I still don't see any other viable and meaningful alternative to economic liberalism (democracy) except socialist democratic alternative that emerged in parts of Latin America in recent years. Without it, we are permanently damned to discuss the non-politics of the apolitical politicians. Those who disagree will do me a favor.
Francesca Cansani Thank you so much for response. Reference to Budhism is interesting. Though it raises some questions in my mind as well. Many Thanks
This answer is based on what I acquired from a friend (Zulfiqar Ali). So, nothing of it should be attributed to me.
Well, the first impression that comes to my mind regarding Budha, is a lack of concern with objects you see. I don't know if I am talking sense but let us try to get the image out. Just let me quote an example. Anand, one of his disciples, comes to him after meditation and asks him, oh lord, tell me, what is madra (Intoxication). Here, it is important to keep in mind that Budha remains silent if he does not know anything. If Budha speaks, it means he knows the truth of it. Ofcourse the truth, here, comes from the Budhist epistemology and it may not be a qualified truth in other epistemological systems.
So Budha says, there are 3 types of Madras (Intoxications). One is, Yowun Madra (The intoxication of being young). The second is Vasna or Savasna Madra (Intoxication of Health/Sex) and the third is Jeewan Madra (The Intoxication of Life itself).
From here, all or part of it should be attributed to me.
Budha, as the source of guidance, never leads us to material prosperity because the concern with the material well being is a kind of disease or evil circle for him. He leads us to a path which is the path of nothingness. The absolute expression of being free from all material concerns and psychological, sexual and even intellectual expressions of possession. There is even a vasna (greed) of gayan (knowledge, intellect) in the Budhist system.
So, to know oneself, in the Budhist tradition, is, to an extent, to acquire the state of independence of everything. To know the reality of nothingness through all the real means.
Now here is a problem, that you cannot constantly negotiate with nothingness. Talk with Budha about religion, he will deny it, of economy or possession, he will consider it undesirable, of Health, he will call it a Madra, from which you need to liberate yourself.
The interesting question or connection that comes to mind, is Michel Foucault's work on 'Culture of the Self'. The Greeks had this 'concern for oneself' in their culture which can be translated into the concern 'for knowing oneself'. In ancient greek, foucault informs us, this concern was translated as 'Epimilayyaheutu'.
The only, but very important, difference between the two cultures of the self (Budhist (if we can call it a culture of the self) and Greek) is that Greeks concern themselves with themselves to improve themselves. Budha does the same, but the concern is not as much with improvement or attaining a higher quality of life. But, to attain the higher state of being conscious of oneself, to know teh true essence of yourself, take it into your grip and rise above each and every detail of material world.
Now, the modernity is a form of living in which you have an increasing level of concern with objects. We, as modern people, tend to describe people, or life itself, in terms of having or not having certain objects. Of course there are reasonable causes for doing this. The level of control over geography, our increasing inability to use nature for acquiring basic necessities without any cost, and many other causes.
But I think you are right. Whatever the form of civilization in which we find ourselves, knowing ourselves should and must remain a concern. Because, ultimately, this concern gives us a field of life in which we aspire to live without contracting or being influenced by the dominant form of civilizations. That is, this concern gives us a way to promote alternative ways of living, and thats why enables us to resist what we deem wrong in that dominant civilization or social system. Here, I think the religion and politics meet.
Thank you for responding and the references. In fact nothing can be better than preaching good. A task that is being done for the betterment of the whole mankind since thousands of years. I study in Pakistan. Wish you all the goodness in life.
Thank you for guiding me through your vision of a moral, just and better world. What you say is very true and cannot be denied. Here in Pakistan, we do not follow a Sharia Law. Its a constitution, made by people's representatives, largely secular in orientation. Its more like a replica of the old British Laws (colonial days) with a few Islamic additions involving respect to all religions, prophets etc.
I partially agree with you regarding application of moral principles but, as perhaps I indicated earlier perhaps not, application involves coercion, inducement or use of force in one form or the other. I cannot think of any other way to apply something on people. That is why, I use the word, preaching. In the sense that appeals to moral conduct remain in the form of a call and not in the form of Law.
So practically, this project of introducing a kind of universal morals to the whole world will inevitably involve bureaucracies and monitoring since it will be incumbent on the introduce-rs to see whether those morals are being observed.
The second problem is the idea of universality. I really do not think that we know enough about the whole world to consider ourselves capable of introducing a universal moral law or laws. If we do, we end up contradicting ourselves. It has historically not proved sustainable. For example, Human Rights are endorsed by a majority of nation states. But they are seldom taken care of. Furthermore, we have seen international aid and money coming from the powerful nations in order to support dictatorial regimes in Middle East (Egypt) and South Asia (Pakistan). That money has done a lot of harm to people, their rights and freedoms in our part of the world.
It seems that things are working in such complex ways that any attempt to universalize morality and politics will end up in oppression. This is a very subjective view point. I am conscious of the possibility of it being wrong and welcome those with different views.
I think I am convinced of what you say about meditation and capitalism. Is it possible for you to kindly mention/recommend me some ways to learn about how to practice meditation? In fact, living in Pakistan means living as Muslims. But I think I can and should try it privately. So can we take the debate on a level of personal learning and practice and to know/practice what we are talking about? And then may be we can share our experiences with others for greater goodness?
Dear Francesca Cansani, Thank you very muh for the detailed answer and attachment. I have been partially concerned with Budhism which should be considered as part of the general history of the region where I live. Just like the Islamic political ideology is partially considered as part of the general history of my region. In fact the main stream political Islam is an alien in my region as it might be in parts of Japan. Not many people associate with it. However, the mystic or sufi elements/movements and traditions of Islam are followed by most of the general public. These are the reasons why your answer makes a lot of sense because I share the context of spirituality.
Many Thanks Again for graciously answering my questions and finding time.
I think it might be well within our reach to create a civilization that has no rules, nor laws to be obedient to.
The answer is so easy, it is mostly overlooked and put down by too many.
Every change has to start on a small scale, but because of that, many will say it is impossible to change such a system. That's where it goes wrong.
It will start quite primitive as a small scale town with about 1000 residents, that has their own power supply. If we just put some time and effort into researching how to extract the energy that the universe gives us every second of the day, we might just be able to set something of that provides free power for everyone. Just look at the principle of Nikola Tesla's work, pretty amazing. Although his idea's came in conflict with those who ruled the fossil fuel branch and he was put down as a dangerous man with rediculous ideas. Only because he wanted to provide the world with free energy, usable for everyone.
I mean just look at it, it's a major factor of power. They have you by the balls with your need for energy. With free electricity in immense amounts we can make cars that never need to tank for fuel, clean water by hydrolisation, massive and biofriendly food productions because of the unlimited energy.
Just think about how many projects are stalled by the requirement for energy; rockets require millions of liters (if i'm not mistaken here) and everything that moves in a mechanical way as well.
If everyone in that community of 1000 people would work for only 3 hours a week, you'll have a total of 3000 hours a week if all the 1000 put a little time in it. What about crimes you say? Well very simply, those who are part of the community have that sense of sharing, that everyone is in this together and time to time there can be some conflicts of course, but if you just agree to some simple agreements, that'd be all; just a few agreements that everyone keeps in mind. The conflicts that I mentioned are guarranteed way smaller and less worse than the world we live in now I can tell you.
You see, it all starts with sharing. Everyone has the capability to get his head out of the game, and think clrealy with a dissolved sense of the ego.
It just requires small steps, rome wasn't build in one day either..
Considering the world-wide impact of the book 'Capital in the 21st Century', by French economist Thomas Piketty, and its meaning for social priorities and goals, I am pleased to send you my attached evaluation of this book. I hope this will inspire your reflections about the moments we are going through. Kind regards,
Ronaldo Campos Carneiro – June 2014
Brasília - DF - Brasil
About Piketty’s Book on Capital -
The Answer of a convinced Liberal
After fifteen years of research (1998-2013) aimed at understanding the historical dynamics of income and wealth in around 20 countries, mainly in the last 200 years, analysing remarkable facts about humanity such as the industrial revolution, world conflicts and economic crises, using and harmonizing data broadly accepted by credible institutions like the World Bank, the UN and the IMF, this French Professor at the Paris School of Economics, Thomas Piketty, aged 43, came to the conclusion that:
Capitalism, or what is left of it, just as it is now put in practice or crony capitalism is heavily concentrating income and wealth, in a process where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Estimates for the XXI century are alarming and define human coexistence as unfeasible under the rules prevailing nowadays.
The current market competition is like an athletic race in which some are well fed and have access to health assistance and education, whereas crowds of excluded are left far behind: the minimally decent atitude is to place them on the same starting line or to equal their opportunities at the beginning of the race.
“The 85 richest people in the world, who could fit into a single London double-decker, control as much wealth as the poorest half of the global population– that is 3.5 billion people”.
“Strong inequality is corrosive of growth; it is corrosive for society. I believe that economists and politicians ignored inequality for too long.” (Christine Lagarde, Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund)
I personally think that these conclusions are irrefutable. No scholar will, after Piketty’s research, ignore the enormous social exclusion generated by capitalism, or the urgent need of actions to revert this dramatic situation. Inequality is complicating the market economy. One must never forget that the economy depends on supply and demand – it is useless to have supply facing a reduction in demand, or vice-versa. No one, but a liberal dreamer, can imagine that the economy will operate with supply only! Economics is a science where agents are regulated by the inexorable law of supply and demand. Politics is an art where the human will prevails. This is the reason why they cannot blend: economics and politics have diferent natures.
