The Mafia state of mind

Skybird · 02-23-14, 07:02 AM

Stumbled over this in a German blog.

Quote:

This essay was sent to us by a personal friend, who received it on his Smartphone]

Once the mafia state of mind has seeped into every nook and cranny of the society and economy, it’s not even recognized as corruption: it’s simply the way the system works.

We recently spent a few days with a friend who was born and raised in Sicily who now lives elsewhere in Europe with his wife (also Italian, from Naples). Though we talked of many things, one of his comments struck me like a bolt of lightning.
The Mafia isn’t about shoot-outs, he said; the mafia is a state of mind.
He then pointed to a city trash collection truck driving by. Those guys are mafia.
I should stipulate that our friends are left-liberal in their views, and deeply concerned about the direction of free enterprise, democracy and social equality in Europe. He did not make these comments as a joke but with the utmost seriousness.

Why are the union sanitation workers a mafia? Because they have the leverage (via strikes) to extract and extort what they want from a populace who earns less than they do in wages, benefits and pensions – a population with no other choice. Is there some other option to giving the striking municipal workers what they demand? Is there another choice to clear the streets of garbage? Is there another train system to get to work when the train operators are on strike? No.

The mafia state of mind is all about establishing a monopoly that leaves the populace no other choice, and that creates sufficient leverage to enable systemic extortion. In the mafia state of mind, the government is a partner in the racket. When thugs arrive in a peasant village in China to drive the residents off their land so a corrupt developer can build hundreds of highrise flats, where are the corrupt officials of the government? In line to collect their “fees”, which will fund their purchase of homes in Vancouver, B.C. or Sydney, Australia.
Where were the government officials when BART employees held the San Francisco Bay Area hostage? Quietly collecting their usual bribes (politely called “contributions”) from the union mafia.

The mafia state of mind is all about extracting wealth that could not be extracted without state enforcement, monopoly and covert systems of control and extortion. When the “too big to fail” banks received $16 trillion in direct subsidies and loans to keep from imploding (i.e. what would have happened in a truly free enterprise system), that was the mafia state of mind in action: the central state extorted whatever was necessary from the populace to aid and protect its banker cronies.

What is the shadow banking system other than a shadow financial mafia? The “too big to fail” banking sector is a mafia of the cartel-crony capitalist sort, and the shadow banking system is a cloaked version of the same extortionist system that depends on the government for protection. In the shadow banking mafia, the government protects the racket by acting as if it doesn’t exist.

When there is no other choice but submission, when voting for either party yields the same results, the mafia state of mind reigns supreme. The mafia state of mind exists in all ideological flavours – socialist, capitalist, communist. The mafia state of mind is simple: leave the populace no choice but submission, enforce monopolies of control and power, and then extract and extort to your heart’s content.

Once the mafia state of mind has seeped into every nook and cranny of the society and economy, it’s not even recognized as corruption: it’s simply the way the system works. And so the residents of nominal democracies in Asia, Europe and the Americas do not even realize how thoroughly corrupted their societies and economies really are; they cling to the illusions of choice even as their incomes, wealth and political influence are funneled into the hands of various elites by overlapping extortion rackets.

Once you realize that the mafia is a state of mind, you recognize just how thoroughly it has corrupted and criminalized our entire society and economy.

Sailor Steve · 02-23-14, 10:27 AM

A very good point. Thanks for posting that.

Skybird · 02-23-14, 12:46 PM

I'm sure that many people will try to turn this piece into a criticism of capitalism, where in fact it is not about functional capitalism, but monopolism, which could be understood as a kind of dysfunctional capitalism. Capitalism and monopolism are somewhat antagonistic, although the first holds the seeds of the latter already in its genes - and the remedy to the latter is the first. Isn't that perplexing? And like an aggressive virus kills its host, monopolism prevents and destroys the competition and free market that capitalism is about.

How could that dilemma be solved? How to have capitalism without its inherent trend towards monopolism? That is the one hundred billion dollar question.

Not even the Austrian school, which I learned to appreciate so much, has realistic solutions to that, just surrogate claims that essentially are not more than idealistic hopes.

If you think about it, this monopolism issue and this mafia state of mind touches upon the very basis of the idea of "democracy", and are part of the reasons that show democracy to be not more preferably a state form than monarchy and feudalism. It always seems to end with power monopoles of some elites who base their power on bribery of the masses, and administrative corruption. The opposite to dictatorship is not democracy, but statelessness, I think, since democracy is a form of tyranny in itself - that of the majority deciding how to rule over the minority (and suck its blood). And the opposite of monopolism, is capitalism. What is capitalism then? Capitalism minus monopolism is freedom.

