Forum Post: Capitalism's 'Sacrifice Zones' - Attention Everyone
Posted 12 years ago on Dec. 29, 2012, 3:49 a.m. EST by TrevorMnemonic
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This content is user submitted and not an official statement
Interview here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-49tKzXe2Y
There are forgotten corners of this country where Americans are trapped in endless cycles of poverty, powerlessness, and despair as a direct result of capitalistic greed. Journalist Chris Hedges calls these places "sacrifice zones," and joins Bill this week on Moyers & Company to explore how areas like Camden, New Jersey; Immokalee, Florida; and parts of West Virginia suffer while the corporations that plundered them thrive.
"These are areas that have been destroyed for quarterly profit. We're talking about environmentally destroyed, communities destroyed, human beings destroyed, families destroyed," Hedges tells Bill.
"It's the willingness on the part of people who seek personal enrichment to destroy other human beings... And because the mechanisms of governance can no longer control them, there is nothing now within the formal mechanisms of power to stop them from creating essentially a corporate oligarchic state."
The broadcast includes a visit with comics artist and journalist Joe Sacco, who collaborated with Hedges on Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt, an illustrated account of their travels through America's sacrifice zones. Kirkus Reviews calls it an "unabashedly polemic, angry manifesto that is certain to open eyes, intensify outrage and incite argument about corporate greed."
A columnist for Truthdig, Hedges also describes the difference between truth and news. "The really great reporters — and I've seen them in all sorts of news organizations — are management headaches because they care about truth at the expense of their own career," Hedges says.
" Careerists that take moral shortcuts"....( speaking in reference to NY Times and other major media networks)
Very good source of motivation, thanks for sharing.
Attention Shooz
next stop Michigan
Will Lansing be the next Camden?
"coining of the term neolibe(R)tarians"
hahahaha...
Important issue too bad you sullied it with personal attacks.
Kinda petty, and indicative of poor prioritize.
Obviously you've lost debates with Shooz and now seek schoolyard bully tactics.
Grow up! Attacking people you disagree with is inapproriate, poor form, bad karma!!
Pathetic
You I am sorry to say - are off base on this one.
Don't be sorry. I've been wrong before, I'll be wrong again. I don't mind being wrong.
Mind you I ain't sayin I agree with you that I am wrong. I am old enough to know (as you are) that Michigan has been a target for 4 decades.
So in fact I think I am correct in stating that this post is wrong to suggest that Michigan is next. Michigan was one of the 1st targeted, has always been a target, and continues to be a target.
And the personalization of the post is inappropriate (in my opinion, that CAN'T be wrong right?). It is poor form, bad karma.
I hope your not gonna say my opinion is wrong. That would be wrong. Perhaps you think it is ok to name people in these posts and therefore you can say you disagree with me.
That's cool. You're opinion, You're entitled, I never tell people their opinions are wrong.
I am sorry because you make enemies where you need not. You chase people for no good reason and make it a hostile encounter - when there is no need for hostility - often times a different perspective but with the same overall view the difference being Symantec. This is not good for you or for the forum. Why would you not tell someone when you think they are wrong? BTW - that is a contradiction - as you are telling Trevor right now that his opinion is wrong. That is what talking/communicating is all about - the exchange of information/views - and people can slap the dems as much as they slap reps - at this point in time dems for mainly being weak - but as such still useless - and yes some are just as corrupted as many reps are.
Cool. Only Dems stand between us and another 10 years of war in Libya & Iran.
Only Dems have challenged (inadequately) the 1% wall st oligarchs.
We must pressure Dems, in an attempt to serve the 99% better, but if we lump them with those (repubs) who unashamedly, proudly push the anti 99% policies then we strengthen our enemies by weakening our supporters.
That is inaccurate, it is an unfair exaggeration, it is a damaging mischaracterization, and it serves the 1% wall st war mongering oligarchs.
I will not address your personal attacks on me and my style because I find it irrelevant to the issues at hand.
Only good people. Votes for and against are not 100%. Yes the rinos are much more solid on their front to support the corpoRAT - this is a fact not to be denied. That being said - not all dems have voted against war - this is also a fact - some of the dems because like in the rep party they are not dems but are dinos - but also because for whatever reason real dems have not been standing-up and saying FUCK-NO loudly and clearly.