My complete agreement with Piketty’s conclusions also take me to a complete disagreement with his recommendations of a progressive tax and a global tax on wealth. This would be a shortcut to hell: it would mean more government, bureaucracy, war, corruption or, in the economic view, it would transfer assets from the domain of supply and demand to the changing human will of bureaucrats and politicians – an antechamber to hell. Nothing is more predatory than the action of governments in the economy – indebtedness is what governments know how to do, and they do it unreservedly.
“Deficits mean future tax increases, nothing less. The increase of deficits must be seen as a tax on future generations, and the politicians who create deficits should be judged as tax generators”. (Ron Paul, former US Senator – Republican).
Our generation has been the victim of decisions from past generations, that increased indebtedness, just like future generations will have to pay for the inconsequence of our own generation, that expanded those debts even further. The European discussion about austerity or Keynesian stimuli mean to penalize our generation or our descendants. The problem is that policy makers search immediate applause, transfering the solution of structural problems to the future. These are inconsequent acts, showing no concern with future generations.
“Do not forget that I have found out that more than ninety percent of all the national deficits, from 1921 to 1939, were caused by the payment of past, present and future wars” (Franklin D. Roosevelt)
“People do not make war. It is the governments that make it” (Ronald Reagan)
I would go back to the time of the American Revolution – “You will never strengthen the weak by weakening the strong” – and to the moments when the French Revolution was promising “liberty, fraternity and equality”.
Inequality of opportunities in human coexistence has been generating the most terrible process of domination and human bondage: the dictatorship of bureaucracy. The enormous amount of financial resources under the power of the State, to be allocated by acts of human will, stimulates an unbridled race of unscrupulous politicians in search of power at any cost; “They do not disdain, in certain cases, to associate with cheating, fraud and corruption”, to use the words of Vilfredo Pareto.
It would be very efficient and useful if economic policymakers became convinced that applying more measures under the same keynesian references they would come to the same results. We must migrate to another reference frame if we wish to improve our development process.
Economic rulers must be aware of the fact that: “If they do only what they have always done, they will end up having what they always had”. Piketty’s proposition, however, is for more of the same, and it would certainly lead to poor results.
The relation between income and wealth is like a river flowing to a dam, where income is the variable of flow or the fluidity of the river, and wealth is the variable of stock or the accumulation in the dam. They both have the same nature, because wealth is no more than accumulated labour, and only labour can generate wealth. Piketty proved that there are some who harvest without planting, or who generate wealth with the labour of others; when the rate of return on capital is higher than the rate of economic progress, it results in predatory accumulation. This is the patrimonialist economy, that produces income from inherited family properties or from political connections: to be a friend of the king produces more than merit or competence. It would be risible, were it not tragic, to imagine that the control of financial flows (currency, exchange and credit) can generate development, as suggested by Keynes. Only productive labour can generate capital.
“Labor exists before, and is independent from capital. Capital is just the fruit of labor and it would never exist without the previous existence of labor. Labor is superior to capital, and deserves much more consideration.”
This truth expressed by Abraham Lincoln must be recognized by all the zombies who are wandering, lost and disconnected from the basic concepts of economics.
One must not criticize without a corresponding proposition. The solution is not among the tools of economic theory, but in the scope of politics, by means of a broad, full and true agreement around a new Social Pact, in which nutrition, health and education will become a responsibility of the private productive process, after the corresponding reduction of taxes by the government, who will also reduce its interference in the economy. Instead of transferring resources from the rich to the poor, this pact will equal opportunities concerning nutrition, health care and education. I do not mean philanthropy, but a new concept of human labor as a process of transformation of human energy in physical or intelectual energy. This would replace the changing logic of ideas –ideology- by the invariable logic of life – biology. Of course, entrepreneurs will not act out of philanthropy: full productive labor will be the broker of this agreement of wills.
This idea is perfectly simple: Piketty proved that after centuries of distributive measures in all countries, in which resources were transferred from the rich to the poor, the result was more social exclusion.
To prohibit wealth with a ceiling on income, as Piketty proposes, means to weaken the strong to strengthen the weak. Better would be, instead of a ceiling on income, to establish a groundfloor, so as to permit wealth and prohibit poverty, in an open system that would open the pressure cooker after the progressive dissipation of pressure.
Let us equal, for all, the access to nutrition, health care and education, and liberate all the tools and values of the market economy.
It was these values that made the West prosperous since the XIX Century and their efficiency has been confirmed.
Instead of terming this my proposition utopic, theoretical or unfeasible, one must keep in mind that the complete liberation of prices and wages will lead us to full productive labour, that is: salaries will be ascending – there will be no need to establish a minimum wage – imagine the Industrial Revolution, at the beginning of the XIX Century.
“Governamental institutions:
a) protect the powerful and interest groups;
b) generate hostility, corruption and hopelessness;
c) hinder prosperity; and
d) repress free expression and the opportunities of individuals”. (IMB - Mises Institute).
I offer, below, some challenges in the scope of this proposition, for the reader to ponder:
1) the agricultural sector and the reversion of migration to the cities;
2) health care, education and the power in the hands of the private sector; profit linked to people health.
3) the financial sector and its incapability in the purchase and sale of papers having monetary expression.; Christine Lagarde: “crisis has prompted a major course correction—with the understanding that the true role of the financial sector is to serve, not to rule, the economy.
As Winston Churchill once remarked, “I would rather see finance less proud and industry more content”.
4) the political area and the prevention of speculation when resources are reduced.
Finally: In a Soccer World Cup or in the Olympic Games, just imagine how the competition would happen if political or bureaucratic influences were present in the choice of teams or in the rules of the games!
“In Hell, the hottest places are reserved for those who chose neutrality in times of crisis’. (Dante Alighieri (1265-1321)
Lets learn with the best lessons of Von Mises:
• If history could teach us anything, it would be that private property is inextricably linked with civilization.
• Those who are asking for more government interference are asking ultimately for more compulsion and less freedom.
• Governments become liberal only when forced to by the citizens.
• Both force and money are impotent against ideas.
THE GREAT DIVIDE 2014, JUN 27 6:16 PM 793
Inequality Is Not Inevitable
By JOSEPH E. STIGLITZ
“We need not just a new war on poverty but a war to protect the middle class. Solutions to these problems do not have to be newfangled. Far from it. Making markets act like markets would be a good place to start. We must end the rent-seeking society we have gravitated toward, in which the wealthy obtain profits by manipulating the system.
The problem of inequality is not so much a matter of technical economics. It’s really a problem of practical politics. Ensuring that those at the top pay their fair share of taxes — ending the special privileges of speculators, corporations and the rich — is both pragmatic and fair. We are not embracing a politics of envy if we reverse a politics of greed. Inequality is not just about the top marginal tax rate but also about our children’s access to food and the right to justice for all. If we spent more on education, health and infrastructure, we would strengthen our economy, now and in the future. Just because you’ve heard it before doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try it again.
Widening and deepening inequality is not driven by immutable economic laws, but by laws we have written ourselves”.
Conference on Inclusive Capitalism
https://www.imf.org/external/np/speeches/2014/052714.htm
By Christine Lagarde
Managing Director, International Monetary Fund
London, May 27, 2014
“A greater concentration of wealth could—if unchecked—even undermine the principles of meritocracy and democracy. It could undermine the principle of equal rights proclaimed in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Pope Francis recently put this in stark terms when he called increasing inequality “the root of social evil”.
It is therefore not surprising that IMF research—which looked at 173 countries over the last 50 years—found that more unequal countries tend to have lower and less durable economic growth”.
Best wishes,
Ronaldo Campos Carneiro – June 2014
http://[email protected]
http://ronaldocarneiro.wordpress.com
To understand Piketty’s book:
http://piketty.pse.ens.fr/en/capital21c2 - Paris School of Economics
CUNY debate with outstanding thinkers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heOVJM2JZxI&feature=em-subs_digest-vrecs
Skidelsky’s blog –
http://www.skidelskyr.com/”Skidelsky’sHYPERLINK
“Too Much”: Special Thomas Piketty issue (26 May – Sam Pizzigati
http://toomuchonline.org/weeklies2014/may262014.html
John Weeks – “Why is ‘Capital in the 21st Century’ (C21C) Such a Success”? 30 May 2014
Debate Piketty and Senator Elizabeth Warren
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2014/06/03-1
I also suggest reading the texts on this subject by:
David Harvey (“Afterthoughts on Piketty’s Capital”), plus Paul Krugman, Dani Rodrick, Joseph Stiglitz, Lawrence Summers, Robert Solow, James Galbraith.
---------------------------------------
From: Thomas Piketty
Date: 2014-06-13 3:37 GMT-03:00
Subject: RE : Piketty’s Capital - The Answer of a convinced Liberal
To: Ronaldo campos carneiro
Thanks Ronaldo, I appreciate it. Best, Thomas
__________________
Thomas Piketty
Ecole d'Economie de Paris/Paris School of Economics
Page personnelle : http://piketty.pse.ens.fr/
From: Thomas Piketty
Date: 2014-07-02 7:38 GMT-03:00
Subject: RE: Piketty’s "Capital" - The answer of a convinced liberal
To: Ronaldo Carneiro
Thanks Ronaldo, this is a very interesting reaction! Best, Thomas
_______________
Thomas Piketty
Ecole d'Economie de Paris/Paris School of Economics
Page personnelle : http://piketty.pse.ens.fr/
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From: Hector Julio Melchiori - june,13,2014
Creo que la diferencias comienzan en los tres primeros años de vida al no tener nivelado el alimento, ya que el intelecto se relaciona con la primera capacidad de ingesta, luego ya es tarde.