That that freedom is comfortable and easy to be obtained, I never said. It needs hard labor and cleverness to be successful on a free market, and opbviously nto everybody can be captian on his own boat. Some fail ion the compoetition of skills and talents, and thus become servants. But as that, they again enter a competition on the free market, becasue some first officers and helmmen again are ebtter than others.

In the end, this process does not reward the moderate standard, but the better standard. That may collide with an attitude of modern time that everybody should be seen as "equally valuable and worthy", which obviously is bollocks, because seen in an objective manner, that just is not and never can be the case.

My idea of equality is a different one, and materialistic social concerns have little room in it. That everybody is equal before a law that is so minimal only that almost nobody can refuse to agree to it, a law that is such that everybody can understand it without needing the expertise of a caste of high priests (lawyers) to interpret and applying the letters of the law and taking charges for that service - that is what equality is about. No exceptions from the rules. As few rules as possible.

Obviously, the mafia state of mind describe a society where all this is successfully prevented. It also is a description of a deep-rooting anti-social state of things. The best and fairest social policy is -o have a market unhaunted by monopolists, where everyboy can offer freely his talents and fruits of his work and freely negotiate with interested people the value of both if he wants to sell them (both his working power and products). That is fair chance for everybody. Fair chance does not mean that the one whose skills lack and whose products are inferior, is guaranteed by a state to be payed the same price like a superior candidate or competitor is offering. There must be dysbalances in wealth distribution, else there is neither the needed dynamic nor any incentive in a society trying to improve. In other words: the alternative is discouraging stagnation, depressing phlegmatism, and unbearable mediocrity. Such a society, such an empire dies sooner or later. It gets buried under its own rancid fat.

MH · 02-23-14, 01:36 PM

Quote:

The best and fairest social policy is -o have a market unhaunted by monopolists, where everyboy can offer freely his talents and fruits of his work and freely negotiate with interested people the value of both if he wants to sell them (both his working power and products). That is fair chance for everybody. Fair chance does not mean that the one whose skills lack and whose products are inferior, is guaranteed by a state to be payed the same price like a superior candidate or competitor is offering

Actually that is the case.
If you can come up with a product that is superior and more appealing than that of competitor you have a chance to succeed.
Yet you still may need to tie yourself with investors and take risks and fight competitors...
Also...what happens if the competitor delivers you truckload of bills and asks you to leave the stage as it often happens in Hi-Tech industry nowadays.
Some big companies do it to eliminate competitors or to expand the market influence with other products or services.
Should be laws against it?
Should be some legislation which sets limits to to growth of private businesses.
This sort of economy would smell like bad example socialism.

...

Jimbuna · 02-23-14, 01:42 PM

I think the place some may be looking for is called Utopia.

Wolferz · 02-23-14, 04:33 PM

America has laws against monopolism but not hegemony. Go figure.

Skybird · 02-23-14, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MH

Actually that is the case.
If you can come up with a product that is superior and more appealing than that of competitor you have a chance to succeed.
Yet you still may need to tie yourself with investors and take risks and fight competitors...
Also...what happens if the competitor delivers you truckload of bills and asks you to leave the stage as it often happens in Hi-Tech industry nowadays.
Some big companies do it to eliminate competitors or to expand the market influence with other products or services.
Should be laws against it?
Should be some legislation which sets limits to to growth of private businesses.
This sort of economy would smell like bad example socialism.
...

Actually we have strong monopolists dominating the not free anymore market, with the state being the biggest monopolist of all. Not only does it not work if you start with my suggestions and their implementation in such an infested environment, because the match started by that would be bugged again from beginning on, no - what's worse is that we have a market that is heavily regulated already. One quarter free market,
three quarters planned economy , I woudl say - that is the reality today.

That is socialism, with its mask ripped of. What lies behind the veil it covers its true face with, is the above mentioned mafia state of mind.

Skybird · 02-23-14, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wolferz

America has laws against monopolism but not hegemony. Go figure.

America, like any other country, has put foxes in control of its hen houses. Legislators make the laws needed to protect their interests and those of their clients that pull the strings in the background.

