Dr. King on capitalism

Let me start by saying that I'm not anti capitalist but I realize that capitalism in its purest form is also the most easily abused.

m.huffpost.com...

I imagine you already know that I am much more socialistic in my economic theory than capitalistic... [Capitalism] started out with a noble and high motive... but like most human systems it fell victim to the very thing it was revolting against. So today capitalism has out-lived its usefulness.

Seems to me that Dr. King was truly a visionary.... No wonder they killed him!

One day we must ask the question, "Why are there forty million poor people in America?" ... When you ask that question, you begin to question the capitalistic economy.

So the number seems to have grown significantly since then... To the point of world markets collapsing due to unchecked wealth and greed by corporations, Wall Street, and the military industrial complex.

I wonder what he could have accomplished had he not been killed. If Dr. King and JFKs deaths are not enough to open your eyes then nothing is.

a reply to: onequestion

Well he was dead wrong (no pun intended) about the usefulness of capitalism. It has kept our country strong and a leader of the world even since the days of MLK. All the other forms of economics or types of societies have failed over and over again. Capitalism - liberty still stands strong. Capitalism is a direct result of financial liberty.

Would also like to add that poor Americans are rich if compared to most of the world. Poor Americans still have smart phones, internet, cable, flat screens, Nike shoes, endless supplies of food and water, ect...

His ideology was in contrast to the existing establishment.

Dr. King was a visionary, he could see what was going on. 50 years later, have we seen changes?

a reply to: BIGPoJo

Except our society has never been a pure capitalist society, and never will.

Our military, our police forces, our emergency workers, our educators. All are socialist programs.

Ever heard of the New Deal? It was a program put in place back in the early 30s that built the majority of the interstates and a lot of the bridges we're still using today. It was a socialist program, and helped pull us out of the great depression, after capitalism failed and plunged us into the depression.

a reply to: onequestion

Dr. King was no hero. His ideas were unconstitutional, and his ultimate goal was not equality. He exploited real tensions between whites and blacks to make socialism front and center. If he had his way, blacks would be legislated as the priveledged race, and all other citizens would work to serve the blacks out of retaliation over slavery that occured generations ago.

A real hero would not sponsor victim mentality.

a reply to: tebyen

Except our society has never been a pure capitalist society, and never will.

Our military, our police forces, our emergency workers, our educators. All are socialist programs.

Ever heard of the New Deal? It was a program put in place back in the early 30s that built the majority of the interstates and a lot of the bridges we're still using today. It was a socialist program, and helped pull us out of the great depression, after capitalism failed and plunged us into the depression.

Socialist programs? Is that a new term? They are social or public programs, not "socialist" programs.

a reply to: onequestion

Maybe, like JFK, he was alluding to the fact our nation's monetary policy was & is hijacked... and that there is a better way..

You can not have capitalism without people having capital and borrowing money into existence at interest has destroyed Americans potential and robbed them before they even go to work.

a reply to: BIGPoJo

Poor Americans still die of malnutrition, preventable diseases, and from exposure.

Some of them live in their cars, and those are the relatively lucky ones. I know this, and I have never even holidayed there. Perhaps it is time to go out into the streets, into the worst parts of town, the slums with faulty wiring that cause apartment fires and deaths related to same. Perhaps it is time to visit the tent cities, and desert realms where trailers and makeshift tarpaulin hovels have been placed to house those who have lost their homes?

Perhaps it is time to ignore the press, and go and find out for yourself what happens to the poorest, and then realise that the people you think should be so grateful for their lot, are not doing too terribly well at all. Go and visit Flint, and have a glass of water while you are at it, and then tell me how good you think folks have it.

a reply to: TrueBrit

Oh American poor and homeless are living in luxury.

a reply to: onequestion

no, they are not. I have been seeing a surge in homeless on the streets of my city for the last two years.More and more intersections in EVERY part of town are becoming populated with people begging for food and money. These are not meth heads or pill junkies either, as I was around for that decade too and know the difference. Literally small pockets of woods and abandoned commercial plaza's are becoming population centers for the homeless and destitute all over this city.

