Rigged For The Rich?

[JaxAttacks]

Watching the documentary Requiem for the American Dream. Its interesting, and it brings up a dichotomy of beliefs I hold.
Have any of you seen it? Love to hear your thoughts.

Here's the trailer:

P.S. Noam Chomsky is a smart mofo!

 

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[Joey El]

Watching it now thank you.

What is the "dichotomy of beliefs" you hold?
.
.
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edit: here's my notes/cliffs to help anyone who doesn't want to spend 73 minutes...

After the basics in the trailer...

It's just a (4-year) long interview. Between brief bits of American history, Chomsky discusses "10 principles" of inequality that have made society selfish and "ugly."

Chomsky's Ten Principles of Concentration of Wealth and Power:

1. reducing democracy.
2. shaping ideology.
3. redesigning the economy.
4. shifting the burden.
5. attacking solidarity.
6. running the regulators.
7. engineering elections.
8. keeping the rabble in line.
9. manufacturing consent.
10. marginalising the population.

Beginning with the time of Adam Smith and James Madison, he says that "democracy" isn't set up to empower the general population but rather to-

1. prevent "true" democracy and
2. protect the wealth of the rich from the poor who would take it.​

Therefore business has sought greater profits to maintain control, resulting in "financialisation" and offshoring labour to allow the greatest profits to come from "...moving money around..."

The clips show Alan Greenspan and extrapolates that job insecurity was redesigned to support the "vicious cycle of concentration of wealth and concentration of power."

He refers to the 50's and 60's as "golden age" because the growth of manufacturing economy was able to support a welfare state.

Also touched on are the following:

• lower tax rates for the 1%.
• the "human rights" allowed to corporations.
• "nanny state" tax payer bailouts.
• "one set of rules for the rich- an opposite set of rules for the poor."
• unions, although flawed, the "barrier to corporate tyranny."
• class divisions simply "who gives the orders-who follows them"
• marketing/PR/advertising controlling people, "creating consumers" and electing presidents.
• the vicious needs a "perfect system" needs a society based on a pair- "you and the TV/internet."
• this dictates "measure of a decent life" and directs people's time to gaining things they don't need or want.
• advertising's point is to "create uninformed consumers who make irrational choices."
• 70% of the population have no influence on policy so "might as well be in some other country."
• the point (of the powerful using these 10 principles) is to make people angry, "hate and fear each other, don't look out for anyone else."
• John Dewey said unless all institutions were under participatory democratic control, "policy will be the shadow cast by business over society."
• American society is still one of the freest in the world but-
• "there's a lot that can be done if people organise a struggle for their rights..."

Summarising: now that labour has been commoditised, with job insecurity (via trade agreements), leading to greater transfer of wealth (therefore power) to the financial sector- it is no longer possible for workers (verbatim: "black") to get a job, buy a home, a car, send the kids to school and be free.

Final paraphrase of Howard Zinn by Chomsky: "what really matters are the countless small deeds of unknown people who lay the basis for the events of human history. These are the people who have made changes in the past; they are responsible for making change in the future too."

 

[Ubermensch]

The lives of the people on this forum - the actual money-makers, that is (not the folks who waste their time watching anti-capitalist documentaries LMAO) refute Chomsky and his followers.

In a world full of slow laners, it is unsurprising that so many are impressed by him and his ilk.

I like to call such people Michael Moore-ons.

 

[Mr4213]

Watching the documentary Requiem for the American Dream. Its interesting, and it brings up a dichotomy of beliefs I hold.
Have any of you seen it? Love to hear your thoughts.

Here's the trailer:

P.S. Noam Chomsky is a smart mofo!

IMO people who follow these beliefs do so because they are too weak, or not intelligent enough to become wealthy.

 

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[Ubermensch]

IMO people who follow these beliefs do so because they are too weak, or not intelligent enough to become wealthy.

This.

 

[Vigilante]

IMO people who follow these beliefs do so because they are too weak, or not intelligent enough to become wealthy.

I am starting to warm up to you kid

 

[458]

If you skerd go to church.

 

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[Fox]

From an article about his own behavior when it comes to personal wealth...

One of the most persistent themes in Noam Chomsky’s work has been class warfare. He has frequently lashed out against the “massive use of tax havens to shift the burden to the general population and away from the rich” and criticized the concentration of wealth in “trusts” by the wealthiest 1 percent. The American tax code is rigged with “complicated devices for ensuring that the poor—like 80 percent of the population—pay off the rich.”

