This goes hand in hand with modern, virtueless capitalism where greed is good, and morals are for losers. When the goal is money, then everything else is just stuff that gets in the way. Capitalism is as much a religion as any other, but rather than offering moral foundations for society, capitalism reveres the unscrupulous individual who wants to get very, very rich. It doesn't matter if others have to die for your riches, that's just how business is done.
John: Permit me to repeat what i posted on Sep 4 in response to Your similarly dispirited assessments of what You call “Capitalism”:
<<What we have today ~ and have had for a very, Very long time ~ is not “capitalism” at all, whether “neoliberal” or “neoconservative.” It is CORPORATISM with a vengeance; with a system of government and governance totally beholden to, controlled by, and strictly of, by, and for The Corporations and their Stakeholders.>>
If You insist on still calling it “Capitalism,: then let’s distinguish between two breeds of Capitalism:
1. What You are describing and criticizing [or is it critiquing?] as "Capitalism" needs clarification. What You are describing is “Crony-Corporatist-Colleague-Cohort-Compeer Capitalism”; the system of political economy that been in charge of this nation for a long, long time.
2, “Free Enterprise, Free Market, ‘Laissez-Faire’ Capitalism” is what i am talking about. A system of political economy that separates the nation’s Economy from its Government, just like there is ~ at least for the moment ~ and for the same reason that there is a Separation of Church and State.
Bill: Am i imagining things, or, at least until just now, could not a BV commenter edit a previously posted Comment of his or her own? i could swear that, along with LIKE, REPLY, and SHARE, there also was the option and opportunity to EDIT one's own comment.
Am i correct on that or, again, am i simply imagining things? It's been a long day and now nite.
Also, is there any way here on Substack that a BV subscriber can be notified of Every new Comment that is posted to an article; and not just responses to a Comment that he or she made? That's how BV WordPress works, and it saves having to check this BV periodically to see if the total number of comments has increased.
Ahhhh. Thankee. Has that been moved? Or am i imagining that, as well? i see where Dennis lost his ..., as well. Interesting.
And i checked my Settings, and went thru all of the possible Notifications, and there is no option to receive notification of any and every new Comment to the article, like there is for notification of a "Like" or of a response to one of my Comments. So it goes, i guess.
Dr. Carl Sagan on the Arms Race: "The nuclear arms race is like two sworn enemies waist deep in gasoline, one with 3 matches, the other with five...!" Better yet we need to take this same Rocket Technology that delivers the Bomb present day, and instead use it peacefully to explore the Solar System, Like in 2001 for example, because no one is going to save us from ourselves... I hope I'm around to see what these religious leaders & denominations have to say when/ if we eventually find real evidence of other forms of advanced intelligent, even I'll take microbial at this point, or otherwise life even if its savage out in the Cosmos. Should be interesting... James Webb Telescope & her Scientists are you listening? Take heed! In a nuclear war all men are cremated equal.
Obviously we agree. I am calling it by the preferred title given it by the perpetrators. When I give it my own name, I call it organized crime.
Free Market capitalism never existed, it is the fantasy of the organized crime rings, It is a fairy tale told to children at bedtime. Wherever capitalism/organized crime appears, it immediately becomes more and more corrupt and criminal as it gains power and control.
But i have a question: When You conclude with "We are far more deluded than the alchemists of the past," who is or are this "We"?
i assume You are speaking of the MICC and its cheerleaders/chief propogandists in the MSM. But are You also including The American Peoples in that "We"?
When I wrote that "we," I was thinking of the MICC and its MSM lackeys. But I was also thinking of anyone who cheers on war, anyone who sees it as a good thing.
How about those who don't necessarily see war as a good thing, but simply passively accept having the MICC doing its thing and its MSM lackeys telling and selling it; and do nothing to change that?
That's a whole bunch of Americans, Bill. A whole, Whole Bunch.
And a pretty good indicator as to just exactly how screwed up this Nation is, and how screwed up [and screwed] its Peoples actually are. Certainly when it comes to War.
