Why Do Intellectuals Oppose Capitalism?

[Mikal]

36.8 The Revolution of the Year 1789

"The first jar to this sense of the secure continuity of life in France came in 1787, Louis XVI (1774-92) was a dull, ill-educated monarch, and he had the misfortune to be married to a silly and extravagant woman, Marie Antoinette, the sister of the Austrian emperor. The question of her virtue is one of profound interest to a certain type of historical writer, but we need not discuss it here. She lived, as Paul Wiriath [5] puts it, «side by side, but not at the side» of her husband. She was rather heavy featured influence but not so plain as to prevent her posing as a beautiful, romantic, and haughty queen. When the exchequer was exhausted by the war in America (an enterprise to weaken England of the highest Machiavellian quality), when the whole country was uneasy with discontents, she set her influence to thwart the attempts at economy of the king's ministers, to encourage every sort of aristocratic extravagance, and to restore the church and the nobility to the position they had held in the great days of Louis XIV. Non-aristocratic officers were to be weeded from the army; the power of the church over private life was to be extended. She found in an upper-class official, Calonne, her ideal minister of finance. From 1788-87 this wonderful man produced money as if by magic-and as if by magic it disappeared again. Then in 1787 he collapsed, He had piled loan on loan, and now he declared that the monarchy, the Grand Monarchy that had ruled France since, the days of Louis XIV, was bankrupt. No more money could be raised. There must be a gathering of the notables of the kingdom to consider the situation.
To the gathering of notables, a summoned assembly of leading men, Calonne propounded a scheme for a subsidy to be levied upon all landed property. This roused the aristocrats to a pitch of great indignation. They demanded the summoning of a body roughly, equivalent, to the British parliament, the States General which had not met since 1610. Regardless, of the organ of opinion they were creating for the discontents below them, excited only by the proposal that they should bear part of the weight of the financial burdens of the country, the French notables insisted. And in May, 1789, the States General met.
It was an assembly of the representatives of three orders, the nobles, the clergy, and the Third Estate, the commons. For the Third Estate the franchise was very wide, nearly every taxpayer of twenty-five having a vote. (The Parish Priests voted as clergy, the small noblesse as nobles.) The States General was a body without any tradition of procedure. Enquiries were sent to the antiquarians of the Academy of Inscriptions in that matter.
Its opening deliberations turned on the question whether it was to meet as one body or as three, each estate having an equal vote. Since the Clergy numbered 308, the Nobles 285, and the Deputies 621, the former arrangement would put the Commons in an absolute majority, the latter gave them one vote in three. Nor had the States General any meeting place. Should it meet in Paris or in some provincial city? Versailles was chosen, «because of the hunting».
It is clear that the king and queen meant to treat this fuss about the national finance as a terrible bore, and to allow it to interfere with their social routine as little as possible. We find the meetings going on in salons that were not wanted, in orangeries and tennis-courts, and so forth.
The question whether the voting was to be by the estates or by head was clearly a vital one. It was wrangled over for six weeks. The Third Estate, taking a leaf from the book of the English House of Commons, then declared that it alone represented the nation, and that no taxation must be levied henceforth without its consent. Whereupon the king closed the hall in which it was sitting, and intimated that the deputies had better go home. Instead, the deputies met in a convenient tennis-court, and there took oath, the Oath of the Tennis Court, not to separate until they had established a constitution in France.
The king took a high line, and attempted to disperse the Third Estate by force. The soldiers refused to act. On that the king gave in with a dangerous suddenness, and accepted the principle that the Three Estates should all deliberate and vote together as one National Assembly. Meanwhile, apparently at the queen's instigation, foreign regiments in the French service, who could be trusted to act against the people, were brought up from the provinces under the Marshal de Broglie, and the king prepared to go back upon his concessions. Where upon Paris and France revolted. Broglie hesitated to fire on the crowds. A provisional city government was set up in Paris and in most of the other large cities, and a new armed force, the National Guard, a force designed primarily and plainly to resist the forces of the crown, was brought into existence by these municipal bodies.
The revolt of July 1789 was really the effective French revolution, The grim-looking prison of the Bastille, very feebly defended, was stormed by the people of Paris, and the insurrection spread rapidly throughout France. In the, east and northwest provinces many chateaux belonging to the nobility were burnt by the peasants, their title deeds carefully destroyed, and the owners murdered or driven away. The insurrection spread throughout France. In a month the ancient and decayed system of the aristocratic order had collapsed. Many of the leading princes and courtiers of the queen's party fled abroad. The National Assembly found itself called upon to create a new political and social system for a new age." - H. G. Wells

Interesting RP....looks like the Queen never changes.....the intellectual capitalist mind!!

