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Why the global capitalist system isnt working - have you been duped?

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posted on Jun, 28 2009 @ 05:23 AM
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Here's an interesting video about 'the story of stuff' or how global capitalism and consumerism works. It was an eye opener for my anthropology lecture class - you could have heard a pin drop at the end of the video. Perhaps you'll find it interesting? I think its worth the watch.

the story of stuff



posted on Jun, 28 2009 @ 06:48 AM
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this really hits the nail on the head. It's obvious we need to change. capitalism in it's current guise, is totally unsustainable and relies on the exploitation of others and others resources. How can capitalism continue without doing these things?



posted on Jun, 28 2009 @ 06:56 AM
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Originally posted by woodwardjnr
capitalism ... relies on the exploitation of others and others resources.

All life is dependent on the exploitation of other life and natural resources.

Jon



posted on Jun, 28 2009 @ 07:10 AM
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Oh a very nice demonstration, thanks for bringing it up!

I can confirm all this being in computer industry for a long time. The toxic waste production and planned obsolescence are the way to go. All the mentioned "immoral" methods in that show are actually top priorities of every larger company and not only it is not exaggerated but the pace of our doom is exponentially increasing each and every millisecond.

As the production goes faster and faster so does human enslavement and need for (in)efficient mass (mis)management. And the strangest thing is that producing more in less time irrespective of product quality is something awarded, motivated and praised.
If you've studied economy, you know that first, and most important goal of every corporate entity is profit and profit above anything else, it is the mantra of every manager. Quantity is NOT above quality anymore, since quality is not even an option - it is an obsolete logic. Design, appeal and psychological (side)effects are now treated as quality....

If a trained person can make something in 1 day, but a 100 monkeys can make it in 1 minute - the choice is obvious.



posted on Jun, 28 2009 @ 07:14 AM
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Originally posted by Voxel

Originally posted by woodwardjnr
capitalism ... relies on the exploitation of others and others resources.

All life is dependent on the exploitation of other life and natural resources.

Jon


Indeed, but we are not animals. Giant dinosaurs are now extinct due to inability to cope with sudden change of resources. Will we also be out-lived by cockroaches?

While at it, not even animals are sucking the blood of their own species. One man living on account of 10 is not normal.

[edit on 28-6-2009 by SassyCat]



posted on Jun, 28 2009 @ 07:31 AM
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Originally posted by Voxel

Originally posted by woodwardjnr
capitalism ... relies on the exploitation of others and others resources.

All life is dependent on the exploitation of other life and natural resources.

Jon


true, but living on a planet is about balance i guess, assuming as a species we want to live for a long time - is how i would look at it. also its about quality of life. if people think they have great quality of life living on a planet where children starve every day, and this doesnt bother them; also living on a planet which is losing all its forests and is being turned into a toxic waste dump - if that doesnt bother people, then i guess, sure, continue as we are. the planet herself will probably rebalance us all soon enough - as something will have to, and we have killed off most of our potential predators.

i guess its about how you want to live- quality of life. the world isnt perfect; but wouldnt we all prefer to live happy lives as possible? everyone has a garden and a house? we limit our population via birth control, then there will be enough resources for everyone, without destroying the earth or needing four of them.
we are kind to animals and to each other - this will make us all happier? or most of us, wont it?
we dont cut down all our forests - we are sustainable, non polluting and recycle - then we can enjoy those forests from time to time - and this will improve our quality of life too.

perhaps if we look for ways to work with the earth, and to preserve its beauty, and other animal species, we will find it more rewarding than the path we are on now, of greed and not working together. i just dont think the way we are heading is the right way for us to be happy as a species.
just my opinion.



posted on Jun, 28 2009 @ 07:32 AM
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reply to post by rapunzel222
 


Fantastic video -- thanks for sharing. I've just finished watching it. snf4u



posted on Jun, 28 2009 @ 07:41 AM
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The fact that some people are surprised, shocked or find this kind of information a revelation indicates how much work there is going to be to fix it.

I think the economic crash in the US might contribute to a better way of doing things in the future - the thing that I hate most is that it is being done by the same people who created the nightmare in the first place. They never cared about the people who have been exploited by this system in the past - I doubt that is there motivation for the future.