But trusts can’t be all bad. After all, Chomsky, with a net worth north of $2,000,000, decided to create one for himself. A few years back he went to Boston’s venerable white-shoe law firm, Palmer and Dodge, and, with the help of a tax attorney specializing in “income-tax planning,” set up an irrevocable trust to protect his assets from Uncle Sam. He named his tax attorney (every socialist radical needs one!) and a daughter as trustees. To the Diane Chomsky Irrevocable Trust (named for another daughter) he has assigned the copyright of several of his books, including multiple international editions.

Chomsky favors the estate tax and massive income redistribution—just not the redistribution of hisincome. No reason to let radical politics get in the way of sound estate planning.

When I challenged Chomsky about his trust, he suddenly started to sound very bourgeois: “I don’t apologize for putting aside money for my children and grandchildren,” he wrote in one e-mail. Chomsky offered no explanation for why he condemns others who are equally proud of their provision for their children and who try to protect their assets from Uncle Sam. Although he did say that the tax shelter is okay because he and his family are “trying to help suffering people.”

 

[Tapp001]

Of course the system is rigged. Why wouldn't it be? You can either complain about it, accept your place as a cog, or read the damn manual and learn how it works.

Nothing built by crazed irrational humans is going to be perfect, so the ‘system’ isn’t going to be perfectly rigged. There are loopholes, cracks, exceptions, and points of entry galore. All it take is a willingness to learn how it works, the will to do the needed work, and the guts to follow through and take a risk at not being a cog.

It’s hard to go from replaceable part to operator. But I believe it can be done. Thinking like this helps me get through my cog-like days.

 

[illmasterj]

The more I meet wealthy people, the more I realise that their success is due to a lack of psychological limits than intelligence.

Is the game rigged? Maybe, but you can still play it better than others, while being nowhere near as smart.

EDIT: I have actually watched the video. I was jetlagged as hell, couldn't get my brain to work, Netflix put it front of me and I wanted to go to sleep on the couch. I had to turn it off - way too socialist for me.

 

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[Ubermensch]

The more I meet wealthy people, the more I realise that their success is due to a lack of psychological limits than intelligence.

Is the game rigged? Maybe, but you can still play it better than others, while being nowhere near as smart.

EDIT: I have actually watched the video. I was jetlagged as hell, couldn't get my brain to work and wanted to go to sleep on the couch. I had to turn it off - way too socialist for me.

Every game is rigged.

Chess and Go are "rigged" such that the player who can calculate, think and plan winning moves ahead better wins.

This is classic Noam Chomsky, playing a word game with a word like "rigged." Connotation, context and conman are three words that begin with "con."

Converts fall prey to all types of lame foolishness, because they almost always fail to define the terms in their premises (not to mention their oh-so-often absurd extrapolations!).

According to dictionary.com, the below are working definitions of "rigged."

1. to put in proper order for working or use.
2. to fit (a ship, mast, etc.) with the necessary shrouds, stays, etc.
3. to fit (shrouds, stays, sails, etc.) to the mast, yard, or the like.

2.to furnish or provide with equipment, clothing, etc.; fit (usually followedby out or up).

3.to assemble, install, or prepare (often followed by up).

4. to manipulate fraudulently: to rig prices.

noun

5. the arrangement of the masts, spars, sails, etc., on a boat or ship.

6. apparatus for some purpose; equipment; outfit; gear:

The word "rigged" can be used as a verb or a noun. The first four definitions - the verbs - reveal the deceptive nature of the word, the sort of nuance that an "intellectual" like Noam Chomsky surely knows.

Definition number 1 - to put in proper order for working or use - and definition number 4 - to manipulate fraudulently: to rig prices - both convey massively different pictures in the mind.

In my experience, people who pitch ideas like Chomsky's often like to keep an "open mind."

If your mind is too "open," your brain might fall out.

A cunning linguist (not to be confused with cunnilingus) can twist meanings and cause intense and unrestrained excitement in brains that prefer passion and appeals to emotion over facts, logic and reason.

Pitching the concept of a "rigged" game to disenfranchised masses tells them what they want to hear. Why tell the truth? The truth hurts. Like drugs, lies make people feel great: Don't worry, losers! Fear not! Do not feel bad that you keep on losing, because the game is rigged. It has nothing to do with the fact that you keep saying "woe is me" and watching "woe is me" documentaries!

And yet, swallowing the wrong intellectual ideas is probably more dangerous for the mind than the strongest hit of heroin.

Heroin addicts can go to rehab and cure their addiction.

A brain hopped up on bad ideas? Well, as the slogan goes, "a mind is a terrible thing to waste."

 

[jon.a]

I couldn't help myself, I had to "like" that.

