Yo Platt, Platt > What values underlying the capitalist system have been eroded? What > are the values we've got now that will make a collapse of the system > inevitable? > >
Well it's a complex set that we shorthandedly refer to as "the protestant ethos". Lemme see if I remember them (it's been so long since I've actually seen 'em) -delayed gratification: Capital only accumulates if you don't spend it on goodies. - refusing to steal: Why is it that if I go into a bank and rob $2000 from a teller, that lands me in jail. But running up my bank card to 10 times that amount, when I know I can't pay it back, is morally and legally acceptable? - keeping your word: If I sign a contract for money on my house, I pay back the money even if it doesn't make financial sense. - the ethic of working productively, making something useful as opposed to pimping, running a gambling parlor or owning a bar. Although work is involved in all occupations, unless a preference for the majority to do something socially useful instead of socially destructive is at large, society is going to degrade. That will give you a fair idea of what I'm talking about and I hope make the point clear that these principled behaviors which built up the economic system at one time, have been so eroded that the "moral capital" of the nation has been irretrievably squandered. Platt > If your sq value set includes DQ as the free market does, I don't see the > problem. > > Well I have no problem with free markets. I agree, the freer the better. But the accumulation of vast capital wealth into huge media conglomerates which restrict competition - the big box stores, the McD's, the homogenization of the American experience, has produced a system which no longer experiences DQ because DQ is dangerous to the status quo. When you're on top, you don't want change. > > But true quality can only be served by asking what is best NOW. Not what > > was best yesterday. Yesterday's good was good, and understanding it's > > meaning in the context of yesterday will help us in figuring out what > > today's best is. But trying to figure out where to go by looking to the > > past alone, is only going backward, not forward. > > Platt > Seems to me that conservative principles such as democracy, trial by > jury, > freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, > freedom of travel, limited government, private property, etc. as > established by the U.S. Constitution is best NOW unless you have > something better to offer. > > All those aspects you mention, I do agree are good. But they alone did not prevent the problems we're in now, and they alone will not dig us out of our hole. Radical measures are called for. > > And thanks, as always, for your dialogue on the matter. The objective > > analysis of social patterns is the highest good of our intellect's uses. > > Platt > An objective analysis? How about a Quality analysis? To that I agree > and as always look forward to your ideas. > > Yours truly, > Platt > Ah, but objective analysis is high Quality thinking. Especially objective analysis with an eye to always improving the intellectual tools and patterns used in analysing. Night-night, John > > > > > > Loyally yours, > > > > John Carl > > Moq_Discuss mailing list > > Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > > http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > > Archives: > > http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > > http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ > > > Moq_Discuss mailing list > Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > Archives: > http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ > Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