The only thing I consume a lot of is alcohol
Everything else I preserve fairly well - even my car is almost 40 yrs old (of course it is a classic, and perfectly maintained).



posted on Jun, 28 2009 @ 08:07 AM
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That video should be played in every high school in the world..More importantly America

By far the best video i have seen in a long time..!!



posted on Jun, 28 2009 @ 08:45 AM
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Originally posted by Redpillblues
That video should be played in every high school in the world..More importantly America

By far the best video i have seen in a long time..!!


I agree, you can't really argue against it. Sure things may be even more complicated, but it gives a great summary.

this is a short video from an economist describing the trouble with Capitalism

www.youtube.com...

[edit on 28-6-2009 by woodwardjnr]



posted on Jun, 28 2009 @ 08:50 AM
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Originally posted by Redpillblues
That video should be played in every high school in the world..More importantly America

By far the best video i have seen in a long time..!!


i agree. i think, if it was, humans are smart enough that we would have worked out a way to fix all our problems or most of them, by now.

i guess, if everyone sends the video or shows it to as many people they know as possible who might be interested - or emails it to them, it could be a start. its hard to spread this info around.



posted on Jun, 28 2009 @ 08:57 AM
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Originally posted by SassyCat
Indeed, but we are not animals.
...
Will we also be out-lived by cockroaches?

First of all: WE ARE ANIMALS

Only once you truly integrate that gem of knowledge into your world-view can you finally make sense of all of mankind's "irrational" behaviors.

Second: Who gives a flying-# if cockroaches outlive us?

Why do environmentalists on the one hand decry most human behavior as destructive and selfish while on the other hand they claim the need to change our doings right at this moment, if not sooner, in order to "save ourselves"?

Pick One:
1) We are a great species that does nothing wrong and we should work to sustain our species in order that we might ensure the propagation of our genetic perfection.

2) We are screw ups that should be allowed to destroy ourselves in order that we might save nature from having to endure the future expression of our genes.


Originally posted by SassyCat
While at it, not even animals are sucking the blood of their own species. One man living on account of 10 is not normal.

That is blatantly false. Many, many species of animals are social animals like humans. They will often fight, kill, and exploit members of their own species (but different group) for the benefit of their own family, tribe, or group.

You may not realize it but, according to our human view of "rights", the male lion is exploiting the female lions.


Originally posted by rapunzel222
i guess its about how you want to live- quality of life.

the world isn't perfect; but wouldn't we all prefer to live happy lives as possible?


A tiger at this moment is killing some baby prey animal's father for food.

Right now, a mother ram is abandoning her slightly deformed baby to die in the woods.

Nature doesn't know anything about human delusions such as "quality o life" and "happiness". You are here to survive and to propagate yourself. If you do not find happiness in those activities then I propose that perhaps you won't find happiness in any situation.

Totally off topic, but it is no accident that "quality of life" and the "persuit of happiness" are ideologically similar to the US Constitution's promise to promote the general Welfare. This clause is seen by many to be the achilles heel of the Constitution.


Originally posted by rapunzel222
everyone has a garden and a house?
we limit our population via birth control, then there will be enough resources for everyone, without destroying the earth or needing four of them.
we dont cut down all our forests - we are sustainable, non polluting and recycle - then we can enjoy those forests from time to time - and this will improve our quality of life too.

What you are talking about would require dictatorial power to control the minutest detail of peoples' lives.

Ahh, control. The classic socialist mantra is that everything that is wrong will be right again if only we could have "people of supreme wisdom" controlling the base instincts of the "ignorant masses." Yet we humans seem to have a difficult enough time trying finding anyone in possession of even the merest shred of wisdom.


Originally posted by rapunzel222
we are kind to animals and to each other - this will make us all happier? or most of us, wont it?

Holy #! It is kind of hard to be kind to animals when we are biologically required to murder and consume them. What you propose is furthest thing possible from natural balance.

To give you an example of how many people think in circles about these kind of issues, consider this:

Starving children are bad.
...and...
Over population is bad.

But isn't one just the natural result of the other?

Why do we human always seem to schizophrenically ignore the man-made problem (over-population) and attempt to fix the perfectly valid natural solution (starvation, disease)?

