Why Facebook and Google+ are headed in opposite directions

[Islandman]

Put me on record as being against gross inequality. We ultimately measure ourselves against others and even if we are doing better in absolute terms, it won't feel that way if inequality keeps growing.

What i am against is doing that at the expense of continued long term growth and expansion. What we want ideally is for policies that encourage continued investment and wealth creation which have also an increase in working class wages as a side effect. That sounds like education and other social upliftment programs to me. An uneducated workforce is not equipped to achieve that no matter what the intent of the owners of capital is.

I am very interested in the New York Governor / NYC Mayor debate on how to achieve that.

[Islandman]

They made that argument , but it was as false as all the other arguments justifying slavery like "the bible says so" and "the negroes are happy".

Slavery did not make us better off, it made the elites better off, and slavery did not start in the New World. It had been about since the beginning of recorded history, probably before. I just do not get this idea that modern capitalism created slavery. Yes it did expand it, and it eventually ended it so I don't know what to conclude from all that.

[Islandman]

That's the biotech company? No I don't know much about them, but will do some research.

[Islandman]

Gentlemen, good debate as always. This is what makes the forum great, diverse views being presented with mutual respect on all sides.

[Peter R]

Why single out Monsanto? They are the company people love to hate. My beef with them is not necessarily their GMO food as much as the negative impact they have had on POOR farmers because of their , IMO, bogus patent that FORCE POOR (and rich ones too) farmers to buy their products... in cahoots with elected governments.

I said why single out Monsanto... automobile manufacturers certainly killed some industries while creating another... and we (I included) turn a blind eye to the devastation to the landscape (roadways etc.) and to the qulity of the air because we love our cars...

Anyway, I may have strayed off the thread topic... just had to get some of that off my chest!

[Peter R]

Here's an interesting article:
http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/21...-is-killing-us

[Islandman]

This is a viewpoint I have heard before, that we don't need economic growth just redistribution of the wealth that already exists.

While true in theory, I just think that it is impractical to achieve in the world with major unintended consequences. Humans by nature want to have a better life , even if they are already living much better than their parents and grandparents did.

[Islandman]

No, very relevant.

I am still undecided about GMO food but with regards to patents, there is no doubt in my mind that the system is broken. It was not designed to deal with the type of intellectual property we have today and so patents are fast becoming more or a liability than an asset.

The type of patent claims being made these days are just out of control.

[Karl]

Super SPYS!

...or mind control entities? ...or 'do all the good you do' outweigh the bad?

Hey! Hey! Hey! Heeeeey? Heeeeey? Heeeeey?

[Don1]

ok boss