It Used to Be a Joke...

For years we've used the phrase, "Sounds like late stage capitalism" as sort of a punchline. Kind of like "Thanks, Obama" became. You remember that right? When Obama was in office and the Republicans wanted to blame him and his administration for everything bad that had ever happened. They'd sarcastically add "Thanks, Obama" to the end of anything and we were all supposed to agree.

Instead it turned into a punchline. "I couldn't find a parking space and was late to my appointment. Thanks, Obama."

Well we used "sounds like late stage capitalism" the same way. Though we also use it when we are serious about how badly something is going, due to, you know, late stage capitalism. Lately the funny usage has pretty much faded away.

Trump was elected president again because a billionaire funded his faltering campaign. And now that same billionaire seems to be making policy and cabinet decisions via his social media platform and threatening to primary anyone who doesn't vote the way he wants. Even before Trump takes office again.

Sounds like late stage capitalism to me.

We're moving backwards away from getting to healthcare that isn't tied to your job. That's one of the reasons why a government run single payer option would be great. Just one of the reasons. But so many people are stuck working in a job they'd rather leave because they cannot afford the insurance hit. It's a big part of why Brent didn't take the retirement package this year from Intel. We couldn't afford the health insurance costs for the 9 years until Medicare would kick in. And now with DOGE looking at ways to screw people over we aren't even sure that Medicare is going to be there in 9 years.

The whole Trump administration is a late stage capitalism nightmare. He didn't ever want to govern. He just wanted to sell things. That was true the first time. And this time it was that added to he didn't want to go to jail. So he won and now he's busy selling everything he can. Guitars, worthless collector coins, digital fan art, a bible (I would say for Christ's sake there but it's not, it's for Trump's sake). He's doing that while offering up everything in the country to the highest bidder. Foreign or domestic.

His cabinet recommendations are full of people who have no business running the department he wants them in charge of, and people who want to carve everything up for parts. It's like when a private equity firm buys a company and strips its assets then sells it for parts. We, the United States, are going to be carved up and sold for parts.

Where's the profit? That's what you have to keep asking yourself as these bonkers decisions will be made. Who is profiting from this? Because that's why it's being done.

Sounds like late stage capitalism.

I saw an article last week, and I've tried to find it again to no avail, that basically boiled down to capitalism and democracy can only co-exist if democracy is in charge. If the government regulates business it can work for awhile. But once capitalism starts to run the government then democracy fails.

If you were looking at a timeline map I believe that the giant You Are Here star would be right at that point. Democracy is no long running the show.

There is a battle raging right now between the OG Magas and the new Tech Bro Magas. They each think that they voted for Trump for certain things to happen. (None of it was cheaper eggs, miss me with that bullshit) The OG's want to stop immigration and to have mass deportations. They held up the signs during the RNC. They know what they want. The Tech Bro Magas are like, sure mass deportation, no immigrants except for our H1B visa people. We need them because you all are too stupid to do the work we want done.

And they say this as they dismantle our education systems. Because it's not a matter of educating Americans to do the work, or hiring the Americans who are already educated enough to do the work, it's about being able to bring someone in on an H1B, pay them less and restrict their ability to look for a new job. You own their right to work here. If they leave your company they are sent back home.

The OGs cried foul and Trump weighed in. And showed he has no idea what he's talking about. He said he uses a lot of H1B holders on his properties and it's great. No, he uses a lot of H2B holders. And again, it's immigrants he can pay less and force to stay with his company. These are jobs that a lot of people could do. But you'd have to pay them more. And they would probably unionize.

He doesn't want immigrants, except for the ones that can make him a profit.

Same with the Tech Bros.

They know that mass deportations, that stopping all immigration completely, will crash our economy. But more importantly to them they know it will hurt their bottom lines. And they can have that.

Not in late stage capitalism.

I would feel badly for the OG Magas, the ones who stood by Trump through everything he's done. But I don't. They're deplorable. But they are also going to find out that he doesn't care about them. He never did. It was always a one way street. What could he get from them. And now that he cannot legally run again, he doesn't need them. If he refuses to give up power it won't be because of a popular vote, not anymore. The ones that can keep him propped up and the billionaires. And they want him propped up because he can and will give them what they want. Which is everything.

This is late stage capitalism.

And unless your net worth is at least a billion or damn close you are going to suffer.

Even the OG Magas.

But don't worry, they will try and distract all of us with how it's really trans kids that are the problem. Or books. Or that darn DEI.

Meanwhile hold on to your wallet. Or don't, it won't matter, they are going to empty the coffers no matter what. Everything is going private and we are paying more for it all.

Sounds like late stage capitalism to me.