Originally posted by woodwardjnr
this is a short video from an economist describing the trouble with Capitalism

I disagree, this video is describing a core problem with LIFE. I dare you to find any civilization, historic or modern, that lives in balance with nature. We all take.

Life is just a hierarchy of parasites:
Sometimes you eat; Sometimes you are eaten.

Jon



posted on Jun, 28 2009 @ 09:20 AM
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Here's a related thread, detailing who's doing this, why, and where it's taking us.

Good post. I'll definitely be sharing this video with people



posted on Jun, 28 2009 @ 09:45 AM
link   

Originally posted by Voxel

Originally posted by SassyCat
Indeed, but we are not animals.
...
Will we also be out-lived by cockroaches?

First of all: WE ARE ANIMALS

Only once you truly integrate that gem of knowledge into your world-view can you finally make sense of all of mankind's "irrational" behaviors.

Second: Who gives a flying-# if cockroaches outlive us?

Why do environmentalists on the one hand decry most human behavior as destructive and selfish while on the other hand they claim the need to change our doings right at this moment, if not sooner, in order to "save ourselves"?

Pick One:
1) We are a great species that does nothing wrong and we should work to sustain our species in order that we might ensure the propagation of our genetic perfection.

2) We are screw ups that should be allowed to destroy ourselves in order that we might save nature from having to endure the future expression of our genes.


Originally posted by SassyCat
While at it, not even animals are sucking the blood of their own species. One man living on account of 10 is not normal.

That is blatantly false. Many, many species of animals are social animals like humans. They will often fight, kill, and exploit members of their own species (but different group) for the benefit of their own family, tribe, or group.

You may not realize it but, according to our human view of "rights", the male lion is exploiting the female lions.


Originally posted by rapunzel222
i guess its about how you want to live- quality of life.

the world isn't perfect; but wouldn't we all prefer to live happy lives as possible?


A tiger at this moment is killing some baby prey animal's father for food.

Right now, a mother ram is abandoning her slightly deformed baby to die in the woods.

Nature doesn't know anything about human delusions such as "quality o life" and "happiness". You are here to survive and to propagate yourself. If you do not find happiness in those activities then I propose that perhaps you won't find happiness in any situation.

Totally off topic, but it is no accident that "quality of life" and the "persuit of happiness" are ideologically similar to the US Constitution's promise to promote the general Welfare. This clause is seen by many to be the achilles heel of the Constitution.


Originally posted by rapunzel222
everyone has a garden and a house?
we limit our population via birth control, then there will be enough resources for everyone, without destroying the earth or needing four of them.
we dont cut down all our forests - we are sustainable, non polluting and recycle - then we can enjoy those forests from time to time - and this will improve our quality of life too.

What you are talking about would require dictatorial power to control the minutest detail of peoples' lives.

Ahh, control. The classic socialist mantra is that everything that is wrong will be right again if only we could have "people of supreme wisdom" controlling the base instincts of the "ignorant masses." Yet we humans seem to have a difficult enough time trying finding anyone in possession of even the merest shred of wisdom.


Originally posted by rapunzel222
we are kind to animals and to each other - this will make us all happier? or most of us, wont it?

Holy #! It is kind of hard to be kind to animals when we are biologically required to murder and consume them. What you propose is furthest thing possible from natural balance.

To give you an example of how many people think in circles about these kind of issues, consider this:

Starving children are bad.
...and...
Over population is bad.

But isn't one just the natural result of the other?

Why do we human always seem to schizophrenically ignore the man-made problem (over-population) and attempt to fix the perfectly valid natural solution (starvation, disease)?

Originally posted by woodwardjnr
this is a short video from an economist describing the trouble with Capitalism

I disagree, this video is describing a core problem with LIFE. I dare you to find any civilization, historic or modern, that lives in balance with nature. We all take.

Life is just a hierarchy of parasites:
Sometimes you eat; Sometimes you are eaten.

Jon


Have you been reading Jon Grey's - Straw Dogs. Basically says the same thing. If you havn't read it, I'd recommend it you.



posted on Jun, 28 2009 @ 09:49 AM
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I only disagree with having government solve the probelm.



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