Bernie tells it like it is!

[634-5789]

[Emile]

1. Amen Bernie! Predatory Capitalism

[George II]

4. "These oil company executives need to swing from trees." ?? When did lynching become a solution....

....except for back when.....

[Wednesdays]

21. Maybe he meant this?

[Keket]

10. We don't need to lynch anyone

We just need to seize their ill gotten assets, nationalize their companies and prosecute them for their crimes against the planet and humanity.

Keket
You can be a good person or you can be a Republican. You can't be both.

[Evolve Dammit]

19. Well said. Welcome!

[aggiesal]

30. Mutually exclusive ...

Welcome to DU.
The members in this forum are really smart and have an unbelievably funny sense of humor.

Enjoy your stay

[Bear Creek]

36. Good Luck

They won't arrest themselves. To many politicians in their pockets on both sides of the aisle.

[George II]

69. Excellent response............................and welcome!

[JohnSJ]

3. NO Bernie, there is inflation. It is about supply and demand, which were hurt from the shortages

created by the pandemic and the trade wars that trump thought were a good idea.

Some may not recall, but your time on "Brunch with Bernie", hosted by Thom Hartman, you were pushing the same tariff and trade war policies as trump.

You are NOT an economist Bernie, and I will take Paul Krugman who has a Nobel Prize for his contributions to New Trade Theory and New Economic Geography anytime.

You also don't care for capitalism, but capitalism creates progress in every field. The caveat is that capitalism MUST have regulation, and that is what separates Democrats from republicans economically.

The increase of gas prices is also because of supply and demand. Americans have gotten back to driving more as the pandemic has moderated, and a combination of domestic supply interuptions and trouble in energy markets overseas, and the Ukraine uncertainty have made crude oil more expensive.

The Ukraine situation has made energy prices much more expensive recently.

I am so thankful that President Biden is at the Helm during these troubled tiems

[betsuni]

5. [phone]

[DanieRains]

9. F Capitalism Our Planet Is Being Destroyed For Profit

We can't address global warming unless the billionaires who promote it and profit from it make more money. There has to be an economic solution. Make the poor who aren't killed pay, like always.

Capitalism killed the Earth.

Tax The Rich.

1% Of the world's population has $150 Trillion in wealth.

Take it and fix the planet. Now. Leave them a few billion to live off.

[Keket]

16. Leave them nothing to live off of and instead throw them in prison.

[JohnSJ]

23. No. The planet is being destroyed by autocrats. Capitalism has not "killed the earth.

The solution to global warming will be helped by Capitalism.

A lot of money is being invested right now to address this situation, but Congress needs to pass critical legislation to make it happen.

The effort must be global though, or it will fail.

65 percent of the world’s carbon pollution comes from the developing worlld.

The election of trump was major disaster for addressing the climate crisis, and put us very much behind. He undid all the progress that the Obama administration had made, and would have been continued by a Democratic President. Unfortunately that didn't happen.

That key members of the Sanders staff, David Sirota, Nina Turner, Brihana Joy Gray, etc., not only refused to vote for Hillary in the GENERAL ELECTION in 2016, but encouraged others to do likewise, was extremely counter-productive to the fight against climate change.

As John Kerry has pointed out, it will be the private sector where technological breakthroughs in areas such as battery storage, green hydrogen, direct air carbon capture, etc. will help lead us achieve net-zero emissions.

That is why climate action from the governments will also need to be complemented by the private sector.

[Mysterian]

41. Capitalism requires continued growth

which is obviously unsustainable.

[JohnSJ]

49. That is why you have regulations to control abuse, and that is what distinguishes Democrats from

republicans economically, who don’t want any regulations

[Magoo48]

48. Extraction/Vulture capitalism leads to a dystopian future and nowhere else.

The GDP, how we measure our capitalist economy. leads to a Climate Catastrophe and nowhere else.

Our society’s acceptance of the morbidly rich, billionaires, and their greed as a pathway to be admired leads to the finish line of the sixth major extinction. We are at this moment headed for environmental calamity of unimaginable proportions.

I say these things with confidence after listening to the latest, best available science for the past 50 years and after experiencing the heartbreaking imbalance between active environmentalism and the forces of capitalism and corporate greed.