In a more recent interview regarding her new "Let's Move" campaign to combat childhood obesity, First Lady Michelle Obama argues: "A recent study put the health care cost of obesity-related diseases at $147 billion a year. This epidemic also impacts the nation's security, as obesity is now one of the most common disqualifiers for military service." [2]

It seems morbid that national security is Michelle Obama's primary concern regarding obesity in American children. After all, raising healthy American children to become dead American soldiers doesn't seem like a viable health care objective. But aside from that, poverty is directly correlated with obesity in Americans of all ages. So isn't American poverty an even worse security threat than American obesity.

From a Global Research article...


Regards Mikal

[melanie]

Like your style, Mel! I have similar aspirations...and it's achievable, too...just gotta have the right 'values.'

Our life stories aren't who we are, they're the route in time that brought us to this present moment. Every translation of the circumstances encountered determines what we truly know...our own history, each and every individual journey is the true source of knowledge...each is unique and valuable.

Afterall, what is it we do to aid memory? Hear it, see it, write it, apply mnemonics to it...In life, of course, the mnemonics are: smell it, taste it, physically feel it, emotively sense it, evaluate it, live with the consequences of what you do with it...

Thanks Leskey.

I agree, it's about ''values'' and ''principles'' and learning how to remember who we really are, in essence, what we were before the self conscious of self kicked in... (Self Conscious )
Conditioning is important, and along with the right nurturing...Heaven is at the feet of mothers and fathers, we are like seeds, that will thrive fruitfully only when the right, exact and perfect conditions are met.

I have always allowed my children a loose rein, the freedom to be their natural inborn selves at all times, i do not interfere with their life choices, or the paths they choose to walk. If they want to be angry or sad, i've always said to them, go ahead, it's ok to be angry or sad, just feel it,embrace it, it's happening, and there ain't nothing you can do about it…get over it, this too will pass, don't be afraid, tomorrow is a new day,and we always feel better in the morning.
I've allowed them to swear their heads off if that's what they want to do, as long as they are not hurting or being disrespectful to another human being, then why not.
If something awfully bad happens to them, and they say ''Why me''… I say why not you…?

We are each and everyone of us, here now, moving through our own unique and specific soul life journey.
There is NOTHING WRONG with you. You are a unique experiencing of everything that happens to you.
This is your character, and you are an actor on the stage, so play your part well,
there are no dress rehearsals, no-one can live it for you.
The negatives teach us that the positives are lurking nearby on the other side of any situation, and vice versa, so embrace it all.

Our children, or any one else for that matter, are only on loan to us, they do not belong to us,
although they are purposely here with us, as a part in our personal play/story, they are here to accompany you, aiding your growth, as you travel your individual paths, each having something new to show and teach the other.
It is by no means a mistake, that the people who have entered and participated in our own life story were there for a reason, it was meant to be.

I've heard of the phrase ''toxic parenting'' some parents are so toxic, i've see the effects that has had on children, it's very sad.
Toxic parents who desire to live out their own dreams and fantasies through the lives of their own children, pushing them in directions they do not want to go.
'Let Them Be' is my motto, cos, you have lived and are living your life, all they want to do is live theirs, so allow for that and guide them well.

Children are not our possessions, we do not own them, nor do we have the right to tell them how to live their lives.
Wisdom is knowing, that we are all are born into a world where we are exactly right where we should be,and right where we need to go, during this particular time line.
As long as there is at least one consistent, stable loving parent, one who does not smother or exasperate the child, but instead allows the child an emotionally safe and secure environment, allowing the child to feel and embrace it's own emotions, without harsh and critical judgment, so that the child has the freedom to breathe and feel for itself.

