In 1986 a conversation i had with my rifle platoon leader.

[Duncanpup]

A fine soldier oh hold on old guy bad punctuation dyslexic ramble warning. Up having coffee getting ready run coast leave tomorrow 02:00 doing laundry.
Anyhow this conversation took place down at Grafenwoher in the back of a 113 an armored track vehicle.
Now this L.T. was older mid thirties he was enlisted served in mortar platoon Vietnam came home went college worked for years as civilian and decided to re-engage after going through infantry basic officer leadership down at Benning.
This L.T. Sharp in mind and strong in leadership he knew his job and as soldiers when you get new leadership you have a vetting process and this soldier was aces.

Especially id like point out he became Ranger Qualified in his thirties after completing officer infantry training now that’s a young troops school he was ancient to attend Ranger training and graduate in his thirties and no i never attended that fine leadership program.

Yet in our conversation we were having i was hanging out on command track because at that time i was pretty sick pneumonia discovered later getting ready go to troop med back at Graf main post was waiting on ride to pick me up.

This lieutenant and i were talking about capitalism and communism over hot tea in canteen cup with honey he made me because of my coughing no clue on where he got the tea or honey as we Grunts are some resourceful people.
And conversation went along the lines he mentioned that the Kremlin will probably be out of business ten years tops.

1989 i was civilian seeing the wall come down and again in 1991 watching the revolution in Russia. I thought of that conversation that i had with that fine officer how i even think today how insightful that man was.

Yet in conversation he pointed out capitalism is also not long for existence in example Reagan and his trickledown economics or in fact that the Reagan to pay for tax cuts congress at time rolled back G.I.bill we had V.E.A.P. Now we did have GI housing bill homeowners go figure.

Yet the L.T. was saying when government becomes carnivores to take care of the few and screw the masses eventually they will fail as we’ve seen in Russia under communism and soon again under Putins regime example the ruble has crashed as Russia economy Kursk is now Ukrainian oblast and the Russian people see all this in that there will be no assistance from Moscow.

And here and we are now living under decades of trickledown economics we’ve been squeezed so tightly economically and the maga regime wants to do another round tax cuts as in let grandma starve so Elon can get his defense contract cash.

We’re infected with evil ignorant people who think that the version of Christianity should rule this land a bunch of sick in the head fucks.
Almost fifty nine i hope i live to see the destruction of vulture capitalism these people do not realize that the younger generation Gen Y and Gen Z do not subscribe to their hatred and stupidity and one day these fine young people will be the predominant voting demographic.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. Capitalism won't fail, like it didn't fail around 1900 or 1930. But like then, it has to change

The historically extreme levels of wealth and income inequality are unsustainable. I suggest peaceful reform but the oligarchic tRump-Republicon party is trying to make the problem worse. The alternatives are violent and highly undesirable: revolution, war, mass die-offs. Let's choose wisely. Resist till Nov 2026 which will lay the groundwork for winning government again in 2028.

[Duncanpup]

2. I agree no violence only by vote do we change this.

[Magoo48]

13. Vulture/extraction capitalism like ours will inevitably lead to oligarchy and fascism.

The system is corrupt, heartless, morally bankrupt, brutal and cruel.
Workers are tools to be used until worn out and replaced. Oligarchy replaced our weakening democracy which is now being usurped by fascists. So…
We must resist hard, win, and evolve into something new and immensely more equitable.

[IbogaProject]

14. Uh this isnt captialism here

This is something else. 25% of our economy has been captured as "carried interest" and that is private equity profits that compound tax free indefinately and only taxed if taken out as income. There is also a corp structure that avoids inheritance tax. Then we get the fantasy of infinate growth on a finite planet. Also the market is nearly myopically focused on the next few financial quarters and our system is full of cash grabs that gut the underllying businesses as they can load a corp up with debt used to buy back shares and artificially inflate prices. This is all before you consider nearly all money is created by banks at interest, while the interest itself is never created. This caused the global slave trade, colonialism, the modern work grind and the focus on fossil fuels and militarism. Marx was very wrong about the solution but his analysis was accurate and in line with classical economics. His views were shifted by Eingels who was a banking heir. Our "civilization" is a house of cards which is going to collapse, likely the next year or two. 4% chance each of the next two years of a Carrigton event which will blow out most electronics for half or more of the planet at once. The climate may also enter runaway warming as major clinate shifts happen over about a dozen years and this one has begun, never have CO2 levels risen so rapidly, even during major extinction events, tge last time CO2 levels were this level our planet was significantly warmer. This time it's so rapid that things won't be able to adapt. Add in pandemic risk, war and or crop failures as other risks. Any one can push a collapse two, three or more and that's it for most humans. If mire than one or two those nuke plants start melting down that alone could be the icing on sm extinction cake which will make Mad Max look like Sunday Roller Skating in Central Park.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