Your rose colored glasses support of all things dem - is to say the least - Naive.
Some dems always cave in & support conservative policies! the 1% takeover could not have occured without that collusion.
The left was destroyed by Reagan (weak on defense!, tax & spend) Dems have drifted right since. A real progressive movement has only just begun.
We MUST identify the proud, unashamed supporters of 1% wall st war mongers conservative policies and denounce them, replace them with progressive pols.
We are in the process of rebuilding the progressive movement.
It has only been 1 year!!!!!!
Remember however weak, (I agree) however many are bought off (many) we must support all pols who challenge the PTB because they are doing that before we have gotten money out of politics.
TPTB still control the peoples govt.!!! WE haven't gotten that money out yet, but still there are pols who challenge TPTB!!!!!
We MUST lift them up as an example. If we lump them all with the real enemies of the 99% then we strengthen that enemy by weakening our already weak soldiers of the 99%.
Replace pro 1% wall st oligarchal war mongering conservatives (both parties) w/ pro 99% anti war progressives.
Fine - now stop picking fights with people who are not disagreeing - but are also chastising the weak or ineffective or even corrupt in the dem party. At this point in time there are few kudos to give anyone in office - and lots and lots of chastisements to give all of government.
I have picked no fights.
But I will promise to refrain from picking fights if that will make you feel better.
Please - I am going to bed now - have a good day.
Feel better dude. You're the best. Always appreciate your important contributions, agree or not.
Later
personal attack? I called attention to shooz because he thinks I'm not aware of these issues and has accused me of that on several posts which was extremely off topic, which in other posts he will get mad at people for changing topic as he did the time I asked if he thinks the bank bailouts saved the economy.
I'm informing him that this is their plan for Michigan. A future Camden.
It is you who is doing the personal attack on this forum post.
I think the forum has created PM's for that kind of thing.
More likely you just want to embarrass, & score some points against a debate adversary who has whupped you mercilessly consistently.
LOL.
updated comment before you replied. Read again
well if you think that way use the PM yourself or tell shooz to PM me before making the accusations you and he have made on the forum.
If he feels you are unaware of these issues, your comments would corroborate that belief since Michigan has been as much if not more of a target than Camden for 40 years.
Again stop being a hypocrite.
Again, I am fully aware of capitalism and it's effects. Why do you think I speak out against those in government who never question capitalism? Why do you think I post about the banks theft from the people and their rule over the economy?
Why do you think I've posted on a the necessity of a living wage law?
I NEVER think about you. YOU are irrelevent!!!!
You posted about how Michigan is next. I challenge that as uninformed since Michigan has suffered as a target for 4 decades.
I'm saying you're WRONG!!! Why you speak out, your awareness of the effects of capitalism, why you post? All not being discussed, that's you weakly attempting to distract from the issue at hand.
And that is. You are WRONG about Michigan being next!!. They were one ofthe1st targets.
You're thinking about me right now.
Maybe next you'll accuse me of being a Gaddafi supporter again for opposing bombing a country? Don't deny it, I'll just link you to your comment.
You don't like me because i openly denounce the democratic party and the republican party. In your world only republicans should be denounced.
I think the 2 party system has destroyed democracy and refuses to question capitalism.
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a debate adversary?
Do you think the bailouts saved the economy?
In Afghan: Because of the immense power of the neocon PTB and the unsatiable thirst for cheap oil the American public has. What is your MPG?
I think the bailouts satiated the 1% corp financial oligarchs who had threatened to stop all lending/financial flow.
Only good paying jobs, and a correction to stagnant wages will "save the economy"
LOL. What else. Got anything else, young man? I guess this effort to change the subject means you lost the last discussion?
Ha ha! Smoked again!
Hey cool you answered something right! Kudos! So do you think mainstream democrats and republicans can both be neocons? If it's for unsatiable thirst for cheap oil, you're going against leading democrats and republicans propaganda on why we're still in Afghanistan. Just an FYI
Although Dennis Kucinich and several others know the truth.
There's many people on the forum that think the bank bailouts saved the economy. I haven't heard that rhetoric for a little while though.
So true to form, your goal is to mislead, mischaracterize the Dems as the problem.
You don't speak for any politician, My experience with the 2 parties is that republicans are still trying to push the 'war on terror' (and play down the resource war).
