Retooling Capitalism: Funding Costly Shale Gas Extraction
vs. Public Universities and Sustainable Energy Infrastructure
Summary:
Modern Capitalism is a like a factory
which is producing harmful products.
We need to shut down production of this dangerous factory for a while,
and re-tool our economy so that it better serves We the People.
Recent Headlines:
Noam Chomsky once pointed out that
when you have a debt-based economy (and we do)
we could go into deficit spending during times of recession.
We could finance debt to
But with modern capitalism, this is not what we see.
I'm not talking about any theoretical models.
I'm talking about how our de facto economy works.
The business leaders are presently in control of our economy,
and this presents a conflict of interest:
Because business leaders are only interested
increasing profits for investors who live distantly
from where the business operations occur.
(i.e., factories, strip mines, clear-cut forests, oil wells, dumps, etc.).
Profits can only be increased by increasing production, and decreasing costs-- with side effects of unemployment, toxic spills
increased extraction, resource depletion. and waste generation.
Now, our business leaders primarily use deficit spending
for profit schemes which only benefit the few (rich, investor class)
and have high social costs for the rest of us
(pollution, resource depletion, quality of life degradation).
And our public land-grant universities have been co-opted
to produce Intellectual Property of Private Corporations
as opposed to producing Intellectual Common Wealth.
vs. Public Universities and Sustainable Energy Infrastructure
Summary:
Modern Capitalism is a like a factory
which is producing harmful products.
We need to shut down production of this dangerous factory for a while,
and re-tool our economy so that it better serves We the People.
Recent Headlines:
- NY Funding Cuts for Community Colleges
http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20100917/NEWS01/9170445/1116/news/N.Y.-cuts-community-college-funds
- Home Foreclosures at an All-Time High
http://www.ibtimes.com/contents/20100916/us-home-foreclosures-on-all-time-high.htm
Noam Chomsky once pointed out that
when you have a debt-based economy (and we do)
we could go into deficit spending during times of recession.
We could finance debt to
- Keep the factories open to maintain full employment.
- Retool factories to produce products for the public good,
e.g., energy independence: solar and wind generation infrastructure, low-wattage LED lights,
- Fund public education. This serves a dual purpose, to
- allow unemployed people to go back to school to learn a new trade,
- to fund the development of necessary new technology to support sustainable energy, local farming, etc.
But with modern capitalism, this is not what we see.
I'm not talking about any theoretical models.
I'm talking about how our de facto economy works.
The business leaders are presently in control of our economy,
and this presents a conflict of interest:
Because business leaders are only interested
increasing profits for investors who live distantly
from where the business operations occur.
(i.e., factories, strip mines, clear-cut forests, oil wells, dumps, etc.).
Profits can only be increased by increasing production, and decreasing costs-- with side effects of unemployment, toxic spills
increased extraction, resource depletion. and waste generation.
Now, our business leaders primarily use deficit spending
for profit schemes which only benefit the few (rich, investor class)
and have high social costs for the rest of us
(pollution, resource depletion, quality of life degradation).
And our public land-grant universities have been co-opted
to produce Intellectual Property of Private Corporations
as opposed to producing Intellectual Common Wealth.
because there is no reason to be doing this highly risky
shale-gas hydro-fracking activity, with no long-term benefits.
Let's fund public education (and public intellectual wealth)
and the CORRECT kind of sustainable energy infrastructure.
Sustainability may be bad for profits,
but great for sustaining life.
on Planet Mother Earth.
--
William Huston WilliamAHuston@gmail.com
Binghamton NY Phone: 607-321-7846
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