Many were alarmed when they heard that Timothy Mellon had donated $50 million to a pro-Trump group. I would remind everyone that Mellon still has only one vote, which can easily be canceled by any one of us. If we get a friend to vote along with us, it will completely obliterate Mellon's vote.
Yes, money is important for a campaign. But the vote is what really counts.
Please include a legible transcript for podcasts. I signed up for a newsletter, not a podcast - no time to listen - I need it in writing so I can skim/speedread. The transcript provided by Substack is awful. Also, there is no other place to provide feedback like this.
Are you not receiving the email of her Letters in your mailbox? You should be getting the written letter, usually in the middle of the night, then the next morning-ish, she records it and sends that out for people who need or want to listen instead.
Yes, thanks - that's the one I'm referring to - not very convenient - need to be logged in to read it. I'm looking for ordinary formatted text in the body of the email.
What Biden should stress is stability. A stable political environment is essential for business. That is precisely the opposite of what Trump would provide.
Since fascism is often defined as an alliance between a populist demagogue and capitalists, this report seems to debunk the assumption that U.S. capitalist leaders support Trump. But if Tim Mellon, scion of the Mellon family of rich bankers, has given hundreds of million dollars to support Trump and MAGA Republicans, then the picture is clouded. Even if 70% of rich capitalists DON'T support Trump, those who do may be able to help him to an electoral victory that might bring us a step closer to dictatorship - a role that Donny Dumpster has expressed an interest in playing.
It depends on how you define "capitalist." Capitalism's founder is Adam Smith, and its founding principle is Smith's "Theory of Moral Sentiments" (1759). That's my definition. To me, an alliance between a populist demagogue and a person who adheres to a moral principle is a contradiction in terms. It's like calling a perpetrator of the Spanish Inquisition a Christian, whereas a real Christian's behavior is consistent with the parable of the Good Samaritan.
My point is that the meaning of words allows us to communicate so we can resolve the dilemmas that inevitably emerge in our social system. The authoritarian wants words to lose their meaning to the point that we can no longer engage in meaningful dialogue.
Real capitalists and real Christians oppose in lieu of support the authoritarian impulse.
Somehow my reply has disappeared into the ether. The gist was that you are relying on a definition of capitalist that is several centuries out of date.
Adam Smith's 1759 definition is that we should all work together as a system and everyone wins. Milton Friedman's 1961 definition is that we should all work together as a system and the winners are the people who already have more money and power than they know what to do with. But why call that capitalism when it already has a name? Why not just call it feudalism?
Words regularly drift in their usage. For example, "toilet" originally meant the process by which a woman made herself (more) beautiful. Today it means . . . well, you know. Capitalism's meaning today is quite distinct from what (according to you) Adam Smith intended it to mean. I have no essential quarrel with Adam Smith's version of capitalism, which has produced a great deal of today's wealth, but today's predatory capitalism appears unable to distribute that wealth justly or even reasonably. It needs to be governed by regulation, which in the U.S. wealth is increasingly able to avoid. Feudalism was quite a different system, when land was the primary source of wealth, and workers were serfs, bound to the land. Quite different from modern predatory capitalism.
I understand your argument, and you are correct, but only to a point. When few are benefiting at the expense of others, and a practice is developed to right that wrong, then the practice is for the benefit of all. Then what happens is the practice starts being used for the benefit of a few at the expense of the many, at which point the few promote the lie that the word drifted in its meaning. In truth, anyone who believes the lie is a hypocrite or naive.
If someone insists that the purpose of my car, in lieu of being to get me from point A to point B, is to serve them at my expense, I won't assume the meaning of the "my car" phrase drifted in its usage. Instead, I'll assume that that someone is full of horse crap.
You are correct in saying that feudalism is different than predatory capitalism, and you'd be correct to say that yesterday is different than today, but the pattern is the same. A day is a day, and selfishness is selfishness.
Let's not argue. Prof. Richard Wolff talks of "global capitalism," and "monopoly capitalism." I like "predatory capitalism," but perhaps that's too judgmental. Some adjective may be necessary to distinguish today's capitalism run amok from the benign form that Adam Smith advocated.
Please provide LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN in text, as well in oral rendition. Many of us "more mature" individuals want to reread or absorb material in a more relaxed fashion.
Many were alarmed when they heard that Timothy Mellon had donated $50 million to a pro-Trump group. I would remind everyone that Mellon still has only one vote, which can easily be canceled by any one of us. If we get a friend to vote along with us, it will completely obliterate Mellon's vote.
Yes, money is important for a campaign. But the vote is what really counts.
Be Scott, I can tell that you are a lemons to lemonade kinda guy! What a great attitude! Yes, let’s all vote!
Yes I am. And thank you! We have to be that way. Hope has sway.
