Philosophy Discussion Forums | A Humans-Only Club for Open-Minded Discussion & Debate

[Mo_reese]

Elitism is defined as the belief that certain persons or members of certain groups deserve favored treatment by virtue of their superiority, as in intelligence, social standing, or wealth.
The Great Republican Depression saw elitist greed almost destroy the United States. The greedy were willing to kill the goose, so to speak.
President Franklin Roosevelt with some help by the Republicans decided that the greed needed to be regulated in order to save the country from total collapse which would hurt not only the People Class but also the Elite Class. Stiff regulations were adopted to stifle the uncontrolled greed.

Notice, it was benevolent elite that came to the rescue not a populist revolution.

[Pattern-chaser]

Will uncontrolled capitalistic greed bring the end to the American Empire?

No, climate-change will get there first.

[Pattern-chaser]

Will uncontrolled capitalistic greed bring the end to the American Empire?

No, climate-change will get there first.

I.e. Climate-change, mostly caused by the operation and actions of the American Empire, and other similar movements, will get us first.

[Mo_reese]

I.e. Climate-change, mostly caused by the operation and actions of the American Empire, and other similar movements, will get us first.

Very interesting. But the Elite Class exacerbates climate change. How do you see climate change ending the American Empire?

[Sculptor1]

Empires end when the plebs that are exploited by that Empire figure out that they do all the worlk; they do all the killing and they do all the dying.

Socialism and human decency brought down the British Empire.
Trumpism is a hint that discontent is growing. Many are turning inwards on themselves and are encouraged to hate differences like homseuality; female sexual independance and transexualism. Maybe they will never work out they are being played like a cheap violin but a fat orange demigog.
The rest are like stunned rabbits. Democrats are decent, trying to redress the inequalities but they too find themselves tided down by the power of the elites to ignore their own principled postions on human rights abroad.
Whatever happend on November 5th it will probably be America's Own BONFIRE NIGHT.

[Pattern-chaser]

I.e. Climate-change, mostly caused by the operation and actions of the American Empire, and other similar movements, will get us first.

Very interesting. But the Elite Class exacerbates climate change. How do you see climate change ending the American Empire?

Yes, the billionaires benefit the most from the doings of the American Empire. Their (and our) greed are accelerating climate change, although in fairness, the really bad effects have been going on since the Industrial Revolution started. I see climate change ending the human species, thereby ending the American Empire. My generation are the worst offenders of all; we knew what we were doing, and we just 'doubled down' (as Americans say) on our ecocidal doings, and tried to grab what was left before the hits the fan. I am ashamed.

[Pattern-chaser]

Empires end when the plebs that are exploited by that Empire figure out that they do all the work; they do all the killing and they do all the dying.

Socialism and human decency brought down the British Empire.

I think it was our greed that did it, but yes. Sadly, the demise of the British Empire only opened the way for the American Empire to replace it. They continued the work started by others, and — in the American Way — they did it bigger and 'better' () than any Empire had done it before.

[Mo_reese]

I believe empires die when they over extend their resources and their abilities to control their conquests. In most cases there are other budding empires waiting to assume the role.

I also believe climate change will end the human experiment but not before the American Empire dies.

I agree that our generation mainly us boomers that took our wealth for granted not daring to question who or what was being exploited and now wanting to just hang on a few more years. I heard a fellow boomer say that at least he would be dead with the **** hit the fan. They are addicted to the blue pills.
The Red Pill (the Reality Principle) – Willingness to learn unsettling truths for example reading independent news.
The Blue Pill (the Pleasure Principle) – Being content with the presented healthy “reality” portrayed by the Corporate News.
Col Jessup said we cant handle the truth, but he was wrong. We can handle it but many choose not to.

[LuckyR]

Interesting title, but while capitalist greed is going as strong as ever in the US, it has been more uncontrolled in the past than at the current time.

[Kurumy]

Uncontrolled capitalistic greed can be super harmful. Look at the Great Republican Depression - it almost destroyed the US. Regulation is key to preventing that. It's interesting that it was the benevolent elite that saved the country back then, not a populist revolution

[Sculptor1]

Empires end when the plebs that are exploited by that Empire figure out that they do all the work; they do all the killing and they do all the dying.

Socialism and human decency brought down the British Empire.

I think it was our greed that did it, but yes. Sadly, the demise of the British Empire only opened the way for the American Empire to replace it. They continued the work started by others, and — in the American Way — they did it bigger and 'better' () than any Empire had done it before.

The AMerican "empire" did not replaced the British Empire, and it was the greed that made the EMpire, not ended it. Widescale voting meant that the ideological ground for empire no longer could be applied. Do I really need to explain this? How can you tell Indians that they are not allowed to make their own salt and have to buy it from the imperial markets, whilst at the same time, inventing the 40 hour week and the weekend; ending child labour; and providing your own citizens with education and social housing?

The AMerican "empire" is not an empire in the traditional sense.

[Good_Egg]

The AMerican "empire" is not an empire in the traditional sense.

So what do we think an Empire is ?

Maybe something like one tribe/nation ruling over multiple other tribes/nations because they have both the military superiority to do so cost-effectively and the belief in their own cultural superiority to justify that to themselves ?

[Sculptor1]

The AMerican "empire" is not an empire in the traditional sense.

So what do we think an Empire is ?

Maybe something like one tribe/nation ruling over multiple other tribes/nations because they have both the military superiority to do so cost-effectively and the belief in their own cultural superiority to justify that to themselves ?

Yes, and gained through military conquest.
The "new empires" act more subtly. They intervene to "help out", but tend to leave and then move in businesses to "rebuild" because they are the good guys right?
Follow the money. US tax payers fund "AID" to those countries who are encouraged to favour American businesses or lose that Aid. The American people can benefit with cheap imports and energy just enough to keep paying the tax to fund the US satelitte countries and US military interventions.
Part of the US project is the continual de-stabilisation of the Middle East through the promotion of Isreal and continuing friendship with Arab dictatorships, against any attempts by nations to build popular governments.
In this way the US blatantly wages a war against Democracy the world over.

[Sculptor1]

Uncontrolled capitalistic greed can be super harmful. Look at the Great Republican Depression - it almost destroyed the US. Regulation is key to preventing that. It's interesting that it was the benevolent elite that saved the country back then, not a populist revolution

Mostly the horrors of the capitalist system are continually exported to the poorest countries. It seldom happens that the toxicity hits home. It's almost as if the system needs to periodically punish its working class to keep them in fear, but mostly hands out bread and circuses to the masses to keep them happy.

[Mo_reese]

I agree that to some extent greed built the American Empire, but greed in the 1930's almost destroyed the Empire. At that time some of the Elite Class recognized that bringing the whole system down would bring them down also.
The Elite Class, via the New Deal, established regulations that would reduce the risk of a total financial collapse. While these regulations slowed down the greed it didn't kill it and the capitalists were constantly pushing the envelope to get more profits.
It was the Democratic Party that established the New Deal and they protected it for decades even though the capitalist yearned to break free of the regulations.
In 1971 Lewis Powell wrote a memo to the US Chamber of Commerce which is now well known as the "Powell Memo".
The memo was a plan for businesses to unite and organize with the goal of reducing and eliminating the New Deal regulations that were stifling their capitalistic greed. The plan has been very successful and now we are seeing the American middle class crumbling as the inequality gap between the People's Class and the Elite Class widens.