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<<< <<<< <<< <<< <<< <<< <<< <<< <<< Vol. 2, Iss. 9
>>> >>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> 18 FEB 02
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>>> >>>>>>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> Polymemetic File Four
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Too much to write about. Let's jump right into it.
Jet Jaguar
TCAHR CEO
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I. Definition Time
II. Re-tooling in the 19th century
III. The Great Fuck-Up
IV. Mr. Roosevelt
V. Notes to the Modern Socialist
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I. Definition Time
Back when I used to publish verse online, I would receive e-mail from some
teens that would make me cringe. They were usually young poseurs of the
goth, Satanist, or anarchist variety. Without going into details, every time
I got one of these violent, iconoclastic e-mails proclaiming my greatness, I
realized that my ideas had been misunderstood yet again. Since TCAHR is
about infecting ideas into new hosts, I find myself worried about those
potential hosts who would snatch a tid-bit of badly written ranting from
here and then proclaim themselves memeticists.
I'm even more frightened of those who would attach the label "socialists" to
themselves. Therefore please indulge my following tangent into definitions.
CAPITALISM -- Economic system based on the production and exchange of goods
and services through prices and markets.
COMMUNISM -- System of society where major resources and means of
production are owned by the people. In communism, the ideal
is one where a visible government would be unnecessary.
Until that utopia is reached, private property is suspended.
The needs of the people are the responsibility of the state.
SOCIALISM -- Economic system in which the means of production are invested
in the state by reconstruction of the existing political
system through the peaceful and democratic means.
Those are the basics. Now let's go on.
II. Re-tooling in the 19th century
Capitalism may have its beginnings in the 18th century, but it was in the
19th century the problems with a pure capitalist system began to come into
focus. Private ownership of the means of production lead to abuse of the
workers. This manifested in phenomena such as long work hours, dangerous
conditions and child labor. Corporations also came into being, along with
their attempts to create monopolies. Capitalism was also prone to
alternating waves of prosperity and depression.
Those with financial power fought bitterly against any changes to the pure
capitalist system. It is a fact that capitalism has, in general, improved
the standard of living in the world. However, in the pursuit of money big
business argued with the powerful government in the courts while employing
tactics such as "strike-busters" to spill the cranial fluids of the
striking worker on the streets. Believing its problems solved, capitalism
marched its way into the 20th century only to have its progress tripped by
the alternating tsunami known as the Great Depression.
III. The Great Fuck-Up
The genesis of The Great Depression was in the 1920s. After the first world
war, people turned from social issues and instead resolved themselves to
lives of material enjoyment. Businesses jumped on the new trends and used
the advertising methods developed to promote support for the war against
frugality. At the same time, the low wages paid to workers and the tax cuts
given to the rich resulted in a greatly unequal distribution of wealth.
This meant that consumers weren't able to buy all the new and expensive
toys of the Jazz Age. Credit was invented to "help" them. All these
factors led to the Great Depression which eventually spread to all
industrialized nations.
The president at the beginning of the Great Depression was Herbert Hoover,
or as I like to call him, the fuckin' idiot. Not only did the fuckin'
idiot refuse governmental aid to the unemployed and the homeless and sent
federal troops armed with bayonets and tear gas against protesting WWI
veterans, but he also RAISED TAXES! It doesn't take a lot of brainpower to
realize that you don't raise taxes when 15 million people are out of work.
Then the fuckin' idiot RAISED TARIFFS which led to other nations raising
tariffs.
Naturally in the next presidential election Hoover was smashed by America's
first "socialist" president.
IV. Mr. Roosevelt
Mr. Franklin Delano Roosevelt may have been born a rich kid, but he had a
poor man's soul. When elected to the presidency, he didn't talk about
crossing political lines. He did it by installing republicans and democrats
into positions of power. During the depression, Hoover (read as "the
fuckin' idiot") would try to bring relief to the states by loaning them
federal money, thereby incurring more debt. Mr. Roosevelt's plan was to
give money to the states instead (FERA - Federal Emergency Relief
Administration). During the first winter of his presidency, work relief
could be found thanks to the CWA (Civil Works Administration).
