.."Most politicians won’t say this because it threatens the fundamental business model of their donors." Sadly, this is the "M.O" in our wealth and greed-driven society. So...I fear you are preaching to the choir--you and Zohran Mamdani. I am an 86 year old enthusiastic supporter of you both, but reality based enough to know it will take a long time for our sad little country to get out from under the gold-plated crud on which we function.
Great article. One factor you didn't call out specifically is the growth in corporate profit margins, and the shift of total economic value from workers to corporations. In the 1950s, corporate profit margins were typically 4-5% - today they are 10-12%. Wages have declined from about 56% to 53% of GDP, while corporate profits have grown from 18% to 21% of GDP. Consider - fully 1/5 of our economy is going to corporate profits. It has been the most massive transfer of wealth - from the middle class to the top few %, in our country's history. It's the result of 40 years of concerted effort on the part of economic elites, their lobbyists, think tanks, and captured media.
I read every word and am convinced you have the best ideas for coming back from this nightmare. Biden’s Administration started rebuilding our infrastructure only to have the orange one tear so much of it down. Getting people to work at the rebuilding is not going to be possible unless we Socialists
For that to happen, we need to ensure that there will be midterms AND that they won't be hacked, as the 2024 presidential election so glaringly obviously was. www.electiontruthalliance.org
Under the Biden administration, there were many changes in the USDA, US Dept of Agriculture) like a focus on rural area development and sustainable agriculture systems, conservation support for farms, renewing and building regional supply chains for production and food processing, rural broadband at affordable prices, and rural clean energy and forestry on farms programs, and much more, were begun. New ways to improve urban and small to medium farming, to farm beyond and without killing chemical systems and support of many aspects of innovation for a stable and healthy food supply with a launch of what is now a nationwide food for health campaign. Much of this was stopped under Trump but MUCH of it benefited Red States and Republicans know this. Watch for the Farm Bill in 2025 or 2026 to see what needs refunding and expansion because it WORKS! and we need a stable and reliable food supply ( for people) in the future.
I don't disagree that public investment in the means of production would be a competitive counter to corporate monopoly and hegemony. It won't happen with our current system of political financing. Peter Thiel bought JD Vance his Ohio senate seat. Elon Musk's more than 1/4 billion dollars helped buy POTUS for the orange wannabe Julius Caesar. The SCOTUS decisions that first claimed that corporations (a financial construct) have the same rights as human beings and then that corporations and individuals could contribute unlimited amounts of money to campaigns or PACs supporting those campaigns are at the root of our inability to change. The Republicans packed the Supreme Court and are busily packing the appeals courts and below. If the Democrats ever get back in at least congressional power, the only remediation is to expand the Court to 15 and for a Democratic president to add those 5 seats with people on the absolute opposite end of the scale from the Federalist Society plague. They must then repeal all of the inequality decisions made by the Court in the last 40 years. That must include a nationwide ban on unlimited campaign contributions with limits at the level of $500 or less so that all of us can regain our voice.
The Congress must then enable greater access to voting via technology, even to the level of enforcing every citizen to vote, just as we used to enforce the military draft process. There must be algorithmic control of the voting district processes nationwide. Politicians cannot be allowed to choose their voters. The reverse must be true. Until any and all of this occurs, we will continue to have the best politicians money can buy.
To clarify: Citizen United not likely at all to be overturned by Wall Street, oligarch-friendly, centrist Dems. More fresh new faces like Mamdani are needed :)
And moderate Democrats that have a death grip on the Party won’t allow “new faces” a place at the table. Look at what the DNC did to David Hogg and Malcolm Kenyatta.
Let's start with the control of gerrymandering voting districts. Federal Courts use computer systems that are programmed to create voting districts with programs that assess geographic location and population numbers and leave race and economics out of the picture. These systems help Courts identify if voting districts are gerrymandered but can be used to know what fair and just districting look like. Let the courts identify the fairest districting then disricts are ratified by votes of the people of the State involved, with special elections. Let the votes rise where they may.
So… (democratic) Socialism, to replace Capitalism (with socialistic elements).
Two things are critical. One, as you note, public options for every non-capitalist/consumer entity required for economic security - health care, utilities, education, housing, etc. The second is democratic socialism in the workplace; workers must have a meaningful voice in the means of production.
