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lutherj

(3,512 posts)

72. Extravagant wealth can only retain its value in the presence of poverty.

Fri Mar 10, 2017, 02:41 PM

Mar 2017

Marx called it the "reserve army of labor".
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reserve_army_of_labour

I think there is another dimension to this. The accumulation of any commodity only has value if other people want it. We tend to think of the demand for money as persistent and linear. Everybody always wants more money, right? But try offering your lawyer neighbor $12 an hour to mow your lawn. By all accounts the modern investment economy dwarfs the real everyday economy of goods and services by an order of magnitude. Austerity for the masses and large-scale unemployment prevents inflation and allows for the maximum transfer of wealth from investment to the real world. It's the neoliberal agenda. To alleviate poverty is to mitigate wealth.

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Why Republicans Are Opposed to Supporting the Poor - An Open Secret [View all] MineralMan Mar 2017 OP

That's true for the conservative anarcho capitalists but I think it goes deeper than that.. JHan Mar 2017 #1

It does go deeper than that. You're right. MineralMan Mar 2017 #2

Yep some will use their randian philosophies to justify those conditions.. JHan Mar 2017 #5

Trump is, in a way, the ideal President for these people. MineralMan Mar 2017 #8

I agree about slavery. ananda Mar 2017 #33

You don't have to be in chains to be a slave. Doitnow Mar 2017 #107

I saw that George Will segment. moondust Mar 2017 #10

yes, they usually conflate the two, JHan Mar 2017 #11

Thanks--I was wondering what Will could have meant by "socialism doesn't work", BlancheSplanchnik Mar 2017 #63

Conflating the two moondust Mar 2017 #70

Thanks! So I wasn't off the mark, BlancheSplanchnik Mar 2017 #98

Yes, it's called Democratic Socialism, ... aggiesal Mar 2017 #80

He's been conflating and demonizing them moondust Mar 2017 #84

Low quality education also decreases rebellion Panich52 Mar 2017 #3

Exactly. That is why schools in affluent communities MineralMan Mar 2017 #6

Yep, I saw this firsthand Mountain Mule Mar 2017 #85

What you observed is typical in most large cities. It also extends to MineralMan Mar 2017 #86

Old Negro College Fund tag needs expanded... Panich52 Mar 2017 #93

Bingo Panich52 Mar 2017 #92

Years ago the state of Texas eliminated critical thinking classes in schools Stargazer99 Mar 2017 #42

Most winger Texans.... machoneman Mar 2017 #55

And since they buy so many books, alt-history they demand Panich52 Mar 2017 #91

Yes Yes! jazzcat23 Mar 2017 #103

Thank You for your thoughts on this.. Stuart G Mar 2017 #4

Thank you. MineralMan Mar 2017 #7

Yes. The South passed laws against teaching slave to read- delisen Mar 2017 #9

Remember when people were strongly encouraged to study MineralMan Mar 2017 #12

And this continued long after slavery had ended into the 20th century ck4829 Mar 2017 #27

Thanks for posting this. It is enlightening. delisen Mar 2017 #36

charter schools are an inroad on killing public education Stargazer99 Mar 2017 #44

AND.. jazzcat23 Mar 2017 #104

Economic royalists in the age of globalization! moondust Mar 2017 #13

That's pretty much it. MineralMan Mar 2017 #14

The same economic theory was espoused by SnowCritter Mar 2017 #40

As a political philosophy, it's not rocket science. MineralMan Mar 2017 #41

Ryan's comment was that their should not be a minimum wage Stargazer99 Mar 2017 #45

They love keeping healthcare tied to employment also SHRED Mar 2017 #15

That is true, but employers will drop healthcare contributions MineralMan Mar 2017 #17

Come to think if it... SHRED Mar 2017 #20

I'm not certain, but I imagine that would have been one of the MineralMan Mar 2017 #23

There would be plenty of huge costs in human misery if there were not mandates Stargazer99 Mar 2017 #48

Human misery is of no concern to oligarchs. MineralMan Mar 2017 #52

your post is on target bdamomma Mar 2017 #74

The Reich Wing's treatment of the poor is why the French invented the National Razor. kairos12 Mar 2017 #16

I would add one point they want the poor to work AND usaf-vet Mar 2017 #18

That's a very delicate balance. MineralMan Mar 2017 #19

He wouldn't read it because he knows he wouldn't understand it. Plus... Beartracks Mar 2017 #38

The common man is getting smart you can see the dynamics of the system Stargazer99 Mar 2017 #49

They think survival of the fittest means the strongest survive BSdetect Mar 2017 #21

In a similar way we have homeless people and people locked up in inhumane prisons. hunter Mar 2017 #22

