Zardnaar
Deity
As some of you know I tend to look at big picture stuff and historical patterns. Current issues like the culture war, Trump etc to me are distractions the underlying cause has not been addressed or recognized.
This thread is that. Where do the current world's problems originate from? One could argue since the industrial revolution or even settling down so I will nail I down to reasonably recent times.
That is the 1970's. The distrust and the seeds of the current generations problems were down then although you could argue the cause and effect was the 1960's as well but the changes date from the 70's.
The catalyst was the Vietnam war. The distrust of the modern US government dated from that era, one can look at vaccine pushes in the early 60's for example. A lot if right ring militia types date from returning disillusioned Vietnam vets.
The 70's also have the stagflation and economic problems. The push effect which lead to the 80's. Modern neo liberalism theory was cooked up in the mid 70's which lead the Reagan, Thatcher etc in the 80's.
Finally the other cause was related to the Vietnam War and the rise of the finance sector. Nixon in 71 started deregulation that dated from post 1929.
In effect it was the start if reversing the positive effects of the New deal and post WW2 economic prosperity and a return to the deregulated 1920's.
The rise of the finance sector also coincides with the end of empire for the UK and the establishment of offshore tax havens with links to London. Without those links and reputations no one's gonna hide there money in banana republics. Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, Jersey they're "British" enough.
They did this to funnel money to New York and London to prop up the dollar and pound to finance the Vietnam War. Doesn't matter if the money is dirty via drug trade or crappy regimes in Africa.
Of course the finance sector doesn't really produce anything, manufacturing can be outsourced, labour can be imported. The economy as such is held up by shuffling money around to lend out to others wash rinse repeat. Essentially gambling with very little consequence if you screw it up.
So there you go. @red_elk the Soviet Union for the cost of a few MiGs and other weapons in effect defeated the western middle class. Of course Russia's resources are hiding in tax free offshore accounts probably in the Caribbean, Switzerland, and London. Urrah Putin and Co. Of course the Soviets also defeated themselves as well so there is that.
The powers that be are the bankers and accountants in the finance sector along with their paid political stooges and propped up autocrats. The right are 100% compromised the left not as much but there's only so much they can do even if they win election.
Which they're not that good at. Pretty much everything is tied back to that unregulated greed. Climate change, Fox news, the rise in extremism due to economic disparity.
Doesn't really matter if you're in liberal little NZ, "evil" USA or autocratic crappy regimes in Russia, China or even North Korea. They all use the finance sector to hide money.
This thread is that. Where do the current world's problems originate from? One could argue since the industrial revolution or even settling down so I will nail I down to reasonably recent times.
That is the 1970's. The distrust and the seeds of the current generations problems were down then although you could argue the cause and effect was the 1960's as well but the changes date from the 70's.
The catalyst was the Vietnam war. The distrust of the modern US government dated from that era, one can look at vaccine pushes in the early 60's for example. A lot if right ring militia types date from returning disillusioned Vietnam vets.
The 70's also have the stagflation and economic problems. The push effect which lead to the 80's. Modern neo liberalism theory was cooked up in the mid 70's which lead the Reagan, Thatcher etc in the 80's.
Finally the other cause was related to the Vietnam War and the rise of the finance sector. Nixon in 71 started deregulation that dated from post 1929.
In effect it was the start if reversing the positive effects of the New deal and post WW2 economic prosperity and a return to the deregulated 1920's.
The rise of the finance sector also coincides with the end of empire for the UK and the establishment of offshore tax havens with links to London. Without those links and reputations no one's gonna hide there money in banana republics. Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, Jersey they're "British" enough.
They did this to funnel money to New York and London to prop up the dollar and pound to finance the Vietnam War. Doesn't matter if the money is dirty via drug trade or crappy regimes in Africa.
Of course the finance sector doesn't really produce anything, manufacturing can be outsourced, labour can be imported. The economy as such is held up by shuffling money around to lend out to others wash rinse repeat. Essentially gambling with very little consequence if you screw it up.
So there you go. @red_elk the Soviet Union for the cost of a few MiGs and other weapons in effect defeated the western middle class. Of course Russia's resources are hiding in tax free offshore accounts probably in the Caribbean, Switzerland, and London. Urrah Putin and Co. Of course the Soviets also defeated themselves as well so there is that.
The powers that be are the bankers and accountants in the finance sector along with their paid political stooges and propped up autocrats. The right are 100% compromised the left not as much but there's only so much they can do even if they win election.
Which they're not that good at. Pretty much everything is tied back to that unregulated greed. Climate change, Fox news, the rise in extremism due to economic disparity.
Doesn't really matter if you're in liberal little NZ, "evil" USA or autocratic crappy regimes in Russia, China or even North Korea. They all use the finance sector to hide money.