Get ready for the next Reality-TV Goat Rope Extravaganza out of Swampland, folks. Because it promises to be a doozy. According to Yuval Rosenberg and Michael Rainey of THE FISCAL TIMES [ https://www.thefiscaltimes.com/ ; 5 Sep 23] :
LAWMAKERS RETURN TO WASHINGTON WITH A BIG TO-DO LIST
The US Senate ~ which last held a vote way back on July 27 ~ is back.
As we ease into the final days of fiscal year 2023, which ends on September 30, Congress has very little time left to extend federal funding and avoid a government shutdown once the calendar turns to October.
The Senate returned to Washington today, 41 days after its last vote, and the House will return next week. Lawmakers have an enormous amount of work to do before the end of the month, and very little time to do it. Here are some of the major items on Congress’s to-do list:
* Fund the federal government. With the fiscal year ending on September 30, lawmakers need to find a way to prevent a government shutdown on October 1. It would be nearly impossible for Congress to pass the 12 appropriations bills that fund large parts of the government each year before the end of the month, so a short-term budget deal known as a continuing resolution (CR) is the likely path forward. Even that common outcome could be problematic, though, with lawmakers wrangling over just how long the CR should last. To please conservatives who want to avoid a spending bill holiday rush, the CR could end up lasting just a few weeks.
* Pass a supplemental funding package. THE WHITE HOUSE HAS REQUESTED $44 BILLION IN SUPPLEMENTAL SPENDING, INCLUDING $16 BILLION (UP FROM $12 BILLION) FOR DISASTER RELIEF, $24 BILLION IN MILITARY AND HUMANITARIAN AID FOR UKRAINE, AND $4 BILLION FOR ADDITIONAL SECURITY AT THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER. Conservatives may resist most if not all of that extra spending, though the need for additional disaster relief could help move a larger package along.
* Address expiring programs. Numerous programs are running up against deadlines, including flood insurance, FAA authorization, the farm bill (which is mostly food aid) and a child-care “cliff” involving the expiration of $24 billion in federal aid passed during the pandemic.
COMPLICATING THESE ALREADY COMPLICATED TASKS WILL BE A POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT THAT ISN’T GETTING ANY EASIER AS HOUSE REPUBLICANS PUSH FOR AN IMPEACHMENT INVESTIGATION OF PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN AND MEMBERS OF BOTH PARTIES START TO REV UP THEIR REELECTION EFFORTS. IT COULD BE A VERY LONG COUPLE OF WEEKS.
“The only way to avoid a shutdown is through bipartisanship. I urge, I plead with House Republican leadership to follow the Senate’s lead and pass bipartisan, Democrat and Republican Appropriations bills, supported by both parties.” − Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, as quoted at The Hill, calling on House Republicans to drop their demands for policy provisions on a stopgap funding bill needed to avoid a government shutdown after the end of the month. Schumer warned that the conservatives’ wish list can’t pass and that a shutdown would be pointless.
The House Freedom Caucus has raised the odds of a shutdown by insisting that any government funding bill should cut discretionary spending below the $1.59 trillion cap set as part of the deal to raise the debt limit earlier this year. The conservatives also demanded the inclusion of a Republican border bill and measures targeting what they call the weaponization of the Justice Department and “woke” Pentagon policies.
Every “Establishment Religion” today supports the Status Quo of their respective Plutocratic-Oligarchic-Patriarchal Political [and thus also Economic] Ruling Class, Ray. Not just US Establishment Christianity. And virtually always has.
That’s how they became and remain “Establishment Religions,” isn’t it?
This is particularly true of those Religions that originated in what is today called the Middle East ~ Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
But I’m curious: Who do You regard as “Establishment Christians”? And more importantly, are there any “Anti-Establishment Christians” out there, as has happened on occasion in this nation's history; particularly during a time of War. Remember the Berrigans?
Are ANY Christians speaking out today against things like the War in Ukraine? Or the looming War with China? Or anything else?
Are there any Anti-Establishment Christians Against War? Or Against Censorship, Propaganda, and Surveillance? Or Against The National Debt and US Government's Unfunded Liabilities?
