TheBaronOfFratton

Probably because I've thought of it as more of a curse than a blessing most of the time . The majority of what I read or see even if its just once and no matter how long ago it was, I remember it in a startling way. Some are ever creeped out by some of it. I remember what pages many words are on the dictionary for goodness sakes . Over time, I've even subconsciously tried to not pay too much attention to things as a defense mechanism. I've found ways to make it useful. When there's some scene in a book I want to read again, it is pretty convenient to already know what page its on anyway. Speaking of product placement, I also can't help but notice that they aren't too subtle with the vehicles either seeing as how every vehicle just happens to be the brand of their sponsor . As to the Behati thing though, it is true that I can't imagine I've even t any of the rest of them

pulling it off. Seeing as how none of them are household names, I'd imagine that the writers, producers ect. could have determined this from just being around all of them for just a few moment .

Good to know that all that time spent travelling hasn't meant you forgot the correct little-finger/pinkie etiquette when holding aloft a cup of tea back in dear old Blighty...

^Whatever works! It's hard to distance oneself from what was, ultimately, a happy and edifying childhood - financially and morally - despite the overarching politics of Argentina at that time. In my microcosm socialism was a positive and effective theory - there was no 'us' and 'them'.

The thing with the bulk of people is that their morality and self-interest are identical, and it's difficult for some people to even consider the fact that their view of reality can have serious deficits as they are human & mostly ignorant in the end, after all. That's what I was addressing. Our line of sight is limited to what we know.

What I'm saying is that the 'real economy' is too complex for any political or economic theory, and even these that are en vogue in various countries are severely flawed and meant mainly as a system to organize information and guide people's decisions. Theory is not very useful by itself. People are taking theories, rhetoric, and the 'credentialed' that peddle them too seriously (defer to the title), and not really vetting information at all.

You only get a feel for a place by living in it, performing activities in it, studying it everyday for years..(through experience, scholarship, etc.)

^Whatever I may have gleaned of this is (sadly and to my shame) solely down to US movies such as - and principally - On The Waterfront! But then Argentina (and the UK) is not so diametrically opposed to Marxist concepts. We didn't suffer Cold-War hysteria or consider such principles as somehow 'Un-Argentino'.

Marxism social/psychological concepts are anti-business and anti-christian, so this is automatically opposed by certain demographics, particularly areas in the US where the government is seemed as more as hindrance/parasite for special interests.. than a help.

Marxist economic concepts are largely rejected worldwide, even in academia, Baron. It's outdated and describes a world that doesn't exist anymore. After reading Marx, and looking at the world socialist medias during the 'Occupy Wall Street' thingy, I realized this. So Keynesian policymaking replaced Marxism for American liberals.

^Strangely, I see that more as fostering a familial atmosphere as opposed to stifling mobility. There still exists many large UK companies - such as Cadbury and John Lewis - that were built on Marxist ideology and "looking after" it's employees. They even still have heavily subsidised holiday resorts exclusively for their staff, I happened to work for one when I was learning to chef.

What you are describing here is a corporate propaganda system aimed at securing long term wage laborers so they would not re-tool themselves for better jobs elsewhere or create their own jobs....the 'mobility' they have is firm-specific, not so much between firms.

In more turbulent industries.. Balance sheets won't re-align, and cash flow won't be net positive if the markets and governments don't need your production anymore;) I believe that the American general public does understand the reality of the business cycle and understand the fact that you can't rely on government or your employer to take care of you. That's why we have defined contribution plans.

What I was saying, Baron, is that businesses aren't purely organized around labor as a factor of production (this is what Marx/socialists focus on), and certain businesses (like service businesses, like a law firm for instance) value labor more than others (like farming or manufacturing). So there's no inherent morality linked to a solvent and profitable firm unless the morality/justice is necessary to attract workers at the bare minimum of costs.

And about the polyglot German-( His business, of which we did an appraisal for, was a corporation that operated art & film retail stores in the US/Canada. ) it's a personal experience and a brief friendship that still bears mysteries to me as I never really figured him out as to why he had a deep hatred of Americans, British, and Canadians, and why he felt that the German people were being 'corrupted' by Americanization. To him, he felt that 'the West' was composed of people who did not know how to live, and thus were Sub-human.

So he lived in Cuba for many years, and considered Cuban life and Cuban people to be 'superior', even though they were many times poorer. He told me of their work habits, their education/health care system, and their lifestyles.

