Comments on: “Class is a Dirty Word”

By: Grace

Grace — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 14:18:15 +0000

In America, class is hidden behid the veneer of what everyone wants, but not everyone gets. Live in a “good neighborhood,” kids go to “good”schools. I see it more than some. I drive my son everyday 2 miles to a good school. What a difference two miles makes! If our house is worth 300, the houses in the good neighborhood go for 800-2mil. The elitists which is what they are, are angry that kids find their way there who dont “belong” In my kids first grade class, there are the popular kids of very aggressive elitist parents and the “others.” My son is academically in the top three of his class, so they tolerate him and even court him, because high test scores bring them more of the lion’s share of resources which are rare in any public school these days. Elitists are alive and well in America.

By: dino

dino — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 09:08:52 +0000

I’m convinced that Mr. Obama will be a much better president than Mr.Clinton.I now that he was the last in the list of Israeli’s preferences for who will be the next President.I think that every other candidate would not cause to Joseph Lieberman to leave the party ranks and joins McCain after he run once as a democrat vice president .Even for one thick-skinned like Joe to leave in this way could not be easy and that means that Mr.Obama is very different.So i think that Mr.Obama and the crisis will bring a more peacefully time.And if not i’m sure that Ralf Nader will be elected in the next elections

By: Brian

Brian — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 05:39:27 +0000

Dr. Parenti is a great speaker!

I saw him speak at UW-Oskosh in 1986.

By: The Angry Peasant

The Angry Peasant — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 05:24:18 +0000

One thing I tire of is this fear of putting socialism into practice. Why the hell are we so apprehensive about this? Capitalism obviously doesn’t work. It breeds an evil, heartless, unsophisticated society. Time to start from scratch. The U.S. could do this relatively easy. Just take all the money from the CEOs, movie stars, ballplayers, and other undeserving greedlings and ration it out to the people. Institute the programs and services that we should already have, like health care and housing, and voila, you have a newborn socialist nation. Abolish the Federal Reserve and all other for-profit companies, and shut down all the mega-corporations. End the wage-slavery. Let Americans be masters of their own destinies again. Sounds like a plan to me. Perhaps some of the cynics think this to be over-simplifying things, but I don’t think so. Nor do I agree that America is not in a pre-revolutionary phase.Maybe we’re not today; probably won’t be for awhile, but the seeds are there. Obama’s smile may stave it off for another decade, but considering the condition this country is going to be in, it has to erupt sometime in the not-too-distant future. Let a few million more members of the middle class find themselves taking that second job sweeping up at the mall; let another city be wiped out by a global warming-induced megastorm; let another wave of corporate bailouts suck us all dry; let a couple more lines be scratched off the Bill of Rights. It has to boil over, eventually, even here in this sea-to-shining-sea sheep pasture.

By: bozh

bozh — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 22:04:10 +0000

right, max
one can build better toilets but the same shit goes in. one can have ‘better’ presidents, but uncle is like god who doesn’t change.
is parenti also a closet socialist?
NDP, the new democratic party, also had some.
as i said, parenti is right ab so much; but, haven’t we alrady posited and repeated the same facts/conclusions a td times.

ur also right ab “socialism”, “capitalism”. to me these r just labels for two distinct processes or human interrelationships.
capiatlism is ab who is payer (ergo master) and payeee (ergo dependancy)
thnx

By: Don Hawkins

Don Hawkins — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 19:48:12 +0000

The purveyors of free-market global capitalism believe that they have a right to plunder the remaining natural resources of this planet as they choose. Anyone who challenges their agenda is to be subjected to whatever misrepresentation and calumny that serves the free market corporate agenda.

Oh really I wonder what ever gave them that idea. I am not sure yet if these purveyors of free-market global capitalism know it yet but many more are starting to see them for what they are, nuts. Of course these purveyors don’t think there nut’s and that should gave you a clue right there. The push is on isn’t it the next year will not be boring if nothing else.

By: Max Shields

Max Shields — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 19:36:45 +0000

I find this interview frivalous.

The old socialism/capitalism bagahoo and then the talk about Obama.

This is nowhere talk. First socialism and capitalism are inventions, just like the electric light bulb. They are not burried in our DNA. So, let’s get passed so we can think about what we’re doing here.

As far as Obama being a better than McCain and perhaps a tad better than Clinton. Who cares? What’s the point? The system shits out two typses of presidents. So, what’s new?

Let’s get out of the weeds and start thinking. Much of the fundamental prinicples are right in front of us. Instead we regurgitate the NYT…or some facsimile thereof.

By: kalidas

kalidas — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 19:21:39 +0000

Gosh, I feel cheated..

By: Ron Horn

Ron Horn — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 18:56:25 +0000

I also get a kick out of the expressions used to avoid using the taboo term “ruling class” such as “the powers that be” or “the power elite”.

By: Ron Horn

Ron Horn — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 18:51:25 +0000

Its great to see someone else confirm my own view that capitalism is the real religion of the US with the other nominal religions serving mostly to dumb down the population. Hence all the taboo words in relation to this religion such as the very word itself and class. After WWII people lost their careers for the mildest forms of association with organizations that were not completely loyal to the system, teachers had to swear loyalty oaths to the government which were really to this religion, etc. With the Empire more secure in recent times, the discrimination against people who don’t demonstrate sufficient allegiance to this system is much more subtle, but still as effective.

By: bozh

bozh — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 17:20:36 +0000

i agree w. MP w. everything he said except that he had some/a bit enthusiasm for O’s (s)election.
well, i had fear; fear of greater evil against children; but not amer children.
O wil or might throw a few bucks at own children but lotsof bombs in iq, afgh’n, syria, palestine.
actually it won’t be O who will do all that but oligarchy.thnx