[JohnSJ]

50. That is why you need regulation, and that is the difference between Democrats and republicans.

If we campaigned on an anti-capitalistic platform, that would go over as well as the defund the police slogan

[Justice matters.]

66. But according to "Reganomics" and Right-Wing "ideology" regulations kill "motivation"

thus, economic growth (because the sky is the limit according to them, but facts are, it is not: resources are limited).

Get a 0% growth, and you'll have Wall Street whining to the Press and Sundays shows... and the Manchin+Sinema types will block "regulations" because they're bought and paid for (in passing the Climate provisions in the Biden agenda without the damn filibuster to begin with).

Brazil's rain forest is disappearing gradually each year because, capitalist growth.

Then we have phony engagements at each new Climate Summits since 1992: Not only the targetted reductions were never met, they only kept growing exponentially!

Wash, rince, repeat...

CH4 (Methane) can be up to 30 times CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) Heat Capture

[betsuni]

62. +1

[qazplm135]

91. what replaces capitalism?

Be specific.

When folks say fix capitalism, I understand what they mean, increased minimum wage, decreased pay to executives, raised taxes, making sure corporations and the rich pay a minimum tax. Stuff like that.

When people say fuck capitalism or effectively get rid of it, I never see a suitable replacement proposed.

[DanieRains]

98. Stewardship To Replace Capitalism

Every product is charged a carbon methane tax to be spent on fixing the mess. Trees. Sequestration. Offsets.

Can be done.

[qazplm135]

101. how does that replace capitalism

it's just a tax on stuff. capitalism already allows for taxation.

[mountain grammy]

11. Wow So easy to take corporate greed

Off the table.

[zanana1]

14. You can never underestimate corporate greed.

[Emile]

18. Most economists blow smoke up our asses to cover up corporate greed.

[Justice matters.]

24. Jack up prices, buy back stock, pay yourself a gazillion in bonus.

How many more billions does a already billionaire need to live a decent life?

Oh, and don't bother yourself with Greenhouse Gas emissions about to bring the Sixth Great Extinction.

We'll be dead when 7 billion people will starve to death (and animals too, who cares, uh uh...).

[azureblue]

28. Price fluctuation

is dependent on whatever the oil companies say it is. They have a record of using the flimsiest of excuses to raise gas prices. For a product that the nation depends on, the prices should be regulated. I mean it is stupid that gas prices go up and down on a daily basis.. Come on, who do they think they are fooling?

I remember during the Bush years, when gas prices were going up - the oil companies believed now that they had one of their own as VP, they could do what they wanted to.

[Bettie]

80. But, the billionaires will be fine!

And really, that's all we should care about, right?

I mean, wouldn't want them to only make a small amount more than last year when they can make exponentially more every year simply by gouging the customers!

When will someone think of the billionaires?

[Bear Creek]

37. Actually

There is no free trade. Everything is owned by small percent of people and they are price gouging. There is something that can be done. It was used decades ago in this country, it is price freezing.

[TomWilm]

39. ... find a better opponent than Krugman.

Since I am against globalization and free trade, and do not like sweatshops.
But adore rent control, decent living wages and other labor market regulation.
I am with Bernie on this, and not Krugman. Easy choice!

BTW: Nobel Price? I had my hand in a couple of those too. Given to "campaigns" where I worked, that is .

[Grasswire2]

43. Bernie doesn't care for capitalism?

That's kind of a weird statement.

[Cha]

45. Yes, Thank Goodness We have Joe

Biden as our President!

Thank you!

[Pepsidog]

47. Did Krugman who I respect speak about gas prices lately? If so, what's his take on prices?

[JohnSJ]

61. I heard him on Bloomberg, where he was talking about interest rates, which he believes needs

to be increased, because inflation is here, and things need to be slowed down.

I just look at the car market. You have consumers willing to pay over MSRP, because of dealer mark-ups. Demand exceeds supply

Depending on what happen in Ukraine, it can get worse with energy prices. Hopefully that will get resolved peacefully, and most unbiased economists believe by the end of the year inflation should start getting better

[Pepsidog]

64. Thanks. I went with my son to buy a new car and the salesman words I thought

I would never hear from a new car salesman was wait to buy, there was little inventory and everything was over priced. Crazy.