Dems are avoiding the term (and all that fear mongering propaganda) because they have a plan to declare an end to the repub created 'war on terror'
Progressive anti war pols know that we must declare it over in order to end the military activity,
Dem neo cons? Nope. There have certainly been conservative dems, (Ben knighthorse, Chaffee,) but they pale in comparison to the Demints and Walshs atthe center of our problems..
Of course always there are some Dems who betray progressive principles and support conservative policies. Landrieu in La always votes w/ big oil against green policy.
But thereality is that the progressive caucus does not include repubs! And the repub/tea party is clearly the neocon right wing in US politics.
Repubs proudly push neocon policy that serves the 1%, Dems can be pulled back to the true left to serve the 99%.
Replace conservatives (whatever party) w/ progressives! That is what I am pushing.
how much money did the democrats and republicans vote to give Goldman Sachs? Wasn't it over 10 billion?
How about the role congress plays in monetary policy? Why is Dennis Kucinich the only who has proposed real reform? The democrats over saw monetary policy giving trillions to banks with a majority when they had it, and republicans are overseeing it with a majority now.
When it comes to Wall Street, it's both of them. Follow the money and the voting records. Accepting money from Goldman Sachs is racketeering.
Again you don't like me because I point out this fact.
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Trevor?
Was that supposed to be a threat?
Are you trying to somehow "smear" me on a Chris Hedges altar?
We've already had the conversation on Chris. Why put my name on this thread, if you're not?
Detroit was a "sacrifice zone" long before you ever heard of Hedges, or Camden.
Check out the DelRay neighborhood in Detroit. Or the Packard plant for that matter.
We used to just call them slums. Some still do.
As far as others?
You can check out east Montana for lots of those in an ecological setting. Strangely enough many of those former mines were Canadian corporate interests.
I've known this for at least a decade, and rather than use Chris's euphemism, I prefer to call them corporate shit holes. They're the leftovers the country gets when the profits dry up.
I have nothing against Chris. I really don't. I respect his opinion, but I have no infatuation with it either.
If you must know, I prefer the political ranting and explanations of Thom Hartmann.
At any rate, neither one has negated my coining of the term neolibe(R)tarian for those that created and attempt to control the World situation these days.
It still fits, whether it's Lansing, Florida, CATO, GE, China, France, Singapore, Saudi Arabia...............wherever you look in the World today, and see this kind of inequality, you are seeing the result of their activity.
They may cover themselves in cloaks of religion.
They may cover themselves in a cloak of liberalism.
They may cover themselves in cloaks of freedom and liberty.
They may cover themselves in cloaks of almost anything at all.
In end all they want is more for themselves at any cost, to someone else.
Shooz I think you and Trevor have no disagreement here. You have told me in the not to distant past that the corpoRATs are gonna be fracking around Michigan - Right? Trevor was not making a threat. Sorry that you two seem to be in a needless disagreement.
The bottom line here DK, is there a few here who take EXTREME exception to my using the term neolibe(R)tarian.
Trevor has already lied about things he's claimed I've said, that I didn't, in a blatant attempt to smear me..
supposed to be a threat? What are you talking about?
Quit the spin game already.
I'm telling you this is what THEY do. The capitalist pigs that exploit. Yes you already know this. I never said you weren't aware.
You keep trying to tell me on different forum posts that I don't understand what they're trying to do in Michigan. I'm telling you in this post I fully understand.
So we use different adjectives, who cares? You say corporate shit holes, some say Sacrifice Zones. I'm cool with both.
You're the one that spun it, as usual.
I gave you the names of the organizations attacking Michigan and you returned with some vague generalized speech from Chris, as though that explains EVERYTHING.
It didn't actually explain anything......And you made the statement about how those unexplained "them" are coming for Lansing.
Yeah, that could easily be construed as a threat.
wow you really think I'm threatening you?
Vague generalized speech by Chris? You didn't even watch the interview or read his books if you think he never goes into specifics.
Which organizations would you specifically like me to tell to fuck off?
The last time I shared a protests video to you in regards to ALEC you accused me of downplaying ALEC. I just can't seem to win with you.
Never mind. You're not even worth trying to converse with anymore. Let's just have this be our last conversation.
I did a little research trevor.
