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more on How the permissive capitalism of theboom destroyed American equality.
From: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2002 08:29:51 -0400
------ Forwarded Message From: Dana Blankenhorn <danablankenhorn () mindspring com> Reply-To: Dana Blankenhorn <danablankenhorn () mindspring com> Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2002 08:21:46 -0400 To: dave () farber net Subject: Re: <[IP]> more on How the permissive capitalism of theboom destroyed American equality. Dave: I seldom see an educated person grossly over-simplify on behalf of ideological shibboleths. So let me just go through this slowly. 1. Created the U.S. railroad system, requiring the creation of the Interstate Commerce Commission (which they fought against tooth and nail). 2. Made us the world's greatest industrial power, but only on the sweat of their workers. 3. Built an oil refining and distribution system that had to be dismantled by the U.S. Supreme Court. The only person who knew the good of this was John D. Rockefeller himself, who on hearing the news just urged a friend to "buy all the Standard you can get." 4. Provided the telephone and telegraph infrastructure. Telephony was a regulated monopoly whose regulation was necessary to its formation. That was Theodore Vail's deal of "universal service." 5. Built and distributed automobiles to the masses...and Ford goons killed how many auto workers resisting labor laws in the 1930s? 6. Provided widespread electrical service, which didn't reach rural areas until the TVA and REA of the 1930s, which were government projects. The point is that to credit wealth or plutocracy with all the gains of our time is misleading in the extreme. The hand of government was required to keep these "gains" from running over people, and to make sure they went to everyone. The courage of individuals and groups of political activists was necessary to make this so. That's the lesson of the Gilded Age. The Mugwumps, the Populist and Progressive movements and the rise of big government were all necessary reactions to unfettered power, created by people who weren't afraid to risk life and limb on behalf of their rights. And so it is again... Dana Blankenhorn http://www.a-clue.com @Have Modem, Will Travel dana () a-clue com Ph: 404-373-7634 fax: 404-378-0794 -----Original Message----- From: Dave Farber <dave () farber net> To: ip <ip () v2 listbox com> Date: Monday, October 21, 2002 5:40 AM Subject: <[IP]> more on How the permissive capitalism of theboom destroyed American equality.
------ Forwarded Message From: "Jonathan M. Smith" <jms () central cis upenn edu> Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2002 05:33:11 -0400 (EDT) Of course, in exchange for their mansions, those plutocrats variously: 1. Built the US Railroad system 2. Made us the world's strongest industrial power - able to win WWII 3. Built an oil refining and distribution system 4. Provided the telephone and telegraph infrastructure 5. Built and distributed automobiles to the "masses" - the Model T 6. Provided widespread electrical service The biggest myth, currently reinforced of course by the newsworthy stories of some modern crooks, is it was "money for nothing". Not necessarily so! None of the above was done with capital from Washington, although there were subsidies, e.g., of the railroad system, to provide incentives. A justice system built on envy is what many desire, but is that what you really want? -JMS ------ End of Forwarded Message ------------------------------------- You are subscribed as danablankenhorn () mindspring com Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
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