Six on "our" Economy: With His Job Gone, an Autoworker Wonders, ‘What Am I as a Man?’; WaPo Hypes ‘Space Capitalists’—One of

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Six on "our" Economy: With His Job Gone, an Autoworker Wonders, ‘What Am I as a Man?’; WaPo Hypes ‘Space Capitalists’—One of Whom Owns the Paper; Capitalism will eat democracy -- unless we speak up; Elder care homes rake in profits as legions of workers earn a pittance for long hours of care; cultural heritage benefits the rich and powerful above all; Ralph Nader: The Contented Classes Must Rise Up, Too

 With His Job Gone, an Autoworker Wonders, ‘What Am I as a Man?’

With His Job Gone, an Autoworker Wonders, ‘What Am I as a Man?’

With His Job Gone, an Autoworker Wonders, ‘What Am I as a Man?’ Rick Marsh worked in the car plant in Lordstown his entire life. Now that job is gone. What does that mean for h...

WaPo Hypes ‘Space Capitalists’—One of Whom Owns the Paper

“NASA lost its ability to launch humans from US soil when the space shuttle retired,” read a starry-eyed subhead under “Companies in the Cosmos,” a special section of the Washington Post (9/11/18) dedicated to the business of outer space. “Now, companies and billionaire entrepreneurs are defining a new space age.”

“The birthplace of America’s Space Age fell into decay once the shuttle retired,” another Post article (5/16/19) declared. “Now it’s bouncing back, fueled by private industry.”

Therein lies the premise of the Post’s general coverage of space exploration: Businesses can, must and will shepherd the future of the US’s space-exploration program. By parroting the propaganda of an emergent class of “space capitalists,” the Post extols the virtues of the private sector, its repackaged press releases masquerading as inspirational musings on American scientific progress.

Peppered throughout “Companies in the Cosmos” was a series of paeans to spaceflight firms: Boeing, Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin. The last of those four, aptly, is owned by Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and owner, since 2013, of the Washington Post. (The Post consistently discloses Bezos’ ownership in articles related to him, though not when the paper discusses the space business more generally.)

The Post couched these profiles in lofty Kennedy-era bromides about human advancement. Shortly after Bezos peddled a Blue Origin Moon lander earlier this month, his newspaper (5/9/19) exulted in his presentation:

He made an emotional case for humanity to expand out into the cosmos, a passion he has held since he was a child and has called the most important work he is doing today.

A profile on Chris Ferguson (7/24/18), a test pilot for Boeing commercial spacecraft, asserted that Boeing seeks to make space “more accessible to civilians,” while a similar proclamation (8/14/18) was made for SpaceX, which allegedly seeks to “make space accessible to large numbers of people.”

The “accessibility” narrative translates to the lucrative prospect of space tourism—which the Postdepicts as an unstoppable innovation. In 2017, the Post (12/15/17) published Blue Origin’s “released footage” from inside a Texas crew capsule it planned to use to launch tourists into space. Last summer, the Post (8/14/18) invited readers to take an “inside view” of a SpaceX rocket factory intended to send private citizens into space; whimsically, the paper likened it to Willy Wonka’s factory, touting its “sleek” spacesuits and the enthusiasm of NASA astronauts “decked out in matching SpaceX T-shirts."

https://fair.org/home/wapo-hypes-space-capitalists-one-of-whom-owns-the-paper/

Capitalism will eat democracy -- unless we speak up | Yanis Varoufakis

Capitalism will eat democracy -- unless we speak up | Yanis Varoufakis

Capitalism will eat democracy -- unless we speak up | Yanis Varoufakis Have you wondered why politicians aren't what they used to be, why governments seem unable to solve real problem...

Elder care homes rake in profits as legions of workers earn a pittance for long hours of care

"These are the caregivers working in board-and-care homes across the United States. Many are poor immigrants earning about $2 to $3.50 an hour to work arduous hours, while their employers earn healthy profits from their labor."

Elder care homes rake in profits as legions of workers earn a pittance for long hours of care

Elder care homes rake in profits as legions of workers earn a pittance f... For facilities that are violating wage laws, profit margins hinge on the widespread exploitation of thousands of...

Why cultural heritage benefits the rich and powerful above all

"Cultural heritage is an ideal imposed from above. It’s time to listen to what communities value about their own histories"

Why cultural heritage benefits the rich and powerful above all – Michael Press | Aeon Essays

Why cultural heritage benefits the rich and powerful above all – Michael... Cultural heritage is an ideal imposed from above. It’s time to listen to what communities value about their own ...

Ralph Nader: The Contented Classes Must Rise Up, Too

"For all the rhetoric and all the charities regarding America’s children, the U.S. stands at the very bottom of western nations and some other countries as well, in terms of youth well-being. The U.S.’s exceptionalism is clearest in its cruelty to children. The U.S. has the highest infant mortality rate of comparable OECD countries. Not only that, but 2.5 million American children are homeless and 16.2 million children “lack the means to get enough nutritious food on a regular basis.”

The U.S. Is the Most Dangerous Wealthy Nation for Your Child to Be Born The U.S. could have spared 600,000 lives if it kept pace with other wealthy nations, a study finds.

6 startling facts about child hunger in the U.S. -- and how you can help Katie Dupere Whether you realize it or not, this is an issue in your community, too.

The shamelessness continues as the youngsters increase in age. The Trump regime is cutting the SNAP food program for poor kids. In 2018, fewer children were enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP than in 2017. To see just how bad Trump’s war on poor American children is getting, go to the web sites of the Children’s Defense Fund  and the Children’s Advocacy Center.

Home - Children's Defense Fund What We Do How we’re working to give every child what they need to thrive and become successful adults. ...

Trump brags about a robust economy—still, however, rooted in exploitation of the poor and reckless Wall Street speculation with people’s savings.

“Until the contented classes wake up and organize for change, history has shown, our country will continue to slide in the wrong direction.”

Ralph Nader: The Contented Classes Must Rise Up, Too

Ralph Nader: The Contented Classes Must Rise Up, Too Ilana Novick For all the rhetoric and all the charities regarding America’s children, the U.S. stands at the very bottom of w...