To get there, first you have to end corporate rule. Only way to do that is via constitutional amendment. Info here - MoveToAmend.org
It all came apart in the 1970's with Milton Fried man declaring the death of the "Social-Contract" when he said the corporation is ONLY obligated to "optimize" the shareholder profits. This was the Chicago-model of economics. That was the 'slippery-slope' that began the slide !! Of course Ray-gun-omics "trickle-down" certainly didn't help !!
At 81 (also an enthusiastic supporter of both you and Mr. Mandami), I too am pessimistic about seeing your prescription for wrestling the means of production from the oligarchs and their corporations any time soon. Wrestling control of the media is key, though. And we’ve all but lost on that one. First we must get ordinary Americans to look away from all the hype coming at them from their devices. Good luck with that. It’s literally going to take a tsunami (or another pandemic or a massive earthquake under Manhattan or an ice sheet dropping into the ocean, or a massive, engineered blackout, or perhaps a meteor)! But you get my drift. I’m not being dramatic…just realistic. We’re sleepwalking.
Even Trump and the Project 2025 phenomenon hasn’t shaken us awake! Lord (if you’re out there) help us all.
Corbin, what you say makes sense, and it’s based on data and historical facts. The solution you propose would be revolutionary, although we’ve been there before. My sense is that it would take a very large-scale and sustained public revolt to make that happen. What would that look like? Certainly it must come to labor organization, general strikes, boycotts, and mass peaceful resistance. Right now we have very little of this. My fear is that things will have to get much worse. I think there are people who still believe if they work long and hard enough, their day will come. That would be reminiscent of the American Dream, which is all but behind most of us. It’s time we reclaim that from the giant corporations and oligarchy. This will be difficult to do outside our current political party system. We must overwhelmingly vote for reformers, particularly those who don’t take corporate and PAC “donations.”
It will take an end to the dominant economic voices of finance capitalists, and this won't happen until, as in the Great Depression, these greedy players ruin the economy, effectively shutting them up. That lasted a good 30 years after the Depression in some sectors, until the greed is good crown once again elbowed- and murdered (JFK?)- their way back into dominance.
You wanna knock some stupid stuff, leave avocado toast and a latte alone. Both are healthy, especially with oat milk and cinnamon, and organic tomatoes and avocados on 17 grain bread with nice spices. Pick something real, like big cars, or twenty pairs of shoes, or a boatload of expensive clothes, or an SUV, or a plane ride of more than 500 miles, or any of another thousand things. Or maybe too many subscriptions, most folks have 20 or more. Make sense Corbin, and cut out all this crap about knocking progressives, while you are at it. You would not know a real progressive if they opened the door for you. All of us independent progressives grow tired of listening to blame games that make no sense. We all lost this nation decades ago, when most of us either were not born or were fighting in the streets about Nam and a dozen other disasters. We cannot afford to talk about affordability.
DANG CORBIN, DANG. Now you're talking!!! EXCELLENT BROTHER, EXCELLENT!!!
You wrote; But somewhere along the way, we bought into this myth that private enterprise is inherently more efficient, more innovative, more capable than public enterprise. And that myth has been absolutely devastating for affordability.
It's called CORRUPTION!!
CORBIN
We have the affordability, and it doesn’t lie in or with the States. Because they can’t print the money.
It lies in “WE THE PEOPLE’S” asset which is the powerful nation that we all worked to establish together, more or less, and that is our U.S. Treasury, and our power to print money to pay everyone.
For it would just circulate throughout the USA in a spin cycle that keeps us all working, financially stress free, just like what you said Covid did. And now like you have just written about. BRAVO BRAVO BRAVO....
THIS IS HOW IT ALL BEGINS;
CANDIDATES, WOULD YOU SIGN & AGREE THAT FUTURE ELECTED GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES OF ‘WE THE PEOPLE” NEED TO BE UNDER CONTRACT,
To “We The People,” as someone that is a Candidate for public office, I understand the laws that “We The People” want and need to be proposed in Congress, and passed, signed into law by the President, and I support your wishes 100%.