CREO QUE LA IGUALDAD DE OPORTUNIDADES DEBE NACER ALLÍ, DESPUÉS MISMA EDUCACION Y MISMA INSTRUCCIÓN, LA EDUCACION SE DA EN EL HOGAR, PERO SI TENEMOS PADRES NO EDUCADOS, QUE A SU VEZ SON HIJOS DE OTROS PADRES NO EDUCADOS , VAMOS PEOR.
POR ULTIMO LA INSTRUCCIÓN SE DA EN LOS COLEGIOS QUE DEBERÍAN DAR LAS MISMAS POSIBILIDADAES PARA TODOS, CON ESAS TRES COSAS ARRANCAMOS A UN FUTURO MEJOR,
ES MI PERSONAL OPINIÓN QUE NO TIENE PORQUE SER NADA MAS QUE MI VERDAD, QUE ES ABSOLUTA SOLO PARA MÍ, PERO TODOS TIENEN EL DERECHO A TENER SUS VERDADES PROPIAS Y PARA ELLOS SERÁN VERDADES ABSOLUTAS TAMBIÉN,
LO QUE HACE FALTA ES CONCORDAR PARTE DE LAS OPINIONES DE UN GRAN NÚMERO DE PERSONAS DISPUESTAS A TRABAJAR PERO QUE SABEN QUE ELLOS NO VERÁN LOS FRUTOS,
ESO ES PARA LAS GENERACIONES VENIDERAS
"SI TODOS CUMPLIERAMOS CON NUESTROS DEBERES HABRIA MENOS PERSONAS RECLAMANDO POR SUS DERECHOS" GHANDI DIXIT.
ATTE. MELCHIORI.
---------------------------------------------------------------
From: Pedro Schwartz june,13,2014
Dear Mr. Carneiro:
I find what you say complicated and will think on it. However, I think Piketty is wrong in his forecast of the future of capitalism.
Sincerely
---------------------------------------------
Dhian Chand june.14,2014
2006-7 DG - 3080 District
Shimla Him. Pr. India
Dear PDG Ronaldo Carneiro,
Thank you for sending me your evaluation of Piketty's Capital - the answer of a convinced liberal. You have motivate me to buy and read his book "Capital in the 21st Century". You have rightly concluded in the last four points, the people responsible to create balance in the social economic status in the society. However, the question remained unanswered that politicians and bureaucrats have no limit for their greed for money and power which ultimately encourage corruption in the country and war between neighbouring countries. If we are able to influence these two category of our society the balance in distribution of economic growth will be maintained and there will be no poor in the modern world which due to technology evolution has become one a global village.
Regards
Dhian Chand
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From: Anthony de Jasay 14/6/14
Dear Mr. Carneiro,
I have had your letter of 13 June read to me (as you may know I have lost my eyesight long ago). I agree with most of it , but as you must know very well it is not by condemning politics and politicians for being toxic and nasty that thay will become any less harmful. They are a probably inevitable product of one man, one vote.
Yous sincerely,
Anthony de Jasay
-----------------------------------------------
From: Stephen Raudenbush - 13/6/14
Dear Ronald
Thanks for sending this. I have admired your work and made very good use of your book with James Heckman on inequality.
I do have a few questions
* Why are key elements of Sen's "human development index" so much better in the European social democracies than in the US?
* Why have the countries that employed a Keynesian stimulus done so much better during the recession than countries that used the recession to reduce government spending?
I believe you have offered a false choice between heavy government involvement and light government involvement. All sides are competing to use the government to support their own special interest. If the government does not intervene to insure child care, education, health, housing, minimum wage, unemployment insurance, and social security for the elderly, and protect the environment, the result will not be a utopian laissez faire society. Instead, government resources will be directed entirely to prop up agri-business, build roads to support real estate developers, save failing banks, generate unneeded contracts for lobbyists, etc. In sum, we will have neither social democracy nor laissez faire but rather socialism for the rich, which is pretty much what the US has now.
Why did you not comment on our extraordinarily corrupt political system in which running for low level offices now requires millions of dollars? Where huge firms literally dictate legislation to the office holders they have bankrolled?
I would propose a government role that does the good things I mentioned above while aggressively intervening against oligopoly and favoritism to insure competition in the market place. The government can be a friend of the free market and a friend of meritocracy while insuring basic necessities, particularly for the children and the elderly, and supporting human capital development.
Sincerely
Steve Raudenbush
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From: William Anderson - 13/6/14
If these points are true, then are you saying that the vast amount of people are materially poorer than they were, say, in 1980? That they have fewer goods and services available to them now than they had then?
It seems to me that the theories depend upon (1) homogeneous capital (capital as a lump of stuff that is useful primarily for how much is spent in creating and accumulating it), and (2) underconsumption. We have been getting underconsumption theories at least since “Fable of the Bees.”
Now, we do have a lot of what is called crony capitalism today, in which owners of capital, through political alliances, are able to force resources into a direction that would not be profitable (or would be less profitable) without the government intervention. However, from what I can tell, Piketty is not so worried about this development. Piketty would prefer lots of people to be poor to make Bill Gates and a few other people pay more taxes.
If Piketty’s thesis is true, then the vast majority of people today are poorer than were the people of the early 1800s, when the development of large-scale capital really took off in Great Britain and in Europe. Are you prepared to say that? Think of the logic of his thesis; are you prepared to claim that a larger percentage of people are poor today (and living in worse conditions) than were people of the early 1800s?
Then, to follow Piketty’s logic, the bifurcated returns to capital (versus ordinary income growth) would have to be consistent from the very start. Thus, you are having to claim that the poor today are poorer than the vast majority of people in the early 19th Century. Can you empirically justify that statement?
-----------------------------------------------
From: [email protected] - 13/6/14
Dear Mr. Carneiro:
Thank you for your review of Piketty.
Attached, please find a copy of my review of him, which I’ve just posted to my blog.
Sincerely,
George Reisman
--------------------------------------------
From: [email protected]
june, 16, 2014
Dear fellow Rotarian Ronaldo Carneiro,
thank you very much. your thoughts on the book of Piketty are very interesting, especially in this period we are going through.
I will continue to reflect on this, and I will send it to my daughter who is studying Economics.
Many greetings.
Salvatore Sarpietro
2007-08 DG – 2110 District
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Benegas-Lynch, Jr., Alberto
National Academy of Sciences, Argentina
[email protected] – june,20,2014
Dear Ronaldo Carneiro, thak you for sending your papers that I will read with great interest. In the meanwhile, I copy one of my weakly columns on the subject. Cordially, Alberto Benegas Lynch, Jr
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From: Jeff Deist
[email protected] - june,20,2014
Excellent, thank you. Jeff
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From: Floy Lilley
Date: 2014-06-20 17:29 GMT-03:00
Subject: Re: About Pikettys Book on Capital - The answer of a convinced liberal
To: Ronaldo Carneiro
Hello Mr. Carneiro,
Your enthusiasm for this project is palpable. That's a fine way to feel about whatever you do.
You embrace Piketty's work in ways that I do not. I do not find that he proves his thesis.
Thank you for having thought of me.
Best,
Floy Lilley
---------------------------------------------
From: Rev. Robert A. Sirico
Date: 2014-06-21 13:30 GMT-03:00
Subject: RE: About Piketty’s Book on Capital - The Answer of a convinced Liberal
To: Ronaldo campos carneiro
Dear Ronaldo:
Your email arrive just as I had begun reading Pikettey’s book Capital, so I shall now do so with your critique in mind.
Many thanks,
Fr. Robert A. Sirico,
President
The Acton Institute
-------------------------------------------------------
From: Gary North
Date: 2014-06-23 9:02 GMT-03:00
Subject: RE: About Piketty’s Book on Capital - The Answer of a convinced Liberal
To: Ronaldo campos carneiro
Don't start with Pikkety. Start woth Pareto: 1897
From: Jaana Woiceshyn
Date: 2014-07-11 1:29 GMT-03:00
Subject: RE: Why competition is good and regulation bad
To: Ronaldo campos carneiro
Thank you, Ronaldo.—My silence does not imply anything but me being swamped and not being able to find the time to correspond—sorry. I hope my life will get less busy soon. But in general, I disagree with Piketty’s thesis. Inequality is a non-issue! Regards, Jaana
From: Noam Chomsky
Date: 2014-07-11 1:56 GMT-03:00
Subject: Piketty’s "Capital" - The answer of a convinced liberal
To: Ronaldo Carneiro
Thanks for sending. Hope to get to it soon.
From: Info
Date: 2014-07-18 5:41 GMT-03:00
Subject: RE: Inequalities
To: Ronaldo campos carneiro
Hello,
Thank you so much for your email below.
Unfortunately, Profile books do not accept unsolicited material. However, we do recommend the following websites as industry standard for gaining a reputable agent as well as other tips for publishing. Please do not pay an agent either – this is usually not a good sign.
