Enjoy Capitalism

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Abookamongstthemany
Abookamongstthemany Posts: 8,209
edited June 2007 in A Moving Train
Share your thoughts on this image. Do you think it's fair assessment? Why or why not?

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r84/tangowannabe/EnjoyCapitalism.jpg
If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you.

Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
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Comments

  • catefrances
    catefrances Posts: 29,003
    how about we recolonise africa but not fuck her up the arse this time?



    i find that image abhorrant. that well fed child is so because of his parents. the starving child is like he is because of indifference. if we actually gave a shit about the world's people images like this would be non existant. the will to act is the only renewable resource we as people of this world actually have some control over.
    hear my name
    take a good look
    this could be the day
    hold my hand
    lie beside me
    i just need to say
  • chadwick
    chadwick up my ass Posts: 21,157
    that's really good for a terrible image.
    totaly off the charts and gets me thinkin.
    i hope oneday human-beings can unite as one.

    glutting starvation
    no happy middle ground
    why?
    ppl are divided
    greed strength ignorance
    growing weakness no chance
    educated selfishness
    uneducated masses
    limits endless
    unlimited access
    (Earth) countries borders (Mother)
    one mankind among star filled soil
    feed excess happy fat-cells
    struggeling crumbs malnutrition
    death gruesome morbid obesity
    death poverty bankruptcy destitution
    for poetry through the ceiling. ISBN: 1 4241 8840 7

    "Hear me, my chiefs!
    I am tired; my heart is
    sick and sad. From where
    the sun stands I will fight
    no more forever."
    Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
  • surferdude
    surferdude Posts: 2,057
    Abookamongstthemany wrote:
    Share your thoughts on this image. Do you think it's fair assessment? Why or why not?
    It's not an assessment at all. Capitalism is an economic system. An economic system has next to nothing to do with how the government or individuals treat the less fortunate. My company's behavior in trying to be the best in their market only has a positive impact on any charitable donations I make as the bigger my bonus the more charity gets.

    Compassion and empathy are not tied to economic systems. Is this picture so different when done for a socialist country, is the starving child any less mal-nourished? How about when done from a communist country, is the starving child any less mal-nourished? Were they less malnourished before white people came to America? If I go to Cuba do they magically feed all the starving kids in Africa?
    “One good thing about music,
    when it hits you, you feel to pain.
    So brutalize me with music.”
    ~ Bob Marley
  • onelongsong
    onelongsong Posts: 3,517
    http://www.mrci.com/pdf/us.pdf

    capitalism on the rocks.
  • lucylespian
    lucylespian Posts: 2,403
    surferdude wrote:
    It's not an assessment at all. Capitalism is an economic system. An economic system has next to nothing to do with how the government or individuals treat the less fortunate. My company's behavior in trying to be the best in their market only has a positive impact on any charitable donations I make as the bigger my bonus the more charity gets.

    Compassion and empathy are not tied to economic systems. Is this picture so different when done for a socialist country, is the starving child any less mal-nourished? How about when done from a communist country, is the starving child any less mal-nourished? Were they less malnourished before white people came to America? If I go to Cuba do they magically feed all the starving kids in Africa?

    I think this is very fair.

    For a nation to be wealthy, there must be wealthy individuals. Moreover, wealth will always follow a bell curve, mlike everything else, and teh further to the right the mean is, the greater the overall wealth, and the further to the right the lower end of the scale will be. Despite this, there will always be individuals greater than 3 SD from the mean to the left side of the curve.
    Capitalism produces better economic outcomes for more people than socialism. This has been soundly proven over the last hundred years in a variety of cultures.
    MAking the US or Australia or England poor, will not make Africa wealthy.
    Further, Africa's problems really belong to Africa.
    The indifference to this child's plight is a predominantly indifference from within Africa, not without. If their political systems could replace war with social programmes, these images would disappear. So far, that has shown no sign of happening.
    Any attempt by wealthy nations to impose order is patriarchal imperialism.
    Music is not a competetion.
  • Carlos D
    Carlos D Posts: 638
    Abookamongstthemany wrote:
    Share your thoughts on this image. Do you think it's fair assessment? Why or why not?

    http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r84/tangowannabe/EnjoyCapitalism.jpg

    Is the 'American' kid profiting directly from the starving kid's suffering?No he isn't,the obese kid is enjoying the fact that he happens to live in a successful country while the other kid is unfortunate to live in a corrupt country(assuming it's in Africa).
    It may be the devil or it may be the Lord
    But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

    www.bebo.com/pearljam06
  • chadwick
    chadwick up my ass Posts: 21,157
    Carlos D wrote:
    Is the 'American' kid profiting directly from the starving kid's suffering?No he isn't,the obese kid is enjoying the fact that he happens to live in a successful country while the other kid is unfortunate to live in a corrupt country(assuming it's in Africa).

    the obese kid is in a successful corrupt country.(assuming its the USA)
    but all countries have corruption.
    for poetry through the ceiling. ISBN: 1 4241 8840 7

    "Hear me, my chiefs!
    I am tired; my heart is
    sick and sad. From where
    the sun stands I will fight
    no more forever."
    Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
  • VictoryGin
    VictoryGin Posts: 1,207
    surferdude wrote:
    It's not an assessment at all. Capitalism is an economic system. An economic system has next to nothing to do with how the government or individuals treat the less fortunate. My company's behavior in trying to be the best in their market only has a positive impact on any charitable donations I make as the bigger my bonus the more charity gets.