15. At this point it is robber baron capitalism like in the Gilded Age tRump refers to with such reverence. . . nt

[yardwork]

21. I've been thinking the same way.

Each time the U.S. came close to a revolution in the 20th century, the robber barons gave a little back. In the 1930s we got the New Deal. In the 1960s, fear of communism got us the Civil Rights laws and Medicare/Medicaid.

We're overdue for another reset. I hope it happens peacefully because the other way means a lot of death and suffering for many, many people, with an uncertain outcome.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

22. Well stated. . . . . nt

[Elessar Zappa]

24. I hope single payer healthcare is the next "crumb" the Robber Barons provide us with.

[yardwork]

25. Should have been dove in the 1960s, 1970s, 1990s, etc.

Each time a powerful, wealthy group blocked it. Will we reach a tipping point in time?

[SheltieLover]

3. I wish you'd reconsider & write a book, Dunc!

Well said for sure!

[BigMin28]

4. In the meantime

People will die. It is no wonder people are angry. I went to pick up a prescription for my mother. She is 88. Takes very few medicines, but the one she does need, Advair inhaler went from a co-pay of 47 dollars a month to 369 dollars a month. Of course, it is United Healthcare. So we are scrambling this morning. Will be talking to the doctor about alternatives. I will admit that for a moment after walking out of that store without the prescription, I did think to myself, yes, I hope they all get shot.
They are cruel inhumane vultures.

And no, she doesn't smoke.

[Duncanpup]

5. Hugs

[BigMin28]

6. Thank you

And thank you for you posts. I always look forward to them.

[Nittersing]

8. Can you use GoodRx?

Their website shows a cost of $121.77.

Forgot to add the link: https://www.goodrx.com/advair

[BigMin28]

17. Thanks.

We are looking at all options.

[timms139]

9. Check with

the makers of the inhaler. Most will provide it free if you can't afford it. Ask your doctor about samples until you can work something out .

[BigMin28]

18. Thanks

I have already signed her up. The website said someone should contact her withing 24 hours.

[yardwork]

20. Comparing them to vultures is unfair to vultures.

Vultures are gentle birds that don't kill anything.

These people are monsters. Just monsters infected with greed.

[BigMin28]

23. Agree

My son calls them nature's clean up crew.

[Tesha]

7. Well said, the problem is

that we are lead by evil people and weak people
who are put in power by propagandized people

Right now it's looking pretty bleak for the ol' USofA

[Tickle]

10. Gen z men voted for Trump 56%

54% of Gen z voted for Harris. That's not so comforting. It's still a win, but we have lots of work to do.

[IbogaProject]

16. Those percents are of whom voted

I don't trust the totals in any state we lost.

[Elessar Zappa]

26. True.

But it doesn’t necessarily track with their beliefs. Polls show young people as much more open racially and with regards to lgbtq. There is a problem with a subset of the young men but they don’t represent the majority. Unfortunately the majority of young people don’t vote until their 30’s.

[erronis]

11. Your final phrase "one day these fine young people will be the predominant voting demographic"

implies that voting will still be allowed and that it will be honest and fair.

We all know what trump's types did in 2020 and 2024 to damage the process. I expect it will be worse going forward.

Thanks for your interesting posts!

[Aviation Pro]

12. I was in Graf at about that time

And remember the pneumonia that was running around my tank battalion. Small world.

Your LT was a smart man.

[yardwork]

19. I hope you're right.

[keithbvadu2]

27. Referenced your post

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100219878461