Out of all the numerous threads on ALEC, you've made exactly ONE comment.
Your comment wasn't even on ALEC itself.
It was on the Martin/Zimmerman case.
You've done no research.
My main focus is denouncing these wars, reforming monetary policy to work for the people and not the banks, and forming a living wage law as well as trade agreements that ban exploiting workers. And more. But if you do some research, these are the topics I always post on. But I also full on agree with what youve said about ALEC. Not once have I opposed you on ALEC. Again this is why your accusations are ridiculous.
You never posted on the assault on LGBT rights in my state, doesn't mean you're anti-gay. Assuming I support ALEC is as ignorant as it would be for someone to assume you're anti-gay for not talking about the issue in my state.
this was supposed to be the end of our conversation. You refuse to move on from an assumption you've made.
Now you're going to call me a liar too?
NEXT stop? You are woefully uneducated., Michigan has been a target for 4 decades because of it's once solid union power. Detroit, Flint, lansing, all have suffered since the 60's at the hands of the 1% corp oligarchs and their conservative puppets.
yes but Lansing is not like Camden yet. It has not yet been exploited to the max. But they're trying to do that. The entire country has been under attack for a long time. I've said this a fuck ton of times. You and Shooz can keep acting like I haven't been saying this all you want but it doesn't make it true.
You resort to vulgarity in some weak attempt to sound tough? Or to establish some street cred?
It's immature. And I chuckle and dismiss it as soon as you spew it.
I wouldn't presume to state anything about all you have commented on, and I haven't!!!
My experience with you is that your comments usually wind up providing cover (silence) for the republican puppets of the 1% corp war mongering oligarchs, and placing all blame on one particular Dem politician.
You strike me as dishonest, unfair, and transparently partisan.
So as a result I have no respect for you.
So basically you just said you troll me because I don't like the democratic party.
Again I do not like the democratic party. I do not like the republican party. Both collectively give Wall Street billions and trillions and let them loot the treasury and run our monetary policy.
It's not breaking news.
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Exaggerate? Go read the vote records on TARP
Go read the lack of sponsors on HR 2990 which would reform monetary policy and use it for infrastructure and job creation and public investment instead of letting it get run into the ground by banks and 1% policies.
Go read the NDAA and look at it's 98-0 passage. Read the patriot act and look at the vote record. Read the AUMF and look at the vote record. Read the FISA bills. Look at the drone propaganda. Drones backed by R and D.
Sorry, if you look at history, the 1% took it's final control when they took over the government.
There were many indef detention votes where mostly dems voted to repeal it, and repubs defeated.
You refer to the final military budget bill that everyone always votes for. It is misleading to do so, If you were honest you would acknowledge that most dems would repeal these rights violations and the only thing standing in the way are the vast majority of repubs who support them.
That is the truth!!! It happened again earlier this month. But you were quiet about the repub majority who defeated the dem effort to repeal indef detention.
That is what betrays your transparent partisanship.
"everyone always votes for"
CONFORM CONFORM CONFORM
Dennis voted NO
Irrelevent to the point I made. Once again you ignore the pertinent fact.
The vast majority of republicans defeated the vast majority of Dems who attempted to repeal indef detention.
Your silence on that fact is deafening and proves my point that you are transparently partisan.
Then look at the voting record on TARP and HR 1424 if you want to play the vote count game.
You're right, republicans are very responsible for blocking that amendment. in regards to the NDAA. But in the senate it did pass, but what passed does nothing, it's all just a word game. Just like in the House, you can't trust Gohmert to do anything right? Exactly. John23 had a great post about the Gohmert amendment being a farce that does nothing, typical of Gohmert.
Again both parties have abysmal marks on their voting records.
You can't have monetary policy giving trillions to Wall Street without R's and D's. End of story.
You were silent on repubs successful effort to defeat dems repeal of indef det a few weeks ago. What does last spring have to do with anything.
I'm sure last spring you were silent about repub guilt and only attacked Dems. as always.
Tarp?. the vote is not the only thing that matters.!! Not unless you.are a simpleton. Are you a simpleton.?
The facts that led up to and since are critical to understanding the crises.
You ignore that because it shows clearly that repubs are the real guilty party, the true enemy of the 99%
I was silent on nothing because the "repeal" you mention does not exist. They passed something in the Senate
And what they passed in the house actually does nothing.