<<< Note: The National Debt stands currently at $32.9 Trillion. All of this Government's Unfunded Liabilities - Social Security, Medicare, Publicly Held Debt, and Federal Employee and Veterans Benefits - is at $193.6 Trillion. [ https://usdebtclock.org/# ]>>>
More importantly, are they DOING something about what they are speaking out against?
And have they mentioned who they'd like to see run for President in November, 2024; a mere 425 days from today. How'd that ditty go? "Remember, Remember, the Fifth of November... ."
As i recall, Ray: Jesus had much bigger problems with that Jewish Establishment Religion than he did with the Roman Empire. Am i correct on that?
And i agree with You 100% that American Churches ~ that "Establishment Religion," at least for now ~ should be leading the charge against the MICC, its weapons merchandise and war budget, To say nothing of America's War in Ukraine. Or the looming Wars with China and at the US-Mexican border.
That's why i asked my questions about "Anti-Establishment Christians"; and from Your response, i apparently haven't missed a thing that they have actually done.
And if any of those big-name TV Evangelists challenged the Status Quo, my guess is that they would probably lose their job before they lost their tax-exempt status.
The Real question is: Would those American "Establishment Churches" lose their Status as Establishment Churches if They came out against the Status Quo? To say nothing of Their tax exempt status?
It will be interesting to see how The Church of [overwhelmingly White] Christian Nationalism fares at the national, state, and local levels over these next 14 months leading up to Election2024, eh?
And i have never seen Any TV Evangelists talking about anything ~ let alone THE LAST DAYS ~ for the simple reason that they have nothing of even marginal interest to offer me. And never have.
This goes hand in hand with modern, virtueless capitalism where greed is good, and morals are for losers. When the goal is money, then everything else is just stuff that gets in the way. Capitalism is as much a religion as any other, but rather than offering moral foundations for society, capitalism reveres the unscrupulous individual who wants to get very, very rich. It doesn't matter if others have to die for your riches, that's just how business is done.
Yes. "Virtue" is measured by your bank account. Hence the "Prosperity Gospel."
John: Permit me to repeat what i posted on Sep 4 in response to Your similarly dispirited assessments of what You call “Capitalism”:
<<What we have today ~ and have had for a very, Very long time ~ is not “capitalism” at all, whether “neoliberal” or “neoconservative.” It is CORPORATISM with a vengeance; with a system of government and governance totally beholden to, controlled by, and strictly of, by, and for The Corporations and their Stakeholders.>>
If You insist on still calling it “Capitalism,: then let’s distinguish between two breeds of Capitalism:
1. What You are describing and criticizing [or is it critiquing?] as "Capitalism" needs clarification. What You are describing is “Crony-Corporatist-Colleague-Cohort-Compeer Capitalism”; the system of political economy that been in charge of this nation for a long, long time.
2, “Free Enterprise, Free Market, ‘Laissez-Faire’ Capitalism” is what i am talking about. A system of political economy that separates the nation’s Economy from its Government, just like there is ~ at least for the moment ~ and for the same reason that there is a Separation of Church and State.
War is a racket. It's tragic that so many have been senselessly butchered in the name of war profiteering.
Bill: Am i imagining things, or, at least until just now, could not a BV commenter edit a previously posted Comment of his or her own? i could swear that, along with LIKE, REPLY, and SHARE, there also was the option and opportunity to EDIT one's own comment.
Am i correct on that or, again, am i simply imagining things? It's been a long day and now nite.
Also, is there any way here on Substack that a BV subscriber can be notified of Every new Comment that is posted to an article; and not just responses to a Comment that he or she made? That's how BV WordPress works, and it saves having to check this BV periodically to see if the total number of comments has increased.
Just curious. Thanks and have a Great day. ~ jeff
Jeff, click on the ... at the right/bottom and you should see edit and delete options
Ahhhh. Thankee. Has that been moved? Or am i imagining that, as well? i see where Dennis lost his ..., as well. Interesting.
And i checked my Settings, and went thru all of the possible Notifications, and there is no option to receive notification of any and every new Comment to the article, like there is for notification of a "Like" or of a response to one of my Comments. So it goes, i guess.
Substack doesn't ask me for design advice, Jeff :-)
Heh. Maybe they should, eh?
