Squeers…. “same (only lesser; even more credulous and to be pitied) kind of political eunuch.”

I see that description could be applied to you Squeers

“Neoliberal ideology”

Back in 1989 “Neoliberal ideology” crushed the socialist/collectivist demonology of USSR

Which is a good thing for all… and a lot better than having to suffer under the Squeers philosophy or oppression… much better he be allowed to cast verbal stones at the economic system which feeds him, rather than systematically starves him.

Of Pilger, he is just another who "libertarian capitalism" allows to bite the hand which feeds him…

And again so much better an outcome for all than the gulag of collectivism (by any name)

Poirot “One doesn't have to look too far to see the profits from structural reforms in Arab countries have been funnelled straight into the pockets of the ruling elite and also to foreign corporate interests.”

And your next conspiracy theory is - how wearing a string vest cause cancer?

Ammonite I see you are starting to educate yourself. To advance your knowledge…..

I would point out it was the US liberals (limpwristed leftie leaning theorists and academics and their political nominees, the Democracts) who supported bank bailouts and car bailout…. The Republicans resisted the payment of Money-for-Failures

I would note GM has been an economic basket case for a decade, partly because of its silly arrangement for medical and other benefits for retired workers, which was a like a lease balloon payment starting after the person retired and as such the black death to any businesses economic viability. Plus there was a cultural problem for GM when it came to building smaller cars.

I would also observe, Margaret Thatcher closed down stagnant nationalized industries in UK in 1980s for the same reason: that if a business cannot survive on its merits, it does not deserve to survive (all investors in windfarms please note), thus releasing resources for new business ventures

Poirot so that’s the new conspiracy “ingratiate themselves …expense of the common man in "developing" societies. “

You are better off blaming string vests

Everyone is starting to nail the big issues of the Central Banksters stuffing up our economies via debt enslavement.They are the ones also pushing for the imperial wars for oil in the Middle East and Central Asia.The war on terror is a lie.Energy is the real issue.They also want to contain China who have independant Govt Banks free from Western debt slavery.Japan had Govt banks free fom the West prior WW2 and their economy boomed.The West tried to restrict trade and energy of japan so they had to go to war.We are now doing the same to China.

We don't need central banksters!

Poirot, still not sure if we are agreeing or not but I think it’s a point worth pursuing.

I made the point and we seem to agree, that the western opportunists in political, economic and commercial domains will seek power and financial gain in such countries. Likewise their dictators will accept opportunities in political, economic and commercial domains to sustain their power and financial gain. So far so good.

The point I asked you to address was who do you seek to blame, the western opportunists or the dictator opportunists?

In the end the result is the same, loss of social equity and justice for those living under dictatorships. But even that is not the point I was making.

The point was that whilst all this is going on, regardless of who is to blame, the western media and the activists have provided a very handy distraction so that the “opportunists” of all persuasions have been able to get on with “business as usual”.

I accused John Pilger of being part of the problem on this basis, so where do you actually stand

You continue to amuse with your dramatics, Arjay.

Loved this:

>>They also want to contain China who have independant Govt Banks free from Western debt slavery.<<

So wrong, in every possible way. Hilarious.

"Contain China". For what purpose? Apart from the fact that the economic horse has so well and truly bolted that there isn't even anyone around to bolt the stable door after it, China is the engine of a great deal of the world economy. They need customers, and the world needs their investment. The laws of supply and demand do not get suspended, as economic power shifts across the globe - they are what creates the shift in the first place.

And what exactly are "independant Govt Banks", pray tell. Either they are independent, or they are government. And we know which they are in China, don't we. Do you expect them to be somehow more transparent than the Fed? More concerned about people? Tell us; how do you expect them to behave?

While you are about it, define "Western debt slavery". Where do you think most of the US overseas debt sits?

Great stuff, Arjay. Keep it coming.

Col Rouge wrote:

>>The Republicans resisted the payment of Money-for-Failures>>

However the bailouts took place during a REPUBLICAN administration.

See “Paulson was down on one knee, begging for a deal”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/paulson-was-down-on-one-knee-begging-for-a-deal-944046.html

>>Back in 1989 “Neoliberal ideology” crushed the socialist/collectivist demonology of USSR>>

It did. And I was glad.

However, as every evolutionary biologist would understand, this does not prove that “neoliberal ideology” is the pinnacle of society. It merely indicates that neoliberalism is better than communism.

The common example in biology is a zebra being chased by a leopard. To survive the zebra does not have to run faster than the predator; it merely has to run faster than the slowest zebra in the flock.

Now here’s the thing Col Rouge. Capitalist societies trump socialist ones because they can run faster. They adapt better. Joseph Schumpeter called the process whereby capitalist economies evolve “creative destruction.” The old is destroyed to make way for the new.

In other words, neoliberal capitalist societies should be perpetual works in progress always adapting, always changing, sometimes getting a bit worse but in general getting better.

Unfortunately, when the last REPUBLICAN administration bailed out the big banks it froze a dysfunctional banking culture in place. It prevented the emergence of newer, better, banking systems and cultures. In so doing it combined the worst aspects of socialism with the worst aspects of capitalism.

NB: I’m not giving the Democrats a free ride here. They had the majority in congress.

But when the crunch came the Republicans acted as I expected; THEY BAILED OUT THEIR CORPORATE BUDDIES.

In third world countries we have a name for this sort of behaviour. We call it “CRONY CAPITALISM”.

Spindoc,

Western corporate opportunists - or dictator opportunists - now let's see...go together like a horse and carriage.....

Globalisation is to blame in exacerbating the plight of ordinary Arabs/Indians/Africans, dominated as it is by Western corporate greed...okay, got that straight.

The world's media might give air and print space to activists, however, the juggernaut that is Western extravagance rolls along for the most part unhindered. Why is this the fault of the John Pilgers of this world?