What is it they don't understand...

about capitalism? Yesterday, I think it was yesterday, there was an article discussing the fact that companies were buying machinery instead of hiring workers. The article explained that the machinery could do the work of the workers, was much less expensive, and could be bought even less expensively from other countries. I have no idea why anyone bothered to write such a piece that seemed to object to the failure to hire workers. I mean, what do they expect? It is obvious that companies that are in business to make a profit are going to do that in the least expensive way, that’s what capitalism is all about, to expect business to hire workers that would be more expensive than machines is absurd. To expect the private sector to create jobs when there is no potential profit in it is pointless. There is an interesting Catch-22 involved. There are so many unemployed people there is not enough money for people to shop, if people don’t shop employers have no reason to hire people, but if employers don’t hire people there are no people to shop. Granted it is somewhat more complicated than that, but even Henry Ford knew that if he wanted people to be able to buy his product they would have to have good paying jobs. In times like these the government should provide jobs, as Roosevelt did with the WPA and the CCC. But of course President Obama cannot do this because it would be (horrors) socialism.

I gather there was a Republican “debate” this evening. I did not watch it (I assume it must have been televised) as I am much too old to be amused any longer by clowns. There was a brief notice on Buzzflash that led me to believe Romney must have emerged the victor, the other candidates having not attacked him as expected. I suppose that if Romney isn’t stopped by the Tea Party he will in fact emerge as the Republican candidate for President. This is just as well for no matter how bad a candidate he may be, the others would all be worse. I do find it amusing however that Romney is running on a platform of creating jobs and attacking President Obama for not creating jobs. This is interesting as Romney, as Governor of Massachusetts, had an absolutely dismal record of job creation and, in fact, made his fortune by eliminating jobs and sending them overseas. He is also caught up in another strange position as the one thing he did accomplish as Governor was universal health care, a positive accomplishment he is now trying to disavow to please the Tea Party. Personally, I don’t think much of Romney as he is a chronic flip-flopper, a liar, absolutely oozes insincerity, as well as an aura of inauthenticity, although I suppose that is par for the course for a Republican. Some are saying that Governor Perry of Texas might enter the race and would be a serious contender for Romney. Now there’s a choice made in heaven, a Mormon against a religious nut case.

I confess to be pretty disappointed in President Obama for a number of reasons, mainly for his continuing and escalating the “war” in Afghanistan, now for his attack on Libya and his support for Israel, as well as his support for nuclear energy, the Patriot Act, secrecy, and Wall Street, and although I think I understand it, I will never forgive him for not holding Bush/Cheney responsible for their war crimes. But even as bad as he is, he is still far superior to any Republican candidate as they all seem to reside in some strange and permanent never-never land of cutting taxes, shrinking government, and trying to destroy us ordinary folk. It seems there is not one single thing that might benefit ordinary people they are not opposed to, and they have kept their pledge to be the party of “no” by blocking everything Obama has tried to do to help us out of the terrible situation we now find ourselves in, thanks mainly to the Bush/Cheney administration. They are so single-mindedly determined to defeat Obama they are willing to risk even destroying our country.

Although it will never happen, at least in my remaining lifetime, we desperately need a serious third party (probably just a second party as Republicans and Democrats are basically the same nowadays). We need a party of serious-minded men and women who are truly interested in governing, will refuse to be bought by big money, and will focus on the importance of education, infrastructure, environment, and peace. I know, I know, a nice pipe dream, but that’s about all we have left now…dreaming.

If a little dreaming is dangerous, the cure for it is not to dream less but to dream more, to dream all the time.
Marcel Proust