Comments on: A Wealth of Murderous Stupidity http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/05/a-wealth-of-murderous-stupidity/ a radical newsletter in the struggle for peace and social justice Tue, 06 Jan 2009 06:28:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Kim Petersen http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/05/a-wealth-of-murderous-stupidity/#comment-603 Kim Petersen Fri, 25 May 2007 23:16:15 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/05/a-wealth-of-murderous-stupidity/#comment-603 Sorry Tom. But a mere assertion from you in comparison to a careful cross-cultural study of human self-interest throughout history, well the choice seems rather obvious. Some choose to be "a greedy bastard," but others like Michael Albert (author of <em>Parecon: Life After Capitalism</em>) and Eric Patton, on this site, have delineated an economic model not based on greed. Sorry Tom. But a mere assertion from you in comparison to a careful cross-cultural study of human self-interest throughout history, well the choice seems rather obvious.
Some choose to be “a greedy bastard,” but others like Michael Albert (author of Parecon: Life After Capitalism) and Eric Patton, on this site, have delineated an economic model not based on greed.

]]> By: Tom http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/05/a-wealth-of-murderous-stupidity/#comment-598 Tom Fri, 25 May 2007 19:43:51 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/05/a-wealth-of-murderous-stupidity/#comment-598 Let us all know when you've worked out the details of your socialist utopia. Humans act in their own self interest. Sometimes that entails being a greedy bastard. Sorry about that. Let us all know when you’ve worked out the details of your socialist utopia.

Humans act in their own self interest. Sometimes that entails being a greedy bastard. Sorry about that.

]]> By: Kim Petersen http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/05/a-wealth-of-murderous-stupidity/#comment-264 Kim Petersen Tue, 15 May 2007 22:03:14 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/05/a-wealth-of-murderous-stupidity/#comment-264 Karl Polanyi, the brilliant Hungarian thinker, wrote <em> The Great Transformation</em> that quite solidly refutes the notion that greed is an intrinsic quality of humans that must manifest itself. He based this on studies of non-industrialized, non-capitalistic societies. This points to there being something in capitalism that exacerbates any human predilection toward greed. Karl Polanyi, the brilliant Hungarian thinker, wrote The Great Transformation that quite solidly refutes the notion that greed is an intrinsic quality of humans that must manifest itself. He based this on studies of non-industrialized, non-capitalistic societies. This points to there being something in capitalism that exacerbates any human predilection toward greed.

]]> By: td http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/05/a-wealth-of-murderous-stupidity/#comment-263 td Tue, 15 May 2007 18:44:27 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/05/a-wealth-of-murderous-stupidity/#comment-263 Nice job e. Capitalism can lead to tremendous material wealth if you fully participate. And to fully participate, one must be greedy. I'm sure that even the Amazon basin tribes have to deal with some form of greed in their society. It's a basic human survival instinct. Just like anything else, it can become destructive when used in excess or towards the wrong ends. Any study trying to link intelligence to wealth is ludicrous. Intelligence is not so tangible. It has more to do with heredity, encouragement, and a desire to become more intelligent, not more wealthy. Not all of us are intelligent whether American or Amazonian.All, however, are greedy. Some are greedy for wealth and power, some for knowledge, some for both. Some want everyone else to help save the earth, stop the war, and stop being so wealthy. Isn't that greed in itself? There's nothing wrong with being American...there's nothing wrong with being Amazonian. The problem with so many published articles and studies, unlike e.'s, is that they are written and conducted solely for the purpose of attaining a higher educational rank so as to earn more income than those that are really working but have a lesser greed for monetary gain. Whose to say an Amazonian wouldn't have done the same thing if they had a written language? As e. has pointed out so well, a study to prove the obvious does not make you more intelligent, but it can make you wealthier. And, by the way, the two are not related. Nice job e.
Capitalism can lead to tremendous material wealth if you fully participate. And to fully participate, one must be greedy. I’m sure that even the Amazon basin tribes have to deal with some form of greed in their society. It’s a basic human survival instinct. Just like anything else, it can become destructive when used in excess or towards the wrong ends. Any study trying to link intelligence to wealth is ludicrous. Intelligence is not so tangible. It has more to do with heredity, encouragement, and a desire to become more intelligent, not more wealthy. Not all of us are intelligent whether American or Amazonian.All, however, are greedy. Some are greedy for wealth and power, some for knowledge, some for both. Some want everyone else to help save the earth, stop the war, and stop being so wealthy. Isn’t that greed in itself?
There’s nothing wrong with being American…there’s nothing wrong with being Amazonian. The problem with so many published articles and studies, unlike e.’s, is that they are written and conducted solely for the purpose of attaining a higher educational rank so as to earn more income than those that are really working but have a lesser greed for monetary gain. Whose to say an Amazonian wouldn’t have done the same thing if they had a written language? As e. has pointed out so well, a study to prove the obvious does not make you more intelligent, but it can make you wealthier. And, by the way, the two are not related.

]]> By: jim slaybaugh http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/05/a-wealth-of-murderous-stupidity/#comment-257 jim slaybaugh Tue, 15 May 2007 15:44:44 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/05/a-wealth-of-murderous-stupidity/#comment-257 Exceptional opinion - Articulate & Incisive - should be required reading in all schools. Exceptional opinion - Articulate & Incisive - should be required reading in all schools.

]]> By: Harold Williamson http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/05/a-wealth-of-murderous-stupidity/#comment-254 Harold Williamson Tue, 15 May 2007 13:51:04 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/05/a-wealth-of-murderous-stupidity/#comment-254 Excellent article, Mr. Bills. We humans just aren't as smart and sophisticated as we would like to think we are. Most of our revered business institutions are nothing more than a reflection of our unwillingness to share stolen bananas with our fellow apes. The same is true with the medico-industrial complex here in the U.S. where some of our brightest minds are committed to the seemingly never-ending task of trying to outwit microorganisms that are eating us alive that do not have brains. Excellent article, Mr. Bills. We humans just aren’t as smart and sophisticated as we would like to think we are. Most of our revered business institutions are nothing more than a reflection of our unwillingness to share stolen bananas with our fellow apes. The same is true with the medico-industrial complex here in the U.S. where some of our brightest minds are committed to the seemingly never-ending task of trying to outwit microorganisms that are eating us alive that do not have brains.

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