So, there I was reading the WSJ and I came across an article in the April 8, 2009 edition called “French Lessons: A Parisian Coaches Radicals in the Art of Protest”. Well, i thought this could be interesting.
But, much to my disappointment it was rather anger inducing than enjoyable. Here we have in this quick article a man named Xavier who is a ‘protest consultant’ to ‘anti-capitalists’. Ok, so the fact that he sells board games, runs consulting groups, writes books, and is planning a TV documentary is of course all signs that he is not profiting from capitalism? Basically, he started his own company (Entrepeneuer anyone?) and now is the ‘spokesperson’ (CEO anyone?) of his organization.
(In response to “Xavier’s”comment: Just becuase you’re not collecting money doesn’t mean your not getting paid or being rewarded. The fact that you live off your old savings and OTHER peoples work still qualifies you to be categorized as above …. actually no, unless your emulating the rat CEO’s that everyone dislikes vs an honest CEO that people rarely hear about…then i’d say…good work! It seems we have a solipsism here peoples! I wonder what will happen when France becomes such a poor nation that people will no longer have the funds to be taxed into egalitarianism. Wait, those doing the taxing – are they equals? Or are they the power structure? Crap, ah let’s just jump a band wagon – bad capitalists! *laughs*)
How grand! He teaches people how to lay down in streets, dress up like clowns and run into nuclear sub pens, dress up like a zombie, wave signs around, and be a general nuisance. Fantastic and he is profiting off this too? He is a professional toddler? Wonderful. Basically he mooches of a rich nations resources and workers and calls it ‘Revolution’. Yet, people embrace his mentality – the mentality that often looks just like an excuse for laziness.
Who am I to judge? Let me tell you.
I was a member of the Order of Capuchin Franciscans. I worked with the poor and i worked with the dying and you know what? They would much rather not be poor and not be dying. Poverty is not a goal it’s not a way of life – it is a problem. It is a state of being that causes a lot of stress to people (in any political/economic system). It has horrific health consequences, social consequences, and psychological strain that is often supplanted with the reaching out for help (like religions) in one hand and crime (the desire to free oneself) in the other hand. It leads often to resentment, frustration, and all forms of coping mechanisms. When governments control the masses it uses poverty as a weapon (disarming of citizens, control over their finances, the leaving citizens no alternative to which they can turn for help). All religions have an element in them that asks you to take care of the down trodden and the poor. Why? Becuase poverity is so awesome? No, becuase poverty is a problem. A problem that ‘the church’ attempts to address in it’s hackeneyed ways.
So why do these people assault capitalism? They don’t – they assault wealth. They believe that there is a class struggle going on that the weathly are attempting to keep down the poor in order to live off the sweat of these people and profit, unduly, from their labor. They are looked at as slave owners and slave creators. It is quite romanitc especially when one comes from a middle class background or a bankers family. Romantic to look at yourself as the poor mans hero. But, often enough what comes out is not heorism but stupidty.
There is one point that these protesters have – that there are people who ARE taking advantage of others unduly. That is not capitalism and capitalism does not condone that. That is called MONOPOLY that is called TYRANNY that is called COMMUNISM. The system they think will save them is the one that scans the horizon and pounds down anyone who rises above the masses – it assaults the entrepreneur, the artist, the philosopher, the poet, the general, the leader. But who does the pounding? THE LEADERS! THE GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONS. This communism that people so badly want or this socialism they view as heroic is anti-capitalist not because it’s better but because it is the very EVIL the capitalism hates: MONOPOLY OF POWER. Yes, business people can desire to be a monopoly and some HAVE succeeded but that is the roll of government to break up monopolies and encourage competition. Competition and freedom of markets is at the heart of Capitalism. The argument that I hear so often is that Communism and Socialism haven’t had a fair chance. Yeah? EITHER HAS CAPITALISM? You think we, in the US, live in a freely Capitalist society? Then explain the taxation a million times over, explain the absurd regulation, explain cap and trade, explain progressive taxation, explain death tax, explain Sarbanes-Oxley, explain the regulation that actually help companies monopolize industry rather than create competition? Explain Governments influencing the private sector to do that which, in the long run, is destructive. Explain the enormous push for larger and ever pervasive government. You want true capitalism? Then I’m not sure where to look. You want to see Capitalism being strained and boxed in – look right here. But, there is the amazing part – even with all the weight being put on capitalism – the US is an economic powerhouse (despite the medias objections and the objections of George Soros). The US built its power in a short time on the back of those who put their wealth and health on the line to find what is called ‘The American Dream”. The ability to free oneself of debt, slavery, poverty, and oppressive dictators. The ability to own a piece of land work hard AND be rewarded for the work. Give it time, and this will vanish into what much of the world is: Overly taxed and overly subsidized and overly reliant on ‘governmental’ power.