I have read your Mandate, and I am up to date on all the addendums, and your proposals makes all the Governments employees, (elected officials), our employee’s obligations so much easier for me to support to its fullest meaning and intent.
I understand that if I have a law that I want to introduce in the House or Senate, that I first will get the approval of “The People’s Law Review Board,” and their review is with the understanding that I am an American citizen with just concerns that need their (“The People’s Law Review Board,” ) immediate attention.
I understand that if I receive your dollars and your votes as a candidates running for any political office that basically I will accept that for your votes and donations to get me elected that I agree that “WE THE PEOPLE” will write the laws that will benefit everyone equally for a better America, and I will propose it as part of my responsibilities, and urge my Colleagues in Government to do the same. In addition, I may propose laws that I want to introduce, and I will first get approval from “WE THE PEOPLE’S” Legal Review Committee before I can submit any law.
I completely understand they will review my proposal expeditiously, because they know that I am an American too, who believes in the Mandate by Lucky Lieberman in its entirety.
I accept that my failure to comply 100% with my signed agreement with “WE THE PEOPLE’S” agreement, that I will immediately return all the donations that they gave to me, and I will immediately resign my elected position in Government.
Yes, I agree, and this agreement will assure and insure, that our Democracy will finally become the purest beacon of freedom throughout the World.
Hmmm? Not a word about our wasteful and destructive spending on wars and weapons. One trillion dollars annually for this crap even though we are one of the most secure countries on the planet with two broad oceans on our coast and only two large friendly countries touching our borders. We also spend another trillion dollars annually in interest costs on our debt, largely thanks to decades of overspending on wars, weapons and the legacy costs of veterans care. This is the primary source of our budget insanity. Until we gain control of the military-industrial-complex we will always be faced with “we can’t afford these nice things.”
Reading this is a stark contrast with here in Australia, which certainly isn't perfect, but has many of the things you recommend. America has list its way.
.."Most politicians won’t say this because it threatens the fundamental business model of their donors." Sadly, this is the "M.O" in our wealth and greed-driven society. So...I fear you are preaching to the choir--you and Zohran Mamdani. I am an 86 year old enthusiastic supporter of you both, but reality based enough to know it will take a long time for our sad little country to get out from under the gold-plated crud on which we function.
Great article. One factor you didn't call out specifically is the growth in corporate profit margins, and the shift of total economic value from workers to corporations. In the 1950s, corporate profit margins were typically 4-5% - today they are 10-12%. Wages have declined from about 56% to 53% of GDP, while corporate profits have grown from 18% to 21% of GDP. Consider - fully 1/5 of our economy is going to corporate profits. It has been the most massive transfer of wealth - from the middle class to the top few %, in our country's history. It's the result of 40 years of concerted effort on the part of economic elites, their lobbyists, think tanks, and captured media.
GREAT ARTICLE! Am forwarding it to my progressive folks running for office!
I read every word and am convinced you have the best ideas for coming back from this nightmare. Biden’s Administration started rebuilding our infrastructure only to have the orange one tear so much of it down. Getting people to work at the rebuilding is not going to be possible unless we Socialists
expell this evil at midterms.
For that to happen, we need to ensure that there will be midterms AND that they won't be hacked, as the 2024 presidential election so glaringly obviously was. www.electiontruthalliance.org
Under the Biden administration, there were many changes in the USDA, US Dept of Agriculture) like a focus on rural area development and sustainable agriculture systems, conservation support for farms, renewing and building regional supply chains for production and food processing, rural broadband at affordable prices, and rural clean energy and forestry on farms programs, and much more, were begun. New ways to improve urban and small to medium farming, to farm beyond and without killing chemical systems and support of many aspects of innovation for a stable and healthy food supply with a launch of what is now a nationwide food for health campaign. Much of this was stopped under Trump but MUCH of it benefited Red States and Republicans know this. Watch for the Farm Bill in 2025 or 2026 to see what needs refunding and expansion because it WORKS! and we need a stable and reliable food supply ( for people) in the future.
