Hi, Welcome to BIG, a newsletter about the politics of monopoly. This is a special edition. I need you to take this newsletter and repost it, forward it, and contact anyone you know in politics. Here’s why. Congressional leaders are likely to put a very ugly deal in front of the American people, and if it passes, America may be unrecognizable after this pandemic. But there is a way to stop it, if people on the populist left and people on the populist right work together.
I am posting here to write you, I' d like to do this in a public way.
First, I am a 24 years old italian guy (sorry if my english is poor), I study computer science, and I collaborate in a local startup, where we develop some sort of machines.
I finished your book a week ago, in it I found a key to interpret the world. I have been searching it for few years. I received from my parents a tradition of politics, a culture of dedication to the news.
What was missing in this tradition was that key (in italian is "key of reading"): the battle between big capitals and small ones, fascism and democracy (stalin and lenin too, I think).
All my family is coming to this point, even if from very different ways, Valerio Malvezzi (who is an economist), Diego Fusaro (who teaches philosophy), Mauro Scardovelli (a psychologist), to name someone. They all agree that we forgot our tradition, and that remember is imperative.
Italy has a tradition of small enterprises (family-sized), and I am sure that it is part of the tradition that all Italians want to recover.
I have been roaming on a long way, starting from schneier.com, where I found links to nakedcapitalism.com and then your blog. Now I want to rediscover the Italian tradition of politics, I want to read things from people who lived the second world war, Antonio Gramsci, Antonio Giolitti, and others who wrote our constitution.
I follow developments in the Free Software movement (I mean Free as in Freedom), and in our startup we try to make use of Free software as much as possible, because we believe in it, and for the obvious reason of costs.
I am glad that you mentioned Open Source[1] in your book, but I believe that it is way more than just hobbyist sharing Open Software, I believe that it is the environment in which small businesses live and prosper. Small business have no resource, and no interest, to close their product. They do not have the size to develop anything from ground to the roof (I mean, from bare metal, to commercialization), and hence take advantages in open standard.
I have seen what happened with 3d printers, they are simple numeric controlled machines (which controls the position of a tool-head in the space). This software has so many application, that a lot of things coming from china have the same controller running very similar version of the same software.
Open software has the "problem" that you have to understand it, it will not run pushing a button, it asks you to have knowledge and consciousness of what you are doing. To newcomers it appears as "cranky", time wasting. But at the end you take hold of your machine. I think that this way of production can revolutionize the world of small producers, for better, I hope.
Thank you for the effort you put in your book, I had to roam all the way to America to understand the world I come from.
Also thanks Sophia from me, because I am "differently organized" like you, and I feel the pain you both went through.
Marco Negrini
[1]: When I talk about Free Software I mean Copyleft software, which is, and will always be, communitary by license. Open Software for me means software gifted to the world, with no obligation to re share derivative work of it.
I think the proposed restrictions on stock buybacks, etc. in the bailouts don't go far enough. Let's require any company getting a bailout to build up a cash reserve equal to their bailout amount before they can buy back stock or issue dividends. Banks have to be well capitalized; why not "essential" corporations.
America is a slave ship. We work in order to pay rent. That is all. All the purple prose of the virtues of capitalism are music to a fool's ears, and America is populated by hundreds of millions of fools. Time for socialism.
"Five of the contracts we received are designated as “Other Transaction Agreements” (OTAs). As detailed in a separate analytical memorandum on OTA contracts (available here), federal agencies, including the DOD, BARDA and the NIH, are using Other Transactions Authority to limit or eliminate the government’s rights in inventions and data that were funded by taxpayers.
Under the OTAs, several provisions of the Bayh-Dole Act and the Federal Acquisition Regulation on rights in data are being disregarded. The contracts generally involve a renegotiation of such basic public interest provisions as the federal royalty-free right, the grounds for march-ins, the ownership of patent rights, and the definition of “practical application,” typically in order to eliminate the Bayh-Dole obligation to make products available “to the public on reasonable terms” — language that authorizes the federal government to intervene if pharmaceutical companies charge unreasonable prices for federally-funded drugs, biologics, vaccines, and other medical products.
KEI has prepared several tables that illustrate the differences between the standard Bayh-Dole Act provisions regarding government rights in federally-funded patents and the language included in new OTA contracts for the COVID-19 pandemic response."