[uponit7771]

72. Krugman agrees with Sanders (link)

https://mobile.twitter.com/RBReich/status/1494027766957678597

[questionseverything]

78. Ty for ingesting some truth into the conversation

But you know

Krugman will now be tossed to the wolves

[Pepsidog]

79. Thank you.

[Budi]

56. K & R...JohnSJ. Truth, whether it wants to be heard or not.

Thanks
About time the truth is allowed.

[uponit7771]

71. Krugman agrees with Sanders

https://mobile.twitter.com/RBReich/status/1494027766957678597

[betsuni]

76. How does a link to Robert Reich mean Krugman agrees with Sanders?

[uponit7771]

77. well shit, he agrees with Sanders too (link inside)

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FJJ-nSsWUAAJODa?format=png&name=900x900

[betsuni]

86. Still don't understand what Reich has to do with Krugman.

Where does Krugman say that the problem isn't inflation, it's corporate greed?

[uponit7771]

87. Here, I posted his point in the graph

Link to tweet

[betsuni]

88. Sorry, I don't get it. All I see is a graph and nothing about Krugman.

[uponit7771]

89. Edited Grugman's thread on corporate greed

Link to tweet

[betsuni]

93. Krugman doesn't agree that "The problem is not inflation. The problem is corporate greed..."

as Bernie says. Krugman says that monopoly (corporate greed) is not a major reason the acceleration of inflation nor would a crackdown on monopoly do a lot to bring inflation down.

Nobody is saying there's no corporate greed. It's just not the cause of inflation. Krugman thinks if Biden's primary inflation-fighting strategy was to attack corporate greed, it would be a problem, but it isn't his primary strategy. Bernie's is because he thinks corporate greed causes inflation.

[uponit7771]

95. Link to my response, no one is saying inflation is a factor just not the onus and the profit ...

... ***MARGIN*** charts bare this out

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=16364001

[questionseverything]

97. So you think krugman doesn't have a problem with monopolies?

Bernie is talking specifically about the price of oil/ fuel and the obscene profits the 4 or 5 big players are making while raping us with inflated prices.

[betsuni]

100. "1. Monopoly is a real issue and problem in the U.S. economy. 2. It is not, however, a major

reason for the acceleration of inflation in 2021, nor can a crackdown on monopoly do a lot to bring inflation down."

That's what Krugman said. I don't understand your question.

[sheshe2]

106. Brava.

Thank you. Great sub thread.

[betsuni]

111. Have no idea what ***MARGIN*** charts, a graph and onus or whatever are about

and why Krugman has to turn into Reich.

[c-rational]

90. Excellent points and I am also a long time fan of Paul Krugman. And while I agree with your

post, I can also recommend the OP. I do believe Bernie has valid points. My wish is for all parties on our side act cohesively for the best impact.

[Farmer-Rick]

6. Monopolies can set their prices at anything they want

There are just a handful of oil and gas corporations that sell in the US. Yeah, some of those you think are a different companies, really aren't. And they have cartels where they agree to the price of a barrel of oil....you know, we call it price fixing. Also the Koch Bros restrict processing facilities. So all up and down the line gas and oil corporations up the price while governments do Nothing.

This is all so we can pay the filthy rich. Aren't you glad they have you over a barrel?

[LT Barclay]

7. And part of that collusion is trying to show their

displeasure with Biden by hurting people in their pocketbooks

[Farmer-Rick]

12. Exactly right.

That's how corporations control citizens.

[KS Toronado]

15. Yep, big business wants Rs in charge of government

And they'll everything they can to make Democrats look bad to achieve that goal.

[mountain grammy]

8. Exactly!

[BlueIdaho]

31. Monopolies threaten democracies.

Look into any market sector and you’ll see only three or four big corporations controlling about 90% of the products and services on offer. Gas and oil? Yes but it’s also almost every other sector in the US economy.

Those words in my title aren’t mine, they are the words of Lina Kahn the head of the FTC.

[Beastly Boy]

13. Bernie needs to go back to school.

Even in theory, inflation is a function of what consumers are willing to spend on goods and services, not just what the greedy, colluding and profiteering corporations are willing to charge for them.