Every part of the intersections have a person on them, rather than an individual that would switch positions every so often as in the past. And now, I am seeing CHILDREN living on the streets too! If anyone truly believes things are getting better in this country, then either you do not see the urban centers enough, or you order everything on AMAZON and delivery, and only go to hang out with your friends in very specific places away from failing businesses and foreclosed homes.

Just take a trip downtown, and then do a circle outwards for a few hours. You WILL see the growing hardship, that is unless one chooses to ignore it.

a reply to: AmericanRealist

Oh I live in Santa Ana CA. Literally hundreds if not thousands of homeless everywhere. The civic center downtown is serving as a campus for 100's of people who just live there.

The funny thing is I heard from a friend of mine who's a case worker that Obama just cut funding for homeless programs in CA, even though there's well over 100,000 homeless people here.

Another funny thing is 44% of homeless people are working but still can't afford a place to live.

That's called slavery, how is tha any better than working conditions in China or Indonesia?

Then these idiots have the Gaul to grant visas to everyone from other countries rather than enable American citizens to get degrees.

I wish I had the time and money to work on a computer science degree but I gotta be involved in multiple income sources to pay my bills.

I imagine you already know that I am much more socialistic in my economic theory than capitalistic... [Capitalism] started out with a noble and high motive... but like most human systems it fell victim to the very thing it was revolting against. So today capitalism has out-lived its usefulness.

Yes, because socialism works soooooo well. Venezuela proves this, they have such a thriving and prosperous economy.

One day we must ask the question, "Why are there forty million poor people in America?" ... When you ask that question, you begin to question the capitalistic economy.

The real question is: "Why are there forty million ''poor" people in America with cable, internet, cars and more than enough food ?"

Because of Capitalism.

originally posted by: Cobaltic1978
His ideology was in contrast to the existing establishment.

Dr. King was a visionary, he could see what was going on. 50 years later, have we seen changes?

yes we have seen changes. in civil rights and overall health care for the majority of the lower class.

progress, in opposition to conservatives. which literally means change nothing and keep the status quo.

a reply to: rockdisjoint2

Oh yeah having a tv = quality of life

a reply to: onequestion

Yea see man your in a huge metropolitan area so you know what I am talking about. People who believe things are just peachy and better than ever usually do not, or do not venture far from their well off living situation. Things suck royally right now, but when people get everything they know about outside of their small well off universe from a monopolized source of information that gets its orders and daily agendas directly from Washington, one would believe we are doing better than the entire universe.

originally posted by: onequestion
Let me start by saying that I'm not anti capitalist but I realize that capitalism in its purest form is also the most easily abused.

m.huffpost.com...

I imagine you already know that I am much more socialistic in my economic theory than capitalistic... [Capitalism] started out with a noble and high motive... but like most human systems it fell victim to the very thing it was revolting against. So today capitalism has out-lived its usefulness.

Seems to me that Dr. King was truly a visionary.... No wonder they killed him!

One day we must ask the question, "Why are there forty million poor people in America?" ... When you ask that question, you begin to question the capitalistic economy.

So the number seems to have grown significantly since then... To the point of world markets collapsing due to unchecked wealth and greed by corporations, Wall Street, and the military industrial complex.

I wonder what he could have accomplished had he not been killed. If Dr. King and JFKs deaths are not enough to open your eyes then nothing is.

Dr. King was a great man and one my heroes. However, he didn't know jack about economics. What is ironic is that if you look at the civil rights movement, in particular, the bus boycotts, it was successful because of capitalism. See in a capitalist society, both businesses and consumers make choices. Those choices can sometimes be the death of a business.

Once black people said we won't be treated liked second class citizens and stopped spending their money at certain businesses, those businesses began to wake up and realize that money is money whether it is from a black person or a white person. Smart businesses cater to all people and the dumb ones... well they go out of business.

