Nov 222019
 
 November 22, 2019  Posted by at 2:24 pm Finance Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


Claude Monet O Rio 1881

 

Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour party presented a big plan yesterday which, as the Guardian ever so subtly put it, “would mean the UK having a bigger state than Germany”. My first reaction to it is that this is inevitable. My second reaction is that it is also too early.

After decades of being squeezed by both the Tories and Tony Blair’s “New” Labour, both the British themselves, and their economy, are so parched that they will vote for something like Corbyn’s plan at some point. Unavoidable. The same on all counts I think is true for Bernie Sanders’ plans.

The wealthier classes don’t appear to be smart enough to understand that they can’t take it all, that they have to leave something for everybody else. But there’s no brake on such currents, they all get carried away, it happens all the time. One side takes too much, and the other side fights back.

Still, while what leads to Corbyn and Sanders rising may be the same, the reasons they fail to attract enough votes is different. In the US, people start shouting: socialism, communism, or maoism, leninism, stalinism, and that will do. These words are fully interchangeable for 99.9% of Americans. If there are 3 of them left that know the difference, you’re lucky.

The reason Sanders is popular is to a large extent that his Democrat competitors are so godawful. For Corbyn, there are other factors in play. But first, a bit about that plan:

Jeremy Corbyn Urges Public To Vote For ‘Manifesto Of Hope’

Jeremy Corbyn has urged the public to vote for his “manifesto of hope” as he unveiled plans for the most dramatic increase in tax and spending in more than half a century if Labour wins power next month’s general election. In an upbeat launch event at Birmingham City University, the Labour leader said he welcomed the hostility of the billionaires, bad bosses and dodgy landlords who would lose out from his policies. Experts were taken aback by the scale of Labour’s spending plans, which dwarfed the substantial increase in the size of the state envisaged in the party’s 2017 manifesto.

“See this [2019] manifesto and vote for the person who’s struggling who you don’t even know,” Corbyn urged the public, adding: “How can any government claim it cares about our country when it cares so little about the people who live here?” With Labour still trailing significantly behind the Conservatives in the polls, party strategists hope the manifesto will help to tempt wavering voters. Corbyn said it was “full of popular policies that the political establishment has blocked for a generation”. The slim red volume, titled It’s Time for Real Change, included a number of fresh announcements, in addition to the policies announced earlier in the campaign. Key plans include:

• Universal free broadband, delivered by part-nationalising BT and paid for with a tax on tech companies.
• An immediate 5% pay rise for public sector workers, plus above-inflation increases for future years.
• 100,000 new council houses a year by the end of the parliament.
• 1 million new jobs as part of a “green industrial revolution”.
• Nationalisation of rail, water and mail, and new powers to allow councils to take control of bus services.

Corbyn promised an “investment blitz”, which he said would leave no part of the country untouched, and suggested the deindustrialisation that begun in the 1980s would be reversed. “Margaret Thatcher’s government wiped out huge swathes of Britain’s industry. We will rebuild it, as green industry,” he said. Torsten Bell, the director of the Resolution Foundation thinktank, said: “This spending increase would be comparable to the first Wilson government and would mean the UK having a bigger state than Germany.”

As the graph shows, the “giant state” idea is not what it’s made out to be, compared to many countries. So on the face of it, what’s not to like for the impoverished millions in Britain? The answer is easy: there has been a large campaign of people perpetuating whole-cloth out of thin air accusations about Corbyn being an anti-semite, including from his own party (Tony Blair and his ilk).

Sure enough, the Brexit campaigners have gone through an entire litany of outrageous claims and promises, but it’s the anti-semite smear that looks likely to decide not only the December 12 elections, but also the Brexit matter. Yeah, that is deplorable. But it’s the time we live in. Some memes are funny, others are seriously misleading, and many strongly influence people’s way of thinking.

In the US, it’s enough to say that Bernie is a socialist or a leninist, in Britain you need a somewhat stronger and bigger cannon. Anti-semitism in just the thing. What makes these smears and/or memes so effective is repetition. At some point people think: I’ve seen this from ten different sources now, that means it must be true. And social media are all about endless repetition, which makes them perfect for the job.

 

That is of course also how they got to Julian Assange. A rape allegation was all it took. And then they waited 9 years to declare it false, by which point he had been silenced, drawn and quartered. Same mechanism. Jeremy Corbyn is no anti-semite, anymore than Julian Assange is a rapist, but that makes no difference whatsoever.

