I like this post better than yesterday's post by Pepe Escobar, the independent Brazilian journalist. Although both are honest reporters and both have been influenced by capitalist propaganda like we have been all their/our lives, Cook has made more progress to break free of this mind-hobbling brainwashing and attain more insight on political issues. The only problem I have with Cook is that he refuses to name the system that delivers the wealth (and power) to "plutocrats" (capitalists). I strenuously object to statements like this when Cook refers to "plutocrats":
They prefer the social divisions fueled by neo-fascists like Bolsonaro, divisions that protect their wealth and privilege, over the unifying message of a socialist who wants to curtail class privilege, the real basis of the elite’s power.Socialism means to me that we end the system of capitalism which delivers so much power via wealth to ruling classes. Likewise, I insist that class structured societies must totally disappear, not "to curtail class privilege". Why should some people have more power and privileges than others--except for individuals on a temporary basis and with the consent of people?
The fundamental problem is not about the accumulation of wealth, because wealth is power and that is what our ruling class desires most of all. Their next concern is the preservation of the system of capitalism which has delivered to them so much of their wealth which, in turn, provides them with overwhelming power. What's the use of gaining more wealth after one gathers around $1 million dollars a year? Few of them could spend all that money in a year if they had to. I could not. Most of the "plutocrats" acquire more than a billion (that is a 1000 million) dollars every year, and a few considerably more.