alanjjohnstone
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For those still interested in the topic of robots, automation and the futurehttp://weeklyworker.co.uk/worker/1094/robots-and-capitalism/
Worth a read about Islamist extremists/moderate resistance on the ground http://www.commondreams.org/views/2016/02/17/obamas-moderate-syrian-deception
I learned a new word today Agnotologyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnotology The study of culturally induced ignorance or doubt…More generally, the term also highlights the increasingly common condition where more knowledge of a subject leaves one more uncertain than before.
I think like recessions , war is unpredictble. No nation i think actually plans for a world wide conflict and always believe they can control and restrict them to limited consequences. …ALB may well be right that this is simply a Russo-Turkish affair…but i'm less confident…NATO has obligations to Turkey …Saudi Arabia is sabre ratling … Israel is hoping for a regional war which they are not directly engaged in…We also have the Ukraine and other Eastern Europeans uttering bellicose threats that may well be a flash-point for yet another front…And who knows how far the Chinese will go…their entry into the Korean War was a miscalculation on the American side…not understanding they were stepping on toes with their giant boots…I recall Protect and Survive of the 80s and we survived…so i'm not one to read crystal balls.
You've made you bed , now lie on it, is a tough message for socialists to give , particularly as we understand the power of ideology, the depth of penetration of ruling class ideas as conveyed by their elaborate mass media and the ineffectiveness of our own tiny propaganda.Every war has been fought on lies and deceit…the third world war will be no different…and to think several years ago people were applauding the peae dividend with the end of the Cold War…i think they should be reminded that some of us didn't fall for the hype and were accused of being negative and pessimists…but socialists get little joy out of saying "we told you so"
Another thing struck me
Quote:The attack was carried out by YPG member Salih Necar, who came in from Syria. Nine people were detained in connection to the attack.” Davutoğlu said Turkish intelligence had established where the militants had crossed into TurkeyThat suggests to me that the Turks were tracking this individual and his group so why didn't they intervene earlier to thwart the attack…i think we have enough experience in Northern Ireland that it is not beyonds the realms of imagination that the bombing was permitted to happen by the the authorities
Once again the cynic in me questions the claims of the Turkish government that the terrorist bomb in Ankara was the work of the Kurds. Firstly, it is very convenient and secondly in the three decades of conflict, the Kurds had never adopted such a strategy…Already the Turks are launching air attacks upon the Kurds. The practice has been more attacking the Turkish military as in the other attack on Turkish army convoy, more targetted, less indiscrimate. The last Ankara bombing was committed by ISIS. I see no reason why it could not be them again to draw Turkey into the war where they would benefit from a Turkish umbrella But of course the intelligence agencies of several nations do not make me privy to the secrets they know so it could be the Kurds or a maverick unit of them. Contrary to the war drawing to a close, i think it is entering a much more dangerous phase of a NATO ally, Turkey, and close regional allies Saudi Arabia becoming directly involved and no longer using the cover of proxy troops. Only a matter of time before they come up against either Russian or Iranian forces…and we have the result of a war escalating because of treaties…But simple speculation on my part…but as valid as any Daily Mail or Guardian writer's opinion.
Hmmm…seems as if LBird has been placed into check…Could it well be check-mate…Game, set and match…Here at the Crucible, there are hushed voices as LBird, surveys the table for a shot that gets him out of the snooker and into safety while the opposition prowl around ready to pounce upon their prey…Can it be all over, or will LBird score in the last seconds of injury time?Oh, this is getting exciting…who said i was a boring old debate…it has everything…high tension…emotion…i'm on tenterhooks for the next post …No idea what it is all about but who cares…it is drama in the making…that i can tell.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/universal-basic-income-policy-under-consideration-by-uk-labour-party-shadow-chancellor-john-a6878856.htmlThe Labour Party is considering proposing a universal basic income that would be paid unconditionally to all citizens. John McDonnell said during a talk at the London School of Economics that the party would not rule out unconditional pay for all members of society.