• Writers and Artists yearbook
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Kind regards,
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Office Manager
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From: Ieva NAVICKAITĖ
Date: 2014-08-01 4:07 GMT-03:00
Subject: RE: Inequalities
To: Ronaldo campos carneiro
Thank you for sharing, Ronaldo. It will be very interesing to read your remarks on Piketty‘s book. Let‘s keep in touch.
Best wishes. Ieva
Christopher Spackman comentou sua publicação.
Christopher escreveu: "Thanx for the article. Thoughts. 1. Agree that capitalism is well on the way to eating itself 2. Agree that war is a major problem. Nation states have abrogated the right to billions of unprofitable dollars. 3. Agree that answer is probably not a 'ceiling' but a 'floor' - in other words, the tax system. If the 'haves' agree to pay generously, then the problems you point out with health, education, etc. will disappear. The problem occurs when the 'haves' think they own their money and try to hold it all. Conclusion: a neat summary of the problem ;-) Christopher"
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“Learn all theories and dominate all techniques, but when touching a human soul be just another human soul”. Carl Gustav Jung.
With this thought by a man who saw so clearly through the window of the human soul – I start this message for the renewal of hope at the beginning of new year, addressing it to friends and acquaintances who are responsible leaders and scholars.
"Rotary will continue to be charitable, but it can do more than that. Let us make Rotary exterminate the cause that makes charity necessary". This pearl of thinking by our founder Paul Harris was published in "The Rotarian" magazine of August 1916.
This time I looked for help, in references from world leaders and thinkers, to profit from their rich experiences, so as to enrich this text of reflections at the beginning of the New Year. It is always useful to remember the sensible message of:
Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274): “Beware of the person of one book”.
"Copy from one, it's plagiarism; copy from two, it's research." - Wilson Mizner (1876-1933)
“The most valuable of all talents is never using two words when one will do.” - Thomas Jefferson
"Great scholars are skeptics" - Friedrich Nietzsche
“Fanaticism is the only form or willpower available to the weak” - Friedrich Nietzsche
”Our problems are man-made, therefore they may be solved by man. And man can be as big as he wants. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings”. John F. Kennedy
Since a young age I was fascinated by the market economy – a system where the producer, isolated, does not take part in the evaluation of his product – it is the forces of supply and demand that will determine the value-price. This ethics, which exists also in the law of cause and effect for human activity, is self-applicable
“Smith did make one claim that, in his day, was the most important claim that he made. It laid the foundation of modern economic theory. He claimed that the free market system is autonomous. It would exist apart from legislation by the state. He called this "the system of natural liberty." He described how the free market would work if the state did not intervene to pass special-interest legislation that benefited one group or another. What Rousseau claimed for the General Will, Smith claimed for the free market. But Rousseau's General Will needed a representative institution to express itself. Smith's theory of the free market was its own interpreter. Gary North
So, the market economy is something magical, that must be pursued in an obstinate way – it was devalued, however, by a system that does not offer equal opportunities for all.
Let us see how we can rescue it.
We can find in Thomas Aquinas – XIII century – the seeds of the free market. One of the main representatives of scholastics (medieval philosophical line with a Christian foundation), he founded the thomist school of philosophy and theology, which thrived at the university of Salamanca in the XVI century.
“The value of an article, does not depend on its essential nature but on the estimation of men, even if that estimation is foolish.” - Variarum (1554) - Diego de Covarrubias y Leiva (1512-1577) - bishop of Segovia
In the XVII century William Petty (1623-1687), the father of classical economic analysis, wrote two essays that revolutionized economic thought in his time: a “Treaty on Taxes and Contributions”, in 1662 and “Political Arithmetics”, in 1690.
All of this orchestra of contributions was beautifully condensed in the works of Adam Smith, who marked the conscience, the soul and the heart of his generation and subsequent ones. The ethics contained in the entrails of the free market is the real reason that drives me to passionately defend the free market economy.
"Since time immemorial two political systems have confronted one another and both have good arguments to support them” “According to one, the state has to do a great deal, but it also has to take a great deal. According to the other, its twin action should be little felt. A choice has to be made between these two systems.” - nineteenth-century economist, Frédéric Bastiat
“The issue is always the same: the government or the market. There is no third solution” – “Economics deals with real man, weak and subject to error as he is, not with ideal beings omniscient and perfect as only gods could be”. Von Mises
“Neoliberalism appears to be little more than a justification for plutocracy” “What they call “the market” looks more like the interests of corporations and the ultra-rich”. “It strikes me that the entire structure of neoliberal thought is a fraud. The demands of the ultra-rich have been dressed up as sophisticated economic theory and applied regardless of the outcome. The complete failure of this world-scale experiment is no impediment to its repetition. This has nothing to do with economics. It has everything to do with power”. George Monbiot
”Socialism and middle-way economic interventionism by the state produce poverty and bureaucracy. If your goal is to keep poor people poor, generation after generation, you should promote socialism. But be sure to call it economic democracy in order to fool the voters”. Gary North
“The market is not an invention of capitalism. It has existed for centuries. It is an invention of civilization”. Mikhail Gorbachov
"We must understand that capitalism was created to deal with money, not with human beings". Maxwell Vitor
“Capitalism is a banquet in which only the bones are left for the poor”. Pierre de souza
"Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the belief in ignorance and the preaching of envy. Its inherent flaw is the egalitarian distribution of misery". Winston Churchill
“Rich peasants have a strong propension to capitalism”. Mao Tse-Tung
"The market does not have a conscience or mercy". Octavio Paz, mexican poet Nobel Prize in literature, 1990
“The market came with the dawn of civilization and it is not an invention of capitalism. If it leads to improving the well-being of the people there is no contradiction with socialism. Mikhail Gorbachov
“We are evolving to socialism, a system which, as they say, only works in Heaven, where it is not needed, and in Hell, where it already exists”. Ronald Reagan
”All hope abandon, ye who enter here”!(at Hell´s door) Lasciate ogni speranza voi che entrate! Dante Alighieri (1265-1321)
“The disadvantage of capitalism is the unequal distribution of riches; the advantage of socialism is the equal distribution of miseries”. Winston Churchill
"There is no greatness where there is no simplicity, goodness and truth"– Leon Tolstoi.
“For a world in which we are socially equal, humanly different and totally free”. Rosa Luxemburgo
”Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration”. Abraham Lincoln
This truth must be rescued by all the zombies who are wandering, lost and disconnected from the basic concepts of economy.
"Everything the Communists told us about communism was a complete and utter lie. Unfortunately, everything the Communists told us about capitalism turned out to be true”. - World Bank staffer John Nellis
Capitalism and socialism were bitter medicines in the history of mankind, and they are no longer valid, nowadays
“Capitalism is the exploitation of man by man. Socialism is the opposite of it”. Millôr Fernandes
Government is an institution that invariably spends more than it collects, either because of the high social demand in societies with concentrated income, or because of a perverse desire to feed the military might in rich societies.
Government is an institution economically impractical, because its revenues and expenditures shall be determined by acts of human will. Economics is a science whose techniques are valid and applicable when the will of economic agents is limited by the natural law of supply and demand
"A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both." - Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969), Inaugural Address, January 20, 1953
The real need for government intervention is in the fact that 3 sectors: agriculture, health and education cannot walk alone – The government needs to pump resources into these 3 sectors – something necessary, even if inefficient. Under the current rules, the reduction of government intervention in the economy would considerably increase the distance between poor and rich.
The complexity of modern societies cannot be managed by central planners. The so-called democratic centralism is pure sophistry, that appeals only to autocratic rulers.
Whatever the concept that one may have of democracy, the fate of citizens cannot depend on the virtue of their rulers.
Dictatorships or strong regimes are defended only by those who would like to be lashing the whip; whenever placed on the other side, they will stand for democracy emphatically.
"The State is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everyone else." Frederic Bastiat (1801-1850)
"The problem has been developing for many years: a sort of economic alcoholism in which society has depended upon government to solve all its problems. Governments have promised to do away with unemployment, to eradicate poverty, to mitigate the pain of old age and sickness, even to ease the consequences of banking and business mistakes. Such irresistible promises! It was exactly what everyone wanted. We became economic alcoholics, dependent on government, and have had no concept of who will pay the price for this happy addiction." Von Mises - (from a speech at Athens College in 1984)
“There is only one kind of freedom and that's individual liberty. Our lives come from our creator and our liberty comes from our creator. It has nothing to do with government granting it”. Ron Paul
“Don't forget what I discovered that over ninety percent of all national deficits from 1921 to 1939 were caused by payments for past, present, and future wars”. Franklin D. Roosevelt
“People do not make wars; governments do”. Ronald Reagan
“Government always finds a need for whatever money it gets”. Ronald Reagan
“No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth!” Ronald Reagan
“Of all the enemies of public liberty, war is perhaps the most to be dreaded, because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies. From these proceed debts and taxes. And armies, debts and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the dominion of the few.... No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare”. James Madison, the principal architect of the U.S. Constitution - 1795
“We can either have democracy in this country or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can’t have both.” – Louis Brandeis - U.S. Supreme Court Justice (1856-1941)
"Democracy does not guarantee equality of conditions - it only guarantees equality of opportunity." - Irving Kristol
“We should measure welfare's success by how many people leave welfare, not by how many are added”.