If you manage to plant the seed of an idea, no matter how ridiculous, in enough people’s heads, and then you make sure it’s repeated every day, you can today make anyone believe anything. Perhaps it’s time to re-label “social” media. Really, social? But the term “mass media” has already been taken.

 

And though many people will not be ready to acknowledge it, what goes for Corbyn and Assange also goes for Donald Trump. Only in his case the old mass media have been much more massively involved, not just the new not-so-terribly social media. But that principle is identical: plant an idea in people’s heads and repeat it ad nauseam.

In Trump’s case, it’s been so successful that entire media organizations that were about to croak were revived by it, at least financially. At this point it’s probably good to illuminate the role intelligence agencies play in the entire meme/smear ‘politics’. They are all over it, they hardly even attempt to hide their roles.

In the cases of Assange and Corbyn, there have been no large-scale investigations. In Corbyn’s case, none at all, and in Assange’s case, probes hidden from view that would not stand any legal daylight, in Sweden, the UK and the US. These investigations always seem directed at ‘affirming the accusers’ case, not at finding if the accused are actually guilty of what they are charged with.

As for Trump, we have of course lived through years of Mueller’s probe, which ended in nothing, seamlessly transitioning into Ukrainegate, in which another stream of potential accusers saw the limelight to provide their particular version of what “hearsay” means in legalese.

I’ve remarked before that Adam Schiff’s little theater wouldn have been throw out of a court in one second flat, because there is no proof and hearsay is inadmissible. I also think Corbyn should have taken one of his many accusers to court, simply to have a judge or jury state publicly that he is not a -proven- anti-semite. Assange obviously was never allowed any such route.

And if you looked and listened closely at the Ukrainegate spectacle, it was clear that the Mueller disaster has not closed the RussiaRussia meme/smear. Russia wants to conquer Europe. The president wanting to direct his own foreign policy was anathema for the “regular channel” crowd. “We have this thing that works beautifully”. And it ain’t the Constitution.

 

What Trump has going for him is that IG Michael Horowitz and Special Counsel John Durham are set to release their respective reports on how Russiagate came about. It looks as if they will have to do without any info of Burisma or its links to the Bidens, because the “regular channel” has frustrated efforts into finding out their roles, but then that was never their probes’ concern.

We now have the first allegation against an FBI lawyer for tampering with FISA documents, through the unusual leakage stream of CNN, which happens to employ lots of ex-FBI people. There is no doubt that we’ll see a whole lot more where that came from. It’ll be an entertaining holiday season, because of course the FBI and CIA will want to (pre-emptively) strike back. And they’re all working at CNN et al.

Their problem is they’ve been working this for years now, and came up zilch. The other side is just getting started. Looks like there’ll be more fireworks than candlelight dinners going into 2020. But perhaps it would still be a good idea for Bill Barr to find himself a good meme or smear, just to be sure.

 

 

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Viewing 21 posts - 1 through 21 (of 21 total)
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  • #51589

    Claude Monet O Rio 1881   Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour party presented a big plan yesterday which, as the Guardian ever so subtly put it, “would mean t
    [See the full post at: Memes and Smears and Stuff]

    #51593
    Dr. D
    Participant

    You’re right about communism in America, but words only mean what we collective understand them to mean, so I can’t be the only one to distinguish between the sub-types. When no one distinguishes them within their minds, there is no difference.

    I don’t know why we would add any finer distinctions here, however, since every addition of that Social progressiveism since 1913 has made things measurably worse. For the good of the people we had the war on poverty, the war on drugs, bankrupted social security, shut down all the charity hospitals and destroyed health care, wildly raised the price of houses with mortgage help and benefits, along with the price of college, neither of which can ever be paid, bankrupted Millennials in the process, destroyed the cities and the small towns, income tax moved from 1% to 39% and expanded from the 0.1% to everyone down to the poverty line, raised inflation with the costs, then the inflation plus the social benefits utterly destroyed the family — the only true and working communist structure, yet the one thing communists hate above all others.

    That’s a near-universal, Sherman’s march-to-the-sea, scorched-earth legacy that has not only left nothing functional standing, but has indebted our nation among many others, to $200T combined liabilities, and that may not include personal debts or states like IL and CA pensions.

    They may vote for Corbyn or Bernie, sure. We’ve seen that throughout South America…where with a turn to the left functionality, poverty, and income disparity again gets multiples worse…but I just don’t see how. The people would have to have faith in government, and the government would have to have the illusion of wealth and functionality to sell the idea. Martin Armstrong believes, with universal bankruptcy the cycle of the state has peaked, and I’m inclined to agree with him.