Just found this post - at the time it was written, I don't think it was clear yet that another "monopoly", for all practical purposes, was arising - the "vaccine monopoly" in which the mRNA platform was chosen to throw money at, a platform basically owned by 2 Phrma companies - with competition from other more traditional, and historically successful, platforms being basically ignored - this is a story that I think needs to be told, especially in light of these companies refusing to give up patent rights - resulting in a good chunk of the world being unable to produce their own vaccines and wind up being unvaccinated - resulting in an ongoing supply of new virus variants - each being a cash cow for the Phtma companies ...
Feels like another foray under opening salvo of NWO. Nearly incomprehensible to shut down world trade and tank economy, yet it is happening. The undermining is hitting on all rights laid out in the constitution. Very strange and scary times these. Since March 2020 using published numbers Covid 19 has been and continues to have a fatality rate that bounces a few hundredths of a percent near .05 (1/2) of one percent. In the first 6 months of 2020 there has been no spike in nationwide reported deaths in the US. One possible and very 'out there' reason for no immunization or medical treatment would be, "there is no virus," I'm putting up a thought that just jelled. Strange days indeed.
Pelosi, is for New Workd Order. Kremlin Agent #0045, Trump, is going to continue to Cheat & Steal and build up stolen funds that Steve Mnuchin (US Treasury Sec) will help him steal. Trump sees Steve as his Personal Banker. These Cirrupt White Muthfuckers are Breaking Laws Left & Right. They are Fellow Felons. If I can do time those bitches can do time. They putbon their pants one leg at a time. How Dare the United States Congress Allow Trump to Openly steal US Moneys Publicly and Privately as with Ukraine. You allow the Satanic Dark Lord Rothchilds, Rockefellas, Duponts, Bushs, Morgans to CREATEreate FEAR! JESUS THE LORD WILL KICK ALL OF YOU 33RD DEGREE FREEMASONS IN THE ASSCAND OFF THE EARTH. YOUR TIME IS SHORT LUCY! REAL SHORT, BITCH!
Robert Dale “All cooperative schemes which provide equal remuneration to the skilled and industrious and the ignorant and idle must work their own downfall. For by this unjust plan they must of necessity eliminate the valuable members and retain only the improvident, unskilled and vicious."
Re: the downside RISK of said would-be coup: slideshare.net/postromcom. Keywords: Deutsche Bank; precedent via below excerpt from Stoller's Goliath. Excerpt from slideshare (minus Web links and formatting of text):
Via my Amazon-/Microsoft-/VC-praised* work, my 20% finders’-fee offer and your Rolodex, the first COVID-19 treatment and/or vaccine (CTV) might be identified. Keywords (details below): ~77 million psychopaths (Ps) are imperiled (PsIMP)** by advances in molecular genetics; it’s (very) likely that a growing number of Ps: 1) are aware that PsIMP, 2) have been resisting; engineering*** C19 and CTV could ENLARGE Ps’ war chest; indicators that some employees of the criminal enterprise known as Deutsche Bank might**** know if CTV exists already.
* Links to the praise are below, along with excerpts, starting on page 7.
** Details below. Keywords: RISK factor for my industry; I identified the threat to non-Ps in 2016.
. . .
From 2019 book Goliath: The 100-Year War Between Monopoly Power and Democracy:
Hitler was using industrial power and cartel arrangements to make unwitting allies of American monopolists . . .
It's too far gone. We lost our nation when Clinton removed Glass-Stegall, Bush admin passed the Patriot act after 9/11 and Obama went on to bail banksters out and continue on with Bush administration's illegal wars in Middle East and beyond. The People have already spoken when they did nothing. I work in a large insurance corporation. I was sad to see how ignorant women I work with are. They are great at "multi-tasking" and attention to details which our organization needs but they haven't clue on big-picture stuff (most of them). When the Hong Kong riots were going on, I mentioned something one day about China, and I had one of my co-workers literally make fun of me because she said "Hong Kong is in Japan"!!! LOL So, this is what we are up against. To be fair, the American men are just as bad in other ways. They have basically allowed themselves to be de-balled.
Well just a simple idea: What if all companies beeing "helped" have to give stocks/obligations in same size to a "People of America fund" which will be like a silent shareholder in future... That way "the people" will own parts of thoose "companies-in-need" in future while the companies can buy back/step out of the fund later ... So they get saved but the people are secured parts of future benefits. Such a fund would be perfect to finance pension, education, health system, social welfare...
Hi Matt,
I am posting here to write you, I' d like to do this in a public way.
First, I am a 24 years old italian guy (sorry if my english is poor), I study computer science, and I collaborate in a local startup, where we develop some sort of machines.
