Have you noticed a little more inflation than what shows up in your annual inflation adjustment in your paycheck or in Social Security? Maybe those in charge are manipulating the economic indicators? Net result being less for the peons and more for the owners of the ownership society? Interesting comment, by Steve Barry, on the post linked above:
I never thought I would see some of the things that are happening in Washington. I was never of the belief that government was great, it is lack of government that is great, but all of this reeks of the same problem. And, it is the same problem that exists on Wall Street. That is of an elitist culture that believes the minions are to be 'managed'. That someone else knows best. And, that mindset involves deceit and attempted manipulation. Now, I don't know how much of the changes in data has to do with that fact, but it doesn't lessen the reality.
That's okay though. Because what those elitists don't yet realize is that we are going to see a revolution. It may only be a revolution of ideas, but the scam is over.
A culture of deceit among elites who are so smart that truth has long since been deconstructed and set aside for propaganda, torture and intimidation, gilded lies, and fiddling with the founding documents of our polity: what is the counter-strategy? Philanthropy from them to us, or the pillory for them by us? And which would come first? Let's start with the pillory and then request philanthropy. Then repeat as needed.
This might be related.
Posted by: Gerry | April 25, 2008 at 02:28 PM
Very interesting, indeed. Teachers, preachers, pundits, poets and think tank thinkers may shape how much, to whom, and how we give.
Posted by: Phil | April 25, 2008 at 08:00 PM
decent but incomplete article:
It turns out that exposure to economics makes a big difference in how students split the pie, in terms of both efficiency and outright selfishness. Students assigned to classes taught by economists were more likely to give a lot when it was cheap to do so. But they were also much more likely to take the whole pie for themselves.
These findings hint at the influence that powerful ideas may have in shaping how we see the world, even late in life. It's also a sobering message for teachers such as myself. The students in my classroom will venture forth into the world of business and management, carrying with them some of the viewpoints and attitudes that I choose to emphasize in my lectures. Students learn much more than the facts; what we choose to communicate to them is a responsibility not to be taken lightly.
After starting otu with some allusion to cultural values and learning between two different countries, it never circled back atthe end to why the Finns have "learned" differently.
Personally, I don't think it's just the Finns ... there are also the the Swedes, the Norwegians, the Danish, the Dutch, the Germans, the Baltics, the French (let's leave the Italians aside for the moment) whom I think view the interaction between economics and "real life" from a different vantage point.
More Americans should spend more time in places like northern and eastern Europe and Latin and South America (as long as they're not CIA). There might be some learning, after the initial unlearning (which might be kinda tough).
Just an opinion.
Posted by: JJ Commoner | April 25, 2008 at 11:10 PM
You could lead the tours? Take some parents too? I would enjoy having you as a guide.
Posted by: Phil | April 26, 2008 at 01:37 AM