I don't disagree that public investment in the means of production would be a competitive counter to corporate monopoly and hegemony. It won't happen with our current system of political financing. Peter Thiel bought JD Vance his Ohio senate seat. Elon Musk's more than 1/4 billion dollars helped buy POTUS for the orange wannabe Julius Caesar. The SCOTUS decisions that first claimed that corporations (a financial construct) have the same rights as human beings and then that corporations and individuals could contribute unlimited amounts of money to campaigns or PACs supporting those campaigns are at the root of our inability to change. The Republicans packed the Supreme Court and are busily packing the appeals courts and below. If the Democrats ever get back in at least congressional power, the only remediation is to expand the Court to 15 and for a Democratic president to add those 5 seats with people on the absolute opposite end of the scale from the Federalist Society plague. They must then repeal all of the inequality decisions made by the Court in the last 40 years. That must include a nationwide ban on unlimited campaign contributions with limits at the level of $500 or less so that all of us can regain our voice.
The Congress must then enable greater access to voting via technology, even to the level of enforcing every citizen to vote, just as we used to enforce the military draft process. There must be algorithmic control of the voting district processes nationwide. Politicians cannot be allowed to choose their voters. The reverse must be true. Until any and all of this occurs, we will continue to have the best politicians money can buy.
Citizens united should be overturned but it won’t happen by electing Democrats.
Then by who?
To clarify: Citizen United not likely at all to be overturned by Wall Street, oligarch-friendly, centrist Dems. More fresh new faces like Mamdani are needed :)
And moderate Democrats that have a death grip on the Party won’t allow “new faces” a place at the table. Look at what the DNC did to David Hogg and Malcolm Kenyatta.
Let's start with the control of gerrymandering voting districts. Federal Courts use computer systems that are programmed to create voting districts with programs that assess geographic location and population numbers and leave race and economics out of the picture. These systems help Courts identify if voting districts are gerrymandered but can be used to know what fair and just districting look like. Let the courts identify the fairest districting then disricts are ratified by votes of the people of the State involved, with special elections. Let the votes rise where they may.
Totally agree! Excellent article.
Yes!
Another Very Good Post Corbin... Another Modernized Round Of Socialism Might Be Necessary For The Success Of The Common Good....
So… (democratic) Socialism, to replace Capitalism (with socialistic elements).
Two things are critical. One, as you note, public options for every non-capitalist/consumer entity required for economic security - health care, utilities, education, housing, etc. The second is democratic socialism in the workplace; workers must have a meaningful voice in the means of production.
To get there, first you have to end corporate rule. Only way to do that is via constitutional amendment. Info here - MoveToAmend.org
It all came apart in the 1970's with Milton Fried man declaring the death of the "Social-Contract" when he said the corporation is ONLY obligated to "optimize" the shareholder profits. This was the Chicago-model of economics. That was the 'slippery-slope' that began the slide !! Of course Ray-gun-omics "trickle-down" certainly didn't help !!
At 81 (also an enthusiastic supporter of both you and Mr. Mandami), I too am pessimistic about seeing your prescription for wrestling the means of production from the oligarchs and their corporations any time soon. Wrestling control of the media is key, though. And we’ve all but lost on that one. First we must get ordinary Americans to look away from all the hype coming at them from their devices. Good luck with that. It’s literally going to take a tsunami (or another pandemic or a massive earthquake under Manhattan or an ice sheet dropping into the ocean, or a massive, engineered blackout, or perhaps a meteor)! But you get my drift. I’m not being dramatic…just realistic. We’re sleepwalking.
Even Trump and the Project 2025 phenomenon hasn’t shaken us awake! Lord (if you’re out there) help us all.
Corbin, what you say makes sense, and it’s based on data and historical facts. The solution you propose would be revolutionary, although we’ve been there before. My sense is that it would take a very large-scale and sustained public revolt to make that happen. What would that look like? Certainly it must come to labor organization, general strikes, boycotts, and mass peaceful resistance. Right now we have very little of this. My fear is that things will have to get much worse. I think there are people who still believe if they work long and hard enough, their day will come. That would be reminiscent of the American Dream, which is all but behind most of us. It’s time we reclaim that from the giant corporations and oligarchy. This will be difficult to do outside our current political party system. We must overwhelmingly vote for reformers, particularly those who don’t take corporate and PAC “donations.”