Ronald Reagan
“My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government”. Thomas Jefferson
“Government could not help us to solve problems, government is a problem”. Ronald Reagan
“Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it”. - Ronald Reagan
“Why has government been instituted at all? Because the passions of man will not conform to the dictates of reason and justice without constraint”. Alexander Hamilton
“The invisible hand of the market always moves faster and better than the heavy hand of government”. Mitt Romney
“Deficits mean future tax increases, pure and simple. Deficit spending should be viewed as a tax on future generations, and politicians who create deficits should be exposed as tax hikers”. Ron Paul
“Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other”. Ronald Reagan
“It is an unfortunate human failing that a full pocketbook often groans more loudly than an empty stomach”.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
“In the general course of human nature, A power over a man's subsistence amounts to a power over his will”. Alexander Hamilton
"There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread." - Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)
“It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first”. Ronald Reagan
“Ninety percent of the politicians give the other ten percent a bad reputation”. Henry A. Kissinger
Dearest - the market competition that we are witnessing today is like an athletic race: some citizens, well fed and accessing health and education systems are far ahead; most of the others are left unjustly behind: the fair and decent minimum that can be done is to put them all on the same line of departure, giving equal opportunities at the beginning.
Workers need to eat and to have access to health and education systems, so that their labor does not get destroyed – it does not make sense to embed this in their salary, because the hunger of people is not a market variable, but a biological need
“Excessive inequality is corrosive to growth; it is corrosive to society. I believe that the economics profession and the policy community have downplayed inequality for too long.” Christine Lagarde, International Monetary Fund managing director
"Criminality, for example, can be reduced basically in two ways: with preventive investment in education or with the reinforcement of police surveillance on the streets. I estimate that the option for education costs about a tenth of the expenses with security."
"Each dollar spent on the education of a person means that they will produce something like 10 cents more per year along their whole life. There is no better investment." - James Heckman, Nobel Prize winner in Economy in the year 2000
“A State divided into a small number of rich and a large number of poor will always develop a government manipulated by the rich to protect the amenities represented by their property.” – Harold Laski - British political theorist (1893-1950)
“There is nothing wrong with describing Conservatism as protecting the Constitution, protecting all things that limit government. Government is the enemy of liberty. Government should be very restrained”. Ron Paul
"When you notice that, in order to produce, you must be authorized by someone who produces nothing; when you confirm that money flows to those who negotiate with favor, not with goods; when you notice that many get rich with bribery and influence, more than with work, and that the laws do not protect us from them, but, on the contrary, it is them who are protected from us; when you find that corruption is rewarded and that honesty becomes self-sacrifice; then you can say, with no fear of error, that your society is doomed." Alissa Rosenbaum (Ayn Rand) - 1905-1982
“It would be naive to think that the problems plaguing mankind today can be solved with means and methods which were applied or seemed to work in the past”. Mikhail Gorbachov
“You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.
When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.” Adrian Rogers, 1931
Job-generation is not a task for the State, which produces only lesser jobs. It is private initiative that creates productive employment.
"We will practice charity when we could not impose justice". Because it is not charity that we need. Justice reaches the causes of the problem; charity mitigates its effects” Victor Hugo
With Smith I learned the importance of the "invisible hand", that today is called market – individuals acting on their own interests – and it is always the individual interest that prevails – without governmental interference – as a superior model for human coexistence.
I have learned from Marx that the workforce must not suffer wear – "The worker sells his labor to keep it unscathed, except for the natural wear, but not to have it destroyed."
I Learned with Joan Robinson that the market economy makes what is profitable and not what is needed
I Learned with Mises and Hayek that nothing beats the power of the spontaneous organization of the market price mechanisms.
“The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were”. John F. Kennedy
A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on. John F. Kennedy
“The best road to progress is freedom's road”. - John F. Kennedy
But in a new social pact where nutrition, health and education became private responsibilities in the productive process, the Government would proportionately reduce taxation and its interference in the economy. Instead of transferring resources from rich to poor, society would provide equal opportunities for nutrition, health and education. This is not philanthropy, but a new concept of human labor as a transformation process of human energy into physical or intellectual power. It will replace the changing logic of ideas – ideology – with the invariable logic of life - biology
The complete liberation of prices and salaries will result, inexorably, in full productive employment. Only with full employment we will do without State supervision – the invisible hand acts inexorably!!! Certainly, businessmen will not act philanthropically only: full productive employment will be the guarantor of this agreement of wills – the dynamics of the economy will lead to full employment, where government supervision will no longer be required
“The happiness of society is the end of government”. John Adams
The comments below are from the experienced, realist and competent american thinker Gary North, who also believes that Keynesianism keeps dominating the political scene by default, for lack of an alternative.
“Without hope of deliverance, the voters lose confidence in politics as a means of healing. This is the central religion of our era. This trust is waning. The Keynesian system holds on power by default. There is no widely shared faith in what can be substituted and how”.
“Austrians have simple solutions: "Let the free market alone." "Less government is better." "Lower taxes increase liberty." "Trust gold, not bankers." These were basic themes in the late 18th century. They were basic themes of classical liberalism in the 19th century. They are not untried concepts. They made the West rich when they were honored”
“The only way we can make it better is to reduce the power and privilege of the groups, and this means passing laws against existing laws. This means replacing centralized planning, in its various forms, with the planning imposed by the free market”
“There is no simple solution to this, other than to persuade people that when a crisis occurs, the proper response is to shrink the government, not expand it. People generally do not want to hear this in a crisis. But if the crisis is based on the fact that the government has run out of sound money, they are going to have to listen to it”.
“The tools of victory which previous leaders have invoked to solve the problem, namely, a strengthening of the central government, an increase of taxation, and a forced lowering of interest rates, are exactly the policies that got us into the problem we are in. So, the proposed reforms are simply more of the same”.
So far - Gary North
"All truths go through three stages. First they are ridiculed. Secondly, they face violent opposition. Finally, they are accepted as evident" - Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), - german philosopher
"People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid." - Soren Aabye Kierkegaard (1813-1855)
"the purpose of studying economics is not to acquire a set of ready-made answers to economic questions, but to learn how to avoid being deceived by economists." Joan Robinson
“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do” – Goethe
Force is the weapon of the incompetent, whereas intelligence is the instrument of the sensible. Force will never transform anything that intelligence cannot transform.
“The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis”.
Dante Alighieri (1265-1321)
I would feel glad if these thoughts lead readers at least to the diagnosis of the trouble we are in – recognizing mistakes is a decisive step to search for solutions.
1. the free market, though highly desirable, is impossible to be practiced without a new social pact
2. Offering equal opportunities for nutrition, health care and education is a “sine qua non” condition to make possible the market economy – these goods and services are attached to survival and progress, do not depend on human will, are non- cumulative and are interdependent.
3. There is no conflict between the market economy and equal opportunities – on the contrary, it is only with equal opportunities that the free market can operate completely
“Those who clearly recognize the voice of their own conscience normally recognize the voice of justice as well”. Alexander Solzhenitsyn
"The fundamental cause of trouble in the world is that the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt." - Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)
"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use." - Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
"In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." - Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)
"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity." - Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
"Sometimes it is not enough that we do our best; we must do what is required." - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
“I’m a lover of my own liberty, and so I would do nothing to restrict yours.” Mahatma Gandhi - (1869-1948)
“The only tyrant I accept in this world is the 'still small voice' within me. And even though I have to face the prospect of being a minority of one, I humbly believe I have the courage to be in such a hopeless minority.” - Mahatma Gandhi - (1869-1948)
Let us celebrate this year with much hope and faith in the endless possibilities that humans have, to find in the future generations the solution to our many problems. Each child coming to this world is a flame of hope and renewal. Have always in mind these teaching from Thomas Aquinas:
“The first step to wisdom is humility”.
“For those who have faith, no explanation is necessary. For those without faith, no explanation is possible.”
, the link below is food for the spirit: enjoy it
André Rieu - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (Mary ... - YouTube
Best wishes,
Ronaldo Campos Carneiro – jan/2013
RI 4530 DG – 2008-9 – Brasilia – DF - Brasil
http://rcarneiro4.blogspot.com.br
De: Urs Herzog [mailto:[email protected]]
Enviada: domingo, 3 de fevereiro de 2013 08:52
Para: [email protected]
Assunto: AW: Happy 2013 - rotarian reflections
Dear Rotarian Ronaldo Carneiro
What an worthful collection of thoughts and ideas from human beings who never gave up und saw that everybody could be able in following a peaceful way of life.
Best regards
PDG Urs Herzog
DRFC D 1980
De: Richard Fisher [mailto:[email protected]]
Enviada: domingo, 3 de fevereiro de 2013 11:03
Para: 'Ronaldo Carneiro'
Assunto: RE: Happy 2013 - Rotarian reflections
Good day Ronaldo
Many thanks for your letter with all its quotations. Much food for thought. Indeed, we have many challenges to consider in our Rotary world!
Kind regards
Richard
District Governor 2007-08 D9270 South Africa
De: Eric Adamson [mailto:[email protected]]
Enviada: segunda-feira, 4 de fevereiro de 2013 15:13
Para: 'Ronaldo Carneiro'
Assunto: RE: Happy 2013 - rotarian reflections
Thank you, Ronaldo, for these quotes and thoughts…very interesting and often inspiring..