The poorest Americans are in the top 1% globally. Poor in america means you have a TV, car, air conditioning, cell phone, decent apartment, public schooling, etc. Poverty is by definition having income below a certain point at a point in time. Nothing more. An old lady in a $500k house with no mortgage and $500,000 in the bank earning $20,000 a year in interest income is considered living in poverty by America's definition.

Yes, there are homeless, but the reality is that the vast majority of chronically homeless suffer from mental and drug problems. Their being homeless has zero to do with our economic system being capitalist but their rather their own character failings. No amount of social programs and unicorns is going to get a meth head or heroin addict off the streets.

originally posted by: TrueBrit
a reply to: BIGPoJo

Poor Americans still die of malnutrition, preventable diseases, and from exposure.

Some of them live in their cars, and those are the relatively lucky ones. I know this, and I have never even holidayed there. Perhaps it is time to go out into the streets, into the worst parts of town, the slums with faulty wiring that cause apartment fires and deaths related to same. Perhaps it is time to visit the tent cities, and desert realms where trailers and makeshift tarpaulin hovels have been placed to house those who have lost their homes?

Perhaps it is time to ignore the press, and go and find out for yourself what happens to the poorest, and then realise that the people you think should be so grateful for their lot, are not doing too terribly well at all. Go and visit Flint, and have a glass of water while you are at it, and then tell me how good you think folks have it.

Well said.

But to do what you ask requires that a person gives a # to begin with. Sadly, too many do not care and wish to opine on the internet against that which they know very little about.

originally posted by: introvert

originally posted by: TrueBrit
a reply to: BIGPoJo

Poor Americans still die of malnutrition, preventable diseases, and from exposure.

Some of them live in their cars, and those are the relatively lucky ones. I know this, and I have never even holidayed there. Perhaps it is time to go out into the streets, into the worst parts of town, the slums with faulty wiring that cause apartment fires and deaths related to same. Perhaps it is time to visit the tent cities, and desert realms where trailers and makeshift tarpaulin hovels have been placed to house those who have lost their homes?

Perhaps it is time to ignore the press, and go and find out for yourself what happens to the poorest, and then realise that the people you think should be so grateful for their lot, are not doing too terribly well at all. Go and visit Flint, and have a glass of water while you are at it, and then tell me how good you think folks have it.

Well said.

But to do what you ask requires that a person gives a # to begin with. Sadly, too many do not care and wish to opine on the internet against that which they know very little about.

Poor americans are dying of malnutrition? Show where this is occuring in any substantial number. Obesity if the biggest health problem of the poor.

a reply to: Edumakated

There's 600,000 homeless people.

There would probably be more if they weren't all in prison.

originally posted by: Edumakated

originally posted by: introvert

originally posted by: TrueBrit
a reply to: BIGPoJo

Poor Americans still die of malnutrition, preventable diseases, and from exposure.

Some of them live in their cars, and those are the relatively lucky ones. I know this, and I have never even holidayed there. Perhaps it is time to go out into the streets, into the worst parts of town, the slums with faulty wiring that cause apartment fires and deaths related to same. Perhaps it is time to visit the tent cities, and desert realms where trailers and makeshift tarpaulin hovels have been placed to house those who have lost their homes?

Perhaps it is time to ignore the press, and go and find out for yourself what happens to the poorest, and then realise that the people you think should be so grateful for their lot, are not doing too terribly well at all. Go and visit Flint, and have a glass of water while you are at it, and then tell me how good you think folks have it.

Well said.

But to do what you ask requires that a person gives a # to begin with. Sadly, too many do not care and wish to opine on the internet against that which they know very little about.

Poor americans are dying of malnutrition? Show where this is occuring in any substantial number. Obesity if the biggest health problem of the poor.

I never made any such claim, but you can follow the link provided to get some info on the topic.

www.livestrong.com...