inverted totalitarianism: the product of corporate capitalism and government in america

rickyb

Well-Known Member
this is a 3 hour interview with chris hedges and sheldon wolin. classifies the american political system as inverted totalitarianism. princeton (or 1 of the top schools) did a study that the bottom 70% of the us population has no say in government policy.


do capitalism and democracy mix? or do the richest capitalists increasingly corrupt democracy?

Inverted totalitarianism is a term coined by political philosopher Sheldon Wolin in 2003 to describe the emerging form of government of the United States. Wolin believes that the United States is increasingly turning into an illiberal democracy, and uses the term "inverted totalitarianism" to illustrate similarities and differences between the United States governmental system and totalitarian regimes such as Nazi Germany and the Stalinist Soviet Union.[1][2][3][4] In Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt by Chris Hedges and Joe Sacco, inverted totalitarianism is described as a system where corporations have corrupted and subverted democracy and where economics trumps politics.[5] In inverted totalitarianism, every natural resource and every living being is commodified and exploited to collapse as the citizenry is lulled and manipulated into surrendering their liberties and their participation in government through excess consumerism and sensationalism.
 

wkmac

Well-Known Member
I subscribe to The Real News channel and I watched that interview series Chris did with Sheldon Wolin as it posted. Interesting stuff.

As to capitalism, always enjoyed this piece from the late Clarence Carson printed in The Freeman circa 1985'

Capitalism: Yes and No
 

wkmac

Well-Known Member
Sorry rasta-gumby...

This is the 'Current Events' thread.

If you want to debate ricky-canada-b on the merits of his argument, feel free to do so.

Otherwise, don't worry about it.

Thank you. I'll assume because they don't debate him on the merits of his argument, it suggests he and a few other here can't.
 

oldngray

nowhere special
Thank you. I'll assume because they don't debate him on the merits of his argument, it suggests he and a few other here can't.

Maybe it is more a situation of not feeding the troll? We tried logical arguments which he ignored and continued to post more drivel without addressing other people's comments.
 

wkmac

Well-Known Member
Maybe it is more a situation of not feeding the troll? We tried logical arguments which he ignored and continued to post more drivel without addressing other people's comments.

The best way to not feed a "troll" is to not even respond in the first place. A principle many of you have failed to grasp I might add.
 

Morsi

Active Member
I saw this film a while back, was long but damn good. If corporations can actually be considered people by our government, then they are definitely psychopathic if not worse.
 

rickyb

Well-Known Member
I saw this film a while back, was long but damn good. If corporations can actually be considered people by our government, then they are definitely psychopathic if not worse.

yea noam chomsky mentions that when capitalism was first introduced to america, the average american thought that the freedoms they fought for from the UK were being lost with the capitalist industrial revolution. the slogan of hte republican party back then was anti capitalist and in favor of getting rid of the bosses and heiarchy and having workers control the jobs they work in.

but by now theres been 2 red scares and the left has been decimated along with increased corporate propaganda. so its a little harder for people to figure it out that the economy may very well contradict democracy.
 
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