Profile

Who: Kimball Corson. Text and Photos not disclaimed or that are obviously not mine are copyright (c) Kimball Corson 2004-2016
Port: Lake Pleasant, AZ
09 April 2018 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
An Informed Atheist Re-Addresses Christianity
10 March 2018 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
A Progressive Reform Program for America
10 March 2018 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
Supply Side and Libertarians Are Wrong and Not Supported by the Data
10 March 2018 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
How Income Inequality Injures People and the Economy
22 August 2017 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
A Democratic Reform Program for America
22 August 2017 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
The Supply Side Libertarians Are Wrong and Not Supported by the Data
22 August 2017 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
The Rise of Economic Ignorance
22 August 2017 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
The Rise of Corporate Dominance and the Rise of Income Inequality (Part VI)
22 August 2017 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
The Rise of Corporate Dominance and the Rise of Income Inequality (Part V)
22 August 2017 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
The Rise of Corporate Dominance and the Rise of Income Inequality (Part IV)
22 August 2017 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
The Rise of Corporate Dominance and the Rise of Income Inequality (Part III)
22 August 2017 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
The Rise of Corporate Dominance and the Rise of Income Inequality (Part II)
22 August 2017 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
The Rise of Corporate Dominance and the Rise of Income Inequality (Part I)
22 August 2017 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
Racial Hatred Is Confused
22 August 2017 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
What To Do About North Korea
22 August 2017 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
On Neoliberalism
22 August 2017 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
Ban Hate Marches and Assemblies
22 August 2017 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
On Miss Piggy and Mr. Pork
22 August 2017 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
The Demise of the Democratic Party
09 August 2017 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
On Elitism

Some Belabored Misunderstandings

10 June 2016 | Vatia, American Samoa
Kimball Corson
Conservatives rail against socialism, having not a clue what it is, and Sanders advocates for it, similarly misusing the word. A good measure of conservatives' misunderstanding or misuse is grounded in their delight in pointing out what failures the USSR, Cuba and Venezuela have been, as though capitalism has been a roaring success. yet another misunderstanding.

Socialism, as economists use the word is the collective ownership of all means of production except for labor which is hired by the state and paid what it is worth, tempered by sensibilities of social justice or distributive fairness. In practice, there have been few examples of it anywhere. The USSR came closest, but failed on both the production and distributive sides. Under most predominately socialist governments, those at the top of government determining production quotas and distribution practices have invariably taken more than their share and have done badly at determining those quotas as well. Shortages and excesses are common.

Most economies the world over, especially the 34 or so OEPC advanced nations, are a mix of capitalism and aspects of socialism or collectivism on both sides, although mostly capitalism on both the productive and distributive sides, as modified by considerations of socialism or social justice on the distributive side. The mixes and methods vary by country.

If pure socialism has been a colossal failure, so has capitalism been so, but only to a lesser apparent extent. As Piketty explained in "Capital in the 21st Century," capital comes to dominate over labor in most advanced capitalist economies as national income shares skew strongly in favor of capital over time and against labor. That is happening in the US as income inequality abounds and worsens.

Even in the US, with its capitalism dominated economic mix, its social safety net and with the services provided by government, thought by many to be a rousing success, " . . . nearly one-third of adults, about 76 million people, are either "struggling to get by" or "just getting by," according to the third annual survey of households by the Federal Reserve Board." (The first and second such annual surveys were thought perhaps to be aberrational, but the third survey has hammered the message home big time. So much for our success except for the top 10 percent.)

In truth and by most measures, the best economic mixes of capitalism, collective action and socialistic distributive justice are found in the northern European countries, especially the Scandinavian countries. They are models to the world. Some, only partially correct, contend, their models cannot work in the US because their populations are more uniform and intelligent. Although, the mean US IQ is barely 95 and we are plagued by many below the mean, adjustments and compensations could be made for a better economic mix, but few in control are interested in any progressive effort to try, and income inequality continues to rise.

The US is stuck in the mud. Our corrupt congress is controlled by the republicans who, along with many democrats, are guardian patrons of the controlling oligarchy who want lower taxes, less government and greater freedom to do what they want regardless. Stalemate ensues. Until that changes, we will continue to do much less well as a nation than we could and continue living in our "new lower low."
Comments
Vessel Name: Altaira
Vessel Make/Model: A Fair Weather Mariner 39 is a fast (PHRF 132), heavily ballasted (43%), high-aspect (6:1), stiff, comfortable, offshore performance cruiser by Bob Perry that goes to wind well (30 deg w/ good headway) and is also good up and down the Beaufort scale.
Hailing Port: Lake Pleasant, AZ
Crew: Kimball Corson. Text and Photos not disclaimed or that are obviously not mine are copyright (c) Kimball Corson 2004-2016
About:
Kimball Corson: I am a 75 year old solo sailor, by choice. However, I did take on a personable, but high maintenance female kitten, now a full grown cat, named KiKiPoo when she is sweet, or KatKatPo after she has just killed something like a bird or bat. [...]
Extra:
Although I was a lawyer and practiced law with good success for thirty years, creating significant new law, I never really believed in the law, the politics of law or in the over reaching self-interest of most lawyers I met. Too much exposure to Nietzsche and other good and seriously thoughtful [...]
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Profile

Who: Kimball Corson. Text and Photos not disclaimed or that are obviously not mine are copyright (c) Kimball Corson 2004-2016
Port: Lake Pleasant, AZ