Capitalism Cannot Meet Human Needs

Though some people equate capitalism with democracy... since in America the two words are often found in the same sentence, it seems that this system of organizing society is just as fatally flawed as communism was in the former Soviet Union.

www.hermes-press.com...

I would even argue that capitalism is not democratic and can never be.

Under capitalism capital decides policy not people.

If people really pay attention it becomes obvious the US is not a democratic country. Prop 215 is an excellent example, voted in with 56% yet the feds refuse to honour the peoples democratic choice.
So much for democracy eh?

It's just an illusion to give people the feeling that they have some kind of control over who runs their government. When its put into real practice the true nature of our 'system' is exposed as the lie it is.

When do I get to vote on whether the gov buys a new F-16, or feeds and houses people?
When do I get to vote on whether the gov sends our military to invade other countries?
When do I get to vote for anybody other than those that are paraded around in front of us?

reply to post by ianr5741


The piece you linked is far better than I expected it to be. Starred and flagged. I expect I will be referencing this thread in future discussions.

Thanks for posting!

reply to post by ANOK


Agreed. I have always thought of Capitalism and Democracy as being conflicting ideologies to a large extent. What good is the vote if it is superseded by economics. The first thing we need to be rid of is lobbyists. Then we have to impose campaign spending limits.

I have always thought that at the very least, the United States should have a more social foundation if Capitalism were to be truly successful and in the interest of the citizen.

As you no doubt know, the US is not actually a Democracy anyway though, and never has been.

Originally posted by jackinthebox
...What good is the vote if it is superseded by economics...

Exactly.

This is a good explanation as to why capitalism will ultimately fail, and take us all down with it if we're not careful...

Dilemma of Accumulation
Capitalists seek to monopolize, but monopoly (and its high profits) lead to
competition. Since monopolies can’t be sustained in the market, capitalists look to (1) the state (which can produce monopolies) and (2) custom (e.g., creating tastes).
During stagnation, three types of adjustment are possible to augment profits: 1) lowering the cost of producing competitive products, 2) finding new buyers for competitive products, 3) finding new products that will be relatively monopolized.
Lowering labor costs conflicts with increasing demand. This dilemma only be
solved by expanding the system, which cannot be done indefinitely.

Dilemmas of Capitalism (PDF)

There are only so many markets to exploit, and when they run dry new markets have to be found. New ways of creating capital (or in reality just shifting it around) have to be constantly sort. It turns us into parasites. We have turned on each other to create capital. The only people who have any value in society anymore are those that can make us money. It's a parasitic system that feeds on itself and is devoid of any emotion or care. Ceremony of care anyone? Capitalism is nothing but land owners waving sticks with carrots at the serfs.

reply to post by ANOK


I think you may have seen this video already, but for the other members who have not, here is some real insight into the true nature of our present economy...

Google Video Link

I originally poste this video in its own thread here...

Do Not Watch This Video...

Makes too much sense that we are facing these troubles now. I fear it's gonna be all down hill from here for a while.


[edit on 4/19/0808 by jackinthebox]