tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319172106392132510.post3571185875300122199..comments2023-09-24T08:05:04.868-04:00Comments on The Pilgrim Underground: The Domestic Consequences of German MilitarismProtoprotestanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18217567607160768261noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319172106392132510.post-62221427346721812752016-09-25T19:43:51.943-04:002016-09-25T19:43:51.943-04:00When it comes to critiquing the police state, mili...When it comes to critiquing the police state, militarism and empire I often resonate with Libertarians.<br /><br />Only I would argue their doctrines lead to the nation state, corporatism, oligarchy, militarism, empire and thus result in the police state and the destruction of liberties and freedoms.<br /><br />You're right they would grant business the functions of government. While democratic government is often unaccountable and wasteful there are still some checks on its power and wanton exercise. Corporations can also function with a great deal of secrecy, unaccountability and even worse... the bottom line is the main motivation. Wasteful use of tax monies is bad enough, but the corporate model can never be content. It must expand and increase profits or die. <br /><br />I'm with you. I'm very concerned about Goldman-Sachs, Walmart, Google and a lot of other companies. Increasingly some of these entities are becoming inseparable from government. We're getting the worst of all worlds so to speak.<br /><br />The article wasn't above critique, I found the subject matter interesting especially in light of Germany's political shift. That shift cannot be divorced from the German techno-industrial complex and finance sectors.<br />Protoprotestanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18217567607160768261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319172106392132510.post-39496036354601858332016-09-23T01:36:10.501-04:002016-09-23T01:36:10.501-04:00While the quote referencing Thomas de Maiziere'...While the quote referencing Thomas de Maiziere's desire to implement widespread facial recognition software is perhaps unsettling, the article's overall sensationalism undermines its veracity. Token references to the Stasi do not a sound argument make.<br /><br />What I glean from both the author and the commenters is that this is a website geared to right-wing civil libertarians. I've always been put off by the blatant double standard these people apply to governments and businesses. According to them, the state should never have more power than a spastic invalid but businesses can do whatever they want because they're "innovators" and the forces of competition somehow magically prevent them from accumulating too much power. <br /><br />History has demonstrated the exact opposite. <br /><br />The guy who wrote this should be far more concerned about transnational corporate entities like Goldman Sachs, which have no scruples whatsoever about using their financial resources to effectively bribe governments.A.P.noreply@blogger.com