He is a socialist, and in my discussions with him it was apparent to me that he emphasized philosophical/spiritual/ cultural and psychological development above all things, even the material. So for him, a socialist is content with being poor as long as they have large sums of free time to spend in entertaining intellectual activity and friends/family. This is certainly something that some would call 'un-american (left and right) '..and kind of Buddhist in a way, actually..

I found him to be eccentric and unpredictable in his beliefs, but in a good way as he had his own complicated reasons for them. But still, I found a lot of it rather opinionated.

I am still in the dark about 'the socialist' and what 'living under socialism' really means. That's why I've been asking you...

Speaking of product placement, I also can't help but notice that they aren't too subtle with the vehicles either seeing as how every vehicle just happens to be the brand of their sponsor .

Saw this the other day and thought you might enjoy it

I am still in the dark about 'the socialist' and what 'living under socialism' really means. That's why I've been asking you...

Of course I'm aware that there's a 'corporate propaganda system' because I'm not intellectually a moron, and I'm not naive enough to assume even Leftist-appearing companies are doing all this out of altruism - but I'd hardly relate my experiences to witnessing the subjugation of workers, or hoodwinking simple serfs! Nor am I of the opinion that the pursuit of Mammon is the sole route to a successful life...

It's just a general care about your fellow worker, that he's not being exploited, and that things are in place if something should befall him, and that he's provided for when his working days are through - it's only marginally verging on Buddhism!

I appreciate that this is management/politicking in microcosm - and that the worldwide economy may have different wants and needs - but I think that Socialist parties the World over appreciate and understand this far more than me and adjust as best they can (whilst, inevitably putting their own interests to the fore <_< ).

Don't you find the 'socialist man' something that's out of reach for the average person? It, by nature, is for the person with above-average aptitude and intellectual initiative. He would have to spend years in meditation and scholarship. Have you heard of the essay " The Economic possibilities for our Grandchildren"? This hopeful but absurd essay had the Keynes imagining a world where people worked 20 hours a week.

http://www.econ.yale...16a/keynes1.pdf

The hard part of this is the 'practical side'..The fact of the matter is, markets are far less static and far more service oriented in rich countries than they were 150 years ago, and are more and more volatile as wealth is created. So this requires a type of person that cannot possibly be bohemian. It requires esoteric man..Essentially, a generation of people cannot choose the strategic circumstances that they find themselves in, as it had been deemed by efforts past. Changes in lifestyle can only be incremental and evolutionary- whether for better or worse.

^I do roundabout get what you're aiming for, but even under "socialist" governments in both Argentina and the UK it's hardly the Marxist ideal. As I don't need to tell you, most parties align themselves as close to centralist as they can. That said, I sense an antipathy to these principles - I'm not wishing for Maoist China!

The problem I have with Marxism as a political instrument is that it's an intellectual ideal that operates around in the mind...rather being subordinated to practical considerations. Note the obvious lack of business and financial markets knowledge that is obvious in marxian and socialist commentary. It also resembles an interest group lever when it is deployed in politics.

So I find that pure libertarians and socialists think much alike, as they see only the consequences of power through distorted lens and, at the same time, have no ability to see the operation of the actual machinery. The thinking is misapplied. Essentially, they don't really understand what it takes to produce economic development. This must be the prerequisite of the social.

Of course I'm aware that there's a 'corporate propaganda system' because I'm not intellectually a moron, and I'm not naive enough to assume even Leftist-appearing companies are doing all this out of altruism - but I'd hardly relate my experiences to witnessing the subjugation of workers, or hoodwinking simple serfs! Nor am I of the opinion that the pursuit of Mammon is the sole route to a successful life...

What you witnessed is something that is more common among established firms, often with a corporatist-government relation, low cost of capital, and deep pockets. For the other >99% of firms in the US (for example), such a luxury is not possible. The top 1,900 firms in the US are half of the economy and give benefits. How about the other 99% + of registered businesses? It's a different situation.

I also think that working for the University or a Hospital or government can distort one's grasp of the overall economy as it similarly operates in a protected position. This is in stark contrast to how hard it is in the competitive marketplace, where most businesses don't even last three-five years and owners go bankrupt.

It's just a general care about your fellow worker, that he's not being exploited, and that things are in place if something should befall him, and that he's provided for when his working days are through - it's only marginally verging on Buddhism!

Exploitation is a very 'fuzzy' marxian concept. Yes, it's about the fair share, and the top management team is probably not worth 30 million a year and making 400 times their average worker's salary. But then again, isn't one already advantaged to be working for a big, established and government subsidized firm like, for instance, a national energy company vs. working all day for a small business person while being insolvent in a harsh market? So that's an 'unfair' advantage, and metrics should be adjusted...! :neo2: all of this is fuzzy numbers..