If people own the money then people own the charity. If governments own the money then THEY own the charity and if they own the charity you know who they give it to – not those in need – but those who support them. Welcome to hell people.
You want to destroy capitalism in favor of some other absurdity? Then go on your way and help governments create monopolies, levy huge taxes against the population and encourage your governments to print money freely. Like it has been said, “The Printing Press is the machine gun in the back of Capitalism”. The printing press referred to is that which prints money. Who holds that machine gun? Governments.
Bravo Xavier – keep on keeping on. When you’re done being mad at daddy for being successful then please join the rest of humanity and live your life – not your cause.
Hi there. As it happens to be, I am not getting paid neither for the trainings I organise, nor for the 3 political board games I have published… and am currently deprived of any resources if it wasn’t my savings (I used to work) and the fact that I share my life with someone who has a salary. A good analyst always tries to get confirmations for infos spread in the newspapers… and remains cautious when judging someone they don’t know.
Xavier
For one who is so concerned about ‘analysis’ it is amazing to see that your very own analysis would be say – skewed. So, half of your life is at the labor and expense of another? You used to work? Wow, what an accomplishment. You must either be a Church or a mooch. You see, the clothes you wear, the computer you use, the internet you communicate through is all created by someones labor. Yet, the people you attack YOU believe are capitalists. Well, evidently your information was gathered through popular magazines and newspapers too. If you were half that analysis you believe yourself to be you would see that a capitalists intent is that all people share in the value of their work. Rather than have others work and a few benefit all who work should enjoy the fruits of their labor. Unlike both Elitism, Socialism, and Communism, and dare i say Monopolies, true Capitalism is not what your people preach against. In fact the irony is that your people preach against the very thing they preach: fairness. Wouldn’t it be foolish of me to look at a few people who have ideologies I dislike who cloak themselves in a good ideology and then demonize all the people in the cloaked ideology? You would call me all sorts of silly names. Yet, do you not do the same? Do you not demonize throngs of good people in order assault the few pigs who CLAIM to represent the masses of people who enjoy their work AND profit from it AND share the wealth by hiring people and in return they share their wealth with families, charities, and peoples like you and i? Do i believe you are the real Xavier Renou? Doesn’t matter you represent them all as of now.
You see, if you truly wanted to destroy the people you protest against you would profit from your work and you would do it in a fair and honest way to show the world what Capitalism truly is.
On a friendlier note, it is quite commendable that you believe in your cause so much (if you truly do). You’re effort in such a task has obviously not gone unnoticed. Nor should it. However, I would wish, as do huge sums of people, that whatever propaganda you defend and whatever ideology you assault that you would be much clearer at what you truly intend. For, much like religions, ones followers often tarnish ones own reputation.
I will give you that I do not know you. You might be a wonderful person and yet my analysis based on a news paper article that accurately described my own personal experiences with people who protest in the manner that the article says you teach. It also is accurate in the information about the things people like your followers protest about. All coming from my own experience. You see, I was not solely basing my opinion on a group of people by some news report. It was based on people that I have experienced. You just happen to be the public figure the analysis was conducted through. But, somehow your very own analysis was based on what? Did you believe my blog was written because of an article? How could an article conjure up motivation to write something unless i have experienced what it describes? Did your analysis fail to realize that people tend to write about what they believe and what they believe tend to be by what they experience? Now, to turn this example into a collective one “Before someone takes the moral high ground make sure they’re not standing in mud.”
My hat off to your protesters who continue to support the cause of people laboring for the wealth and health of others who do not. Congrats. Ain’t socialism grand? And Monopolies? And Communism? And Elitism?
Now before you go off and mention the unfortunate people who cannot take care of themselves please note i am talking about able bodied but unwilling people.
You know what’s even funnier. Out of all that I said in my blog, all you can comment on is about what pertains to your reputation.
How selfless and heroic!!!