Please include a legible transcript for podcasts. I signed up for a newsletter, not a podcast - no time to listen - I need it in writing so I can skim/speedread. The transcript provided by Substack is awful. Also, there is no other place to provide feedback like this.
Are you not receiving the email of her Letters in your mailbox? You should be getting the written letter, usually in the middle of the night, then the next morning-ish, she records it and sends that out for people who need or want to listen instead.
You can use the "Transcript" link on the right of the line below the author's name and date.
Yes, thanks - that's the one I'm referring to - not very convenient - need to be logged in to read it. I'm looking for ordinary formatted text in the body of the email.
You can also find HCR on Facebook, where her daily newsletter appears.
Facebook?? Who uses that anymore. Plus, it's just another login delay.
I subscribe to many newsletters and they all just email me the text.
Click on the link at the top of the page; it will take you to https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/, where you can read the article, and the others prior to it.
Doh! Missed that. I've just signed up and hadn't a chance to explore yet.
Thanks!
What Biden should stress is stability. A stable political environment is essential for business. That is precisely the opposite of what Trump would provide.
EXCELLENT!! I would like to SHARE this with some MAGA supporters. Do I have your permission? THIS is what they need to hear!!!
Yes! Share it!
I did! We ALL should!! We have to WIN this election and the House and Senate.
Vote for Trump if you want to see orange juice selling for $10/quart, and salads for $20 in restaurants.
That was a fantastic reading!
This was riveting and I am totally hooked!
Thank you so much!
Since fascism is often defined as an alliance between a populist demagogue and capitalists, this report seems to debunk the assumption that U.S. capitalist leaders support Trump. But if Tim Mellon, scion of the Mellon family of rich bankers, has given hundreds of million dollars to support Trump and MAGA Republicans, then the picture is clouded. Even if 70% of rich capitalists DON'T support Trump, those who do may be able to help him to an electoral victory that might bring us a step closer to dictatorship - a role that Donny Dumpster has expressed an interest in playing.
It depends on how you define "capitalist." Capitalism's founder is Adam Smith, and its founding principle is Smith's "Theory of Moral Sentiments" (1759). That's my definition. To me, an alliance between a populist demagogue and a person who adheres to a moral principle is a contradiction in terms. It's like calling a perpetrator of the Spanish Inquisition a Christian, whereas a real Christian's behavior is consistent with the parable of the Good Samaritan.
My point is that the meaning of words allows us to communicate so we can resolve the dilemmas that inevitably emerge in our social system. The authoritarian wants words to lose their meaning to the point that we can no longer engage in meaningful dialogue.
Real capitalists and real Christians oppose in lieu of support the authoritarian impulse.
Somehow my reply has disappeared into the ether. The gist was that you are relying on a definition of capitalist that is several centuries out of date.
Adam Smith's 1759 definition is that we should all work together as a system and everyone wins. Milton Friedman's 1961 definition is that we should all work together as a system and the winners are the people who already have more money and power than they know what to do with. But why call that capitalism when it already has a name? Why not just call it feudalism?
Words regularly drift in their usage. For example, "toilet" originally meant the process by which a woman made herself (more) beautiful. Today it means . . . well, you know. Capitalism's meaning today is quite distinct from what (according to you) Adam Smith intended it to mean. I have no essential quarrel with Adam Smith's version of capitalism, which has produced a great deal of today's wealth, but today's predatory capitalism appears unable to distribute that wealth justly or even reasonably. It needs to be governed by regulation, which in the U.S. wealth is increasingly able to avoid. Feudalism was quite a different system, when land was the primary source of wealth, and workers were serfs, bound to the land. Quite different from modern predatory capitalism.
I understand your argument, and you are correct, but only to a point. When few are benefiting at the expense of others, and a practice is developed to right that wrong, then the practice is for the benefit of all. Then what happens is the practice starts being used for the benefit of a few at the expense of the many, at which point the few promote the lie that the word drifted in its meaning. In truth, anyone who believes the lie is a hypocrite or naive.
If someone insists that the purpose of my car, in lieu of being to get me from point A to point B, is to serve them at my expense, I won't assume the meaning of the "my car" phrase drifted in its usage. Instead, I'll assume that that someone is full of horse crap.
You are correct in saying that feudalism is different than predatory capitalism, and you'd be correct to say that yesterday is different than today, but the pattern is the same. A day is a day, and selfishness is selfishness.
Let's not argue. Prof. Richard Wolff talks of "global capitalism," and "monopoly capitalism." I like "predatory capitalism," but perhaps that's too judgmental. Some adjective may be necessary to distinguish today's capitalism run amok from the benign form that Adam Smith advocated.
This was even better heard! The run of "actually" commentary... thoroughly amusing!
Please provide LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN in text, as well in oral rendition. Many of us "more mature" individuals want to reread or absorb material in a more relaxed fashion.
Click on “read in app”. It’s there.
It is in text. Look at your previous emails and you will find it.