You know what is scary about John Perkins is that he is not full of SHT.
I have heard him interviewed a few times and he knows what he is talking about.

The guy speaks the truth. confessions was an eye opener

The IMF appears to be our henchman in the actions that Perkins describes.

The IMF appears to be our henchman in the actions that Perkins describes.
#3 | Posted by matsop

I think you're operating with a really loose definition of the word "our". Beyond that, I don't dispute your point.

A very lucid threat from Jeffndenmark. I would disagree with Perkins over the term "mutant form of capitalism". This globalized, predatory capitalism was predicted a long time ago by a German philosopher/economist.

Funny... what he says about terrorists being desperate people kind of echos what Ron Paul keeps saying. Of course it's hard to hear what Ron Paul is saying since Ricky Santorum is usually standing next to him screaming, "YER A CRAZY OLD MAN YOU DON'T KNOW THE HISTORY LESSONS OF WHICH YOU SPEAK!"

This globalized, predatory capitalism was predicted a long time ago by a German philosopher/economist.
#5 | POSTED BY NULLIFIDIAN

It's a form of political hegemony financed by Washington at the expense of taxpayers. Get a brain.

It's a form of political hegemony financed by Washington at the expense of taxpayers. Get a brain.

#7 | Posted by Ray at 2011-11-26 07:05 PM | Reply | Flag

Yes, Capitalists control the government. Just as Marx said. Duh.

Yes, Capitalists control the government. Just as Marx said. Duh.
#8 | POSTED BY NULLIFIDIAN

You voted for their stooges. I didn't.

That was no great insight on Marx's part. Mercantilism, as it was called then, was the target of Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations.

Mercantilism, as it was called then, was the target of Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations.

#9 | Posted by Ray

All for ourselves, and nothing for other people, seems, in every age of the world, to have been the vile maxim of the masters of mankind.

--Adam Smith, An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations

Sounds like Adam Smith would consider Ayn Rand a bitch.

This is a snip from the documentary film "End of Poverty" and is a must see for all us wonks here at the retort. Netflix has it.

Mercantilism, as it was called then, was the target of Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations. -- #9 | Posted by Ray

This is true, but doesn't contradict Nulli's point. Mercantilists supported trade barriers against imports out of concern that settling trade deficits with gold would bleed sovereigns of the loot they needed to pay mercenary armies. Smith's challenge to mercantilists was his free market argument -- his claim that free trade would increase wealth. Smith's argument was about the size of the pie, not distribution, and his state was under-theorized.

Sounds like Adam Smith would consider Ayn Rand a bitch.
#11 | POSTED BY NULLIFIDIAN

I don't see how. They would have been in agreement.

I don't see how. They would have been in agreement.

#14 | Posted by Ray

Yeah, this sure looks like agreement.

All for ourselves, and nothing for other people, seems, in every age of the world, to have been the vile maxim of the masters of mankind.
--Adam Smith

Selfishness is a virtue.
--Ayn Rand

Selfishness is a virtue.
--Ayn Rand
#15 | POSTED BY NULLIFIDIAN

I think you intentionally disregard the ethics that Rand attached to selfishness.

"No man - or any group of men - may seek to gain values from others by the use of physical force."
-Ayn Rand

By your reason, it is virtuous to forcibly take the wealth from those who earn it and give it to those who don't.

I've come to see why you hate Rand so much. She picked you and your ilk apart down to the bone. It must have been painful to read her. Here's a gem from Virtue of Selfishness.

"... men cannot survive by imitating the method of animals, by rejecting reason and counting productive men to serve as prey. Such looters may achieve their goals for the range of the moment, at the price of destruction: the destruction of their victims and their own."

Hell is coming to America.

"Here's a gem from Virtue of Selfishness."

You and Rand are both ideological fruitcakes.

Here's a gem from Virtue of Selfishness.

"... men cannot survive by imitating the method of animals,

Some "gem". Humans are animals. Ayn Rand was an animal. You are an animal. I am an animal. Deal with it. Humans are monkeys who have learned to communicate with small mouth sounds.

You and Rand are both ideological fruitcakes.
#18 | POSTED BY NULLIFIDIAN

As America sinks into poverty.

Why would 'they' need this clown at all? David Rockefeller did much better with only one bank, putting almost every South American country in hopeless debt.

Such looters may achieve their goals for the range of the moment, at the price of destruction: the destruction of their victims and their own."

That works both ways, Ray.

Sucking the bottom half dry out of greed prevents half of the equation from functioning.

a good video. Im still unsure how the right wingers can come in here an agree with this video, its a refutation of all undaunted glorification of crony capitalism

Sucking the bottom half dry out of greed prevents half of the equation from functioning.
#23 | POSTED BY JPW

The dysfunctional liberals think it's greedy to want to keep what you earn and virtuous to take what others earn. They imagine the ruling classes are better at spending money than those who earned it. Then they can't figure out why governments all over the world are having severe financial problems while their respective economies are collapsing.

I'm old enough to witness how much this country has deteriorated during the past fifty years. It doesn't just happen. It comes from a culture that has no respect for the liberty of others and no understanding of how wealth is created. As commonly believed, it is not created by fabricating money out of debt. That's a prescription for a future disaster of epic proportions.

The dysfunctional liberals think it's greedy to want to keep what you earn and virtuous to take what others earn. They imagine the ruling classes are better at spending money than those who earned it. Then they can't figure out why governments all over the world are having severe financial problems while their respective economies are collapsing.

Wrong dumbfuck.

I think it's greedy to post record profits while cutting jobs with the bad economy as your reason.

I think it's greedy to pay the top how many hundreds of times (if I remember the numbers correctly) than your average worker. Even in these times.

I think it's killing yourself when you don't realize that having a society around you with money to spend is also in your best interest.

It has nothing to do with taking from others. It has everything to do with not being short sighted greedy SOB looking to amass every cent he can for himself and yet wonders why he's not looked upon too kindly.

I'm old enough

You're old enough that no one is surprised by your batshit craziness.

You're also old enough that we'd wish you'd shut the fuck up and fall asleep in the damned lazyboy.

I think it's greedy to post record profits while cutting jobs with the bad economy as your reason.

Well, what you think is "greedy" is irrelevant.

I think it's "greedy" that you're sitting on your ass, posting on a half-assed left-wing message board, while so many are stuck in the cold tonight----hungry, homeless...without hope.

You have the resources to help them, JWPussy.

You could do more.

You just choose not to.

Enjoy your heated home and electronic gadgetry tonight, Greedfucker.

Well, what you think is "greedy" is irrelevant.

As relevant as what you think.

I think it's "greedy" that you're sitting on your ass, posting on a half-assed left-wing message board, while so many are stuck in the cold tonight----hungry, homeless...without hope.

Then why are you here? Why are you ever here? What makes you get drunk off shit beer and rant in a place where you're not taken seriously?

You have the resources to help them, JWPussy.

You could do more.

Some strong statements to make about someone you don't know.

Enjoy your heated home and electronic gadgetry tonight, Greedfucker.

Resorting to absurdities is the surest sign your argument is shit.

The next best sign is the tag "jak se mao".