Special articles
Yes, I am still working on that special article.
It is now about 3500 words— and it looks like it will be twice that by the time I finish. So, I guess I will have to break it into two parts.
Why is it so loonnngg?
Joe Biden's State of the Union address, confused as it was, pointed to the real issues that the US is facing this year.
Those issues were further revealed in Biden's budget published after his address to Congress and confirmed by recent economic events, as well as the geopolitical situation.
The US is like the Titanic, steaming full throttle in freezing waters—without charts. The sea is full of icebergs. It may avoid one but by doing so hit another. It may even get by two or three or four, but there are more and wait. So, it will go down.
As I said, it has no charts, just a vague sense of direction.
Perhaps it won’t sink this year. But eventually.
On board, the toffs in first-class wine and dine and listen to the band play and to touchy feely in the washrooms.
Below decks, people just wish the voyage was over they could get on with their lives in a new country, not that the new country will be different from the old. They believe what they are told. And what they see is through a porthole.
Our portholes are the media.
In figuring things out I have been reading economists Arrighi and Schumpeter and also sociologist Pierre Bourdieu.
They all have something to say. Even discounting the flaws in their arguments, the future does not look good.
Basically, the US form of capitalism—monopoly or predatory capitalism— is doomed.
That does mean that capitalism or free enterprise are doomed—just the psychopathic American kind.
Penguins will inherit the earth.
Cat Tales
Please help me finish the next Special Article for Coffee Buyers! You can click here to buy me a coffee!
Here is another tricolor cat from the Shelter. One of my readers pointed out that almost ALL tricolor cats —known as “mike-neko” in Japanese— are female. Yesterday’s too. I This lovely girl has kidney disease.
A quality product sometimes requires time. And is worth the wait. Here is commentary from one of my favorites: The powers of financial capitalism had a far-reaching aim, nothing less than to create a world system of financial control in private hands able to dominate the political system of each country and the economy of the world as a whole. This system was to be controlled in a feudalist fashion by the central banks of the world acting in concert, by secret agreements arrived at in frequent meetings and conferences.
Carroll Quigley
If you have not, Read Michael Hudson. His many books, including those on the history of debt going back to the Bronze Age. Start with super imperialism. (free pdf link -scrowl the banner /top list at the Facebook group, Celebrate Facebook Freedom) or listen to the third edition You tube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc9kF-TPubo&list=PL8R-uen6FfFzJl-ja3MZiE3qMcWnA5a7i