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D0PPLEGANGER · 11-10-2009, 02:42 PM

The typical accusations thrown at capitalism would be that as a system it depends on unlimited growth in a planet of limited resources and that it fosters redundancy in the arts etc.

But capitalism itself isn’t really the enemy. It’s that hard-line, no-limits, ‘ingrained in our blood and proud of it’ capitalism (read American) that fucks shit up. Hard-line capitalism fosters inequality between people and what you find over and over again is that almost everything you could consider to be a quality of life indicator (death rates by age, prison rates, obesity rates, homelessness etc.) are much worse than in more equal societies (America does badly in basically all indicators). More equal societies do better in almost every imaginable way than less equal societies regardless (and this is the important part) of each country’s respective wealth.

This is why capitalism should be reigned in and harnessed by socialist tendencies. Universal health care, high taxes (which are spent wisely), social welfare programs: these are all things that I support. Keep in mind that I don't advocate equality religiously or anything like that; I understand that all people are not born equal, but like I said, more equal societies are better whomever you are.

In any case I tend to think of capitalism as something mutable rather than a solid or determinate entity because the drive to look out for oneself and one’s own ahead of others has always existed as a physiological phenomena amongst men: the only thing that changes is the manner in which it manifests itself. I predict that capitalism will find a more benevolent and sustainable face in the coming 50 years with the rise of synthetic goods (goods with no packaging or physical by-product) as more and more stuff goes online and less stuff is paid for at inordinate prices (because middlemen and leeches are cut out). I believe that online piracy will have a communising effect on capitalism with many benefits.

11-10-2009, 02:42 PM	#337
D0PPLEGANGER Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 70	The typical accusations thrown at capitalism would be that as a system it depends on unlimited growth in a planet of limited resources and that it fosters redundancy in the arts etc. But capitalism itself isn’t really the enemy. It’s that hard-line, no-limits, ‘ingrained in our blood and proud of it’ capitalism (read American) that fucks shit up. Hard-line capitalism fosters inequality between people and what you find over and over again is that almost everything you could consider to be a quality of life indicator (death rates by age, prison rates, obesity rates, homelessness etc.) are much worse than in more equal societies (America does badly in basically all indicators). More equal societies do better in almost every imaginable way than less equal societies regardless (and this is the important part) of each country’s respective wealth. This is why capitalism should be reigned in and harnessed by socialist tendencies. Universal health care, high taxes (which are spent wisely), social welfare programs: these are all things that I support. Keep in mind that I don't advocate equality religiously or anything like that; I understand that all people are not born equal, but like I said, more equal societies are better whomever you are. In any case I tend to think of capitalism as something mutable rather than a solid or determinate entity because the drive to look out for oneself and one’s own ahead of others has always existed as a physiological phenomena amongst men: the only thing that changes is the manner in which it manifests itself. I predict that capitalism will find a more benevolent and sustainable face in the coming 50 years with the rise of synthetic goods (goods with no packaging or physical by-product) as more and more stuff goes online and less stuff is paid for at inordinate prices (because middlemen and leeches are cut out). I believe that online piracy will have a communising effect on capitalism with many benefits.