You should still be able to edit your comments here, Jeff.
I'm not sure if there's a way to be notified of every new comment. You might check your "settings" on Substack.
The EDIT option is gone for me too today Bill
Replaced with SHARE ?????
For your comment, click on the ... to the right, and you should see the "edit" feature.
OK, but it is different Bill.
Us old fogies panic with change!
Has your wife mixed you a gin/vermouth/Amaro Montenegro on ice yet my man?
And I second Jeffs third paragraph suggestion.
Dr. Carl Sagan on the Arms Race: "The nuclear arms race is like two sworn enemies waist deep in gasoline, one with 3 matches, the other with five...!" Better yet we need to take this same Rocket Technology that delivers the Bomb present day, and instead use it peacefully to explore the Solar System, Like in 2001 for example, because no one is going to save us from ourselves... I hope I'm around to see what these religious leaders & denominations have to say when/ if we eventually find real evidence of other forms of advanced intelligent, even I'll take microbial at this point, or otherwise life even if its savage out in the Cosmos. Should be interesting... James Webb Telescope & her Scientists are you listening? Take heed! In a nuclear war all men are cremated equal.
Obviously we agree. I am calling it by the preferred title given it by the perpetrators. When I give it my own name, I call it organized crime.
Free Market capitalism never existed, it is the fantasy of the organized crime rings, It is a fairy tale told to children at bedtime. Wherever capitalism/organized crime appears, it immediately becomes more and more corrupt and criminal as it gains power and control.
Excellent, almost poetic piece, Bill.
But i have a question: When You conclude with "We are far more deluded than the alchemists of the past," who is or are this "We"?
i assume You are speaking of the MICC and its cheerleaders/chief propogandists in the MSM. But are You also including The American Peoples in that "We"?
Thanks, Jeff.
When I wrote that "we," I was thinking of the MICC and its MSM lackeys. But I was also thinking of anyone who cheers on war, anyone who sees it as a good thing.
How about those who don't necessarily see war as a good thing, but simply passively accept having the MICC doing its thing and its MSM lackeys telling and selling it; and do nothing to change that?
Yes.
That's a whole bunch of Americans, Bill. A whole, Whole Bunch.
And a pretty good indicator as to just exactly how screwed up this Nation is, and how screwed up [and screwed] its Peoples actually are. Certainly when it comes to War.
You're either part of the problem or part of the solution. Resistance or collaboration.
Get ready for the next Reality-TV Goat Rope Extravaganza out of Swampland, folks. Because it promises to be a doozy. According to Yuval Rosenberg and Michael Rainey of THE FISCAL TIMES [ https://www.thefiscaltimes.com/ ; 5 Sep 23] :
LAWMAKERS RETURN TO WASHINGTON WITH A BIG TO-DO LIST
The US Senate ~ which last held a vote way back on July 27 ~ is back.
As we ease into the final days of fiscal year 2023, which ends on September 30, Congress has very little time left to extend federal funding and avoid a government shutdown once the calendar turns to October.
The Senate returned to Washington today, 41 days after its last vote, and the House will return next week. Lawmakers have an enormous amount of work to do before the end of the month, and very little time to do it. Here are some of the major items on Congress’s to-do list:
* Fund the federal government. With the fiscal year ending on September 30, lawmakers need to find a way to prevent a government shutdown on October 1. It would be nearly impossible for Congress to pass the 12 appropriations bills that fund large parts of the government each year before the end of the month, so a short-term budget deal known as a continuing resolution (CR) is the likely path forward. Even that common outcome could be problematic, though, with lawmakers wrangling over just how long the CR should last. To please conservatives who want to avoid a spending bill holiday rush, the CR could end up lasting just a few weeks.
* Pass a supplemental funding package. THE WHITE HOUSE HAS REQUESTED $44 BILLION IN SUPPLEMENTAL SPENDING, INCLUDING $16 BILLION (UP FROM $12 BILLION) FOR DISASTER RELIEF, $24 BILLION IN MILITARY AND HUMANITARIAN AID FOR UKRAINE, AND $4 BILLION FOR ADDITIONAL SECURITY AT THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER. Conservatives may resist most if not all of that extra spending, though the need for additional disaster relief could help move a larger package along.