I appreciate that this is management/politicking in microcosm - and that the worldwide economy may have different wants and needs - but I think that Socialist parties the World over appreciate and understand this far more than me and adjust as best they can (whilst, inevitably putting their own interests to the fore <_< ).

Aren't the socialist parties just helping out a minority segment of the population, and at the expense of the rest? You see my view? If the goal of a government is to help produce the richest and most civilized country on earth, then where does this fall in...!

That's another mystery of mine- having had many political conversations, I find European politics from the Nordic, UK, German, Belgium, and French perspective to be obviously left of the American and aligned with the old cliches' of Democrats. There are differences between our countries, but the differences are incremental and adjusted to taste. It's the rhetoric and BS that is most different. They are sold different BS than the BS Americans eat up.

I once had, Rofl, a conversation with a French IT guy, who wanted the government to regulate...wages! In his mind, business owners are monopoly men with top hats and monocles..and "labor and capital" (marxian way of thinking) is separate, rather than being one and the same, which is the key attribute of the American lower-upper/ upper-middle class.

A british person once told me that Barack Obama is not a left winger by their standards, but a capital C conservative..

From that respect, the 'right wing' USA is not as awful as it seems when the fog created by all the political nonsense is removed. We can have the most violent and philosophically decrepit politics but have an incrementally better financial position............

So would you say that Argentinians think about politics like British or French people?

With the German, I found an intense belief in 'historicism'...as with the Marxists, they, instead of taking a few lessons from history.....believe that history & the Marxian cycles repeats itself much more aggressively and thus the future is 'known'. In their literature, they feel no qualms about comparing situations that occurred 200 years ago or on another continent entirely..!

------------

Anyway..about being more environmentally & internally aware than most...it is indeed an individual's life advantage but suboptimal if the whole of society is privy to these abilities and knowledge. It is often necessary to prevent the poor and/or less powerful (either physically or mentally or in terms of self-determination) from completely confronting the rich.

So a tax base of people can be the most prosperous in the world, and, by extension of that...have the most power over the direction of their lives and the lives of other people... but, at the same time, not have the highest cultural level and standards of general intellect, consciousness, and humanity.

Greetings dearest Baron. How is Fratton?

Don't you find the 'socialist man' something that's out of reach for the average person? It, by nature, is for the person with above-average aptitude and intellectual initiative.

So I find that pure libertarians and socialists think much alike, as they see only the consequences of power through distorted lens and, at the same time, have no ability to see the operation of the actual machinery. The thinking is misapplied. Essentially, they don't really understand what it takes to produce economic development. This must be the prerequisite of the social.

Exploitation is a very 'fuzzy' marxian concept. Yes, it's about the fair share, and the top management team is probably not worth 30 million a year and making 400 times their average worker's salary. But then again, isn't one already advantaged to be working for a big, established and government subsidized firm like, for instance, a national energy company vs. working all day for a small business person while being insolvent in a harsh market? So that's an 'unfair' advantage, and metrics should be adjusted...! :neo2: all of this is fuzzy numbers..

Aren't the socialist parties just helping out a minority segment of the population, and at the expense of the rest? You see my view? If the goal of a government is to help produce the richest and most civilized country on earth, then where does this fall in...!

Covered in snow too Baron? Its like living in a snowglobe where I'm at If you don't mind me asking, where do you live?

Covered in snow too Baron? Its like living in a snowglobe where I'm at If you don't mind me asking, where do you live?

^ Looks like I need to purchase a plane ticket then. Don't forget to bring a few Hors d'oeuvres though

^Well it is Burns' Night Friday - and there's no finer accompaniment to this 'Great chieftain o' the puddin-race' than a dram of whisky...

Looks aren't everything, I suppose...

Otherwise the only thing that compliments a whisky is a cigar (or a semi-naked lady of your choice writhing on your lap).

^ Looks might not be everything but as some would say "you eat with your eyes fist" and from the looks of the above...I'm crying at the moment

But I shall take up your offer of a lovely lady writhing on my lap...you can probably guess who that might be already

Otherwise the only thing that compliments a whisky is a cigar (or a semi-naked lady of your choice writhing on your lap).

A'ternoon Baron! I was curious as to your thoughts on this tune?

But I shall take up your offer of a lovely lady writhing on my lap...you can probably guess who that might be already

^Absolutely. Single Malt all the way! I save the blends for cocktails and visitors I don't care for, so behave yourself if you visit...