A simple question that will straighten Bernie out: a couple of years ago, when the gas prices were less than $2.50 per gallon, was it because the greedy multinational energy giants suddenly felt like being generous with their profits and giving them up to improve consumers' lives?

Sure, Bernie!

[AZSkiffyGeek]

17. The word is out... The Left doesn't believe in inflation

And keeping on about "corporate greed" isn't going to fix the problem of low supply/high demand. I can't believe how many people are buying into this "inflation isn't real" bullshit.
Because sticking ourhead in the sand about it is a winning strategy for November.

[Evolve Dammit]

20. So is slamming fellow DU'ers who see it differently....

[grantcart]

27. Good luck in trying to explain basic economic theory

The current spike however is not strictly supply and demand at the pump but in the fires market where fear of war in Ukraine has pushed up futures.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

34. For oil, yes

The threat of war in Ukraine is going to drive prices up. But that's not greedy capitalists trying to skim profits.

[azureblue]

29. the word is out

That you have no idea what controls the price of crude extraction to gas surplus to final at the pump prices.. Sure it is inflation but that not explain why gas prices are approaching the levels when Bush was president..

[AZSkiffyGeek]

33. One of the major oil producers is threatening war

That's going to disrupt distribution, and drive prices up to... where they were during a war with another major oil producer.

[Raven123]

42. Perhaps the theory is not correct, or at least not accounting for all significant variables

When it comes to fuel, it’s a choice to drive on a long vacation, but a necessity to drive to work for example. Home heating is not an option. It’s a necessity. When not affordable, we know what happens, because we read about the tragic stories in the news.

[Beastly Boy]

59. For sure, there are many factors other than inflation that go into gas prices.

But Bernie disregards all of them, singling inflation out, except one: corporate greed and profiteering. If this were the case, he would still be hard pressed to explain the prices of gas two years ago, when there was no evidence of corporate greed subsiding or corporate magnanimity increasing, yet the gas prices were significantly lower than they are now.

Bernie is not telling it like it is. Inflation, along with many other issues, IS a problem. Bernie is skirting the real issues so he can do his schtick.

[Demsrule86]

55. Bernie is right...this is not inflation but price fixing and collusion.

[Beastly Boy]

60. Then he should have a logical explanation why price fixing and collusion didn't play a role

two years ago, or six years ago, when there was no inflation and gas prices stayed below $2.50 per gallon. Was there significant increase in price fixing and collusion since then that would explain the rising gas prices?

[Demsrule86]

113. I Said it is price fixing

[Beastly Boy]

116. What you said doesn't make inflation disappear.

And it doesn't make Bernie right. If he were right, there would have been evidence of changes in price fixing and collusion that weren't there six years ago. Or, there would have been evidence that price fixing is a recent phenomenon that can explain away the impact of inflation on other sectors of the economy.

[Budi]

57. About time the truth is allowed. Thanks

[uponit7771]

73. Krugman too? (link)

https://mobile.twitter.com/RBReich/status/1494027766957678597

[BlueCheeseAgain]

81. That seems to be Robert Reich.

Am I missing something?

[uponit7771]

83. Yes, the point Krugman, Sanders and Reich are saying its greed vs supply price increases

[Beastly Boy]

82. No, not Krugman. Not at all.

https://leaders.economicblogs.org/krugman/2022/krugman-inflation-2022/

Excerpt:

The implication of these and other measurement issues [discussed in the article] is that reported inflation is more or less fated to be high for much of this year, no matter what. In particular, even if true inflation pressures recede, which is what many of us expect and hope, that probably won’t be obvious in news reports.
Looking at the inflation measurement issue, I was reminded of a line from my former teacher Charles Kindleberger about the balance of payments (a subject nobody discusses anymore, but that’s a story for another day): “The existence of a variety of balance-of-payments definitions makes it possible for an observer always to be grave, or optimistic, according to his temperament.” Well, for the next few months inflation will be like that — and I, at least, will try to keep reminding myself not to emphasize only the numbers I like.

