"Wonder why the fourth estate, aka journalism is in such a sad state of affairs? It's because the state has reached (quietly) so far into it that even the handful of real journalist are having a hard time."
I'm sorry to tell you but it's the very nature of capitalism to consume everything in it's path. Corporations are authoritarian institutions. The idea that there ever existed some balanced press or balanced capitalism is a consistent fantasy among the vast majority of people including intelligent ones like yourself. The more history you know, the more those people around you look uneducated.
The "balance" in capitalist societies is a myth that needs to be broken.
Look at that chart, that means the powers that be have been crushing the public for 200+ years, every time getting there way and the "moderates" and "balancers" like yourself are totally clueless.
"I helped make Mexico, especially Tampico, safe for American oil intersts in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefits of Wall Street. The record of racketeering is long. I helped purify Nicaragua for the international banking house of Brown Brothers in 1909-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for American sugar interests in 1916. In China I helped to see to it that Standard Oil went its way unmolested." [p. 10]
"War is a racket. ...It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives." [p. 23] "The general public shoulders the bill [for war]. This bill renders a horrible accounting. Newly placed gravestones. Mangled bodies. Shattered minds. Broken hearts and homes. Economic instability. Depression and all its attendant miseries. Back-breaking taxation for generations and generations." [p. 24]
Rule of law is impossible under capitalism, since the kings of business (he who has the gold makes the rules) get to do whatever they want and the public gets fucked.
First of all, I would like to point out that when you say capitalism, it is a much more nuanced term than you seem to be inferring. Which kind of capitalism? Crony capitalism? What about Workers capitalism? A much different thing than the generic stereotypical capitalism you seem to be talking about. Why yes, of course, unbridled capitalism tends to swallow up more and more, sometimes exponentially and in a way that threatens the Constitution... which is exactly why, though the balance does not exist (and nor did it ever in the past, as you say, fully exist), but I see no logical reason to give up on the idea that we the people, under the power of just law, with a properly elected and sufficiently representative legislative of the people, could implement a balance heretofore unseen, prosperous for the American economy and it's people.
You seem to argue against points I never made. Yes, they have been "crushing the public", for quite some time. though, first of all, you need to define what you mean when you accuse someone of being some label. What exactly do you mean by "moderates" and "balancers". Do you mean to say there should be no balance with the accumulation of capital and the private hands that prosper because of it, with the number affected of such and the degree to which they hold uneven power over the surrounding less fortunate populace? Would you toss away all private profit and push a purely socialistic system? For that is what you seem to be advocating here.
As an aside, it is of note that there have been ebbs in flows in this power dynamic, and I would argue that the American System and FDR were the closest thing we have come to so far as a proper, pragmatically implemented and physically verifiable program that does not only exist in theory as you seem to argue such prosperity and balance does.
I am a USMC combat veteran of the Iraq war, of a long line of military men. I am very aware of Smedley Butler and admire him as one of the best Marines to have ever lived, and his writings are considered essential reading. I'm sure you are also aware of the Business Plot he helped thwart?
Perhaps I think I may have misunderstood you earlier. We both agree that unbridled capitalism is bad, due to it's destructive nature, yes? Ok then, it must be brought under a degree of control then. (The degree of which would be debatable.) How does one do that? Through the use of the state. It's the 3 branches of government that need to be involved in the righting of these wrongs, but the problem is that we have allowed the same entities behind the supposedly failed Business Plot to just go dark and perform the coup more silently and in particular through the very business of capitalism and finance itself! When these items are properly governed for the good of the people they can be used as a force for good, and in unknown shadowy hands they can be used for bad.
I see no proposals of your own, though I eagerly await them. Mine would be based upon the Constitution. I'm not sure I fully comprehend your stance due to your ambiguity, but just be aware that anything unconstitutional should a priori be discarded.
P.S. Just because something is broken doesn't mean it should be tossed in the trash. Many things can stand repair, and I think our Constitutional Democratic Republic is one of them.
"Which kind of capitalism? Crony capitalism? What about Workers capitalism? A much different thing than the generic stereotypical capitalism you seem to be talking about."
I'm sorry but this reasoning is fallacious nonsense. No true Scotsman is an informal fallacy, an ad hoc attempt to retain an unreasoned assertion.
Like I said... The rule of law is impossible under capitalism, since the kings of business (he who has the gold makes the rules) get to do whatever they want and the public gets fucked.
I'm sorry to tell you but it's the very nature of capitalism to consume everything in it's path. Corporations are authoritarian institutions. The idea that there ever existed some balanced press or balanced capitalism is a consistent fantasy among the vast majority of people including intelligent ones like yourself. The more history you know, the more those people around you look uneducated.
The "balance" in capitalist societies is a myth that needs to be broken.
http://homepages.law.asu.edu/~dkarjala/OpposingCopyrightExte...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_Term_Extension_Act#me...
Look at that chart, that means the powers that be have been crushing the public for 200+ years, every time getting there way and the "moderates" and "balancers" like yourself are totally clueless.
Also the bailout:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVjz1OyBJCc
Overthrowing governments
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vg_-NjjnvP4
http://www.amazon.com/War-Racket-Antiwar-Americas-Decorated/...
"I helped make Mexico, especially Tampico, safe for American oil intersts in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefits of Wall Street. The record of racketeering is long. I helped purify Nicaragua for the international banking house of Brown Brothers in 1909-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for American sugar interests in 1916. In China I helped to see to it that Standard Oil went its way unmolested." [p. 10]
"War is a racket. ...It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives." [p. 23] "The general public shoulders the bill [for war]. This bill renders a horrible accounting. Newly placed gravestones. Mangled bodies. Shattered minds. Broken hearts and homes. Economic instability. Depression and all its attendant miseries. Back-breaking taxation for generations and generations." [p. 24]
The 9 trillion dollar bank bailout
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVjz1OyBJCc
Libor scandal
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libor_scandal
Rule of law is impossible under capitalism, since the kings of business (he who has the gold makes the rules) get to do whatever they want and the public gets fucked.
http://williamblum.org/
Regulating capitalism has totally failed:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcA1v2n7WW4#t=2551