Showing posts with label bailout. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bailout. Show all posts

Monday, November 3, 2008

Socialism for the Rich

For all my life, I've heard the West plead the case of capitalism. Everybody was riding high on tides and claiming superiority of philosophy and culture. Success was measured in terms of the moola in one's bank accounts. Ruthlessness towards the poor (offering them "generous" loans on exorbitant interest rates, to help them drown in dependency till eternity) was considered a part of the system. If they had the brains and the ability, they'd rise deservedly. Too bad, if not. And if the rich were getting richer, it was because of their potential and taxation couldn't be further from unfairness.

My thoughts: what an ego-centric and selfish world to live in. Unfortunately for us all, we are learning this lesson the hard way now. And how convenient of everybody who is anybody today, to suggest regulation in the economy, when all major institutions and functionaries are in seriously muddy waters. Here's an illustration of that. Andrew Graham, an Oxford Economist suggests:
...financial regulation has to be approached with a completely different mindset
from that for the rest of the economy. Elsewhere, competition can be a
substitute for regulation. In banking, the opposite applies: the greater the
competition, the greater the need for regulation and/or supervision. (Guardian, UK)
Okay!!! So long as socialism is for the rich, it is the best system. But God forbid, more goes to the welfare of the poor, it becomes treacherous!

Copyright (c) 2008 Saadia Malik

Recommended readings:
  1. Socialism for the Rich: Bailing Out the Bankers and Builders
  2. The U.S. Economy Is Socialism for the Rich

Times of Despair? Says who!

While the US government is busy acting on its US$ 700 billion bail-out plan, the still-rich keep finding ways to annoy us all. Forget about the bail-out plan, or even the need for it. Something would be seriously wrong with anybody's genetics, who doesn't find a reason to question these excesses, even in the best of times:

A $2500 Mac Book- even if the aesthetics are "whoa!";
A $7000 Laser-Powered HDTV - even if it has the widest color gamut;
And wait for this: a $5000 toilet - even if it plays music, flashes light and yes, even if it wards off bad smell while you're on the pot!

Copyright (c) 2008 Saadia Malik