If, on the other hand, you mean Reich, don't turn to his tweets to gauge his view on inflation. I agree entirely with his fundamental critique of the current economic order, and it is not corporate greed. It is lack of competition in the the marketplace: https://www.nationalmemo.com/reich-behind-inflation-lies-deeper-structural-reason-of-corporate-power

Excerpt:

"If markets were competitive, companies would keep their prices down in order to prevent competitors from grabbing away customers. But they're raising prices even as they rake in record profits. How can this be? They have so much market power they can raise prices with impunity."

However, Reich believes there is a way to resolve the structural issue. He concluded, "This structural problem is amenable to only one thing: the aggressive use of antitrust law."

[uponit7771]

84. Yes, Krugman (link)

Link to tweet

[BlueCheeseAgain]

92. It sounds like Krugman has a more nuanced view of all this.

Link to tweet

[uponit7771]

94. No one is saying inflation doesn't exist Sanders is saying its not the onus of why prices are

... sky high though its corp greed and I see in the chart were corp profits ***MARGINS*** are nearly twice that of 2017 that is closer to true than just supply price increases.

If the supply price increases where there the profit ***MARGINS*** wouldn't be so high, that's a known known.

[betsuni]

96. I don't see him agreeing with "The problem is not inflation. The problem is corporate greed ... ."

Krugman says right there that monopoly isn't a major reason for inflation nor would a crackdown ("take on" ) do a lot to bring down inflation. And if Biden's primary inflation-fighting strategy was attacks on corporate greed it would be a problem, but it isn't. Since Bernie thinks inflation is caused by corporate greed, it is his primary strategy.

[Beastly Boy]

102. Is Krugman proposing that corporate greed is a principal cause for inflation?

No, he is saying just the opposite:

Link to tweet

?s=20&t=F34f1Ae0oXlkGOm69UlXNA

Hardly an endorsement of Bernie's tweet, is it? No, Krugman disagrees with Bernie He agrees with the way Biden is handling inflation, which doesn't include attacks on corporate greed as its principal inflation-fighting strategy. According to Krugman, there is no harm in looking into possible correlation between corporate profits and inflation, but claiming the former causes the latter would be cause for alarm.

[betsuni]

104. Thank you, thought it might be my imagination that Krugman's saying the opposite of Bernie.

[Beastly Boy]

105. No, you got it right.

[Hortensis]

22. Fuck grievance. 300 million people can wipe out the 0.01% any time

enough people act, and wipe out the 0.1% also if we choose. We can eliminate those classes entirely. Turn them into people who can't afford to maintain the property they managed to hold onto, as we've done before. We can make living in cities and on coasts affordable to the middle classes again.

Again, the Democratic Party has done it before.

Tell Sanders to really tell it like it is:

They only exist because they've subverted enough people, left and right, into voting against the organized majority who can and will stop them. These days they live in secret terror of the Democratic Party and the day enough people shake off their delusions and join us in a majority they can't stop.

2022 is on, elections happening now. Yet another chance to focus on the job to do. As Nancy says.

[JohnSJ]

25. Just think how different things would be if Hillary had won in 2016

[Hortensis]

32. Yes. Every time we elect a Democratic president we start slicing

away at their wealth. With Republicans controlling congress, Obama mostly had to use EOs, but by the end of his presidency he'd at least been able to raise taxes on personal income of the wealthy to what they were at the end of the New Deal era. HRC's coattails were expected to bring a senate majority with her, and a house majority was also possible.

Yes, they'd be different all right. Including increased tax revenues coming in to fund all we need to do.

Hillary almost ran on the UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME she believes is our future, but we were in the hole and couldn't do everything we needed at once, so she intended to begin that later in her presidency. Now is later.

It's understandable why Senator Sanders didn't mention that during the primary, but shouldn't he have told the nation THAT like it is during the GE and given them hope and conviction for a future with Democrats in power?

[JohnSJ]

35. +++

[betsuni]

63. Yes, she was very interested in a universal basic income plan! Economic plans, many things

Sanders could have told the nation to inspire people to vote for Democrats and a progressive future. But...

[LT Barclay]

40. The problem is that poor right wingers are essentially royalists

They want to have someone to worship, they want to be told what to think and don’t want to have anything to do with something as messy as democracy.
Until we can convince more of them of what you are saying we are stuck.