Every game is rigged.

Chess and Go are "rigged" such that the player who can calculate, think and plan winning moves ahead better wins.

This is classic Noam Chomsky, playing a word game with a word like "rigged." Connotation, context and conman are three words that begin with "con."

Converts fall prey to all types of lame foolishness, because they almost always fail to define the terms in their premises (not to mention their oh-so-often absurd extrapolations!).

According to dictionary.com, the below are working definitions of "rigged."


Definition number 1 - to put in proper order for working or use - and definition number 4 - to manipulate fraudulently: to rig prices - both convey massively different pictures in the mind.

In my experience, people who pitch ideas like Chomsky's often like to keep an "open mind."

If your mind is to open, your brain might fall out.

A cunning linguist (not to be confused with cunnilingus) can twist meanings and cause intense and unrestrained excitement in brains that prefer passion and appeals to emotion over facts, logic and reason.

Pitching the concept of a "rigged" game to disenfranchised masses tells them what they want to hear. Why tell the truth? The truth hurts. Like drugs, lies make people feel great.

And yet, swallowing the wrong intellectual ideas is probably more dangerous for the mind than the strongest hit of heroin.

Heroin addicts can go to rehab and cure their addiction.

A brain hopped up on bad ideas? Well, as the slogan goes, "a mind is a terrible thing to waste."

 

[458]

Its the illuminati bro

 

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[Guest34764]

I think it's laughable to assume that just because we have regulations and laws that mean everything will be safe and secured.

Is it rigged?Sure.Is the Sahara desert in the wilderness rigged?Sure is.In this world, there is either gazelle or lions,and It's much easier to run away from the lion with the herds than have to hunt and do lion shit on your own.

Are you a simple gazelle amongst the many herds or are you a fearless lion who stands above them?

 

[Dave510]

What a load of crap.

It was much harder to get wealthy before the internet came around. Since when, EVER, in history were people able to create a business using less than $100? And who the F*ck cares if it's hard to be be wealthy? Of course it's hard, or else EVERYONE would be wealthy, which then follows NOBODY would be wealthy (since everyone would be making the GDP per capita). As long as it's not impossible (and seeing so many self made, it's clearly not), then it's better to do something about it than to cry about the game.

But obviously slowlaners would rather complain and buy the lottery, because clearly the chances of getting rich is much better buying the powerball. /s

 

[MJ DeMarco]

The game is rigged because people have construed "rigged" with an effort to learn the game and then working hard to beat it. Learning? Work? Meh that's not fun so I'm not gonna try -- let just say it's rigged!

If you have internet, the world's knowledge is at your fingertips!! GO FN GET IT!

People have become pathetic.

Hard work is no longer fashionable, but vilified. Crying poor me on Salon has literally become a job unto itself.

Every game is rigged.

Chess and Go are "rigged" such that the player who can calculate, think and plan winning moves ahead better wins.

This is classic Noam Chomsky, playing a word game with a word like "rigged." Connotation, context and conman are three words that begin with "con."

Converts fall prey to all types of lame foolishness, because they almost always fail to define the terms in their premises (not to mention their oh-so-often absurd extrapolations!).

According to dictionary.com, the below are working definitions of "rigged."


Definition number 1 - to put in proper order for working or use - and definition number 4 - to manipulate fraudulently: to rig prices - both convey massively different pictures in the mind.

In my experience, people who pitch ideas like Chomsky's often like to keep an "open mind."

If your mind is too "open," your brain might fall out.

A cunning linguist (not to be confused with cunnilingus) can twist meanings and cause intense and unrestrained excitement in brains that prefer passion and appeals to emotion over facts, logic and reason.

Pitching the concept of a "rigged" game to disenfranchised masses tells them what they want to hear. Why tell the truth? The truth hurts. Like drugs, lies make people feel great: Don't worry, losers! Fear not! Do not feel bad that you keep on losing, because the game is rigged. It has nothing to do with the fact that you keep saying "woe is me" and watching "woe is me" documentaries!

And yet, swallowing the wrong intellectual ideas is probably more dangerous for the mind than the strongest hit of heroin.

Heroin addicts can go to rehab and cure their addiction.

A brain hopped up on bad ideas? Well, as the slogan goes, "a mind is a terrible thing to waste."

Great take, I featured your post in the featured post cycle.

 

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[ExCubeCommando]

If you're playing in a rigged game, you need to change your game plan!

 

[JokerCrazyBeatz]

If you have internet, the world's knowledge is at your fingertips!! GO FN GET IT!

