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The Poverty of Capitalist Innovation

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It's absolutely true, capitalism breeds innovation. Landfills in the United States are full of proof. Not just that the innovations themselves are trash (though a lot are), the disposable nature of what capitalism produces is one of its primary innovations. Things that last don't need to be replaced. Meaning less long term profitability. Things that don't break easily don't need repaired as often. Meaning less opportunity to make money. Landfills aren't a byproduct of capitalism, they are at the heart of the very idea of capitalism. While we hide our landfills out of sight, they should really be enshrined as temples, as they are the physical embodiment of what capitalism truly is. Another amazing innovation of capitalism is turning poverty into big business. Not simply keeping people in poverty so they have little choice but to devote their lives to work, that is about as old as western civilization. But turning poverty itself into profitable resource for those with...

All around me are familiar faces. Worn out places, worn out faces...

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"The amount of poverty and suffering required for a Rockefeller to emerge, and the amount of depravity entailed in the accumulation of a fortune of such magnitude, are left out of the picture, and it is not always possible for the popular forces to expose this clearly." ~Che Guevara In 1954 the US government helped to overthrow the democratically elected president of Guatemala and installed a military dictatorship. People were murdered and an entire country oppressed with the blessing and direct assistance of the United States. So that Chiquita Banana could maximize its profits. This is just one incident of many where the CIA and/or US military was used as an arm of a private corporation.  The common reaction to people who assert that Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates should not be allowed to amass billions of dollars is generally; 'You are just jealous.' 'You just want to be lazy, and want to take from hard workers.' 'They provide jobs.' Things to that effect...

What if, like... we didn't suck?

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Personally, and I admit I am weird, but personally, I think if someone wants to learn how to save my life, instead of being charged outrageous amounts to learn how to do so they should be paid. At least, every obstacle in their way that can be removed should be. The more people who know how to save my life in the event of an accident the better. While yes, that is absolutely selfish on my part, I would say reasonably so. But it would also provide the benefit of there being more people around who could help anyone in the event of an accident. I would extend that all the way down the line of medical professionals. Want to learn how to keep me free from diseases? Amazing. I think society should share a bit of its resources and help you to that end. Want to learn the technology to look inside my body and make sure everything is cool? I also would like you to be able to do that! It's really dumb that you should have to go into debt to know those things. Would you like to assist doctors ...

when ignorance reigns, life is lost

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I want for you to have the security of knowing you will always have food to eat. Regardless of whatever happens in an uncertain world, I want for you to never be hungry. I want you to have the security of knowing you will always have a safe place to live. I want you to know that everyone you know and love will always have this as well. And I don't want anyone to struggle to the point of physical or mental harm to have these things. In fact it's absolutely unnecessary for anyone to struggle at all. You should feel safe to try and learn and explore life, in a society that embraces embraces and supports you, knowing that society as a whole is enriched by individuals exploring life. You should feel safe expressing yourself however you choose, confident that society will embrace and encourage you, knowing that society is made whole by the acts of individuals fully expressing themselves. You personally absolutely deserve this. Everyone you know and love deserves this. Imagine all the...

but i have some glue

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Every individual life truly is invaluable. Everyone deserves essentials to survive. Everyone with kids deserves to know their kids will never go hungry. That their grandkids will never go hungry. The amount of mental and emotional stress removed from society makes it worth doing whatever it takes to direct whatever resources necessary to ensure everyone has access to food. And, more importantly, every single child deserves to be born in a society that provides for their well being. Because every single child is invaluable and irreplaceable.  And that's just the baseline of a healthy society. Not just physically, in that food is a requirement for the nutrition necessary to be physically healthy. But a society that doesn't care enough to ensure proper food every person that comprises it... cannot be an emotionally healthy society. It only makes sense that r ooted in the ability to allow children to starve are most of the horrors of modern society. It's a foundational trauma, ...

To See Human Beings Liberated From Their Alienation...

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Fyodor Dostoevsky once wrote that if you want to torture someone, really destroy them psychologically, make them dig a hole only to have them fill it back in again. Over and over, day after day. Dig a hole, fill it in. Dig a hole, fill it in. An endless menial task with no point. One which it is impossible to impart meaning to, or find joy in. Thus is modern life. An exchange of the limitless potential of the individual for... what? Nothing is a fair replacement, nothing quite so valuable as what a person could be were they not given blinders from birth and pointed the wrong direction. The trade is so lopsided that all must blunt their emotions as they grow in order to follow through. So pitiful is the return on the most valuable resource that millions must die in poverty for a few to have too much. Of course, it's not a trade as much as a robbery. In a better world love would unite us all. We would be lifted up by a society that embraces all as its children. We are 12 long parsecs...

Eat The Rich

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The means to feed and house everyone exist. Yet there are homeless, and there are so so many hungry... For me, it's the clear dividing line. Anyone who questions whether all people should have access to healthy food and safe shelter has no place in society. Who cares if food is a right, ensuring everyone is fed is what is right. To suggest otherwise is an unacceptable affront to the inherent value of all human beings. To suggest otherwise creates a divide within society, leaving every decent caring person unable to engage fully with the world, not to mention leaving fellow human beings to struggle for no reason but greed and ignorance. We are alienated from a healthy society by the inhumanity of our fellow man. It is difficult for me to even consider them human any longer. Though I know they still have the same inherent value, they have the capacity for goodness, and it is primarily the sickness of the world they grew up in that makes them how they are. They grew up alienated in an...

Come Undone Together

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“At the risk of seeming ridiculous, let me say that the true revolutionary is guided by a great feeling of love. It is impossible to think of a genuine revolutionary lacking this quality.” ~Che Guevara If the institutions that comprised society as a whole were geared towards the development and wellbeing of the individual, towards enabling the full expression of each individual, and instilling in each individual member of society the awareness of their self as infinitely valuable... then society as a whole, the collective, will naturally express the beauty that humanity is capable of. The individuals comprising such a society would never need to be outwardly compelled to be 'a contributing member of society' because their inherent value and natural self expression will inevitably contribute far more than they could under current circumstances, simply as a byproduct of being. Conversely, a society (such as we have) not geared towards the nourishment of each and every individual,...

Pão E Água aka I Cuss Some More

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The resources exist to ensure everyone has access to healthy food. The reason everyone does not have access to healthy food, is because the people who control the resources wake up every day and intentionally ensure they don't. Any other excuse is just deflection from that point. Any other excuse is a bullshit deflection from that point. There are people in this world who could wake up tomorrow and decide everyone should eat, and it would happen. And afterwards, they would still have more wealth and resources than they could possibly ever use. It is not by accident that they haven't used their resources to ensure everyone eats. It's not something they intend to get around to but keeps slipping their mind. They would rather children starve than to give up any portion of what they have. And the proof is they could easily give a portion of what they have and no children would starve, yet they don't. It is their choice, their preference. Interesting fact, if a child is hung...

A Starting Point To Fix Higher Education

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Imagine the greatest minds in mathematics working with the best teachers to create a program that explains math from a high school level up, with the assistance of experts in the psychology of learning. So at every step there is are videos and essays and multiple styles of practical learning that addresses the subject matter in every way a student might take in and understand information the best.  Now imagine that since it is an entirely online, automated system, there is no time frame imposed on the student. When a test is taken and passed, they move on to the next lesson. If they fail, they are shown exactly what they got wrong and given resources to help them better understand. But they can fail as many times as they need. If they are about to take a test and they don't feel ready, or life intervenes, there's no penalty, they just take it later. And how much later is up to them. All of the learning is done at the students pace. Occasional tests to ensure they have mastered ...