Eric E. Adamson
Past R.I. Vice President, 2009-10
19 Walnut Drive
Front Royal, Virginia 22630
540-635-7166 (0)
540-635-4700 (h)
540-671-6898 (c)
De: Bob Scott [mailto:[email protected]]
Enviada: segunda-feira, 4 de fevereiro de 2013 14:12
Para: 'Ronaldo Carneiro'
Assunto: RE: Happy 2013 - rotarian reflections
Thank you for sending me these many quotes
Bob
De: Petr Jan Pajas [mailto:[email protected]]
Enviada: segunda-feira, 4 de fevereiro de 2013 13:40
Para: Ronaldo Carneiro
Assunto: Re: Happy 2013 - rotarian reflections
Dear PDG Ronaldo Carneiro,
tahnk you for a lot of citations, which are inspiring.
Please notice a change in my e-mails
All the best
Petr Jan Pajas
PDG 2007-8
D2240
RC Praha City
mobile: +420 603 450 802
Raffaele Pallotta [email protected]
4/2/2013
Dear Ronaldo,
Thank you for your letter and the valuable quotations.
We make Rotary a concrete part of our lives for others.
Yours sincerely
Raffaele Pallotta of Acquapendente (RIPD)
De: Walter Müller [mailto:[email protected]]
Enviada em: sábado, 9 de fevereiro de 2013 08:48
Para: 'Ronaldo Carneiro'
Assunto: AW: Happy 2013 - rotarian reflections
Dear Ronaldo
Thank you fort he interesting summary of your favored people, who did excellent contributions to mankind. Andre Rieux is an outstanding personality, too. His contributions are in a other manner, than those people citated in your text. Rieux is giving some hope and cheerfulness to everybody, That is very necessary as well.
Best wishes from Switzerland,
Walter
Walter Müller
Gerberacherweg 21
8820 Wädenswil
Tel. 044 680 46 71
De: Charles Keller [mailto:[email protected]]
Enviada em: quarta-feira, 13 de fevereiro de 2013 12:37
Para: Ronaldo Carneiro
Assunto: RE: Happy 2013 - rotarian reflections
Ronaldo…Thank you for your thoughtful message. It causes me to exercise my brain, and my conscience… Charles C. Keller, PPRIP 1987-8
De: Jerry Hall [mailto:[email protected]]
Enviada em: quarta-feira, 13 de fevereiro de 2013 10:56
Para: 'Ronaldo Carneiro'
Assunto: RE: Happy 2013 - new year reflections
Dear Ronaldo:
We have received your well wishes from Christmas and are honored that you remember us. Knowing you now have grandchildren makes Tasha and I happy and a bit envious. Our son is now married but since he and his wife were married when they were in their mid-forties they have chosen not to have children. We enjoy our new daughter-in-law very much – she is a school teacher and a nice woman so we are understandably happy for our son.
We are well and enjoying life at home. I am retired but still very active serving on local commissions as a volunteer. I also do a lot of Rotary work and am now working on a project in Africa…we have visited Uganda once and likely will do so again as part of the current project.
I am not quite the political student you are but enjoyed reading your quotes and observations in your message when we received it weeks ago. Government and the economy are still in turmoil here in the US as you know and our national congressional officials have made governing very difficult. Our state has had more than its share of difficulty with the economy – home values have plummeted, there are many without jobs and much of what people took for granted in the past are now things that may never return to their former state or condition. Since I am retired the impact on our lives is not as significant as others so we are very thankful.
We think about you often and whenever we reminisce about our friends in Brazil you are always in our thoughts. I hope someday we will be together again. We enjoyed your company and Tasha still makes some of the microwave dishes she learned from Ivani.
Please give our best wishes to Erica and congratulate her on her family…we would like to see the children some day!
Love from Reno,
Jerry and Tasha
De: Adam Smith Institute [mailto:[email protected]]
Enviada em: quinta-feira, 14 de fevereiro de 2013 09:01
Para: ronaldo carneiro
Assunto: Re: Contact us enquiry : ronaldo carneiro
Thank you for your list of quotes. An inspiring collection indeed!
Best wishes,
ASI
De: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
Enviada em: quinta-feira, 14 de fevereiro de 2013 04:21
Para: Ronaldo Carneiro
Assunto: Re: Happy 2013 - new year reflections
Hello Sir Ronaldo,
Thank you for sending me your research. It is a good collection of profound philosophcal thoughts about socialism nd capitalism, the extremes of economic regulation. Somewhere in the middle we hope to find a happy balance which will enhance the lives of the poor.
My kind regards and greetings for the new year!
Wilfredo Segovia
De: Joachim Reuter [mailto:[email protected]]
Enviada em: sexta-feira, 15 de fevereiro de 2013 13:48
Para: 'Ronaldo Carneiro'
Assunto: AW: Happy 2013 - new year reflections
Dear Ronaldo,
Very happy New Year to you! And thank you for the reflections. But let us begin with and within ourself.
Kindest regards,
Joachim
De: guy chaumont [mailto:[email protected]]
Enviada em: sexta-feira, 22 de fevereiro de 2013 13:10
Para: Ronaldo Carneiro
Assunto: your letter 14th february 2013
Dear Ronaldo Carneiro,
I thank you very much for your letter with a lot of celebrated men citations. Now i could end my speech with a maxim from your letter!
Kind regards
Guy Chaumont PDG D1700
-------------------------------------------
Jeff Deist 10 de maio de 2014 13:54
Para: Ronaldo campos carneiro
Hello Ronaldo, thank you for the articles. Hope to visit Mises Brazil in 2015.
Jeff
Jeff Deist
President
334.321.2121
518 West Magnolia Avenue
Auburn, AL 36832
---------------------------------
Dear
“Learn all theories and dominate all techniques, but when touching a human soul be just another human soul”. Carl Gustav Jung.
With this thought by a man who saw so clearly through the window of the human soul – I start this message for the renewal of hope at the beginning of 2013, addressing it to friends and acquaintances who are responsible leaders and scholars, some of whom I have not met yet, but admire after having read their writings. This message comes a little late, because vacations with grandchildren and the family are always a priority. But I think that the moments of meditation remain at the beginning of each year.
"Rotary will continue to be charitable, but it can do more than that. Let us make Rotary exterminate the cause that makes charity necessary". This pearl of thinking by our founder Paul Harris was published in "The Rotarian" magazine of August 1916.
This time I looked for help, in references from world leaders and thinkers, to profit from their rich experiences, so as to enrich this text of reflections at the beginning of the New Year. It is always useful to remember the sensible message of:
Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274): “Beware of the person of one book”.
"Copy from one, it's plagiarism; copy from two, it's research." - Wilson Mizner (1876-1933)
“The most valuable of all talents is never using two words when one will do.” - Thomas Jefferson
"Great scholars are skeptics" - Friedrich Nietzsche
“Fanaticism is the only form or willpower available to the weak” - Friedrich Nietzsche
”Our problems are man-made, therefore they may be solved by man. And man can be as big as he wants. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings”. John F. Kennedy
Since a young age I was fascinated by the market economy – a system where the producer, isolated, does not take part in the evaluation of his product – it is the forces of supply and demand that will determine the value-price. This ethics, which exists also in the law of cause and effect for human activity, is self-applicable
“Smith did make one claim that, in his day, was the most important claim that he made. It laid the foundation of modern economic theory. He claimed that the free market system is autonomous. It would exist apart from legislation by the state. He called this "the system of natural liberty." He described how the free market would work if the state did not intervene to pass special-interest legislation that benefited one group or another. What Rousseau claimed for the General Will, Smith claimed for the free market. But Rousseau's General Will needed a representative institution to express itself. Smith's theory of the free market was its own interpreter. Gary North
So, the market economy is something magical, that must be pursued in an obstinate way – it was devalued, however, by a system that does not offer equal opportunities for all.
Let us see how we can rescue it.
We can find in Thomas Aquinas – XIII century – the seeds of the free market. One of the main representatives of scholastics (medieval philosophical line with a Christian foundation), he founded the thomist school of philosophy and theology, which thrived at the university of Salamanca in the XVI century.
“The value of an article, does not depend on its essential nature but on the estimation of men, even if that estimation is foolish.” - Variarum (1554) - Diego de Covarrubias y Leiva (1512-1577) - bishop of Segovia
In the XVII century William Petty (1623-1687), the father of classical economic analysis, wrote two essays that revolutionized economic thought in his time: a “Treaty on Taxes and Contributions”, in 1662 and “Political Arithmetics”, in 1690.
All of this orchestra of contributions was beautifully condensed in the works of Adam Smith, who marked the conscience, the soul and the heart of his generation and subsequent ones. The ethics contained in the entrails of the free market is the real reason that drives me to passionately defend the free market economy.