    Democratic Socialism is failing in Sweden, France, England, Germany, Spain, Finland, Canada, (and California), can’t you just let it go? Their promises, like the Windrush people’s, were always false: you’re on your own. Since you’re on your own anyway, why not dispense with the illusion?

    #51594
    zerosum
    Participant

    Raúl Ilargi Meijer said
    I’ve seen this from ten different sources now, that means it must be true.

    zerosum said
    FOX use 5 people on outnumbered to discus their opinions. CNN is now up to 9 people sitting at the discussion table. I SUPOSE THAT 9 PEOPLE WILL BE MORE DEMOCRATIC AND TRUTHFULL.

    I’m always looking for info, without the propaganda/fake news. One of the reason that I try to include the author is to give the readers a chance to verify if he has a bias in his reporting.
    TAE is as close as we can get to the truth.
    On that note check out these two opinion pieces. (Do you see the echo with TAE)

    http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/52593.htm
    Imperialism and the Rule of Law

    By Donald Monaco
    November 21, 2019

    and
    http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/52591.htm
    The impeachment crisis and American imperialism
    By Patrick Martin
    November 21, 2019

    #51595

    Dr. D,

    I always get back to the simple observation that in America’s most prosperous times, the highest income tax levels were 70-80-90%. And then I think: what about this don’t you people understand? I don’t care about socialism or capitalism, but some things are just too obvious. That a state tends towards being inefficient is too clear too discuss. But that inequality in both the UK and US has reached disproportionate levels, is too. Though some would still like to dispute it.

    It’s not about political ideology; if anything it’s about simply looking back at the 1950’s and 60’s, and see what made America so rich. Well, one of the elements that were present is those 70-80-90% tax levels. Would the country have been less or more wealthy without them? Who cares? They were there! And given the state of the country today, what exactly would be the reason to not go back to the golden age of capitalism when people paid 80% in income tax for the richest?

    #51596
    zerosum
    Participant

    ” looking back at the 1950’s and 60’s, and see what made America so rich.”
    My opinion:
    Capturing Exponential Growth of resources after the destruction of assets during WWII
    We can never go back. Those resources have been consumed.
    The elites have it all and they will not share.

    #51597
    zerosum
    Participant

    Is the following true. Zerohedge reports.
    And while the Examiner reviewed “federal banking and corporate records” for their report, the MSM is completely silent about this obvious graft.

    CNN, NBC, MSNBC, ABC, CBS and FOX have all been radio silent on this report.
    https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/hunter-biden-linked-company-received-130m-in-special-federal-loans-while-joe-biden-was-vp

    Hunter Biden-linked company received $130M in special federal loans while Joe Biden was vice president
    by Alana Goodman
    | November 21, 2019

    #51598

    My opinion:
    Capturing Exponential Growth of resources after the destruction of assets during WWII We can never go back.

    So you mean the taxes had no influence on it? They surely did something about inequality?! Sorry, I don’t think so. I also doubt we have fewer resources now than back then. In fact, I think we’re at our peak. Which may be because we’re more focused on scraping the barrel, but still.

    Still, I think an 80% tax on billionaires is a good idea. It would leave them with $200 million out of every billion. Who needs that kind of money? Do they pay proportionally more for the roads they and we drive on, the parks, health care etc.? Me no think so.

    #51599
    zerosum
    Participant

    “Still, I think an 80% tax on billionaires is a good idea.”
    You saw my indirect answer, from the Washington examiner
    “the MSM is completely silent about this obvious graft.”
    In my opinion:
    The answer is in the hand of lawyers, accountants and bankers that can be hired to change the laws that have been made so that the elites can have an advantage.
    Gosh! I think that there are already some laws that could equalize the playing field. Since nobody is bulletproof nobody will enforce those laws.
    Will the new Ukraine president try to see if he is bulletproof?

    #51600
    zerosum
    Participant

    BREAKING: Former Ukrainian MP Alleges Biden Family Received $12M Kickback From Transaction With Burisma Owner To Kill London Criminal Cases, Provides Details To DOJ

    BREAKING: Former Ukrainian MP Alleges Biden Family Received $12M Kickback From Transaction With Burisma Owner To Kill London Criminal Cases, Provides Details To DOJ
    by L Todd Wood November 22, 2019

    UPDATE: In further clarification of information provided, CD Media can now report that the $32M referenced below was sent to London, where it was seized by British officials and criminal charges were levied against Zlochevsky. Vice President Biden actively sought to have the charges thrown out in the United Kingdom for Zlochevsky in exchange for the $12M being diverted to Hunter Biden, according to Onyshchenko.
    Hunter Biden was then brought onto the board of directors at Zlochevsky’s company Burisma and received further payments of $3.1M over a period of months.