Well, the homeless are certainly obvious in most cities. MineralMan Mar 2017 #24

One thing is for certain, almost no one sincerely believes in Democracy ymetca Mar 2017 #25

Well, the principles of the Democratic Party have always worked toward MineralMan Mar 2017 #29

Agreed --now THIS is interesting! ymetca Mar 2017 #64

Interesting. SC justices do now realize their very existence is in danger Eliot Rosewater Mar 2017 #112

Brilliant Scruffy1 Mar 2017 #26

Please do. What I write on Democratic Underground, I consider MineralMan Mar 2017 #31

Still pedalling gems MinMan OxQQme Mar 2017 #51

That's very kind of you to say! MineralMan Mar 2017 #66

They are trying to "Thin out the herd" IMO. maveric Mar 2017 #28

Let's not forget opposing sex education TexasBushwhacker Mar 2017 #30

Indeed. And by limiting healthcare for the working class, MineralMan Mar 2017 #34

The anti-abortionist fit right into their plans Stargazer99 Mar 2017 #53

Very well said tiptonic Mar 2017 #32

Yes. Of course. MineralMan Mar 2017 #37

Ding, ding! Winner, winner, chicken dinner! lark Mar 2017 #35

Trump is simply a liar. MineralMan Mar 2017 #39

Both my husband and I are managers and we certainly don't feel safe from his policies. lark Mar 2017 #43

I'm glad to see reality for your situation has hit home Stargazer99 Mar 2017 #56

You missed a big one FakeNoose Mar 2017 #46

Yes, and it may come to that sooner than we suspect. MineralMan Mar 2017 #57

I heard one Republican woman say Stargazer99 Mar 2017 #58

good analysis NewJeffCT Mar 2017 #47

19th Century Healthcare was Cheap. MineralMan Mar 2017 #59

True NewJeffCT Mar 2017 #65

For a nation to be truly strong it needs its people Stargazer99 Mar 2017 #60

Your statement is true, but only in the long term. MineralMan Mar 2017 #67

ruling class hibbing Mar 2017 #50

We like to deceive ourselves into believing that we have no ruling class. MineralMan Mar 2017 #68

Oligarchic remedies are always zero sum. Eyeball_Kid Mar 2017 #54

Ultimately, not even the 1%ers are "safe" from their own ideology. Texin Mar 2017 #61

We do not think long-term here. That has something to do MineralMan Mar 2017 #71

Don't forget the elderly - they weren't always poor but when infirm flamingdem Mar 2017 #62

The elderly are a drain on society, in the opinion of MineralMan Mar 2017 #73

Sounds very much like slavery. LoisB Mar 2017 #69

Yes, it does, doesn't it. MineralMan Mar 2017 #76

Extravagant wealth can only retain its value in the presence of poverty. lutherj Mar 2017 #72

That's correct. MineralMan Mar 2017 #79

This was exacerbated severely by welfare reform loyalsister Mar 2017 #75

A lot of factors are in play, for sure. MineralMan Mar 2017 #81

Serfing USA madamesilverspurs Mar 2017 #77

Yup. We do seem to be trending toward a new feudalism. MineralMan Mar 2017 #82

I think it is more to do with bigotry and hate. They think they are superior to the white working Doodley Mar 2017 #78

The rich have always hated the poor. MineralMan Mar 2017 #83

minimum wage serfs. pansypoo53219 Mar 2017 #87

Yup. Exactly. MineralMan Mar 2017 #89

I think the rich also encourages hate among the poor. Doreen Mar 2017 #88

Slaveowner mentality. muntrv Mar 2017 #90

Need more proof? Look at how they target campaign ads to this group... unitedwethrive Mar 2017 #94

DAMN! Susan Calvin Mar 2017 #95

Terribly sad and infuriating, but true. kstewart33 Mar 2017 #96

And we continue to allow them to bribe our politicians Dustlawyer Mar 2017 #97

Great thread not fooled Mar 2017 #99

Mineral Man, I like the cut of your jib! PatrickforO Mar 2017 #100

Certainly. Dawson Leery Mar 2017 #101

Excellent (and painfully true) post. Tatiana Mar 2017 #102

I think I'm going to disagee, but only a little Flatpicker Mar 2017 #105

Its simple - they believe people are basically lazy bhikkhu Mar 2017 #106

This also might explain why Trump keeps talking about creating jobs. Kablooie Mar 2017 #108

The Most Important Journal I've Ever Read on DU. I decided to bonniebgood Mar 2017 #109

Many people have added good information and ideas to this MineralMan Mar 2017 #111

And most of them go to church on Sundays pretending to be Christians CousinIT Mar 2017 #110