Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Nimyth

(34 posts)
Fri Oct 4, 2013, 05:17 PM Oct 2013

Debate: ‘Public Banks Are Key to Capitalism’

Former Truthdigger of the Week and Public Banking Institute President Ellen Brown led a debate in The New York Times’ opinion pages this week, arguing: “We actually need publicly owned banks for a capitalist market economy to run properly.”

“To ask whether public banks would interfere with free markets assumes that we have free markets, which we don’t,” Brown begins. “Banking is heavily subsidized and is monopolized by Wall Street, which has effectively ‘bought’ Congress. Banks have been bailed out by the government, when in a free market they would have gone bankrupt. The Federal Reserve blatantly manipulates interest rates in a way that serves Wall Street, lending trillions at near-zero interest and pushing rates so artificially low that local governments have lost billions in interest-rate swaps.”

More at link http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/debate_public_banks_are_key_to_capitalism_20131003

http://publicbankinginstitute.org/

North Dakota's thriving state bank makes a mockery of Wall Street's casino banking system -- and that's why financial elites want to crush it.
http://www.alternet.org/corporate-accountability-and-workplace/why-socialism-doing-so-darn-well-deep-red-north-dakota

Public Banking seems to be working very well in Denver

3 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Debate: ‘Public Banks Are Key to Capitalism’ (Original Post) Nimyth Oct 2013 OP
Oops Nimyth Oct 2013 #1
I don't know about capitalism, but we need it for democracy to function yurbud Aug 2014 #2
Most present danger atmasol Oct 2014 #3

atmasol

(1 post)
3. Most present danger
Mon Oct 13, 2014, 01:24 AM
Oct 2014

I agree with OP but I also add that whatever the status quo means by the word "free" is not what it means to us. We know they want carte blanche to what they want, so the word "free" is in their favor not in ours. We should learn to call it what it is, a "rigged market".

Would be useful to build up a dictionary of synonyms of the corrupt financial system. Here is the first entry.

Free Market = Rigged Market - A market that is manipulated to only serve the financial interests of those who regulate it at the expense of everyone else on the planet.

Latest Discussions»Retired Forums»Economic Activism and Progressive Living»Debate: ‘Public Banks Are...