what do you can what the Pope says Mr. Atheist.....
Glad you're going to take his lessons to heart. Assume we'll see you at the next anti-abortion march.....

Hmmm,,, the Pope "almost" has it right ( he's right there is a problem and it is greed)

I don't think it is as simple as the pope would like to portray... its not capitalism... its corporate capitalism (corpratism??)

Let me explain how I derive that:

Waayyy back before the USA was just a wet dream to some Spainard, a group approached the King of England with a new idea ( and currently un-supported by law) method for raising money and creating large financial projects: the corporation. The king was very dubious for two reasons: 1) these guys were smarter/more wary and 2) they wanted HIM as principal investor ( ie its HIS money).
The King not being stupid then made a LAW: that all corporations must act at all times and in all cases with the shareholders best interest .. after all the shareholders collectively OWN the corporation. That law exists TODAY in every country with regards to corporations.

Now, at its surface the law seems fair and just. The logic is not incorrect. But .. here hundreds of years later and we see the problem(s) that the law creates.
1) By stating that a corp must always put the best interest of the shareholder first, corporations are falling into a trap of attempting to always have ever increasing returns. Corporations faced with doing something with a human conscious/moral or shareholder interest MUST do whats in the best interest of the shareholder.  
2) The corporation "runs" the business and makes the decisions. But really, the shareholders OWN the company. But when decisions are made that are counter to many moral ideals... shareholders are not held accountable. "No ONE is guilty of the decision.. because we let corporation make the decision". But the corporation must do what is best for shareholder... so really the decision IS made shareholders.

So there it is. Examples abound.. but here s recent one that caught my attention.
I own a 2009 Toyota Tacoma. In recent years Toyota has made many recalls.. many many recalls. They did this because Federal laws can make it very costly if a car maker knows there is an issue but does nothing about it.
So what happened? The shareholders SUED Toyota for actions that cause stock prices to drop. That's right the SHAREHOLDERS did not want the corporation to admit to the issues because that dropped their stock value. AND THEY SUED based on the Law first put forth by the King of England.

I am very much a capitalist... corporations... NOT so much.

I worked for the federal government for 43 years. I never paid a cent into Social Security and so I will never receive a cent from SS.... SS is an entitlement that I am NOT entitled to. Those who worked and PAID into SS for their entire working lives are ENTITLED to SS. Why do so many politicians call SS a free Gov. Handout when it's a benefit the workers EARNED, and in many instances it's the ONLY thing they will have to live on in their old age.

BTW JOG as a Fed, am I a "Capitalist"?...just asking.

Star worked for the Federal Government and put his life on the line for us almost every day. His situation is different. He didn't work for Exxon Mobil or Goldman Sachs. You may not like his politics but he did more for his country and fellow countrymen than probably anyone on this forum. What he did for this country was good and a much needed service. He has a right to say the Fed is good just like we have right to say what we want to about the Feds. He has more experience working for them than we do. I get frustrated with the government all the time and I mouth off but not everything the Federal government does is wrong, they just don't do it my way LOL.

Humility and this forum go together like onions and pound cake.

Midnightrider wrote on 05/31/13 at 00:28:30:




You will of course show me what Ohhh so scary country we have been protected from in the last, ohh, say,, 30 years?

I dont believe our military has been used for its proper intent since WWII. I owe no one a Thank YOu for their "service", I do wish to apologize to all of them for having been put in positions that the People of America didnt need them in as protectors of our rights & freedoms, WE had no business in any of these military excursions, IMO,. & BTW, I AM a vet. I joined in 73.
Thats the point I was making,, OUr good people have been used & used wrongly, IMO.,. & what ever became of "To the victor go the spoils"?
Or have we just not won in the last 40 or so years? I dunno, but I get NO "warm fuzzy" when I see our military. I USED to,, but,, seeing where we are & what we are doing took all that away..