"Since time immemorial two political systems have confronted one another and both have good arguments to support them” “According to one, the state has to do a great deal, but it also has to take a great deal. According to the other, its twin action should be little felt. A choice has to be made between these two systems.” - nineteenth-century economist, Frédéric Bastiat
“The issue is always the same: the government or the market. There is no third solution” – “Economics deals with real man, weak and subject to error as he is, not with ideal beings omniscient and perfect as only gods could be”. Von Mises
“Neoliberalism appears to be little more than a justification for plutocracy” “What they call “the market” looks more like the interests of corporations and the ultra-rich”. “It strikes me that the entire structure of neoliberal thought is a fraud. The demands of the ultra-rich have been dressed up as sophisticated economic theory and applied regardless of the outcome. The complete failure of this world-scale experiment is no impediment to its repetition. This has nothing to do with economics. It has everything to do with power”. George Monbiot
”Socialism and middle-way economic interventionism by the state produce poverty and bureaucracy. If your goal is to keep poor people poor, generation after generation, you should promote socialism. But be sure to call it economic democracy in order to fool the voters”. Gary North
“The market is not an invention of capitalism. It has existed for centuries. It is an invention of civilization”. Mikhail Gorbachov
"We must understand that capitalism was created to deal with money, not with human beings". Maxwell Vitor
“Capitalism is a banquet in which only the bones are left for the poor”. Pierre de souza
"Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the belief in ignorance and the preaching of envy. Its inherent flaw is the egalitarian distribution of misery". Winston Churchill
“Rich peasants have a strong propension to capitalism”. Mao Tse-Tung
"The market does not have a conscience or mercy". Octavio Paz, mexican poet Nobel Prize in literature, 1990
“The market came with the dawn of civilization and it is not an invention of capitalism. If it leads to improving the well-being of the people there is no contradiction with socialism. Mikhail Gorbachov
“We are evolving to socialism, a system which, as they say, only works in Heaven, where it is not needed, and in Hell, where it already exists”. Ronald Reagan
”All hope abandon, ye who enter here”!(at Hell´s door) Lasciate ogni speranza voi che entrate! Dante Alighieri (1265-1321)
“The disadvantage of capitalism is the unequal distribution of riches; the advantage of socialism is the equal distribution of miseries”. Winston Churchill
"There is no greatness where there is no simplicity, goodness and truth"– Leon Tolstoi.
“For a world in which we are socially equal, humanly different and totally free”. Rosa Luxemburgo
”Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration”. Abraham Lincoln
This truth must be rescued by all the zombies who are wandering, lost and disconnected from the basic concepts of economy.
"Everything the Communists told us about communism was a complete and utter lie. Unfortunately, everything the Communists told us about capitalism turned out to be true”. - World Bank staffer John Nellis
Capitalism and socialism were bitter medicines in the history of mankind, and they are no longer valid, nowadays
“Capitalism is the exploitation of man by man. Socialism is the opposite of it”. Millôr Fernandes
Government is an institution that invariably spends more than it collects, either because of the high social demand in societies with concentrated income, or because of a perverse desire to feed the military might in rich societies.
Government is an institution economically impractical, because its revenues and expenditures shall be determined by acts of human will. Economics is a science whose techniques are valid and applicable when the will of economic agents is limited by the natural law of supply and demand
"A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both." - Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969), Inaugural Address, January 20, 1953
The real need for government intervention is in the fact that 3 sectors: agriculture, health and education cannot walk alone – The government needs to pump resources into these 3 sectors – something necessary, even if inefficient. Under the current rules, the reduction of government intervention in the economy would considerably increase the distance between poor and rich.
The complexity of modern societies cannot be managed by central planners. The so-called democratic centralism is pure sophistry, that appeals only to autocratic rulers.
Whatever the concept that one may have of democracy, the fate of citizens cannot depend on the virtue of their rulers.
Dictatorships or strong regimes are defended only by those who would like to be lashing the whip; whenever placed on the other side, they will stand for democracy emphatically.
"The State is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everyone else." Frederic Bastiat (1801-1850)
"The problem has been developing for many years: a sort of economic alcoholism in which society has depended upon government to solve all its problems. Governments have promised to do away with unemployment, to eradicate poverty, to mitigate the pain of old age and sickness, even to ease the consequences of banking and business mistakes. Such irresistible promises! It was exactly what everyone wanted. We became economic alcoholics, dependent on government, and have had no concept of who will pay the price for this happy addiction." Von Mises - (from a speech at Athens College in 1984)
“There is only one kind of freedom and that's individual liberty. Our lives come from our creator and our liberty comes from our creator. It has nothing to do with government granting it”. Ron Paul
“Don't forget what I discovered that over ninety percent of all national deficits from 1921 to 1939 were caused by payments for past, present, and future wars”. Franklin D. Roosevelt
“People do not make wars; governments do”. Ronald Reagan
“Government always finds a need for whatever money it gets”. Ronald Reagan
“No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth!” Ronald Reagan
“Of all the enemies of public liberty, war is perhaps the most to be dreaded, because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies. From these proceed debts and taxes. And armies, debts and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the dominion of the few.... No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare”. James Madison, the principal architect of the U.S. Constitution - 1795
“We can either have democracy in this country or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can’t have both.” – Louis Brandeis - U.S. Supreme Court Justice (1856-1941)
"Democracy does not guarantee equality of conditions - it only guarantees equality of opportunity." - Irving Kristol
“We should measure welfare's success by how many people leave welfare, not by how many are added”.
Ronald Reagan
“My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government”. Thomas Jefferson
“Government could not help us to solve problems, government is a problem”. Ronald Reagan
“Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it”. - Ronald Reagan
“Why has government been instituted at all? Because the passions of man will not conform to the dictates of reason and justice without constraint”. Alexander Hamilton
“The invisible hand of the market always moves faster and better than the heavy hand of government”. Mitt Romney
“Deficits mean future tax increases, pure and simple. Deficit spending should be viewed as a tax on future generations, and politicians who create deficits should be exposed as tax hikers”. Ron Paul
“Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other”. Ronald Reagan
“It is an unfortunate human failing that a full pocketbook often groans more loudly than an empty stomach”.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
“In the general course of human nature, A power over a man's subsistence amounts to a power over his will”. Alexander Hamilton
"There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread." - Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)
“It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first”. Ronald Reagan
“Ninety percent of the politicians give the other ten percent a bad reputation”. Henry A. Kissinger
Dearest - the market competition that we are witnessing today is like an athletic race: some citizens, well fed and accessing health and education systems are far ahead; most of the others are left unjustly behind: the fair and decent minimum that can be done is to put them all on the same line of departure, giving equal opportunities at the beginning.
Workers need to eat and to have access to health and education systems, so that their labor does not get destroyed – it does not make sense to embed this in their salary, because the hunger of people is not a market variable, but a biological need
“Excessive inequality is corrosive to growth; it is corrosive to society. I believe that the economics profession and the policy community have downplayed inequality for too long.” Christine Lagarde, International Monetary Fund managing director
"Criminality, for example, can be reduced basically in two ways: with preventive investment in education or with the reinforcement of police surveillance on the streets. I estimate that the option for education costs about a tenth of the expenses with security."
"Each dollar spent on the education of a person means that they will produce something like 10 cents more per year along their whole life. There is no better investment." - James Heckman, Nobel Prize winner in Economy in the year 2000
“A State divided into a small number of rich and a large number of poor will always develop a government manipulated by the rich to protect the amenities represented by their property.” – Harold Laski - British political theorist (1893-1950)
“There is nothing wrong with describing Conservatism as protecting the Constitution, protecting all things that limit government. Government is the enemy of liberty. Government should be very restrained”. Ron Paul
"When you notice that, in order to produce, you must be authorized by someone who produces nothing; when you confirm that money flows to those who negotiate with favor, not with goods; when you notice that many get rich with bribery and influence, more than with work, and that the laws do not protect us from them, but, on the contrary, it is them who are protected from us; when you find that corruption is rewarded and that honesty becomes self-sacrifice; then you can say, with no fear of error, that your society is doomed." Alissa Rosenbaum (Ayn Rand) - 1905-1982
“It would be naive to think that the problems plaguing mankind today can be solved with means and methods which were applied or seemed to work in the past”. Mikhail Gorbachov
“You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.
When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.” Adrian Rogers, 1931
Job-generation is not a task for the State, which produces only lesser jobs. It is private initiative that creates productive employment.
"We will practice charity when we could not impose justice". Because it is not charity that we need. Justice reaches the causes of the problem; charity mitigates its effects” Victor Hugo
With Smith I learned the importance of the "invisible hand", that today is called market – individuals acting on their own interests – and it is always the individual interest that prevails – without governmental interference – as a superior model for human coexistence.
I have learned from Marx that the workforce must not suffer wear – "The worker sells his labor to keep it unscathed, except for the natural wear, but not to have it destroyed."
I Learned with Joan Robinson that the market economy makes what is profitable and not what is needed
I Learned with Mises and Hayek that nothing beats the power of the spontaneous organization of the market price mechanisms.
“The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were”. John F. Kennedy
A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on. John F. Kennedy
“The best road to progress is freedom's road”. - John F. Kennedy
But in a new social pact where nutrition, health and education became private responsibilities in the productive process, the Government would proportionately reduce taxation and its interference in the economy. Instead of transferring resources from rich to poor, society would provide equal opportunities for nutrition, health and education. This is not philanthropy, but a new concept of human labor as a transformation process of human energy into physical or intellectual power. It will replace the changing logic of ideas – ideology – with the invariable logic of life - biology
The complete liberation of prices and salaries will result, inexorably, in full productive employment. Only with full employment we will do without State supervision – the invisible hand acts inexorably!!! Certainly, businessmen will not act philanthropically only: full productive employment will be the guarantor of this agreement of wills – the dynamics of the economy will lead to full employment, where government supervision will no longer be required
“The happiness of society is the end of government”. John Adams
The comments below are from the experienced, realist and competent american thinker Gary North, who also believes that Keynesianism keeps dominating the political scene by default, for lack of an alternative.
“Without hope of deliverance, the voters lose confidence in politics as a means of healing. This is the central religion of our era. This trust is waning. The Keynesian system holds on power by default. There is no widely shared faith in what can be substituted and how”.