They already know how to live and be in the world, just by pure intuition and instinct, we all know what to do, our automatic ordinary functional senses know what to do,all we need to do is listen and pay attention to them.

Every-one carries with them, their own unique personal soul signature through every incarnation, this unique soul signature can never be lost or forgotten, it is an eternal imprint of the oversoul.It is uniquely you, and can never be repeated.
It will not matter one iota, what the external objective world throws at our personal unique psyche, be it negative, horrific, frightening, or violent, if you are being true to yourself, you are never phased by any of it, you instinctively know how to remove any false beliefs from your psyche, impurities are naturally filtered by the wise.What you feed will grow.
A young child lives in a natural state of pure bliss awareness, they are completely at ease, at one with their environment and everything and everybody.

Although some of our social belief systems, can and eventually take over the natural born pure innocence of a child, as they will eventually succumb to their curiosities and be sucked in by them, far removing themselves away from their silent inner worlds, until they become hopelessly lost within the trips and trappings of the systems, systems that are not their own,
However, the smart ones, who have been carefully nurtured, by a loving parent/s, will remember who they really are, they will not be phased by the webs of deceit, weaved by other human beings, that have absolutely no real reality or existent whatsoever.


They are not phased, and will be the ones who will become enlightened adults themselves, remembering that none of this is real, and that it's all just a dream, a mental construct of the mind, and that they are the ones in control, they are not the controlled.
Some examples of soul signatures remembering who they are and where they came from, are gifted people like Mozart, Beethoven, Einstein, Austin Torney and Van Gogh to name just a few.

That's why I do not worry about my youngest lad playing all these weird zombie and violent war video games, because he knows they are not real, he knows it's only a virtual reality, just like our own realtime reality….the big bad world that Lloyd talks about, is a lie, it doesn't have to be like that at all,it's all in the mind of the thinker, our thoughts create our realities. My son knows what's real and what's not, he knows what love is, because he has had a good role model.
Life is what ever ''YOU'' make of it, and if you always feel good about yourself no matter what, it doesn't matter if you are a pauper or the richest person alive, it's how you feel inside, only then you are the master of your own kingdom, no one can touch you, and that is power indeed.

[melanie]

Austin:

I don’t drink or do drugs; I’m high on life, and also up on a mountain.

It's easy to get high on life on a mountain ..lol I didn't know you lived on a mountain.

I should know, i have climbed and reached the summit of Ben Nevis here in the UK 3 times,
not to mention all the other mountains i have climbed.

Also got a friend who lives on a mountain in hawaii - I met him on an advaita non-duality forum, he wanted to marry me, but i said i just wanna be friends, then we fell out....lol

I'm thinking of returning to my mountain climbing hobby one day before i die, probably have to wait until i retire though.

I love mountains, and i love people who like mountains,
and all you north american people on this forum, yes your mountains make our mountains look like hills...lol

Ben Nevis the highest point in the UK





I absolutely love mountains, and i didn't know you lived on a mountain Austin....you're lucky.

[melanie]

Thank you Melanie, for sharing those details with me. I have a friend from Europe who told me that she made her money doing jobs that others did not care to, and cleaning public toilets was exactly what she worked at. The pay was decent, and considerably more than most others jobs were offering. The main thing I gathered from her, and others with whom I have visited over the years, is the difference in the choices that people make regarding how much they buy into the system.

I actually work for a top class exclusive hotel, the brand name is the ''Marriott'' and is the worlds number 1 hotel, the Hilton running a close second, I am responsible for cleaning the public areas...I absolutely love the job, my toilets and washbasins are so clean you could eat your dinner off them.

The folks who do well with the money system, all seem to be very physically or mentally 'work-oriented', work-a-holics to some, and which I most definitely am not. I like to work hard and also to play hard, and would be happy to have a bit more play time than at present, but circumstances dictate the terms, or so it ever seems.

I've never been a work-a-holic, i am just a life-a-holic, .. lol
I just love getting out of bed in the morning and taking in what ever the day has to bring...I'm grateful to be alive and healthy and make the most of every second.

