Sunday, July 03, 2005

Montana Energy Debacle

Re: David Sirota's article

I find it disturbing that one of the topics on this blog entry on Working for Change is "Capitalist Pigs". The Progressive Movement needs to understand that they can't be Socialist and be serious contenders in our political system. Our economic system is capitalist, take it or leave it. The only way we're going to take back this country in the long term is by taking back the economy, and I'm not talking about a change in economic system. I'm talking about the people who want change in their country taking control of the companies that are destroying it. Public Ownership does not necessarily entail government ownership, especially since the government is almost as much of a problem as the corporations, thanks to current campaign finance regulations giving the advantage to the most valuable player from the onset.

I very much agree with David's comments, but it looks from the articles that Northwest Corp. is going to recommend against their shareholders approving the purchase. If they do, the citizens of Montana have another option. Beat them at their own game.

They are offering NWEC 1.17 Billion dollars. The NWEC stock is currently worth $31.87. That means that with this capital they could purchase 53 Million shares, or 15% of the company.

Progressives need to understand that they don't have to be anti-capitalist. They need to stop letting the rich people own the field and buy off the referees. We need to take control of our own economy and make it work for us. The only way of doing that is by taking control of the assets.

Chad Lupkes

1 comment:

Chad Lupkes said...

Hello John, and welcome!

Yes, you're the first person to reply to one of my posts. Let's hope it encourages others to join in as well.

I don't think the Democratic Party needs to "embrace capitalism". We live in a capitalist society. Capitalism was the winner of the Cold War if you listen to the historians. Capitalism is gaining strength in China and North Korea, some of the last Communist governments on the planet. Instead, what the Democratic Party needs to do is advertise that they are working to support Capitalism, and not replace it with Socialism or Communism. I hear too often the thread that the far left in the Democratic base want to replace our economic system. It's just not true. But there are elements in the activist base working against the Neo-Cons who don't do a good enough job describing their ideas to prevent them being twisted by the Conservative Talkers.

FDR saved our capitalist system by making it work for most of the population, instead of only working for a few at the top. One of the biggest differences I see between conservatives and progressives is that while conservatives are busy stepping on people trying to climb their way to the top of the ladder, the progressives get themselves to a comfortable position, and reach a hand down to help someone else up. I don't agree with the notion that there is only room on the top of the ladder for one person. I would rather be on the ladder in a comfortable position than at the top of the ladder with everyone below me hating me for causing them harm. Economically, it means that we help provide financial and opportunity resources to the people who need it, not just ignore the people who can't help us climb higher ourselves.