It will take an end to the dominant economic voices of finance capitalists, and this won't happen until, as in the Great Depression, these greedy players ruin the economy, effectively shutting them up. That lasted a good 30 years after the Depression in some sectors, until the greed is good crown once again elbowed- and murdered (JFK?)- their way back into dominance.
You wanna knock some stupid stuff, leave avocado toast and a latte alone. Both are healthy, especially with oat milk and cinnamon, and organic tomatoes and avocados on 17 grain bread with nice spices. Pick something real, like big cars, or twenty pairs of shoes, or a boatload of expensive clothes, or an SUV, or a plane ride of more than 500 miles, or any of another thousand things. Or maybe too many subscriptions, most folks have 20 or more. Make sense Corbin, and cut out all this crap about knocking progressives, while you are at it. You would not know a real progressive if they opened the door for you. All of us independent progressives grow tired of listening to blame games that make no sense. We all lost this nation decades ago, when most of us either were not born or were fighting in the streets about Nam and a dozen other disasters. We cannot afford to talk about affordability.
You oughta read the piece. I dismissed those red hearings in the first paragraph I think.
DANG CORBIN, DANG. Now you're talking!!! EXCELLENT BROTHER, EXCELLENT!!!
You wrote; But somewhere along the way, we bought into this myth that private enterprise is inherently more efficient, more innovative, more capable than public enterprise. And that myth has been absolutely devastating for affordability.
It's called CORRUPTION!!
CORBIN
We have the affordability, and it doesn’t lie in or with the States. Because they can’t print the money.
It lies in “WE THE PEOPLE’S” asset which is the powerful nation that we all worked to establish together, more or less, and that is our U.S. Treasury, and our power to print money to pay everyone.
For it would just circulate throughout the USA in a spin cycle that keeps us all working, financially stress free, just like what you said Covid did. And now like you have just written about. BRAVO BRAVO BRAVO....
THIS IS HOW IT ALL BEGINS;
CANDIDATES, WOULD YOU SIGN & AGREE THAT FUTURE ELECTED GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES OF ‘WE THE PEOPLE” NEED TO BE UNDER CONTRACT,
To “We The People,” as someone that is a Candidate for public office, I understand the laws that “We The People” want and need to be proposed in Congress, and passed, signed into law by the President, and I support your wishes 100%.
I have read your Mandate, and I am up to date on all the addendums, and your proposals makes all the Governments employees, (elected officials), our employee’s obligations so much easier for me to support to its fullest meaning and intent.
I understand that if I have a law that I want to introduce in the House or Senate, that I first will get the approval of “The People’s Law Review Board,” and their review is with the understanding that I am an American citizen with just concerns that need their (“The People’s Law Review Board,” ) immediate attention.
I understand that if I receive your dollars and your votes as a candidates running for any political office that basically I will accept that for your votes and donations to get me elected that I agree that “WE THE PEOPLE” will write the laws that will benefit everyone equally for a better America, and I will propose it as part of my responsibilities, and urge my Colleagues in Government to do the same. In addition, I may propose laws that I want to introduce, and I will first get approval from “WE THE PEOPLE’S” Legal Review Committee before I can submit any law.
I completely understand they will review my proposal expeditiously, because they know that I am an American too, who believes in the Mandate by Lucky Lieberman in its entirety.
I accept that my failure to comply 100% with my signed agreement with “WE THE PEOPLE’S” agreement, that I will immediately return all the donations that they gave to me, and I will immediately resign my elected position in Government.
Yes, I agree, and this agreement will assure and insure, that our Democracy will finally become the purest beacon of freedom throughout the World.
BY; https://butwhatthefukdoiknow.substack.com
Hmmm? Not a word about our wasteful and destructive spending on wars and weapons. One trillion dollars annually for this crap even though we are one of the most secure countries on the planet with two broad oceans on our coast and only two large friendly countries touching our borders. We also spend another trillion dollars annually in interest costs on our debt, largely thanks to decades of overspending on wars, weapons and the legacy costs of veterans care. This is the primary source of our budget insanity. Until we gain control of the military-industrial-complex we will always be faced with “we can’t afford these nice things.”
Reading this is a stark contrast with here in Australia, which certainly isn't perfect, but has many of the things you recommend. America has list its way.