The one advantage of the more remote and sparsely populated region in which I live, is that a considerable number of people do live in smaller communities or out on the land in cabins and live from their skills, gardening, hunting, fishing, bartering, doing some odd jobs or seasonal work etc. There is great diversity in the occupations of the people of the Yukon, and not everyone is a 'wage-slave'. I ran my own business for twenty years, and for the last ten years, it was my sole source of income. Prior to that either my partner or I had other work to assist with building a home and the business. Sweat equity and blisters, I am familiar with, lol....It was very satisfying to work for oneself and it is only in the last 5 years that I returned to the retail trade.

I run my own business too, i work for me and nobody else....lol

Have looked at images of the yukon country, it is stunning and you are lucky to live there, despite the cold weather.

I have clothes that are older than your youngest living at home, Mel, although I have expanded a bit for my office job two mornings a week, the four nights don't require anything fancy, although good footwear with safety soles are a must because I am on my feet all night, walking the aisles in the course of my duty. Two 15 minute coffee breaks, no lunch break, by choice, so that one gets off 1/2 hr earlier and has that bit of extra time at home doing the things they really enjoy, which for me, is horses, gardening, reading, inter-net research and in the last 14 months, this forum.

I too enjoy gardening, i have sculptured my garden so beautifully, it has become my very own eden, i keep koi fish too, and of course there are lots of buddha statues too.
I could quite happily live in a kaftan all my life, but in my job , i have to wear a uniform.

You say you don't eat much food, but you obviously do eat......where do you get most of your food from? Do you prepare most of your meals from scratch? Working in the food industry has really given me a lot to think about as to what actually is 'food'. I do believe we could restructure a lot by eliminating a large percentage of what's in the average supermarket, but that choice must come from the people waking up to an understanding of the relationship between what they eat and their health. By their shopping choices, people have far more power than they may know, as the competitive market responds to these pressures.

I keep fit with my job, and i also cycle to and from my job, which is about 6 miles a day.
i'm very healthy, and i rarely if ever get colds or flu, or ill.
I gave up eating meat, and drinking caffeine, i couldn't believe the difference that made to my energy levels, they have become tireless.
I don't eat junk food, or smoke, or drink too much although i have an occasional glass of wine.
I only drink water, when that is all you drink, it starts to taste like a vintage champagne after awhile, very refreshing, and better for the mind body and soul.

I'm a single girl too, also good for the mind body and soul.


Warm regards LW
mel.
[/QUOTE]

[labelwench]

Thoughts turn into words,
Thence into actions,
And finally into one’s character,
There being a whole spectrum of behavior.

Such is the price of the freedom and opportunity
That is presented by being human.

Originally posted by Austintorn

Words, once spoken, cannot be called back. The good or ill that they are capable of, is unleashed. The energy and potential of words is underestimated.

The strength of words, lies, not in their numbers, but in their meaning.

A few words may convey more than some books.

[labelwench]

That is most interesting Mel, and I thank you for sharing the ways in which you interact with the capitalist system that most of us have been born into, and the excellent ways by which you connect to nature. Were you ever to find yourself in the Yukon, I would hope that you could be my guest, even if you could only stop by long enough to have a glass of the excellent well water to be found on this property.

All who have ever drank the water have remarked on it's quality, as most only know city water, which is usually filtered or treated, depending on where one lives. Have just started a batch of homemade rhubarb wine, which should be drinkable in 6-12 months for anyone planning a trip north, lol...

Regards,

LW

[melanie]

That is most interesting Mel, and I thank you for sharing the ways in which you interact with the capitalist system that most of us have been born into, and the excellent ways by which you connect to nature. Were you ever to find yourself in the Yukon, I would hope that you could be my guest, even if you could only stop by long enough to have a glass of the excellent well water to be found on this property.

All who have ever drank the water have remarked on it's quality, as most only know city water, which is usually filtered or treated, depending on where one lives. Have just started a batch of homemade rhubarb wine, which should be drinkable in 6-12 months for anyone planning a trip north, lol...

Regards,

LW

I understand what you mean about the well water, it must taste absolutely divine,
especially if it is anything like the natural spring water trickling freely in and around the mountains of Scotland.
When i first had a taste of this water, i nearly died of pleasure, and of course i was really thirsty at the time, from all the walking, which made the taste all the more sweet.

