The fallacy of capitalism
Indulge yourself in any discussion with a proponent of free market economics and capitalism and invariably the argument will come to this - you will be asked "OK, you're an idealist, socialism and communism doesn't work. Show me a country where socialism has succeeded". The the capitalist then sits back as you try to justify various political failures (Cuba excepted, which is a decent and workable example).
Ultimately however, the argument is a flawed one. And for two reasons. Firstly, the judgement criteria. Capitalism judges success by material gains and market economics ("look at inflation!" for instance). If you don't value market economics, how can they be a negative factor? I don't mean by this that a country can ignore "the economy", morethat we have to accept that the current thinking on economies is entirely free market oriented and as such solcialism can never succeed. The economy is a structure invented by mankind to support money, itself a false construct. When systems are set up the invariably favour a certain method. Our economic thinking is based not on trade and shared wealth, it's rather based with making profit, with exploitation. Rather, it would be more appropriate to ask questions like "What system values humans more?", "What system represents the people", "What system values mankind and the environment more than profit".
The second plank of this is more simplistic. My answer to the question is this "Show me a capitalist system that has worked!". Loaded questions work both ways, and my criteria is somewhat different to that of the capitalist. Do we value people in this country? In the US? When hurricane Katrina hit the US, why were the poor hardest hit? Why in this country are people less important than corporations? Why can human lives be wrecked when profitable companies decide that money is is more important than workforce? If these are signs of a successful society and political system then it's not one I wish to be associated with.
Unless I'm very much mistaken we are at the vanguard of wastefulness and greed. We are abusing the earth as a matter of course, we abuse animals, torture them before killing them in any inhumane way we like to maximise throughput, we abuse our fellow humans in the name of profit. Is this really what we regard as success?
Ultimately however, the argument is a flawed one. And for two reasons. Firstly, the judgement criteria. Capitalism judges success by material gains and market economics ("look at inflation!" for instance). If you don't value market economics, how can they be a negative factor? I don't mean by this that a country can ignore "the economy", morethat we have to accept that the current thinking on economies is entirely free market oriented and as such solcialism can never succeed. The economy is a structure invented by mankind to support money, itself a false construct. When systems are set up the invariably favour a certain method. Our economic thinking is based not on trade and shared wealth, it's rather based with making profit, with exploitation. Rather, it would be more appropriate to ask questions like "What system values humans more?", "What system represents the people", "What system values mankind and the environment more than profit".
The second plank of this is more simplistic. My answer to the question is this "Show me a capitalist system that has worked!". Loaded questions work both ways, and my criteria is somewhat different to that of the capitalist. Do we value people in this country? In the US? When hurricane Katrina hit the US, why were the poor hardest hit? Why in this country are people less important than corporations? Why can human lives be wrecked when profitable companies decide that money is is more important than workforce? If these are signs of a successful society and political system then it's not one I wish to be associated with.
Unless I'm very much mistaken we are at the vanguard of wastefulness and greed. We are abusing the earth as a matter of course, we abuse animals, torture them before killing them in any inhumane way we like to maximise throughput, we abuse our fellow humans in the name of profit. Is this really what we regard as success?
posted by p8ddy at 12:42 pm
5 Comments:
P8ddy,ring up most "services" you require,from banking to sales offices,and app. 60-70%of the time(here anyway) you will be speaking to someone in India.
As the cost of communication comes down,so the real motive of "customer service" becomes apparent.
Profit,and nothing but profit.
We live in a world that has seen house prices where I live double in five years,hence making it impossible for young couples to enter the "market".
Most of the people who already own a house are,for some strange reason,pleased with this situation.
The thinking being,"we have tripled our investment"
But most cannot understand the concept that you actually have to buy another vastly overpriced property,if you ever decide to move.
Everybody believes they are "asset rich" if they happen to own a property,which they have paid the bank at least three times (in cash) the actual purchase price.
Sadly I fell for this ruse,like most others the first time around,but it will not happen again.
P8ddy,you are "moderating" comments?
Shame on you.
Kano...
Firstly, my apologies. I'd no idea that I was moderating comments. Not sure how that happened. Especially as so far I've had no one giving me it tight about my views! :-)
As for your comments regarding "customer service" - You're totally on the money. It's a bit like insurance - it's managing dis-satisfaction to the point where you won't complain anymore. THe services now are just a good machanisim for offereing the least for the most cash. Directory enquiries is a great example. Terrible service, maximum cost.
And housing? We again are in accord. :-) I can't understand why people can be happy knowing that they are, effectively taking pleasure from other peoples displacement and exclusion. THere will be a new generation of "have nots". More over, when they reach pensionable age what happens? It's a lack of joinded up thinking. Ultimately what is good for my community is good for me. Yet, what is good for me can sometimes be at the expense of the community...
Sadly I fell for this ruse,like most others the first time around,but it will not happen again.
To be fair, I think most of us did. THe difference is that you then thought about it and have recahed the right conclusion. THousands of others will never reach that and will continue to labour under the greed is good ethos.
/p
P8ddy,
just got your message on Quick News.
Haven't been too active recently.
Silly things like life and families getting in the way of my football:-)
Regards the house price thing.
Here in Perth the average price has gone up 34 percent in the last 12 months.
By March it will replace Sydney as the most expensive city in Australia to live in.
This has come about due to an astronomical boom in resources in Western Australia.
This "boom" has brought in thousands of extremely high earning workers to the remote regions of our state,who then buy a property in Perth.
Causing the abovementioned skyrocketing of property prices.
People I feel sorry for are the poor buggers who are currently buying anything so as not be "left behind".
Interest rates go up a percent or two,to stop the "economy overheating".
The resources "boom" flattens out.
The property market suffers a "correction" and you have thousands of young families left with mortgage repayments they cannot afford,with the principal sum steadily rising.
The "value" of their property falls dramatically.
Thus leaving them with negative equity.
The end up of all this is that thousands of people end up having to sell in a depressed market,leaving a difference of 70-100 thousand dollars.
Then the "clever capitalists"(vultures) step in,make a ridiculously low bid(after all it is now a "buyers market")which due to the ever spiralling costs of repayments,the young family is forced to accept just to stem their losses.
This then becomes a debt round their necks for the best part of twenty years.
AAAhh Capitalism.
Don't you just love it:-(
Greed is Good?
Greed is God more like it P8ddy.
I do worry a wee bit for my kids in ten years time.
AAAhh Capitalism.
Don't you just love it:-(
Greed is Good?
Greed is God more like it P8ddy.
I do worry a wee bit for my kids in ten years time.
Greed is god - there are rarely more accurate statements made. The Thatcher and Regan era will be remembered as the time when the selfishness was the order of the day. The first time the greedy broke cover and encouraged others. It's another reason I find it so hard to take to Blair. His "admiration" for Thatcher should preclude him from having anything to do with Labour.
On the positive side though - there are a few of us who care. We can make a difference and ultimately, whilst it might be difficult, your bringing your children up correctly, and they, like us will see the bigger picture. It's just a metter of chipping away at it.
I don't believe for a second that greed is human nature - I think it's a learned behaviour, and one that can be unlearned.
Or at least I hope it can.
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