I finished your book a week ago, in it I found a key to interpret the world. I have been searching it for few years. I received from my parents a tradition of politics, a culture of dedication to the news.
What was missing in this tradition was that key (in italian is "key of reading"): the battle between big capitals and small ones, fascism and democracy (stalin and lenin too, I think).
All my family is coming to this point, even if from very different ways, Valerio Malvezzi (who is an economist), Diego Fusaro (who teaches philosophy), Mauro Scardovelli (a psychologist), to name someone. They all agree that we forgot our tradition, and that remember is imperative.
Italy has a tradition of small enterprises (family-sized), and I am sure that it is part of the tradition that all Italians want to recover.
I have been roaming on a long way, starting from schneier.com, where I found links to nakedcapitalism.com and then your blog. Now I want to rediscover the Italian tradition of politics, I want to read things from people who lived the second world war, Antonio Gramsci, Antonio Giolitti, and others who wrote our constitution.
I follow developments in the Free Software movement (I mean Free as in Freedom), and in our startup we try to make use of Free software as much as possible, because we believe in it, and for the obvious reason of costs.
I am glad that you mentioned Open Source[1] in your book, but I believe that it is way more than just hobbyist sharing Open Software, I believe that it is the environment in which small businesses live and prosper. Small business have no resource, and no interest, to close their product. They do not have the size to develop anything from ground to the roof (I mean, from bare metal, to commercialization), and hence take advantages in open standard.
I have seen what happened with 3d printers, they are simple numeric controlled machines (which controls the position of a tool-head in the space). This software has so many application, that a lot of things coming from china have the same controller running very similar version of the same software.
Open software has the "problem" that you have to understand it, it will not run pushing a button, it asks you to have knowledge and consciousness of what you are doing. To newcomers it appears as "cranky", time wasting. But at the end you take hold of your machine. I think that this way of production can revolutionize the world of small producers, for better, I hope.
Thank you for the effort you put in your book, I had to roam all the way to America to understand the world I come from.
Also thanks Sophia from me, because I am "differently organized" like you, and I feel the pain you both went through.
Marco Negrini
[1]: When I talk about Free Software I mean Copyleft software, which is, and will always be, communitary by license. Open Software for me means software gifted to the world, with no obligation to re share derivative work of it.
I think the proposed restrictions on stock buybacks, etc. in the bailouts don't go far enough. Let's require any company getting a bailout to build up a cash reserve equal to their bailout amount before they can buy back stock or issue dividends. Banks have to be well capitalized; why not "essential" corporations.
America is a slave ship. We work in order to pay rent. That is all. All the purple prose of the virtues of capitalism are music to a fool's ears, and America is populated by hundreds of millions of fools. Time for socialism.
“Mitch McConnell, Chuck Schumer, and the Trump administration is negotiating a bailout” - should be *are* negotiating?
Looks like government is undermining public rights in contracts with big pharmacy concerning COVID-19.
The link is quite a read with a tabular overview of the differences found.
There is also a link in there to an overview of government contracts that KEI keeps updated with new data. ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_Ecology_International )
https://www.keionline.org/covid19-ota-contracts
"Five of the contracts we received are designated as “Other Transaction Agreements” (OTAs). As detailed in a separate analytical memorandum on OTA contracts (available here), federal agencies, including the DOD, BARDA and the NIH, are using Other Transactions Authority to limit or eliminate the government’s rights in inventions and data that were funded by taxpayers.
Under the OTAs, several provisions of the Bayh-Dole Act and the Federal Acquisition Regulation on rights in data are being disregarded. The contracts generally involve a renegotiation of such basic public interest provisions as the federal royalty-free right, the grounds for march-ins, the ownership of patent rights, and the definition of “practical application,” typically in order to eliminate the Bayh-Dole obligation to make products available “to the public on reasonable terms” — language that authorizes the federal government to intervene if pharmaceutical companies charge unreasonable prices for federally-funded drugs, biologics, vaccines, and other medical products.
KEI has prepared several tables that illustrate the differences between the standard Bayh-Dole Act provisions regarding government rights in federally-funded patents and the language included in new OTA contracts for the COVID-19 pandemic response."
Just found this post - at the time it was written, I don't think it was clear yet that another "monopoly", for all practical purposes, was arising - the "vaccine monopoly" in which the mRNA platform was chosen to throw money at, a platform basically owned by 2 Phrma companies - with competition from other more traditional, and historically successful, platforms being basically ignored - this is a story that I think needs to be told, especially in light of these companies refusing to give up patent rights - resulting in a good chunk of the world being unable to produce their own vaccines and wind up being unvaccinated - resulting in an ongoing supply of new virus variants - each being a cash cow for the Phtma companies ...