“Austrians have simple solutions: "Let the free market alone." "Less government is better." "Lower taxes increase liberty." "Trust gold, not bankers." These were basic themes in the late 18th century. They were basic themes of classical liberalism in the 19th century. They are not untried concepts. They made the West rich when they were honored”
“The only way we can make it better is to reduce the power and privilege of the groups, and this means passing laws against existing laws. This means replacing centralized planning, in its various forms, with the planning imposed by the free market”
“There is no simple solution to this, other than to persuade people that when a crisis occurs, the proper response is to shrink the government, not expand it. People generally do not want to hear this in a crisis. But if the crisis is based on the fact that the government has run out of sound money, they are going to have to listen to it”.
“The tools of victory which previous leaders have invoked to solve the problem, namely, a strengthening of the central government, an increase of taxation, and a forced lowering of interest rates, are exactly the policies that got us into the problem we are in. So, the proposed reforms are simply more of the same”.
So far - Gary North
"All truths go through three stages. First they are ridiculed. Secondly, they face violent opposition. Finally, they are accepted as evident" - Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), - german philosopher
"People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid." - Soren Aabye Kierkegaard (1813-1855)
"the purpose of studying economics is not to acquire a set of ready-made answers to economic questions, but to learn how to avoid being deceived by economists." Joan Robinson
“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do” – Goethe
Force is the weapon of the incompetent, whereas intelligence is the instrument of the sensible. Force will never transform anything that intelligence cannot transform.
“The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis”.
Dante Alighieri (1265-1321)
I would feel glad if these thoughts lead readers at least to the diagnosis of the trouble we are in – recognizing mistakes is a decisive step to search for solutions.
1. the free market, though highly desirable, is impossible to be practiced without a new social pact
2. Offering equal opportunities for nutrition, health care and education is a “sine qua non” condition to make possible the market economy – these goods and services are attached to survival and progress, do not depend on human will, are non- cumulative and are interdependent.
3. There is no conflict between the market economy and equal opportunities – on the contrary, it is only with equal opportunities that the free market can operate completely
“Those who clearly recognize the voice of their own conscience normally recognize the voice of justice as well”. Alexander Solzhenitsyn
"The fundamental cause of trouble in the world is that the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt." - Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)
"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use." - Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
"In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." - Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)
"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity." - Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
"Sometimes it is not enough that we do our best; we must do what is required." - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
“I’m a lover of my own liberty, and so I would do nothing to restrict yours.” Mahatma Gandhi - (1869-1948)
“The only tyrant I accept in this world is the 'still small voice' within me. And even though I have to face the prospect of being a minority of one, I humbly believe I have the courage to be in such a hopeless minority.” - Mahatma Gandhi - (1869-1948)
Let us celebrate this year with much hope and faith in the endless possibilities that humans have, to find in the future generations the solution to our many problems. Each child coming to this world is a flame of hope and renewal. Have always in mind these teaching from Thomas Aquinas:
“The first step to wisdom is humility”.
“For those who have faith, no explanation is necessary. For those without faith, no explanation is possible.”
, the link below is food for the spirit: enjoy it
André Rieu - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (Mary ... - YouTube
Best wishes,
Ronaldo Campos Carneiro – jan/2013
RI 4530 DG – 2008-9 – Brasilia – DF - Brasil
http://rcarneiro4.blogspot.com.br
De: Urs Herzog [mailto:[email protected]]
Enviada: domingo, 3 de fevereiro de 2013 08:52
Para: [email protected]
Assunto: AW: Happy 2013 - rotarian reflections
Dear Rotarian Ronaldo Carneiro
What an worthful collection of thoughts and ideas from human beings who never gave up und saw that everybody could be able in following a peaceful way of life.
Best regards
PDG Urs Herzog
DRFC D 1980
De: Richard Fisher [mailto:[email protected]]
Enviada: domingo, 3 de fevereiro de 2013 11:03
Para: 'Ronaldo Carneiro'
Assunto: RE: Happy 2013 - Rotarian reflections
Good day Ronaldo
Many thanks for your letter with all its quotations. Much food for thought. Indeed, we have many challenges to consider in our Rotary world!
Kind regards
Richard
District Governor 2007-08 D9270 South Africa
De: Eric Adamson [mailto:[email protected]]
Enviada: segunda-feira, 4 de fevereiro de 2013 15:13
Para: 'Ronaldo Carneiro'
Assunto: RE: Happy 2013 - rotarian reflections
Thank you, Ronaldo, for these quotes and thoughts…very interesting and often inspiring..
Eric E. Adamson
Past R.I. Vice President, 2009-10
19 Walnut Drive
Front Royal, Virginia 22630
540-635-7166 (0)
540-635-4700 (h)
540-671-6898 (c)
De: Bob Scott [mailto:[email protected]]
Enviada: segunda-feira, 4 de fevereiro de 2013 14:12
Para: 'Ronaldo Carneiro'
Assunto: RE: Happy 2013 - rotarian reflections
Thank you for sending me these many quotes
Bob
De: Petr Jan Pajas [mailto:[email protected]]
Enviada: segunda-feira, 4 de fevereiro de 2013 13:40
Para: Ronaldo Carneiro
Assunto: Re: Happy 2013 - rotarian reflections
Dear PDG Ronaldo Carneiro,
tahnk you for a lot of citations, which are inspiring.
Please notice a change in my e-mails
All the best
Petr Jan Pajas
PDG 2007-8
D2240
RC Praha City
mobile: +420 603 450 802
Raffaele Pallotta [email protected]
4/2/2013
Dear Ronaldo,
Thank you for your letter and the valuable quotations.
We make Rotary a concrete part of our lives for others.
Yours sincerely
Raffaele Pallotta of Acquapendente (RIPD)
-----------------------------------------------------
[email protected]; George Monbiot
Subject: Ideas that worked along the time - 16/05/2014
Hi Ronaldo,
Many thanks for this.
All good wishes,
George
The Shooting Party
Posted: 28 Apr 2014 12:07 PM PDT
Let me underline your great statement: "As the food queues lengthen, the government is giving our money to the super-rich".
From: David Bollier
Date: 2014-09-18 10:15 GMT-03:00
Subject: Re: Fwd: Can society exist, and even flourish, without the state?
To: Ronaldo campos carneiro
Dear Ronaldo,
Thanks for sending along your essays. From a quick browse of them, it appears that they address some central questions of our time. I will give them a read when I find the time in coming weeks. Very interesting quote from the founder of Rotary....but I very much doubt that current-day Rotarians will rally to your challenge because they fear that the organization will be perceived as political (which it will be). But what significant change has ever occurred without engaging with "the political"? Anyway, best of luck in your efforts.
Best regards,
David
-----------------------------------------
From:
Date: 2014-09-23 2:51 GMT-03:00
Subject: Re: Can society exist, and even flourish, without the state?
To: Ronaldo campos carneiro
Dear Ronaldo: I have read your very interesting collection of thoughts and philosophy which you recent emailed.
To respond to your specific question, I would say "There can be no answer without expanded clarification. The question can only be discussed if you first can describe and clearly identify "The Society" you want to exist and flourish; and secondly, the nature and characteristics of "The State" in which you wish it to exist. Until you can actually and clearly identify both the kind of society and the kind of state the answer will always be -- Yes, No, or Maybe.
That would be my reply.
Cliff Dochterman
From: Jaana Woiceshyn
Date: 2014-09-23 13:57 GMT-03:00
Subject: RE: Can society exist, and even flourish, without the state?
To: Ronaldo campos carneiro
Dear Ronaldo,
A civilized society cannot exist without the state; it has a crucial role—and only one role: protecting individual rights. The government’s role is not to “invest” its citizens money in anything, renewable energy included, or to “create” jobs. Please read my book on the role of government in capitalism.
Best regards,
Jaana Woiceshyn
From: Angela Pease-Watkin
Date: 2014-09-24 13:36 GMT-03:00
Subject: RE: Can society exist, and even flourish, without the state?
To: Ronaldo campos carneiro
Dear Ronaldo,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and work.
At WDM we believe that democracy is being threatened by the increasing power of corporations and so we must challenge our government to act to protect people rather than corporate profits.
We’re grateful to have you as part of the movement for global justice. Many thanks for taking action and strengthening our campaigns.
Best wishes,
Angela
Angela Pease-Watkin | Fundraising assistant
020 7820 4923 | [email protected] | www.wdm.org.uk
World Development Movement | Justice for the world’s poor
I work Tuesdays to Fridays. For urgent queries on a Monday please contact [email protected]
From: Schubert OISS-BR
Date: 2014-09-25 10:37 GMT-03:00
Subject: RES: Capitalismo e socialismo
To: Ronaldo campos carneiro
Comp. Ronaldo: estás com a bola toda! Diferentemente, do teu Palmeiras. Parabéns . Teus textos estão agradando gente de prestigio e que pensa !
Abraços rotários, Schubert
There is a some scholarship that entertains the idea of plebian democracy that focuses on bottom-up styles of governance and accountability. Here is a source that may be of interest:
Vergara, C. (2020). Systemic Corruption: Constitutional Ideas for an Anti-Oligarchic Republic. Princeton University Press.
I have proposed a new, fast, and supposedly very efficient form of democracy in the article "Is Democratic Anarchy the Future of Democracy?" here: https://www.academia.edu/s/86a68726ad#comment_1229053
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