I was going to post on the robotics thread but since you brought up Paul Mason on this one, you might find his latest article on automation of interest.http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2016/feb/17/automation-may-mean-a-post-work-society-but-we-shouldnt-be-afraid
Another view of the futurehttp://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/02/16/unlikely-critic-says-banks-still-too-big-fail-pose-nuclear-risk-us-economy
Quote:Federal Reserve official Neel Kashkari warns "we won't see the next crisis coming, and it won’t look like what we might be expecting."….Kashkari, who was the 2014 Republican nominee for California governor, also expressed skepticism about whether regulatory tools created in the wake of the bailout "will be useful to policymakers in the…scenario of a stressed economic environment." He said:"Given the massive externalities on Main Street of large bank failures in terms of lost jobs, lost income and lost wealth, no rational policymaker would risk restructuring large firms and forcing losses on creditors and counterparties using the new tools in a risky environment, let alone in a crisis environment like we experienced in 2008. They will be forced to bail out failing institutions—as we were. We were even forced to support large bank mergers, which helped stabilize the immediate crisis, but that we knew would make TBTF worse in the long term. The risks to the U.S. economy and the American people were simply too great not to do whatever we could to prevent a financial collapse."Over-production again?http://www.bbc.com/news/business-35533056
Quote:Wang Shi, founder and chairman of Vanke, the world's largest home builder by sales."It's a real problem," he concedes. "Many cities have an oversupply of housing."…every Chinese city is ringed by empty developments…far too much was built and in the wrong places."In the west, if a city faces financial difficulties, it'll go bankrupt. But in China, cities will be subsidised by the Ministry of Finance. So some small- and medium-sized cities aren't worried about going bankrupt. They figure the central government will help them out."This is an extraordinary assertion from a major Chinese developer: that companies and local governments can spend, safe in the knowledge that Beijing will open its wallet if they run into difficulty. But this free spending by local governments has helped inflate the biggest debt bubble in world history – and it can't go on forever."What, and join those seemingly determined to wreck the forum (and the party) "It is a bit ambiguous but i did imagine in the use of "those", you included those members who have participated in exchanges on the forum.As i said in an earlier post, LBird can be credited of encouraging some members to re-read Marx and Engels and Pannekoek and a host of other authorities to re-visit their interpretation of Marxist philosophy and re-confirm their existing analysis. That can only strengthen the party. We can also now use his contributions to demonstrate the openness and tolerance of the party towards its critics, another positive. And you are are aware if you have followed the thread i'm happy enough for them to debate and discuss to their heart's content but i, myself, was lost on page 1 and readily admitted it without any shame wahtsoever plus i have on more than one occasion questioned the value of the debates to the practical goal of achieving socialism, describing them as pub discourses…when drink gets the better of you and you become fixated upon one particular topic. While i accept there is a time and place for LBird, i also recognise that it should not fill the inbox of forum members day in , day out. I see now Tim also found the term "those" vague and asks for a clarification, so i'm gratified i'm not the only one to misread the possible intent of your message.
Gnome, i believe you have in the past criticised some of those comrades (whose numbers include party officers) for not bothering to visit this forum and sticking with the old Yahoo lists. In fact some don't even bother to use those. If we took a leaf out of their books, this discussion forum would be non-existent and any opportunity other than conference or adm or the ec to call committees or officers to account would disappear entirely. A charge that some members are intent upon wrecking the party is a serious one. I am aware that the line between self-criticism and self-destruction can be a narrow one, but rather than casually throw these charges about , they should be questioned specifically with particulars. I think many are involved in socialist activity, especially online, that goes unnoticed by some in the Party. I know of one member who is the sole voice of sanity in the comments section of the Guardian…and i pretty certain many members read that rag and don't make use of it interactively. And, of course, you know my position that i sometimes (well quite often, in fact) actually raise the issue of inactivity by committees, branches and members and try to gee them into doing stuff. I think you too share that opinion at times even though you also think members in far-off parts of the globe should exercise a more modicum of restraint when it comes to suggestions for others to carry out. Your own branch should be congratulated for its initiatives to remedy the malaise i see existing within the Party. I wish all branches operated with such enthusiasm and determinedness…alas…i am often disappointed. But i don't despair, even if it may seem like i do. We are capable of turning things around…how we do that, well. i am no oracle, but we start as KSRB do…on the street corner making ourselves visible.Spring and Summer is approaching, the possibility of good weather may very well facilitate more open-air activity. But planning and preparing for that begins now with acquiring the pamphlets and books, the banners and posters and a sturdy table and having an appropriate leaflet addressed to your local fellow-workers available to hand out. I was pleased by the proposal from your branch that we have a template (preferably several concentrating on different themes and topics) of leaflets that can be produced at short notice. Thats the way to go…Get the tools available for people to access. Sorry for teaching granny to suck eggs…this post isn't meant to be patronising…just a gentle reminder for those who require a nudge or two.