Feels like another foray under opening salvo of NWO. Nearly incomprehensible to shut down world trade and tank economy, yet it is happening. The undermining is hitting on all rights laid out in the constitution. Very strange and scary times these. Since March 2020 using published numbers Covid 19 has been and continues to have a fatality rate that bounces a few hundredths of a percent near .05 (1/2) of one percent. In the first 6 months of 2020 there has been no spike in nationwide reported deaths in the US. One possible and very 'out there' reason for no immunization or medical treatment would be, "there is no virus," I'm putting up a thought that just jelled. Strange days indeed.
Check out today’s story of Covidien buying out Newport and its impact of availability of low cost ventilators
Pelosi, is for New Workd Order. Kremlin Agent #0045, Trump, is going to continue to Cheat & Steal and build up stolen funds that Steve Mnuchin (US Treasury Sec) will help him steal. Trump sees Steve as his Personal Banker. These Cirrupt White Muthfuckers are Breaking Laws Left & Right. They are Fellow Felons. If I can do time those bitches can do time. They putbon their pants one leg at a time. How Dare the United States Congress Allow Trump to Openly steal US Moneys Publicly and Privately as with Ukraine. You allow the Satanic Dark Lord Rothchilds, Rockefellas, Duponts, Bushs, Morgans to CREATEreate FEAR! JESUS THE LORD WILL KICK ALL OF YOU 33RD DEGREE FREEMASONS IN THE ASSCAND OFF THE EARTH. YOUR TIME IS SHORT LUCY! REAL SHORT, BITCH!
Robert Dale “All cooperative schemes which provide equal remuneration to the skilled and industrious and the ignorant and idle must work their own downfall. For by this unjust plan they must of necessity eliminate the valuable members and retain only the improvident, unskilled and vicious."
Re: the downside RISK of said would-be coup: slideshare.net/postromcom. Keywords: Deutsche Bank; precedent via below excerpt from Stoller's Goliath. Excerpt from slideshare (minus Web links and formatting of text):
Via my Amazon-/Microsoft-/VC-praised* work, my 20% finders’-fee offer and your Rolodex, the first COVID-19 treatment and/or vaccine (CTV) might be identified. Keywords (details below): ~77 million psychopaths (Ps) are imperiled (PsIMP)** by advances in molecular genetics; it’s (very) likely that a growing number of Ps: 1) are aware that PsIMP, 2) have been resisting; engineering*** C19 and CTV could ENLARGE Ps’ war chest; indicators that some employees of the criminal enterprise known as Deutsche Bank might**** know if CTV exists already.
* Links to the praise are below, along with excerpts, starting on page 7.
** Details below. Keywords: RISK factor for my industry; I identified the threat to non-Ps in 2016.
. . .
From 2019 book Goliath: The 100-Year War Between Monopoly Power and Democracy:
Hitler was using industrial power and cartel arrangements to make unwitting allies of American monopolists . . .
It's too far gone. We lost our nation when Clinton removed Glass-Stegall, Bush admin passed the Patriot act after 9/11 and Obama went on to bail banksters out and continue on with Bush administration's illegal wars in Middle East and beyond. The People have already spoken when they did nothing. I work in a large insurance corporation. I was sad to see how ignorant women I work with are. They are great at "multi-tasking" and attention to details which our organization needs but they haven't clue on big-picture stuff (most of them). When the Hong Kong riots were going on, I mentioned something one day about China, and I had one of my co-workers literally make fun of me because she said "Hong Kong is in Japan"!!! LOL So, this is what we are up against. To be fair, the American men are just as bad in other ways. They have basically allowed themselves to be de-balled.
It’s nice that the corporations did the math. But now why not take the money they’d like to get, and give it directly to the citizens?
Can we start a list of what we want? High on that would be term limits and age ceilings (70 years old)? across all branches of the federal government.
How about appointing people to make decisions who have no conflicts of interest, who make a real, lifetime commitment to public service?
Well just a simple idea: What if all companies beeing "helped" have to give stocks/obligations in same size to a "People of America fund" which will be like a silent shareholder in future... That way "the people" will own parts of thoose "companies-in-need" in future while the companies can buy back/step out of the fund later ... So they get saved but the people are secured parts of future benefits. Such a fund would be perfect to finance pension, education, health system, social welfare...