Diopos · 02-24-14, 01:15 PM

Agree with Sky on this one. Within the free market framework, preserving "antagonism" is more important then the unlimited growth of a specific market player. An analogy is the two term limit on the US presidency. No matter how great a president is, Democracy is considered a greater "good" to be protected by the "monopolizing" (??) of authority.

.

02-23-14, 10:27 AM	#2
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	A very good point. Thanks for posting that. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

02-23-14, 12:46 PM	#3
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,603 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	I'm sure that many people will try to turn this piece into a criticism of capitalism, where in fact it is not about functional capitalism, but monopolism, which could be understood as a kind of dysfunctional capitalism. Capitalism and monopolism are somewhat antagonistic, although the first holds the seeds of the latter already in its genes - and the remedy to the latter is the first. Isn't that perplexing? And like an aggressive virus kills its host, monopolism prevents and destroys the competition and free market that capitalism is about. How could that dilemma be solved? How to have capitalism without its inherent trend towards monopolism? That is the one hundred billion dollar question. Not even the Austrian school, which I learned to appreciate so much, has realistic solutions to that, just surrogate claims that essentially are not more than idealistic hopes. If you think about it, this monopolism issue and this mafia state of mind touches upon the very basis of the idea of "democracy", and are part of the reasons that show democracy to be not more preferably a state form than monarchy and feudalism. It always seems to end with power monopoles of some elites who base their power on bribery of the masses, and administrative corruption. The opposite to dictatorship is not democracy, but statelessness, I think, since democracy is a form of tyranny in itself - that of the majority deciding how to rule over the minority (and suck its blood). And the opposite of monopolism, is capitalism. What is capitalism then? Capitalism minus monopolism is freedom. That that freedom is comfortable and easy to be obtained, I never said. It needs hard labor and cleverness to be successful on a free market, and opbviously nto everybody can be captian on his own boat. Some fail ion the compoetition of skills and talents, and thus become servants. But as that, they again enter a competition on the free market, becasue some first officers and helmmen again are ebtter than others. In the end, this process does not reward the moderate standard, but the better standard. That may collide with an attitude of modern time that everybody should be seen as "equally valuable and worthy", which obviously is bollocks, because seen in an objective manner, that just is not and never can be the case. My idea of equality is a different one, and materialistic social concerns have little room in it. That everybody is equal before a law that is so minimal only that almost nobody can refuse to agree to it, a law that is such that everybody can understand it without needing the expertise of a caste of high priests (lawyers) to interpret and applying the letters of the law and taking charges for that service - that is what equality is about. No exceptions from the rules. As few rules as possible. Obviously, the mafia state of mind describe a society where all this is successfully prevented. It also is a description of a deep-rooting anti-social state of things. The best and fairest social policy is -o have a market unhaunted by monopolists, where everyboy can offer freely his talents and fruits of his work and freely negotiate with interested people the value of both if he wants to sell them (both his working power and products). That is fair chance for everybody. Fair chance does not mean that the one whose skills lack and whose products are inferior, is guaranteed by a state to be payed the same price like a superior candidate or competitor is offering. There must be dysbalances in wealth distribution, else there is neither the needed dynamic nor any incentive in a society trying to improve. In other words: the alternative is discouraging stagnation, depressing phlegmatism, and unbearable mediocrity. Such a society, such an empire dies sooner or later. It gets buried under its own rancid fat. __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.

02-23-14, 01:42 PM	#5
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 190,473 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	I think the place some may be looking for is called Utopia. __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!

02-23-14, 04:33 PM	#6
Wolferz Navy Seal Join Date: May 2007 Location: On a mighty quest for the Stick of Truth Posts: 5,963 Downloads: 52 Uploads: 0	America has laws against monopolism but not hegemony. Go figure. __________________ Tomorrow never comes

02-24-14, 01:15 PM	#9
Diopos Ace of the Deep Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Athens, the original one. Posts: 1,226 Downloads: 9 Uploads: 0	Agree with Sky on this one. Within the free market framework, preserving "antagonism" is more important then the unlimited growth of a specific market player. An analogy is the two term limit on the US presidency. No matter how great a president is, Democracy is considered a greater "good" to be protected by the "monopolizing" (??) of authority. . __________________ - Oh God! They're all over the place! CRASH DIVE!!! - Ehm... we can't honey. We're in the car right now. - What?... er right... Doesn't matter! We'll give it a try anyway!