Re:[sustainable_tompkins-l] Capitalism Produced Trump: Let's Move Beyond "Resistance" to This Fascism by R.D. Wolff

[Karl S North]

On Mon, Apr 3, 2017 at 12:06 AM, Sustainability in Tompkins County digest <
sustainable_tompkins-l@list.cornell.edu> wrote:

>
> http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/40068-capitalism-
> produced-trump-another-reason-to-move-beyond-it  news/item/40068-capitalism-produced-trump-another-reason-to-move-beyond-it
> >
> Capitalism Produced Trump: Another Reason to Move Beyond It
> Sunday, April 02, 2017
> By Richard D. Wolff 


​Finally someone to clearly explain to the anti-Trump hystericals their
short-sightedness​! Who among them and their "lesser evil" fellow travelers
voted for the administrations of both parties that over decades brought the
long building crisis of capitalism to  this point? Who among them have
grasped the opportunity Trump presented in being the first president in
living memory to attack the ruling class for its warfare imperialism, its
off-shoring of the economy, and its refusal to countenance dangerous Russia
bashing? Trump will not follow up on his rhetoric; as Wolff explains, like
all politicians, his role is to serve the power elite, not seriously oppose
it. But others should.

Wolff is the rare economist who sees the inherent contradictions of
capitalism that are deepening its crisis. But like most economists even he
fails to factor in what will likely be the crowning blow to the system: the
energy and other finite resource depletion that capitalism must ravenously
feed on to sustain itself as a system. This depletion and its toxic
consequences have permanently eroded the carrying capacity of the earth to
support industrial civilization.  For the observant, evidence of the damage
to our society began at least four decades ago. There is no solution, under
capitalism or any other system that aims to rebuild the industrial dream.
We must simply adapt.

As Wolff says, the power elite will likely attempt a solution that combines
a police state with more of a command economy - a kind of 21st century
fascism that allows them to channel dwindling resources to an ever
decreasing affluent minority. Resistance will take many forms, some more
effective, many not so much. It will really depend on our level of
awareness, our ability to grasp the bigger picture.

-- 
Karl North -  http://karlnorth.com/
"Pueblo que canta no morira" - Cuban saying
"They only call it class warfare when we fight back" - Anon.
"My father rode a camel. I drive a car. My son flies a jet-plane. His son
will ride a camel."
 —Saudi saying

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visit:  http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/
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Shelley, at t...@cornell.edu.

[sustainable_tompkins-l] Capitalism Produced Trump: Let's Move Beyond "Resistance" to This Fascism by R.D. Wolff

[Maura Stephens]

Richard D. Wolff was here in Ithaca last year, talking about economic justice, 
cooperatives, and more. Here he’s got a great piece up at Truthout that should 
speak to us all. He describes the potential evolution to fascism (he’s being 
nice); here’s a useful excerpt:

"'Resistance' has quickly become the watchword of an impressive opposition to 
the Trump-Bannon government and its fascist potential. However, the lessons of 
capitalism's dysfunctional politics will have gone unlearned if opposition 
remains at the level of resisting this particular administration. Exchanging 
the Trump-Bannon regime for a return to "normal" capitalism returns us to 
precisely the system that produced Trump and Bannon.”
Maura




http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/40068-capitalism-produced-trump-another-reason-to-move-beyond-it
 

Capitalism Produced Trump: Another Reason to Move Beyond It
Sunday, April 02, 2017 
By Richard D. Wolff 

The fact that Trump, Bannon and the rest of their coterie do not think through 
the implications of their acts is not unusual. One marked peculiarity of 
politics in capitalist systems is how those systems train politicians. 
Corporations and the rich provide the funds that enable election victories. 
They expect specific favors in return: a government order, a tariff, crisis 
bailouts, or a foreign intervention, for example. Politicians in office must 
deliver those, or risk removal. Politicians must also veneer those deliveries 
with verbiage about the national interest, the people's safety, job creation 
and other vague yet vital-sounding priorities. The act of thinking through 
their actions' implications -- let alone publicly explaining such complexities 
-- exceeds the capacity and need of many political leaders. They usually do the 
favors (or, at least, most of them) while allaying popular concerns with public 
posturing. If and when that fails, they repress those concerns.

It is impossible to identify, measure and trace the influences on every 
political decision. Politicians hope that their positions are strengthened, or 
at least not too badly damaged, by whatever consequences are attributed to 
their actions. No matter how confident they are in predicting these 
consequences, politicians generally focus on preparing either to plausibly 
dispute any negative consequences or deflect responsibility.

Taking a different tack, we might ask what must happen for Trump and Bannon's 
actions to yield the outcomes they claim to hope for. Our answers will suggest 
some sense of where this theatrical new administration will likely push us.  
Read the whole story at Truthout. 

For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please 
visit:  http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/
If you have questions about this list please contact the list manager, Tom 
Shelley, at t...@cornell.edu.