Secession, not succession.
9 Likes
Thanks for the reading list.
In the meantime I am surprised at the extent of slavery in contemporary times: Slavery in the 21st century - Wikipedia
6 Likes
These seem like they’re still relevant. It’s not inaccurate to say that slavery was the first true capitalist institution in the U.S.
10 Likes
Judging by the discussion you’ve generated, I’d call this one a success, tbh.
13 Likes
Shkreli told the audience that he should have raised the price even higher. “No one wants to say it, no one’s proud of it,” he explained. “But this is a capitalist society, a capitalist system and capitalist rules.”
If it truly was a capitalist society, then I should be able to hire someone to break his kneecaps.
Of course there are laws against that, and yet laws against predatory drug pricing would be blasphemy to these selective capitalists.
“That’s libertarians for you — anarchists who want police protection from their slaves.”
— Kim Stanley Robinson.
The Forbes article is weird. So close, but not taking the final step.
Yet there were further links: British and later U.S. capital financed the expansion of the slavery complex in the American South. Advancing credit was essential for southern planters to be able to purchase land and labor. Northern merchants, moreover, organized the shipment of cotton into global markets.
That glosses over the second slave economy, not based the products of slave labor, but on their commodification as sources of capital through their existence. (Living Bitcoin?)
11 Likes
It’s only a capitalist society insofar as there are rules to protect people who are at the top of the heap who love the idea of capitalism. Else we’d have no bailouts and no subsidies and protections for things like sugar.
Well, it is Forbes. That they got that close is amazing in its own right.
Not that it will change anything. It’s a sign of how comfortable they are at the top that this sort of critique shows up in places like Forbes. It’s not an examination meant to bring about reform. It’s a kind of casually disinterested examination of why it works so well for them.
8 Likes
But is it capitalism anymore? Or something new, even further from socialism, that makes capitalism look good in comparison?
13 Likes
Credibility of this post undermined by two factors:
(1) Admitted vampire and Trumpophile Peter Thiel; and
(2) Strangling-hamster voice of narrator.
4 Likes
I was just reading something about Conferados in Brazil.
Late/post war Southern planters who relocated to Brazil, where Slavery was still legal.
With the Brazilian government actively lobbying them to do so. And offering practically unlimited credit and investment for them buy new slaves locally, and set up plantation colonies. On the understanding that doing so would “transform” Brazil’s economy and agricultural output.
Global capital was all over buying humans.
8 Likes
In the US, oil capitalism started just as slavery capitalism ended. Hm.
I guess if you invite the slavers, you don’t have to worry about them inviting themselves.
10 Likes
I would add that an important component is the quality of discourse on this BBS. You were challenged by a long time poster to explain, which opened up the discussion rather than shut it down. We all learned more as a result.
18 Likes
I wouldn’t say “offended” but I do think this video is one of the stupidest things I’ve ever seen and honestly I thought boingboing was better than this. It makes ridiculous claims which cause me to question it’s premise let alone it’s conclusions and in the middle of that moment tries to push crypto. wtf.
2 Likes
but we’re not mad at YOU @dnealy 
6 Likes
I think that, if you read through this entire comment thread, you will see that BoingBoing is better than this.
12 Likes
I was interested till they brought Peter Thiel out. Then I closed it when they started shilling cryptocurrency. Fuck that environment-destroying, Ponzi scheme bullshit. I thought Boing-Boing would have enough sense not to be giving those shameless, immoral grifters a platform, guess not. You’re better than this. Act like it.
1 Like
Say “I haven’t read this comment thread” without saying “I haven’t read this comment thread”.
9 Likes
There is no danger of extracting knowledge from this video.
Actually it waited for a clear Union victory. Antietam, although heavy with casualties, fit the bill.
1 Like
One of the best known films on the subject
4 Likes
Or simply let anybody produce drugs without silly things like patents. That’s the thing, these guys want the free market to begin just after they have the government ensure their monopoly.
8 Likes