* Address expiring programs. Numerous programs are running up against deadlines, including flood insurance, FAA authorization, the farm bill (which is mostly food aid) and a child-care “cliff” involving the expiration of $24 billion in federal aid passed during the pandemic.
COMPLICATING THESE ALREADY COMPLICATED TASKS WILL BE A POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT THAT ISN’T GETTING ANY EASIER AS HOUSE REPUBLICANS PUSH FOR AN IMPEACHMENT INVESTIGATION OF PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN AND MEMBERS OF BOTH PARTIES START TO REV UP THEIR REELECTION EFFORTS. IT COULD BE A VERY LONG COUPLE OF WEEKS.
“The only way to avoid a shutdown is through bipartisanship. I urge, I plead with House Republican leadership to follow the Senate’s lead and pass bipartisan, Democrat and Republican Appropriations bills, supported by both parties.” − Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, as quoted at The Hill, calling on House Republicans to drop their demands for policy provisions on a stopgap funding bill needed to avoid a government shutdown after the end of the month. Schumer warned that the conservatives’ wish list can’t pass and that a shutdown would be pointless.
The House Freedom Caucus has raised the odds of a shutdown by insisting that any government funding bill should cut discretionary spending below the $1.59 trillion cap set as part of the deal to raise the debt limit earlier this year. The conservatives also demanded the inclusion of a Republican border bill and measures targeting what they call the weaponization of the Justice Department and “woke” Pentagon policies.
[EMPHASES added.]
Every “Establishment Religion” today supports the Status Quo of their respective Plutocratic-Oligarchic-Patriarchal Political [and thus also Economic] Ruling Class, Ray. Not just US Establishment Christianity. And virtually always has.
That’s how they became and remain “Establishment Religions,” isn’t it?
This is particularly true of those Religions that originated in what is today called the Middle East ~ Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
But I’m curious: Who do You regard as “Establishment Christians”? And more importantly, are there any “Anti-Establishment Christians” out there, as has happened on occasion in this nation's history; particularly during a time of War. Remember the Berrigans?
Are ANY Christians speaking out today against things like the War in Ukraine? Or the looming War with China? Or anything else?
Are there any Anti-Establishment Christians Against War? Or Against Censorship, Propaganda, and Surveillance? Or Against The National Debt and US Government's Unfunded Liabilities?
<<< Note: The National Debt stands currently at $32.9 Trillion. All of this Government's Unfunded Liabilities - Social Security, Medicare, Publicly Held Debt, and Federal Employee and Veterans Benefits - is at $193.6 Trillion. [ https://usdebtclock.org/# ]>>>
More importantly, are they DOING something about what they are speaking out against?
And have they mentioned who they'd like to see run for President in November, 2024; a mere 425 days from today. How'd that ditty go? "Remember, Remember, the Fifth of November... ."
Have a Great day. ~ jeff
As i recall, Ray: Jesus had much bigger problems with that Jewish Establishment Religion than he did with the Roman Empire. Am i correct on that?
And i agree with You 100% that American Churches ~ that "Establishment Religion," at least for now ~ should be leading the charge against the MICC, its weapons merchandise and war budget, To say nothing of America's War in Ukraine. Or the looming Wars with China and at the US-Mexican border.
That's why i asked my questions about "Anti-Establishment Christians"; and from Your response, i apparently haven't missed a thing that they have actually done.
And if any of those big-name TV Evangelists challenged the Status Quo, my guess is that they would probably lose their job before they lost their tax-exempt status.
The Real question is: Would those American "Establishment Churches" lose their Status as Establishment Churches if They came out against the Status Quo? To say nothing of Their tax exempt status?
It will be interesting to see how The Church of [overwhelmingly White] Christian Nationalism fares at the national, state, and local levels over these next 14 months leading up to Election2024, eh?
And i have never seen Any TV Evangelists talking about anything ~ let alone THE LAST DAYS ~ for the simple reason that they have nothing of even marginal interest to offer me. And never have.