In 1935, the WPA (Works Projects Administration) replaced FERA and began to
give work to one-third of the unemployed. This consisted of work that could
still be of benefit today. The WPA workers built among other things, roads,
schools, hospitals, airports, and parks. It also funded work projects for
artists that in turn performed for the public.
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) not only gave unemployed and unmarried
young men jobs, but was dedicated to the conservation of natural resources.
Many of America's state parks, fire-observation towers, and reforestation
programs have their beginnings here. The National Youth Administration
(NYA) created jobs for high-school and college students at their very own
schools.
Then there was the TVA. The Tennessee Valley Authority program was set in
place to protect the Tennessee Valley from flooding while supplying the area
with electricity. The TVA generates power for 207,000 sq. kilometers and
serves 7 million people. The TVA also researches agricultural,
environmental, and industrial programs. Of course, businessmen from
private-power companies attacked this as evil, un-American socialism.
Mr. Roosevelt, the evil un-American socialist, also installed Social
Security to alleviate the problems caused by unemployment, old age, and
physical disability. THAT BASTARD!
I would love to credit Mr. Roosevelt's programs with saving the United
States, but I would be a liar. If Mr. Roosevelt would have listened to
John Maynard Keynes, who advocated more government spending to spur on
the economy, the depression would have been ended earlier. Instead, the
collective butt of the American financial institution was saved by World
War II. Well, if F.D. Roosevelt didn't save America, I can at least
credit him by saying he put humanity back into capitalism.
V. Notes to the Modern Socialist
So what can today's socialists around the world take out of America's Great
Depression? First of all, America has and still does incorporate socialist
programs. This has been achieved according to socialist doctrine instead of
diving into the violence by which communist doctrine is usually put into
play. I consider the United States the King of Capitalism, and even this
king must apply socialism to protect its finances. If it can be done in
this arrogant, slow-moving, block-head of a nation, it can be done in other
capitalist nations.
This puts socialists (And by socialists I mean those who vote, act, and
disseminate information, not the kiddies call themselves socialist to shock
their mothers and anger their fathers.) in a defense position. Not only
must we act in a way that promotes our political system, but we must
protect the gains we have already made. Mr. Roosevelt made a lot of
enemies who set out to destroy many of his programs as soon as they milked
out the advantages. Where are the CCC and NYA now?
Bush made a called for volunteerism, but how can you devote your life to
self-sacrifice in a capitalist system? It is far better to organize a
military-style program like the CCC with government funding than to expect
people to lose money and time in a country that promotes wealth and
egocentric pleasure above all. The military is filled with the unskilled
poor while the Peace Corps is suited to those who already have a college
education. Create a middle ground like the CCC and let the poor choose
whether they wish to be killers or healers.
I know, I know. It will never happen.
I am realistic enough to believe there will never be a bloody revolution
against the capitalist system. This is alright with me; a revolution
willing to kill its enemies needs little encouragement to kill its most
problematic supporters. Besides, how can I say I hate capitalism as I type
this on a Pack Bell running Windows 98 while smoking Camel cigarettes? It
is not the role of the socialist in a capitalist society to destroy the
financial system; it is our role to protect humanity from the dangers
inherent in the capitalist system.
Socialism and capitalism are uneasy partners. We all better get used to it.
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Damn, I'm tired. The polymemetic textfile project takes a lot out of me. I
realize that it seems like ranting off the top of my head, but in actuality this
stuff takes a lot of research.
Not that I really mind. Since starting the polymemetic textfiles project, I've
received more mail than I ever had. Most of these say I'm might be going over
the edge a tad bit, but since the PTP has resulted in correspondence of either
memetic agreement, evolution, or total disagreement, I have to believe that
TCAHR is finally doing the job it was designed to do.
But, damn, I'm tired...
Therefore I am taking a one issue break from the PTP to either introduce another
project I have in the works or write an old-school issue. See you all in about
two weeks.
Jet Jaguar
TCAHR CEO
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The Committee Against Human Rights -- http://maq.port5.com
TCAHR Manifesto -- http://maq.port5.com/disman.html
The Polymemetic Textfile Project -- http://maq.port5.com/polymemetic.txt
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