BEYOND CAPITALISM

As one often assumed that things could not change much at certain historical times, following the collapse of communism there seemed to be little alternative to capitalism. Capitalism is the embodiment of good against the forces of evil. Now that change is inevitable though we are very much creatures of habit. Makes things simpler; religion, tribalism, etc. Capitalism today has mutated into a different form which no longer benefits the good of the masses or the planet and it must be reigned in. Free enterprise seems to be inherent in the human psyche, but there are different ways of implementing it. At this stage and without a counter ideology, capitalism has evolved into a raw un-compassionate system of pure profit regardless of social or environmental collateral damage that is hurting individual psyche and the environment in which we live. This has therefore become a serious problem.

No one person is able to reinvent a system in detail, as most money managers and economists are not very good at predicting or controlling trends either. Besides economics planning is like most interactions, very organic and unpredictable. There is however common sense that is an important part of life regardless of education or specialization.

So as communism before it, capitalism is proving to be a better system if not the only economic system left on our planet. It is however proving that it is not be the best way for our civilizations to survive in the way it has evolved and is being implemented at this point in time.
Between abuse of resources and the distribution of wealth in a system so entrenched that it seems almost impossible to reform. It therefore seems that in a world of impending environmental collapse and massive populations, that an alternative must be created. An option not only of a better economic balance but also of the social and mental obsession and corruption of materialism it creates. This obsession which has overtaken all peoples of the world to accumulate wealth and live for pure material gain. The fallacies that economies must grow at a certain percentage per year in order to properly compete. This is no longer viable in a physical world where resources are increasingly scarce and few people reap any of the benefits. So what is it to be? A combination of free markets and socialism. Maybe, but these free markets need controls and must again become smaller, and more manageable, and more accountable. This is the final result of post colonial policies of taking the same advantage of third world economies to serve the needs of the developed nations which has come to roost at the home front.

Social programs and so-called big government are a necessity for large populations. One cannot leave it to the public sector to control itself as was proven time and again. Incentives and punishment must be present.

Also capitalist controls must revert to protect local industries. For instance when banks were only allowed to operate within their own states. Nowadays all these regulations have been deregulated which gives control to major industries in fewer hands. This is exactly what was to be avoided to promote the opportunity of business incentives to the greater population. This completely defeats the purpose and creates oligarchies. Not what one needs to have for a productive system of incentives to benefit the whole? It simply emulates a Third world system of wealthy elites and a vast underprivileged class with few benefits, incentive, and voice. It reverts back to the ways of the 19th Century. The pitfalls in the declining education system further widens this gap to further benefit the oligarchs in a society which really doesn’t produce much in terms of industry anymore, but abstract exchanges of wealth and services.

Healthcare, state incentives and controls must be present no matter who is against it. The latter are ignorant, or simply preserving their interests at the expense of other in order not to have their taxes raised. This is no longer a forward thinking society to lead the world, but simply a group of entrenched business interests and politicians who have slipped into degeneracy and have no will, patience, or foresight to create a better system. This is something, which would only take a few years to later generate much greater returns for new kinds of products. This is actually beginning but at a trickle and twenty years late.

Many of these individuals or groups who constantly criticize progress and have no alternatives to offer, and want to bring religion to the fore of a secular government, are actually nefarious to the welfare of the people and the state and should be labeled as national security risks and unpatriotic.

If bread is on the table and health care is available, many will follow. Just tax incentives are not enough. The US has in essence become a complex government where the majority is unwilling to deal with complex ideals. Short sightedness is the motto. Again Third world. How much can one keep now regardless of what can be achieved later? The same goes for retooling for better environmental technology.

It was always perplexing that a few years of retooling to actual create greater revenue with a whole string of new environmental products is just not acceptable or contemplated because it is not fast enough and would upset the status quo, regardless of how much more profit could be made in the near future. Schlerozed thinking at its best. This is systemic degeneracy and new concepts must prop up to sweep away this parasitic thinking.

Every leader no matter how noble their ideals gets stuck in this system’s status quo. Radicalization is a must in order to sweep that away and implement true reforms. It is unlikely that the two existing political parties can achieve that level of radicalization, and that unless the system opens up to allow for wider political representation it will be mired in stagnation.

Many Republicans and some Democrats are actually national security risks in their thinking of blockages for selfish reasons with little or no alternative solutions, and must be treated as such. Same as the companies who are allowed to rob the public and then punish that same public for their bad policies from whom they benefited and got bailout money from the state, and later tax credits, without offering the masses the opportunities to rebuild through loans because there is better money to be mad elsewhere with our money.

Laws have to be in place to make examples of these people and their lack of patriotism or more simply lack of social conscience for the greater good. This is a crime that must be punished. One cannot negotiate with such people, but unceremoniously set them aside by changing the laws. Our current president may have good intentions and ideas, but lacks the radicalism to change this morass of ineptitude. Machiavellian leadership is of the essence in these troubled times to reform the whole system from within.
Unfortunately we have not sunk low enough yet for this to occur.

How exactly this must be done can be complicated and require more dire circumstances as in the Great Depression, but it is the only way since no matter who gets in is stifled by these obstacles. Do things have to get so bad in order to implement such reforms. Most probably as history shows. The New Deal, Communism, National Socialism. Capitalism won out but is not the ideal as it has gone astray as everything does because humans are corrupted through greed. Extreme capitalism with few benefits coupled with its objective for pure consumerism, lacks any form of humanity. Therefore a change or metamorphosis is required. Large complex societies do require a mixture of capitalism and socialism. The latter is a bad word in this society, but so be it. The US was looked up to by most of the world for its ability to offer new opportunities. This seems to be a part of the past, but must be revived if there is any hope for reform and leadership. Governments are only as legitimate as what they can do to serve the majority of their electorate.
Why should the US lead? Because realistically since the end of World War II it has done so and other nations have often waited for it to do so.
Also regardless of political and other blunders it still has greater credibility throughout the world than any other nation.

The speculation of the stock market no longer represents true value or security in the long term, unless one is a player.
Multinationals wipe out the average smaller business.
Deregulation further aggravates this problem for local businesses.
Globalization serves by taking away jobs to be replaced by quasi slave labor.
American capitalism is crude and socially oblivious and decadent. Promoting business for its own sake and compensating a corporate elite whether they perform well or not. So it is not really even about the shareholder whose interest they always claim to represent above all else.
A system which cannot deal with basic social issues such as schools, public works, and the like is no longer viable and must be altered, as it is destroying it’s future generations. Like communism when a system stops delivering it loses legitimacy.

When representative’s seats cost so much it is hardly a representation of the people. Too elitist the candidate who has the funds, or too many concessions to the funders for the one who has no funds. Where does this leave the average individual.

In the latest economic bailouts, the bonuses were handed to the higher executives, while benefits and stock options were erased for the lower echelons, and lines of credits and loans were frozen for the average client as well as regular bank employees. If economics is based on trust this will be a tough one.

Corrupted minds are hard if impossible to be altered, for they are bad seed, and must be replaced as they will just repeat their past deeds. It is their nature. Unless the punishment is so severe then it may actually make a difference for others in a revamped system of ‘Compassionate Capitalism’? instead of socialist capitalism.

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