    #51602
    zerosum
    Participant

    Responding to Lt. Col. Vindman about my Ukraine columns … with the facts

    If you don’t have evidence these 28 facts are wrong, I ask that you correct your testimony because any effort to call factually accurate reporting false only misleads America and chills the free debate our Constitutional framers so cherished to protect.

    #51604
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    It’s frustrating. Raul is, imo, 119% on heavily taxing the rich as a fiscal means of redistributing (the re-d-word! I dun used it! strike me down!) the tendency for welath to sip[hon upwards in a capitalist economy. (Well, it does. Sue me for it being true.)

    But the money the wealthy hold is mostly worthless already. There aren’t enough resources on hand to grow our way out of this, and all redistribution does is inspire more growth.

    What is needed is a very severe belt-tightening, and that work is always left to poor old Mother Nature.

    The time for that turnaround was several decades ago. Carter was on it, but America wanted Reagan’s Morning in America MAGA nonsense, and then we wasted several decades after that playing silly games with words while the rich sold everything off and the rest of us watched, too many of us not realizing what was happening or how incontrovertible the results would be.

    Sin Taxes of the Poor Soul

    #51605
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    The war on poverty didn’t bankrupt us. War, period, and all its attendant freak shows, did.

    MLK got shot because he denounced the Viet Nam war not just morally but because it financially gutted said War on Poverty, turning it into a mere charity program, which is not how you solve poverty, just how you alleviate it.

    #51606
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    19% correct, that is. And yes, that figure is scientifically accurate. My ouija board told me so.

    #51607
    zerosum
    Participant

    I’ve just heard, CNN, MSNBC, insisting that Trump is lying, again, about Ukraine, Hunter all the reports by John Solomon.
    This is not going to end well. No matter where the truth lies, the rich and powerful people will not admit to being even a little bit wrong.
    Its a good thing that the web is there to present us, with the different opinions.
    My brain get info from others. My opinions are based on the opinions of others.

    #51608
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    “19% correct, that is”

    I’m sick today and can’t see straight. That’s One Hundred & Nineteen per cent.

    #51609
    VietnamVet
    Participant

    I traveled through Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan in the late 1960s. It was all rebuilt. Japan was running high speed rail. The first cut in marginal tax rate in the USA from 90% was John Kennedy’s but the rate cut from 70% was in the Reagan Era when the first time in my life I saw the homeless living under bridges next to the railroad tracks in Seattle.
    https://www.savantcapital.com/uploadedImages/Savant_CMS_Website/Blogs/Sample_Blog/US-Income-Tax-Marginal-Rates.png

    The most effective rate is around 70% to avoid tax avoidance and offshoring. Anything less intentionally flushes government down the drain and accelerates privatization. Mission accomplished. The income inequality of the USA is between Chile and Turkey.
    https://image.businessinsider.com/55a4f2536bb3f7ba5d760d9b?width=900&format=jpeg&auto=webp

    The impeachment hearings are astonishing in that the Empire’s technocrats have no fear of going in front of Congress in public and denying the rampant corruption and blaming Russia for the war that started in 2014 when the West assisted the overthrow of the elected government of Ukraine.

    Donald Trump is a symptom of the decline. The Praetorian Guard wants a new Emperor.

    #51610
    V. Arnold
    Participant

    Claude Monet O Rio 1881

    Lovely, just lovely…

    #51611
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    I recently stumbled across people I knew very well 20-30 years ago. Bright bright people. Chemist. Asian history major. Clever, witty, funny, soulful, talented… and they’re all determined to Beat Trump and Vote Dem even though they watched the Dems shaft Bernie, the one candidate who, said polls, could knock Trump out of the park with one nut tied behind his back.

    And the, and then, there’s this sad faith that getting the Right Man in the White House will somehow fix all these problems.

    As if putting Casey Jones at the engineer throttle would somehow stop a runaway train with no brakes screaming down a steep hill toward a broken bridge over a 1,000′ chasm… would somehow stop said train..

    #51612
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    Don’t you just love it when VietnamVet posts? Concise, deeply informed, filters facts through fundamentals…

    #51613
    zerosum
    Participant
    #51614
    V. Arnold
    Participant

    The PC culture sweeping the west is an evil that must be recognised for what it is; censorship and control, pure and simple.
    This is well worth a read:
    https://www.rt.com/op-ed/474068-ballet-cancel-culture-protect/

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