Those carbonated fizzy drinks, including those high energy drinks like red bull that are on sale now, are full of yucky sickly chemicals that only make you thirstier , feel sick, and also make you addicted, best to leave them out. We don't need them.

I didn't know that the hotel i work for was the number 1 worlds top hotels, i was just told that at the interview for the job, at the interview i was asked if i knew anything about the ''Marriott brand'' ..?
and i said no, i've never heard of them before in my life, even though the hotel is situated very close to where i live..... how funny that must have sounded, and then i suddenly realised what i'd said, so i then said, well, i'm willing to learn everything there is know about the company.

Anyway, it turns out that they live up to their reputation, they are excellent, and i am very proud to be a representative for their hotel, they also treat their staff like extended family.

I love the place, and the job, no stress, just a winding down little job, where i'm left to get on with it, nobody bothering me, suits me down to the ground.
I have daily interactions with the guests who come from all over the world, lots of celebs too, i love pampering their every whim and need, i treat the place and the people like it was my own home, and in fact that's what it feels like.
That is how i feel when i am there.

Isn't that wonderful.. ?

[labelwench]

I understand what you mean about the well water, it must taste absolutely divine,
especially if it is anything like the natural spring water trickling freely in and around the mountains of Scotland.
When i first had a taste of this water, i nearly dies of pleasure, and of course i was really thirsty at the time, from all the walking.

Those carbonated fizzy drinks, including those high energy drinks like red bull that are on sale now, are full of yucky sickly chemicals that only make you thirstier , feel sick, and also make you addicted, best to leave them out. We don't need them.

I didn't know that the hotel i work for was the number 1 worlds top hotels, i was just told that at the interview for the job, at the interview i was asked if i knew anything about the ''Marriott brand'' ..?
and i said nn, i've never heard of them before in my life, even though the hotel is situated very close to where i live..... how funny that must have sounded, and then i suddenly realised what i'd said, so i then said, well, i'm willing to learn everything there is know about the company.

Anyway, it turns out that they live up to their reputation, they are excellent, and i am very proud to be a represent their hotel, they also treat their staff like extended family.

I love the place, and the job, no stress, just a winding down little job, where i'm left to get on with it, nobody bothering me, suits me down to the ground.
I have daily interactions with the guests who come from all over the world, i love pampering their every whim and need, i treat the place and the people like it was my own home, and in fact that's what it feels like.
that is how i feel when i am there.

Isn't that wonderful.. ?

You paint an awesome picture, Melanie. There are Marriot Hotels in Canada also, and the last time I was in Vancouver, I caught a ride to my hotel on the Marriot Shuttle which serves several of the finer hotels, and obviously a good business move for all concerned, rather than each hotel either running or hiring a separate Shuttle.

The main point that comes forward, is that within the capitalist system, there is great diversity, and people are capable of moving within that framework to find a choice that works for them. The reasons that it may be seen to be failing many persons may well have far more to do with our education system not providing the correct skills and the easy credit which traps people and effectively removes their options of future choice, as they become mired in debt and lose their aspirations and direction.

How the resources and money move within the capitalist system may be the targets to address and restructure, to make opportunities more accessible to all persons. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the work-a-holics will always make a go of something, and as one entrepreneur said, 'The harder I work, the luckier I get'. Yet not everyone desires to follow the same path, nor should they be forced to.

The basics of a simple and safe lifestyle and life-long learning opportunity should an option that all persons are entitled to. Beyond that, if you want to live frugally or extravagantly, the choice should be up to the individual. All must contribute in some manner, as life does not provide a 'free ride' to any species that I have observed, but the manner of that contribution would also be of one's choice. Or so goes the rough draft of one possible option in my mind......Like an artistic quilt, I can envision variations on such a theme, each suited to it's location on the globe and engineered and shaped by the people of each region, with an umbrella organization or several, helping with the logistics and minding the bigger picture, from a point of view of understanding our impact on the planet and working within that understanding to improve the quality of life for all beings.