Other people posted on this and I talked with them about it. I've also posted on the NDAA a ton of times. You never talk about how the bill prepares for war with Iran, that does not mean you support a war with Iran. Assuming that would be fucking idiotic. So you trying to accuse me of not talking about the issue is bullshit.
The NDAA spends vast amounts of money on unnecessary military imperialism and prepares for a war with Iran. No one should have voted YES on it. End of story
The voting record will not change the reality of what happened (as I described for you)
No comment on the facts I responded with? Whatsamatta can't acknowledge what your repubs have done? Stuck in your anti dem crusade?
Dems failed with TARP but repubs were behind that scheme, & played the Dems like an old salvation army drum.
the voting records mean everything.
I specifically commented on the NDAA. I've posted on that since spring.
So you ignore the fact of repub defeat of dem attempt at repealing indef det and you dodge!!!! Change the subject quick he's on to us!!!!
LMFAO.
Ok no prob.
TARP.
Was a scheme by Bush, repubs & the 1% wall st oligarchs to get one last gift of a trillion dollars before Bush left & a clumsy attempt at affecting the 2008 election.
The Dems defeated it And the Markets crashed!!!! The repubs & the 1% wall st oligarchs threatened the Dems & the country with a freeze on all credit. They threatened to stop lending!!! unless Dems passed TARP.
And so Dems added some money for labor and cut the amount for the 1% wall st oligarchs, and insisted on being paid back.
Then they submitted to the repubs & the 1% wall st oligarchs.
We got mugged.
That's what I remember.
Go look at the TARP voting record.
Nothing in that bill was a solution to anything.
I ignored nothing about indefinite detention laws and amendments.
I am against war. I support the ending of the repub Iraq war. I support the current process of ending the repub afghan war, I urge a faster end. I support the reduction in drone strikes. I urge an end to this horrific military action. I support the successful resistence of neocon (repub) pressure to invade, libya, Syria, Iran.
I support all civilians who overthrow brutal dictators (ours or theirs).
I support Dem efforts to repeal indef det & all rights violations.
I support cutting defense budget by 50%.
I denounce all fear mongering 'war on terror' propaganda that has convinced the US population to allow all these wars, rights violations.
I support replacing all 1% war mongering conservative w/ pro 99% anti war progressives.
We ain't at war w/ Iran!!!!!
You are silent on the most important fact regarding Iran. The Dems have successfully resisted the massive pressure from the neocon war mongers (in Israel & US) to invade Iran.
Your outrage (if it were honest) should be on those neocon (repub) war mongers who continue to pressure for an invasion of Iran.
But of course you are silent because that would be too much criticism of your repubs.
Transparently partisan.
We are currently in an economic war with Iran punishing their civilian population.
The new NDAA for 2013 prepares the military for an attack on Iran. You should try reading the bill before you deny the facts.
You have a president that bombed 6 countries in one term and you want to really try and say that only republicans are warmongers? Get a clue.
Iraq has WMD's and is a threat said "Bush Cheney Clinton and Biden"
Nice change {:-]) catchya later.
Ummmm - don'tcha think it would be a good idea to take shooz name out of the post title? Have a discussion with shooz - fine and dandy - but this looks like you are trying to kick him.
Just sayin.
Not trying to kick him at all. He's been saying in several posts I'm unaware of Michigan or that I don't care because it's a state issue or something like that. I'm telling him I am aware and it's the same thing they've been doing all over the nation. Exploit exploit exploit.
I had posted this post before he made some of those comments, so I added "attention" to it so Shooz would read it. Not trying to kick, trying to get on the same page.
Not saying you are trying to kick him but that is what it kinda looks like with the title. Invite him to the post by all means - but putting his name in the title is not a real good invitation.
You're probably right. Might have been better just to link it. It's all good though. Just another day on the internet. : )
You bet - as I am having problems trying to communicate today ( cold or flu haven't decided which ) I am gonna go back to bed - Later.
hope you feel better soon!
Thx - you have a good day.
Excellent post - excellent interview attached to the post =
Interview here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-49tKzXe2Y
I have seen this interview before - and every one should see it. I have tweeted it before and will do so now - Again.
People please share circulate forward this information in any way that you can. The general public must be educated made aware.