OT: Jibjab, Politics, the Big Bang and more!

[Arryn]

Originally posted by Huzurdaddi:
It seems that the point of capitalism is to create the most economic wealth. Pretty much period. As to how the wealth gets allocated that's how capitalism is messed up via some metrics.

The point of capitalism is to create the most wealth for those with the capital, namely capitalists. That anyone else (such as workers) manages to benefit from this exercise in greed is incidental/accidental, and can be ascribed to democracy. Democracy is a tool that is beneficial to the capitalists only insofar as they can control it to better serve their goals. Thus you have what is seen in the U.S. today: a Congress that's a millionaire's club, beholden to corporate & wealthy donors, giving only lip service to the electorate's desires, and then only as much as is necessary to keep them in their positions of power and comfort. A Congress that is not subject to the same laws as the people who elect them.

There's a word for what we have: plutocracy. Or government of the wealthy, by the wealthy, for the wealthy. Not exactly what Abe had in mind in his famous Address.

BTW, speaking of the tools of democracy, and their usefulness to the plutocrats, you have only to look at Fox News. And anyone that ever doubted the propheticness of Orwell's 1984 only has to look at the Patriot Act, Echelon, Carnivore, John Ashcroft, (un)Justice Scalia, et cetera. I shudder to think what might come next. Truly scary.

[Skolem]

Originally posted by Boron:
[QB] in young years in general most people are quite healthy . so you can invest that money which you would otherwise have to pay as health care taxes and so get interest . this way you have more money when you are older and it is hopefully enough to pay for most medical treatment .

In young years you can't afford even a radiography if you broke your leg, so american system is quite supperior because you have to worrie it could happen and if it happens you can't afford a good treatment. Yes I see the point...

because that's the next problem :
medicine has improved so much in the Last decades that the average life-span is increasing and increasing . but because more and more ultraexpensive technic devices are needed for that treatment it can't be paid much longer from the state for everyone and not only the few who can afford it .
germany is almost bankrupt because or huge social programs like health care , pensions and unemployment benefit become unpayable .

We aren't as bankrupt as the american state are. It is sure that our system isn't optimal, but it doesn't mean we have to desolidarized from our fellow but poorer countryman.

so conclusion NTJedi : you are totally right and wait 10 years and many nations like germany will have abolished national healthcare and have a system similiar to the US system .

Thats what a certain (rich) part of the population wan't for sure, but I don't think so, or we would have to erase the "social" in the constitution, now (and I hope that it will be so in ten years) we are a social "marktwirtschaft" (sorry guys someone has to translate this one I can't).
And the problem in Germany are really different, what we need is a change in the mentality of the customers, who can afford and do (yes its true!!!),see three specialist for an illness.
I' still believe the German system is far superior not only in pure facts, but indirectly to, what is the reason of healthcare, education, etc... it is not to make a better economy, it is not to create greater profit for corps, it is only to assure citizen of the country that they can afford a life qualitiy without to worrie about the future, to make they have time to spend on interresting things in life (at least more interresting than planning how much money they need in case of illness, accident etc.).

P.S. are you affilied to the party known as the FDP?

[DLC]

we need a political forum methinkest.
Sätt på e kol o skapa ett

[Arryn]

Originally posted by DLC:
we need a political forum methinkest.

That would make too much sense, and thus ruin the perfectly good chaos that's reining here.

[Vicious Love]

Better than JibJab.

Discuss.

[Arryn]

Originally posted by Vicious Love:
Better than JibJab.

Discuss.

If you insist: the Toad short is stupid. It's not even funny, unless one considers as 'funny' things that are silly/senseless.

A far better short on the same site is here.

[Norfleet]

Originally posted by Arryn:
If you insist: the Toad short is stupid. It's not even funny, unless one considers as 'funny' things that are silly/senseless.

Well, if by "silly/senseless", you mean "nonfunctional", then yeah, I'd have to agree. I don't really see the humor in a badly written flash movie that consists entirely of a loading bar which runs from start to finish without having anything actually happen afterwards.

A far better short on the same site is here.

I didn't get it. Is this an obscure reference to some aspect of modern culture that I'm unfamiliar with? It seemed to be consist of some guy with a sword or something in the dark. I couldn't really see much. The music was obnoxious and hurt my ears. I tried watching again with my night-vision goggles on, but I still didn't see anything interesting. What's the deal?