People have become pathetic.

this is what I'm saying , the "secret" to winning in the game of money and wealth is public information , almost ANYBODY and EVERYBODY had access to it , it's no secret and DEFF not hard to find , people are just lazy and taught to be lazy and choose to stay that way

 

[Alxander]

Even if you are poor in America, you will still have it better than A LOT of people in the rest of the world.

Conclusion: The world is rigged

 

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[LifeTransformer]

I've heard the word "inequality" in that trailer enough times to turn it off and ignore it forever hereafter.

Equality cannot exist without infringement on the rights of others.

 

[TonyStark]

I couldn't watch the entire documentary. This looks like crap.

 

[TonyStark]

From an article about his own behavior when it comes to personal wealth...

Such cognitive dissonance with these fools. He's scared he'll lose his cult-minded followers if he admits that having wealth is good.

 

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[IceCreamAction]

This thread's title was enough to turn me off from clicking play.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

brings up a dichotomy of beliefs I hold

How's that working for ya?

 

[Jon L]

In that segment, Noam Chomsky breaks down the world into 'powerful' and 'weak.' How about we break down the world into groups of people that exhibit certain sets of behavior. People that behave like poor people will be poor. If a poor person changes and starts behaving like a rich person, they have a very good chance at becoming rich. Why is this hard for people on the left to comprehend?

 

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[GuestUser450]

Its interesting, and it brings up a dichotomy of beliefs I hold.

Did you mean "opposing truths" instead of "dichotomy"? Opposing truths exist, dichotomies of belief don't. Either you know something to be true or you don't.

This is the power of storytelling; it works, regardless of truth. 3 out of the 6 living generations (proven by ballots and wallets) use heart strings to feel their way through the world instead of brains to understand it. People refuse to learn anything other than what they're shown. They're swayed to believe what just feels right, regardless of fact. This inevitably leads to noncontributing temper tantrums. Some think they can have it all, others think they should have it all; subtle but important difference.

There's no free lunch. Above average pay for below average work is unsustainable, always has been. A manufactured nostalgia of wholly inefficient times makes sense only to those unwillingly/unable to find fulfillment in any work.

 

[Envision]

This comes down to producers and consumers and fundamentally the mindset that they both hold.

The mindset that that documentary is geared towards is that of a consumer, someone who lives off of the system without giving anything back but holds in total expectation they they constantly deserve more.

Whereas, a producer (the wealthy) is actively putting in the work to build and provide value to society - whether it is infrastructure, real estate, food and beverage they are building something that society needs and in turn are rewarded massively for it (tax incentives, accredited investments, exclusive banking options).

But why are they rewarded massively?

Its the same reason there will always be a large divide between the lower and upper class. Because the system is designed to provide incentive's to those that are willing to go out into the world, put in the work everyday, and create reality for everyone to live in and prosper off of. If it didnt and everyone were to be treated equally then there would be no reason for the "rich" to go out and create businesses, infrastructure, and investments.

Who wants to go out and do all that work, risk everything, for the opportunity to be treated the same as the guy who goes to work at his 9-5, gets his steady paycheck and is content and safe living in a manufactured reality created for him by the so called greedy and wealthy? That literally makes no sense.

So yes, the system is indeed rigged, its not fair, it was not created to be fair and because of that it is perfect. If you dont want to do the work and still want all of the benefit go F*ck yourself.

But... if by some mere chance you get tired of living in someone else's reality, building their dream in the comfort of a paycheck.. And you want to take it upon yourself to offer value to the world, create and provide solutions for society to continue growing..

You have the same fair and equal chance every other millionaire and billionaire did before you. Sure you'll enter the market and it will beat you down, but you'll learn and figure it out, or you wont and you'll go back to doing what you did before and you can give it another swing. Either way the option will always be there.

The system is rigged if you look at it from a certain perspective... But if you really think about it, there is no other option because those who risk more, work harder, and create something that provides value will always be rewarded congruently with their efforts... NOT the same as the 1000 other people who inhabit the jobs that were created through that persons efforts.

And this is a compound effect. The more you create, the more produce for society the wealthier you get and vice versa. It's not unfair, its how it should be.

 

[theag]

I had to google "dichotomy"

 

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[illmasterj]

Whenever I look at a situation I try and find the opportunity. I don't think "the game is rigged" to the extremes that some defeatist individuals do, but let's say it is.

If you navigate the system, work your a$$ off and get rich. BOOM. The system is now rigged for you.

 

[GuestUser450]

I had to google "dichotomy"

Me too but I spelled it wrong and got gender reassignment stuff. The interweb's a dangerous place.