For myself, working for a corporation that feeds a huge percentage of the population of my country is very actualizing, and working also for a labor organization that negotiates collective agreements to improve the working conditions and wages for it's employees, allows me to see the proactive work that is taking place within many parts of the capitalist system.

There is much that needs improving, yet as you and I can both attest, one may dip their cup into the waters of the system without losing sight of the grounding in nature that we walk on.

You have brought some excellent perspectives forward Melanie. I cannot thank you enough, and I hope that others will also share in similar manner.

Sorry about getting distracted and wordy in the middle of that post, lol.....Your competence shines through in the words you write and the Marriot and all who stay there are most fortunate to have you as 'family'.

Regards,
LW

[melanie]

You paint an awesome picture, Melanie. There are Marriot Hotels in Canada also, and the last time I was in Vancouver, I caught a ride to my hotel on the Marriot Shuttle which serves several of the finer hotels, and obviously a good business move for all concerned, rather than each hotel either running or hiring a separate Shuttle.

That is a typical trait of that company, always eager to please.
Incidentally, when i first stood in the lobby area while i was waiting for my interview, i remember thinking how positive, warm and inviting the place felt, and i remember thinking how much i wanted to work there.
I was up against 4 other people, and as i returned home after the interview, all i could do is mope around and feel really irritable, i just didn't believe they would give the job to me, and i felt so downhearted, because i knew it was the place i'd been dreaming of all my life. I felt that i belonged there.

Anyhow, they did pick me, and well, i haven't stopped smiling since.. I have worked in hotels before in my younger days, but nothing compares to the Marriott.

The main point that comes forward, is that within the capitalist system, there is great diversity, and people are capable of moving within that framework to find a choice that works for them.

I agree.

The reasons that it may be seen to be failing many persons may well have far more to do with our education system not providing the correct skills and the easy credit which traps people and effectively removes their options of future choice, as they become mired in debt and lose their aspirations and direction.

I don't know if it's failing or not, maybe it's just swings and roundabouts when it come to successes and failures within any economic system.
I don't think it has anything to do with education either, because most people i know are self taught in their fields of expertise along with their own natural innate drive for ambition and success.
Take my oldest son for example, he is 28, and had no support from me with his education, and yet is now working as a web designer for '' Virgin Holidays '' a very well paid job indeed, including all the company perks.
He taught himself everything he knows about Information technology and computer programming.

And similar circumstances with my other son who is 26, he is studying 'Geography' at Manchester University, he hopes to find a job in the geo-graphical field.

And then there is my daughter who is 19, she was naturally bright, and was fortunate to get herself a permanent job working for
''The National Trust'' as a receptionist.

I brought these kids up single handed too, so all that rubbish about single parents being one of the main contributors of a bane society is a load of bull.

I just think it's more to do with '' if the face fits'' rather than have you got the necessary skills...? that's just how i see it sometimes.
Perhaps, employers already see what they are looking for, in the way a person carries and presents themselves, i'm not sure.


None of these kids are and have ever been in debt either.

[labelwench]

Hi, Mel. Just heading off to spend time with the horses before I catch my rest, when I saw your post come in.

Your kids are off to a great start, debt-free, and you have my sincere respect as a single parent.

What you say makes very good sense.

I am wondering now, if perhaps the system is not failing people, but that people are failing themselves, by the choices they make at every stage in life.

No system or structure can legislate common sense, and I'm starting to wonder if it's something in the air, food, water, genetics or societal conditioning that is causing people to think that the world owes them a living?

Every other species must succeed within the parameters nature has set for that species. We are the only species that can actually manipulate our habitat to a significant degree, and that manipulation may be part of the problem.

As you have just demonstrated, those with the will, shall succeed. When the going gets tough, the tough get going.....

Nature selects for survivability, among other traits. Those who can adapt shall find their way.

Though I do consider that being born into a society with more resources and options available, as you and I have been, was a circumstance beyond our control.

The world is not fair in how the drama plays out. Yet,that is the nature of nature, and I wonder what outcome shall present...

I shall ponder on these things for a while. Excellent sharing with you.

May there always be fresh water for your glass and love in your heart......

Best,
LW

Catch you up the trail somewhere, before too long....