when the very rich so controlled

JAB

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Jun 4, 2021, 7:29:19 AM6/4/21

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In 1949, Albert Einstein warned that the time would come "when the
very rich so controlled the means of communication that it would be
almost impossible for ordinary people to make informed decisions and
so democracy would then be broken".

Michael Trew

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Jun 4, 2021, 11:32:38 AM6/4/21

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Sounds like social media to me... at least, the way it is heading.

JAB

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Jun 4, 2021, 1:22:00 PM6/4/21

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On Fri, 04 Jun 2021 11:32:43 -0400, Michael Trew <mt99...@ymail.com>

wrote:

>> In 1949, Albert Einstein warned that the time would come "when the
>> very rich so controlled the means of communication that it would be
>> almost impossible for ordinary people to make informed decisions and
>> so democracy would then be broken".
>>
>
>Sounds like social media to me

Keith Rupert Murdoch and his publications...Fox "News"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert_Murdoch

Sadly, many people can't sort the propaganda out

Eli the Bearded

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Jun 4, 2021, 3:05:31 PM6/4/21

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That's not an exact quote. It wasn't some future he was worried about,
he believed it had already come to pass. Here's his article reprinted:

https://monthlyreview.org/2009/05/01/why-socialism/

This bit is what has been paraphrased into the above "quote":

Private capital tends to become concentrated in few hands, partly
because of competition among the capitalists, and partly because
technological development and the increasing division of labor
encourage the formation of larger units of production at the expense
of smaller ones. The result of these developments is an oligarchy of
private capital the enormous power of which cannot be effectively
checked even by a democratically organized political society. This
is true since the members of legislative bodies are selected by
political parties, largely financed or otherwise influenced by
private capitalists who, for all practical purposes, separate the
electorate from the legislature. The consequence is that the
representatives of the people do not in fact sufficiently protect
the interests of the underprivileged sections of the population.
Moreover, under existing conditions, private capitalists inevitably
control, directly or indirectly, the main sources of information
(press, radio, education). It is thus extremely difficult, and
indeed in most cases quite impossible, for the individual citizen to
come to objective conclusions and to make intelligent use of his
political rights.

Particularly note the bit starting with "Moreover".

I'm not sure I agree with all of the conclusions, but that bit sure
seems spot on.

Elijah
------
"Remember the Maine!"

JAB

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Jun 4, 2021, 9:38:34 PM6/4/21

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On Fri, 4 Jun 2021 19:05:30 +0000 (UTC), Eli the Bearded
<*@eli.users.panix.com> wrote:

>I'm not sure I agree with all of the conclusions

Thanks for digging...I just cited that from a Twitter post...that
person is straight forward, so I suspect he got it from another
source.

He was generalizing...and his comments were valid in his life; but he
was not aware of the IBM PC and related computers, and other factors.
With widespread usage of computers, this knocked out many mom/pop
businesses in automotive, hardware, etc.; now, larger corps are the
top dogs. Computer usage also made it possible for businesses like
Home Depot, Menard, etc., to exist or grow big time. Same in trucking
industry.

JAB

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Jun 5, 2021, 6:32:37 AM6/5/21

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On Fri, 4 Jun 2021 19:05:30 +0000 (UTC), Eli the Bearded
<*@eli.users.panix.com> wrote:

>I'm not sure I agree with all of the conclusions

I suspect one major point of his concern was,

"This crippling of individuals I consider the worst evil of
capitalism. Our whole educational system suffers from this evil"

School curriculum has expanded greatly, and STEM education was not
around, so he was speaking about what he was aware of.

Even today, K-12 education limits what topics will be explored.

I see his objection as an educational system that is intentionally
shaping individuals' perspectives.

Sidebar - Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick (with Lyrics) - We'll make a
man of him, put him to trade teach him to play Monopoly and how to
sing in the rain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MktqwE1Zl-8

He grew up in a time when Karl Marx's thoughts were widespread; I
doubt if he would have the same beliefs if he was around today.

Today, there are more socialist leaning policies in governments and
industries. And his point about industry and government affecting "we
the people" still holds water.

<https://monthlyreview.org/2009/05/01/why-socialism/>