movement away from the Esterhazy (royalty) patronage of Haydn to the business independence of Beethoven. But royalty still did run the world, whether Marx or Engels wanted to acknowledge this fact or not (or were just too dumb to see it).
Cuban and Russian exiles are also ignorant to Adam Smith and true capitalism because the czar of Russia and Battista of Cuba both presided over feudal economic systems. Ayn Rand was mistaken in what she said because she never researched capitalism carefully enough, in order to recognize the wisdom gained by Adam Smith as he endorsed the same type of regulation which eventually became the hallmarks of Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Roosevelts have also been mis-perceived as “communist,” despite the fact I am able to prove they were following the wisdom of a capitalist named Adam Smith.
The Great Depression and the 2008 Bush Recession were both caused by over-speculation of bankers and investors. This was the same type of over-speculation which Adam Smith observed and thus advocated bridled capitalism in the 18th Century.
If people who are like Marco Rubio and followers of Ayn Rand, the Russian, are so stupid they refuse to see what true capitalism is – even when someone points it out, they remain stubbornly ignorant. When such people conclude only from their narrow vision of economic systems which were actually reactions to feudalism, they remain stubbornly ignorant. I don’t want people like Rubio or “disciples” of Ayn Rand running my nation – the nation of the Roosevelts.
The issue regarding the “Communist Manifesto” is about economics, not politics. One can invoke a similar economic system as the one proposed by Marx and Engels, but have a democratic form of government. These are called “socialist democracies.” Tito of Yugoslavia had a more democratic form (politics) of “communism” or “socialism (economics).” Marx and Engels proposed an autocratic “dictatorship of the proletariat.” HItler’s autocratic dictatorship (politics) remained a capitalist economic system, even if it did favor Caucasians and trashed Jews and other minorities. But, to white honky racists who trash equality, no form of government or economics is good – except that which favors their pitiful selves.
There are parallels between Adam Smith’s proposal for a controlled capitalism and socialism. In my mind, capitalism is better because it allows the economy to grow when products and services we WANT are provided in a competitive environment, such as that in Vermont (which denies the building of many big boxes, in favor of the local competitive businesses). At the same time, we need to acknowledge human needs and, as a society AND government respond accordingly. The problem is that the politicians, on the take from corrupt lobbyists, have given us a terrible system. Like Vermont, Washington could deny lobbyist access to legislators, but the refusal to do so is written with dollar signs and green in the eyes.
Handouts from the government proliferate and such handouts are perpetuated by politicians trying to win elections by determining which politician can provide the most handouts. Handouts are NOT capitalism and are NOT socialism. Entitlements are more about a “return on our investments” than about handouts, but people are so damned confused about all of this.
It is unfortunate that so many “big piggies” believe there should be a destruction of the political system called democracy and we should replace democracy with an autocratic plutocracy run by corporations. The forces behind these big piggies are “human” corporations ruling against the “numbers” (by bean counter standards – the stupid ones with MBAs and JDs), in other words, the “slaves” and “robots” – the common humans who are humans in the FLESH, not pieces of papers about corporations as drawn up by the bean counters.
“We the people,” rich in numbers of people but low in dollar signs, are being convinced we cannot overcome all of this. Who are the ones with the psychological means and control of the Media, running on the informal money-based “Un-fairness Doctrine,” to convince us of this negative attitude?
I refuse to believe such negatives. But I have a problem. Without people shedding that negative attitude, I stand alone and can be damned, can I not?
Mister Doug
Tioga Herald 
Winston Churchill, his Quotes Taken through the Lens of a Supporter of the Human Race, not the White Supremacy Defined by a Dictatorship like that of Hilter
In an article, “101 Quotes of Winston Churchill to Motivate You to Never Give Up,” we can see how brilliant half -American (his mother born and raised in Upstate New York), Churchill was. Many of the quotes were said in reply to the “blitzkriegs” brought on by Hitler’s Lufthansa. Constant bombings.
In America, the neo-cons in the Republican Party, a bunch of reactionary far right wing folks who controlled that wing of the political party in Congress, tied the hands of Democratic Party president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, who wanted to do something to help Churchill and Britain. It was not until Hawaii was bombed did the reactionary far right wing leaders of the Republican Party decide to do something. Together with the white supremacist Dixiecrats of the South, they fought with FDR in a contentious manner. The wimps of America, like Churchill’s predecessor, Chamberlain, remained silent, with fear about “become involved.”
The words of Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin existed at that time, but were ignored. Benjamin Franklin: “Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are affected.”
Stacey Abrams, a small business woman of Georgia, advised that we can hold fast to our values, but can work together to compromise on the actions taken. Whoopi Goldberg is quoted as saying, “we all need to get on the same page,” but what is that “same page?” The lens and perspective with blinders blocks many from getting on that “same page.” What is the answer, or do we just sit and say, “oh, well, oh, well, it will never change in my generation?” Dump BULL MANURE on such pessimistic attitudes.
In light of the domestic terrorism inspired by Trumpicans today, plus the actions of lousy pathetic Republican far-right neo-cons in the days of FDR, we need to be certain we consider what lens people look through these quotes by Churchill, Ben Franklin, and Stacey Abrams. If we look at these quotations with the lens of the human race, not the lens of the white supremacists, Trumpicans, Proud Boy thugs, white Dixiecrats, the ones of the KKK, John Birchers, Neo-Nazis who are behind the domestic terror, all these quotations take on a different meaning.
We also need to consider the entire span of life in which Churchill references, not just pull one word out. For instance, Churchill said,”All the great [MAGA jackasses] things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom; justice; honor; duty; mercy; hope.” The first word is, “freedom.” Churchill meant a single word from the list of words. Sure, lousy neo-con governor of Texas, cherry pick the word, “freedom” in order to validate not wearing masks. You idiotic neo-con of the South. So, how does Abbott of Texas define justice? Justice ONLY for white supremacists and the stupid white law enforcement people who don’t like black people, from Missouri to Minnesota, New York City, and elsewhere. It’s a lens with blinders on, directed ONLY at the white supremacists of America. They wish for “honor; duty; mercy; hope” for white supremacists. They have a fear that they will lose out to other races so they create a hell on earth for all, rather than looking through the lenses of perspectives about the entire human race, throwing away the damn blinders. They are disgusting people who emanate from the den of the devil which wants to pit one against another, especially against those who are able to see a God of love who loves all his children on earth.
Even President Kennedy’s words, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country” can be viewed through the lens and perspective of the human race or the lens and perspective on one race only. That is a fragmented hell on earth.
This hell on earth needs to stop and switch this reality to something better. Words such as “liberty and justice FOR ALL.” “WE THE PEOPLE,” not just “WE THE WHITE SUPREMACISTS.” “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (Thomas Jefferson was intended for all, but some people just don’t get it, in their irrational egotistical selfish instant gratification ways.
I am inspired by Churchill’s quotes, including this one: “… democracy is a very bad form of government but all the others are so much worse.” Churchill had to reason with a dictatorial bunch of Republicans in the USA who refused to lend him support in his fight against Hitler. Why did these jackass Republicans of that day do such a thing? I have some answers, but won’t go into it at this time. I am inspired by half-American Churchill, but I view them without blinders on, from the perspective and lens of God’s children and the entire human race, which God loves. The light is not a fake one from the devil, but it is the light of God’s only begotten son, Jesus Christ. Those of us who understand what that light is about, need not live in fear because sometimes we are in the darkness of a tunnel and the light is a distant part at the end of the tunnel. We should not be hiding the light under a bushel basket, either. What is your lens and do you shed the blinders?
Category:
Commentary, New Comments
Tagged with: