File spoon-archives/lyotard.archive/lyotard_2002/lyotard.0212, message 70


Date: Thu, 26 Dec 2002 23:17:58 +1000
From: hbone <hbone-AT-optonline.net>
Subject: Re: global elites etc..


This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

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Steve,

I read the Guardian article. 

 I saw a TV interview with Chris Hedges, a former war correspondent who has a new book, "War as a Source that Give's Us Meaning". He's against wars, didn't speak of sacrificial death, which - IMHO makes all wars holy, ie to die for God (who didn't send you into battle) or die for the State - which did  

He did talk about demonizing the enemy, the other side of that coin being self-glorification through patriotism.  He spoke of the drug-like effect, the "rush" of  endangerment and escape from death, necrophillia etc. War destroys it's believers.(my words, not his)

As for elites in undeveloped countries, they exploit the common people, get them off their homelands into barrios, slums, shantytowns.  The more fortunate work as wage slaves, child slaves, prison slaves, for pennies sub-human survival.
Just as in the industrialized world, the common people are sold out by their leaders.

I think this will continue whereever the land is more valuable than the natives. It took 
100s of years in the two Americas.   Nowdays it takes just a few years.  The latest surge of Globalization started with dissolution of the U.S.S.R. 

The current U.S. imperialism will enrich the industrial military complex, and oil companies, but further impoverish ordinary folk, who do not enjoy the shorter hours, longer vacations and health and other welfare benefits of Europeans.

Maybe things are better in the U.K., but in the U.S.it's not uncommon for CEO's to 
be paid 500 times the wage of lowest paid employees, and Wall Street firms are paying 100's of millions of dollars in fines for defrauding clients.  Its said to be trivial portion of the take.

Several famous and supposedly reputable companies have gone into bankruptcy after fraudlent manuvers that destroyed employee pension funds and the market value of Company stock.  A double blow for employees who were investors.

A recent gimmick is auto insurance company conspiracy with car repair companies  who charge for high priced  factory parts in repair of wrecked vehicles, but use cheap inferior, defective and dangerous parts.

Fraud in Health Management Organizations, HMO's, is notorious and widespread.
and the Govt. doesn't stop it.  Bootleg, useless substances are sold for thousands of dollars as prescription drugs bearing counterfeit lables  to desperate victims of AIDS or other illness.

Its been a bad year.  Voters expect and routinely get,dishonest politicians elected with corporate monies, but  Corporate Corruption, which is not in the best interest of  our wealthy elites, has gone overboard

regards,
Hugh













--Boundary_(ID_xjdtK3/w/i30wqj5EktRew)

HTML VERSION:

Steve,
 
I read the Guardian article. 
 
 I saw a TV interview with Chris Hedges, a former war correspondent who has a new book, "War as a Source that Give's Us Meaning". He's against wars, didn't speak of sacrificial death, which - IMHO makes all wars holy, ie to die for God (who didn't send you into battle) or die for the State - which did  
 
He did talk about demonizing the enemy, the other side of that coin being self-glorification through patriotism.  He spoke of the drug-like effect, the "rush" of  endangerment and escape from death, necrophillia etc. War destroys it's believers.(my words, not his)
 
As for elites in undeveloped countries, they exploit the common people, get them off their homelands into barrios, slums, shantytowns.  The more fortunate work as wage slaves, child slaves, prison slaves, for pennies sub-human survival.
Just as in the industrialized world, the common people are sold out by their leaders.
 
I think this will continue whereever the land is more valuable than the natives. It took
100s of years in the two Americas.   Nowdays it takes just a few years.  The latest surge of Globalization started with dissolution of the U.S.S.R.
 
The current U.S. imperialism will enrich the industrial military complex, and oil companies, but further impoverish ordinary folk, who do not enjoy the shorter hours, longer vacations and health and other welfare benefits of Europeans.
 
Maybe things are better in the U.K., but in the U.S.it's not uncommon for CEO's to
be paid 500 times the wage of lowest paid employees, and Wall Street firms are paying 100's of millions of dollars in fines for defrauding clients.  Its said to be trivial portion of the take.
 
Several famous and supposedly reputable companies have gone into bankruptcy after fraudlent manuvers that destroyed employee pension funds and the market value of Company stock.  A double blow for employees who were investors.
 
A recent gimmick is auto insurance company conspiracy with car repair companies  who charge for high priced  factory parts in repair of wrecked vehicles, but use cheap inferior, defective and dangerous parts.
 
Fraud in Health Management Organizations, HMO's, is notorious and widespread.
and the Govt. doesn't stop it.  Bootleg, useless substances are sold for thousands of dollars as prescription drugs bearing counterfeit lables  to desperate victims of AIDS or other illness.
 
Its been a bad year.  Voters expect and routinely get,dishonest politicians elected with corporate monies, but  Corporate Corruption, which is not in the best interest of  our wealthy elites, has gone overboard
 
regards,
Hugh
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 




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