    Compassion and empathy are not tied to economic systems. Is this picture so different when done for a socialist country, is the starving child any less mal-nourished? How about when done from a communist country, is the starving child any less mal-nourished? Were they less malnourished before white people came to America? If I go to Cuba do they magically feed all the starving kids in Africa?

    perhaps a case could be made for the bolded question. if by white people you mean 'settlers' that made up the thirteen colonies and beyond---that was pretty recent history. hundreds of years before that (and during) there were great african empires like the ghana, mali, and songhai kingdoms. they were huge trading centers and were rich in salt, gold, etc. each empire was successful in their own ways so sure they could have been less malnourished than now. and this was only in west africa. there were also subsaharan civilizations as well. and then eventually people in africa were sold in the triangular trade and the continent went on to be colonized and given off in pieces such as in the berlin conference. clearly that's all a short version, but i just wanted to say that people in africa probably weren't as malnourished as they are now. and also, human civilizations began there, if they were so malnourished back then, we probably wouldn't be here, would we?
    if you wanna be a friend of mine
    cross the river to the eastside
  • chadwick
    chadwick up my ass Posts: 21,157
    lucylespian wrote:
    I think this is very fair.

    For a nation to be wealthy, there must be wealthy individuals. Moreover, wealth will always follow a bell curve, mlike everything else, and teh further to the right the mean is, the greater the overall wealth, and the further to the right the lower end of the scale will be. Despite this, there will always be individuals greater than 3 SD from the mean to the left side of the curve.
    Capitalism produces better economic outcomes for more people than socialism. This has been soundly proven over the last hundred years in a variety of cultures.
    MAking the US or Australia or England poor, will not make Africa wealthy.
    Further, Africa's problems really belong to Africa.
    The indifference to this child's plight is a predominantly indifference from within Africa, not without. If their political systems could replace war with social programmes, these images would disappear. So far, that has shown no sign of happening.
    Any attempt by wealthy nations to impose order is patriarchal imperialism.

    Africa's problems really are not just Africa's problems.
    Fuckin mankind problems belong to mankind.
    No one country, no one race, is better or less than another.
    I wonder who went to Africa and removed MANKIND from Africa
    and brought them to a distant land filled with MANKIND!
    That distant land was taken from one MANKIND for another.
    MANKIND abuses MANKIND and all that is within or out of grasp.
    Shit like this has been going on since MANKIND.
    Fuckin Man isn't kind.
    (MAN) ISN'T(KIND).
    for poetry through the ceiling. ISBN: 1 4241 8840 7

    "Hear me, my chiefs!
    I am tired; my heart is
    sick and sad. From where
    the sun stands I will fight
    no more forever."
    Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
  • ProvidenceHunter
    ProvidenceHunter Posts: 52
    It is so fucking idiotic to blame starvation on capitalism. Or to suggest that because some one is starving others should not be well fed, or in the case of the picture over fed. But its probably not that kids fault or his parents he probably has the fat gene.

    It is also stupid to that that one economic system over another makes individuals care more about the suffering of others.
    Peace through superior firepower!
  • Commy
    Commy Posts: 4,984
    The have's have not a clue.

    if the ppl in the free world saw more images like this these kinds of things wouldn't be happening, imo.

    Yes, I blame the media.
  • Abookamongstthemany
    Abookamongstthemany Posts: 8,209
    surferdude wrote:
    It's not an assessment at all. Capitalism is an economic system. An economic system has next to nothing to do with how the government or individuals treat the less fortunate. My company's behavior in trying to be the best in their market only has a positive impact on any charitable donations I make as the bigger my bonus the more charity gets.

    Compassion and empathy are not tied to economic systems. Is this picture so different when done for a socialist country, is the starving child any less mal-nourished? How about when done from a communist country, is the starving child any less mal-nourished? Were they less malnourished before white people came to America? If I go to Cuba do they magically feed all the starving kids in Africa?

    Free market capitalism usually wants no government involvement...so i think it's very fair to look at the effects this system brings about.

    Socialism and communism when done by definition and not haulted by corruption itself, are about a more equal distribution of wealth to keep images like the one I posted from happening.

    And there are plenty of charities out there helping as much as they can. But even still, poverty and hunger are still alive and well in alarming numbers. The free market system isn't working, imo. The practice of capitalizing the most profits you can possibly squeeze out of an area and it's resources has consequences and too many of us like to shy away from them.
    If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you.

    Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
    -Oscar Wilde
  • Commy
    Commy Posts: 4,984
    ProvidenceHunter wrote:
    It is so fucking idiotic to blame starvation on capitalism. Or to suggest that because some one is starving others should not be well fed, or in the case of the picture over fed. But its probably not that kids fault or his parents he probably has the fat gene.

    It is also stupid to that that one economic system over another makes individuals care more about the suffering of others.


    When the 'free world' arm many of the militant groups egaged in civil war in Africa, to keep them divided and a non-factor, they kind of are the ones to blame. The people suffer and of couse we can live our happy little lives in ignorance. The US supplies over half the world's weaponry, you can be sure much of that goes to the brutal groups waging war in Africa.

    To divide and rule...

    Also the resources of the region aren't benefitting the people of these regions. A recent example, Haiti was exporting grain to the US (while we were exporting it to China) while tens of thousands starved, a decade ago.

    The masters of capitalism care about only one thing.
  • lucylespian
    lucylespian Posts: 2,403
    chadwick wrote:
    Africa's problems really are not just Africa's problems.
    Fuckin mankind problems belong to mankind.
    No one country, no one race, is better or less than another.
    I wonder who went to Africa and removed MANKIND from Africa
    and brought them to a distant land filled with MANKIND!
    That distant land was taken from one MANKIND for another.
    MANKIND abuses MANKIND and all that is within or out of grasp.
    Shit like this has been going on since MANKIND.
    Fuckin Man isn't kind.
    (MAN) ISN'T(KIND).

    BUt the solutions belong to Africa. They need to come from withiin, they ceratinly haven't come from without.

    We know who bought the slaves, but who sold them ?? Who took free men and turned them into slaves ?? Africans, maybe ??
    Slavery wasn't invented in the New World, it came from the Old World. Zanzibar existed for thousands of years before the white slave traders came along.
    MAN isn't kind, that's true, but I'm not sure what your point is, or how it relates to capitalism vs another social system that might eliminate poverty from Africa.
    Music is not a competetion.
  • surferdude
    surferdude Posts: 2,057
    Commy wrote:
    The masters of capitalism care about only one thing.
    That's fair, but what do the masters of socialism care about? Certainly not the starving outside their own borders. What do the masters of communism care about? Certainly not the starving outside their own borders. What do the masters of democracy care about? Certainly not the starving outside their own borders.

    Placing blame on anyone but you and me is ridiculous. Blaming government is ridiculous, remeber the government is we the people. Blaming corporations is ridiculous, corporations are owned by people like you and me. The fault lies in the mirror and the miirror only.
    “One good thing about music,
    when it hits you, you feel to pain.
    So brutalize me with music.”
    ~ Bob Marley
  • ProvidenceHunter
    ProvidenceHunter Posts: 52
    Commy wrote:
    When the 'free world' arm many of the militant groups egaged in civil war in Africa, to keep them divided and a non-factor, they kind of are the ones to blame. The people suffer and of couse we can live our happy little lives in ignorance. The US supplies over half the world's weaponry, you can be sure much of that goes to the brutal groups waging war in Africa.

    To divide and rule...

    Also the resources of the region aren't benefitting the people of these regions. A recent example, Haiti was exporting grain to the US (while we were exporting it to China) while tens of thousands starved, a decade ago.

    The masters of capitalism care about only one thing.


    Yes thats exactly what capitalism wants. A divided poor Africa. Capitalism loves, a "non-factor". Nothing creates demand and profit like a "non-factor".

    Like I said fucking idiotic to blame starvation on capitalism.
    Peace through superior firepower!
  • hippiemom
    hippiemom Posts: 3,326
    I'm lost ... I see two horribly abused children.
    "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." ~ MLK, 1963
  • Abookamongstthemany
    Abookamongstthemany Posts: 8,209
    hippiemom wrote:
    I'm lost ... I see two horribly abused children.


    I see it as long these lines though not as direct.

    'Starve the poor so they can be well fed
    Line their holes with the dead ones bread'
    If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you.

    Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
    -Oscar Wilde
  • chadwick
    chadwick up my ass Posts: 21,157
    hippiemom wrote:
    I'm lost ... I see two horribly abused children.


    yes i agree.
    for poetry through the ceiling. ISBN: 1 4241 8840 7

    "Hear me, my chiefs!
    I am tired; my heart is
    sick and sad. From where
    the sun stands I will fight
    no more forever."
    Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
  • hippiemom
    hippiemom Posts: 3,326
    Abookamongstthemany wrote:
    I see it as long these lines though not as direct.

    'Starve the poor so they can be well fed
    Line their holes with the dead ones bread'
    That kid is way beyond "well-fed." He's suffering because of an over-abundance that he lacks the knowledge to make proper use of. Perhaps a wiser use of his abundance would be to share some of it with the other child :)
    "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." ~ MLK, 1963

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