[Hortensis]

44. Very true about RW authoritarians. But they're a minority.

Up for grabs are those who failed to vote or mistakenly voted against their own principles. 100M didn't vote in 2016 and 80M in 2020. Many of those are naturally indifferent, but many also believed the lies that they had no good option to vote for.

Notably for this forum, a quarter of Sanders' primary voters alone, who did care and did vote, refused to vote a Democratic ticket once he was out. Some are intractably hostile, but some were new and just fooled into believing we were too evil to support. Their numbers are small, but they made all the difference in 2016 and they could once again where margins are narrow. We need their votes. They need their votes to be Democratic.

[Roisin Ni Fiachra]

112. +1

[Budi]

58. +1 million

Thanks

[Hortensis]

68. As you say. Sanders needs to tell it like it REALLY is.

Reportedly, Ukrainians have become too knowledgeable about Russia's disinformation for it to be effective.
Well meaning targets here need to become similarly informed.

[JustAnotherGen]

114. This

[BlueIdaho]

26. Eat the rich

It only takes one or two and the rest will fall into place.

[H2O Man]

38. Recommended.

[budkin]

46. Absolutely

Corporations are yelling "inflation!" while record profits roll in and they gouge.

[czarjak]

51. American Billionaires First

[George II]

52. Anyone know the net sales of those companies during that period or the source of these numbers?

[Jakes Progress]

53. Why won't Democrats campaign on this?

Corporate greed and control is a message that reaches deep into the electorate.

[questionseverything]

65. Yes according to them there is a supply problem but

I haven’t heard of the Saudi oil wells going dry

Rolls eyes

When the economy shut down because of the pandemic oil prices went down so producers slowed production to artificially create supply problems

They haven’t ramped production back up because it doesn’t help them to keep prices high

[George II]

99. Did you live through the gas crisis during Nixon's administration? Supply and price....

...have very little to do with "availability".

[Jakes Progress]

67. Some ignorant or venal Democrats

doesn't explain why the whole party would ignore corporatism. The idea that Democrats turn a blind eye to corporate crimes is that we need corporate money to campaign with. We would need less money with a better message. If the point is to win office, then a better strategy is to campaign on corporate and one-percenters greed. Show how they are taking the money from the middle class.

[uponit7771]

75. 1+, Krugman agrees with Sanders,

[Beastly Boy]

103. No he does not

Link to tweet

?s=20&t=3PxOgp7Ji6Uasjk8btmWgg

[uponit7771]

108. Yep he does, like Sanders he's not saying there's no inflation its just not the onus of price ..

... increases corp greed is illustrated in the chart showing 100% profit ***MARGIN*** since 17 in the part of the thread not shown in your post.

[betsuni]

110. What?

[uponit7771]

74. THIS !!!! ☝🏾☝🏾☝🏾

[jalan48]

85. My guess would be because corporations are giving donations to Democratic candidates. We live

in a corporate state that is managed by those we elect.

[Blue Owl]

70. I so appreciate Bernie's tenacity in calling out the 1%

You tell 'em, Bernie!!!

[C Moon]

107. Thanks Bernie. This needs to shown to the tax payers.

[Hortensis]

115. THIS isn't action, though. Democrats have PLANS FOR ACTION, BIG ACTIONS.

Why isn't he telling those who listen to him what WE are doing and that it's time for them to turn out and vote Democratic to fix this problem?

Steering people who care away from action and into complaint and disaffection is a huge part of what's gone wrong with the electorate. Just look at the much lower voting rate of people who believe those who push messages of grievance and resentment. And their much higher rates of thrown-away votes. This isn't a coincidence.

The 2022 MIDTERMS ARE UNDERWAY.

RIGHT NOW.

IT'S TIME TO ACT.

[mathematic]

117. High oil prices are a problem of government greed, collusion and profiteering

It's called OPEC and they've been an oil cartel for 50 years.

You can sanction Exxon, Chevron, Shell, & BP all you want but oil prices are high because oil producing governments want them to be high.

And this tweet doesn't even make sense.

These companies are now making as much money as they made SEVEN years ago. Somehow that means inflation today is caused by their greed. Why wasn't there high inflation 7 years ago if that's what's causing it? And how is no profit increase compared to 7 years ago evidence of "greed"? He's not saying 7 years of growth, he's saying 7 years of decline were only just reversed last quarter.