Big Think

Eric Beck commented on Paul Krugman on Capitalism and Waste on October 14, 2008, 8:09 PM

There is NO question that capitalism as we know it is a MONSTER failure, and yes, wastefulness is a major contributor to that failure. Capitalism encourages "anything for a buck", wild speculation, environmental ruin, gross poverty, crime, disease, you name it. Capitalism fuels it all, and it is all inherently wasteful. Screw theory. In practice, capitalism is license for the few to lord over the underprivileged and plunder the Earth of it's resources, to the point of catastrophic consequences. For instance, uncontrolled logging which fucks up rivers, watersheds, wildlife vital to man's survival, etc. Adam Smith was full of shit, much the same way Jefferson, Franklin, Washington, et al, were as they championed liberty and equality...while slaves toiled in their fields. Smith argued that the pursuit of individual self-interest would benefit society. But as we see today, that is a load of crap. Yes, George Washington had to feed and clothe and house his slaves, and in that way, they benefitted. But they were still slaves. (And slavery has given us a segment of society that is largely dysfunctional, and that begets crime and poverty, which begets waste!) The common man benefits as long as the Boss can't do it himself, which begs the question, "Where are my robots?!?".

Eric Beck commented on What is your outlook? on February 21, 2008, 5:50 PM

I think that Mr. Nasr is fairly spot-on with his remarks. But he fails to take into account the non-actions of the American Muslim community over the last 36 years, primarily that community's deafening silence as Radical Islam has increasingly waged war on virtually any NON-Muslim peoples, on virtually every continent. The Munich Olympic Massacre, far more than a an act of terror perpetuated by Palestinians against the State of Israel, was in reality the first skirmish in the Muslim-Non-Muslim global battle we find ourselves in today. It is without question that Muslim communities force their will on non-Muslims, say, in the case of Minneapolis cabdrivers who refuse to carry fares who may be transporting alcohol, European Muslims who attack and kill Dutch movie directors for making films critical of Islam, or the ruthless persecution of Christians in Indonesia. Recent U.S. polls of Muslims in America found that 26% of young Muslims felt suicide bombings were justified. How long before these same people, incited by anti-American mullahs who are allowed to freely express themselves here, find justification for blowing themselves up in the malls of America? And of course, there was 9/11. Had American Muslims taken to the streets en masse and LOUDLY voiced outrage, LOUDLY proclaimed that such acts were the antithesis of Islamic teachings, had poured their efforts into helping this country heal, American perceptions would be far different from what they are today. But the Muslim community was woefully absent in those critical hours and days, and MONTHS. And for that, they must accept that there is a price to pay. Finally, I am not saying that Americans' gross perceptions of Islam are justified, but rather, Muslims themselves must accept some responsible for the anti-Muslim sentiments they face today.

Eric Beck commented on What is your outlook? on February 21, 2008, 12:50 PM

I think that Mr. Nasr is fairly spot-on with his remarks. But he fails to take into account the non-actions of the American Muslim community over the last 36 years, primarily that community's deafening silence as Radical Islam has increasingly waged war on virtually any NON-Muslim peoples, on virtually every continent. The Munich Olympic Massacre, far more than a an act of terror perpetuated by Palestinians against the State of Israel, was in reality the first skirmish in the Muslim-Non-Muslim global battle we find ourselves in today. It is without question that Muslim communities force their will on non-Muslims, say, in the case of Minneapolis cabdrivers who refuse to carry fares who may be transporting alcohol, European Muslims who attack and kill Dutch movie directors for making films critical of Islam, or the ruthless persecution of Christians in Indonesia. Recent U.S. polls of Muslims in America found that 26% of young Muslims felt suicide bombings were justified. How long before these same people, incited by anti-American mullahs who are allowed to freely express themselves here, find justification for blowing themselves up in the malls of America? And of course, there was 9/11. Had American Muslims taken to the streets en masse and LOUDLY voiced outrage, LOUDLY proclaimed that such acts were the antithesis of Islamic teachings, had poured their efforts into helping this country heal, American perceptions would be far different from what they are today. But the Muslim community was woefully absent in those critical hours and days, and MONTHS. And for that, they must accept that there is a price to pay. Finally, I am not saying that Americans' gross perceptions of Islam are justified, but rather, Muslims themselves must accept some responsible for the anti-Muslim sentiments they face today.

Eric Beck commented on the Humanities on February 15, 2008, 1:22 PM

The temptation here is to fawn over the humanities. But we should address the specificity of the question, i.e., relevance to the COLLEGE student. I agree that a well-rounded LIFE is vital to happiness. But college is a relatively short period of time where one has the luxury of pure study without the pressures of paying the bills. So it would seem that college should be devoted to a curriculum that focuses on the student's career choice. And the REALITY is, that is what college is for: prepping a child for a career. It is naive to think otherwise. The child that deviates from a focused career path in college loses to competitors who do not, and hence, he or she misses out on the limited ops with the Big 4 or the Big 5 or whatever "The Big" is now. Another reality is, after graduation, you better hit the ground running. If you can start the race farther ahead in the pack, all the better. Then, at the end of a work day, or work week, time exists to go to a play, read a book, hit a museum. And GUARANTEED, far more pleasure will be derived in THAT context, then as a run-up to a test, for a grade.