What I fear is really behind this whole "destroy education and unions" drive

[orangemike]

I believe our corporate lords and masters have hit on what they consider an optimal solution for the industrialized world (U.S./Europe), which can gradually be expanded to the rest of the planet, once accommodations are reached with their counterparts in Russia and China

Comments

[abostick59]

This was news thirty years ago.

[orangemike]

It's painfully familiar as the backdrop for one of Heinlein's brain-problem-era novels, the otherwise forgettable I Will Fear No Evil. It's also the ugly unglamorous uncool behind all cyberpunk.

Problem is, I was hoping for something more 1960s-ish for my 21st century and that of our child.

[fjm]

Robert Westall's Futuretrack 5.

[seawasp]

But their entire economy (and thus wealth and power) relies on the existence of a huge and solvent middle class. So you're saying their goals are to destroy themselves?

[holyoutlaw]

That's the way I look at it.

[orangemike]

They've decided they don't need a middle class any more. We are/were superfluous in an era of automation and virtualization and outsourcing.

[starcat_jewel]

By the time they figure that out, it'll be far too late for the rest of us. Remember, there's a large religious component in it too, called the "Prosperity Gospel" -- which teaches that it doesn't matter what they do, the fact that they're wealthy proves that they are the favored of God.

[martyn44]

Been studying some history, have you? Mike, that's the way its always been, just now they don't believe they have to pretend any more.

[crazysoph]

I've been considering somewhat less globally and big-picture: the reason (if you can call it that) behind the current legislative follies has been to provoke a huge - and violent - backlash so that they have the excuse to pull out all the stops in really nailing things down/shut.

Crazy(even more so, given her long-distance part of "long-distance involvement")Soph

[astro_not1]

I have to concur with several comments already posted. The current idiocy in Wisconsin is just the latest manifestation of something that's been going on at least since the early 1960's, when it became obvious the darkies weren't going to take the crap jobs so easily any more, and they needed to find a way to create a continuing underclass. Not new then, not new now. As for the violent backlash, I think most of us have studied enough history to know that would be playing into their hands, but if they can infiltrate us and get a small contingent to do something rash and foolish in public, that may be all the excuse they need. Of course, they could easily do what George III did, and totally underestimate the will of the people and our ability to keep things off balance just enough to win in the long run.