top
US
US
Indybay
Indybay
Indybay
Regions
Indybay Regions North Coast Central Valley North Bay East Bay South Bay San Francisco Peninsula Santa Cruz IMC - Independent Media Center for the Monterey Bay Area North Coast Central Valley North Bay East Bay South Bay San Francisco Peninsula Santa Cruz IMC - Independent Media Center for the Monterey Bay Area California United States International Americas Haiti Iraq Palestine Afghanistan
Topics
Newswire
Features
From the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature

Is Capitalism Digging its Own Grave?

by Felix Pacheco
Capitalism was a progressive force that developed from the death throes of Feudalism., and has progressed to a retrogressive force and will by necessity die and give way to a new socioeconomic system.
Is Capitalism is Digging Its Own Grave? Capitalism came into its birth out of the struggles of Feudalism's death agony. As the Guild system morphed into divisions of labor and money became more and more the basis of exchange, serfs began to migrate to towns and villages, and with better and safer means of travel a ready supply of destitute workers increased, creating a fertile ground for merchants to strive. Out of this, social classes became more fluid. Capitalism began to flourish and grow as banking and finance took on a more dominant role while creating opportunities for land owners to converted more and more of their land to rents. This continued playing out until the 18th Century. As the Industrial Revolution picked up speed, Capitalism developed into a a progressive social economic phenomena. When I say social/economic, it implies that one feeds the other in creating newer industries and techniques and shaping the intellectual thoughts and beliefs of the ruling class, and by extension society in general. To be sure, municipalities and governments were torn asunder until capitalism managed to take control of political thought and create a cohesive whole. Because of an unlimited supply of workers, it didn't seem to slow down the development of Capitalism. This new economic/social order was producing greater quantities of consumer goods, but at the same time, as a byproduct, created havoc on the local environments and misery to the working poor. Never the less, it continued to be a natural and progressive movement out of Feudalism, while conversely, at a certain point, bringing forth the material agencies for its own dissolution. As with any other new system, capitalism has kept reinventing its self while consolidating its imperial power globally until it had conquered most of western civilization. It reached it highest stage by 1910, when the leading industrial countries had colonized the whole world. In between periodic boom and bust cycles there was now a mad scramble to re-align the world and protect their national interests while expanding their empires. It is no wonder that we have experienced major world wars from that time up until now. War has become a major economic industry before, during and after the devastation, setting the stage for dominance of all countries by the World Bank and The International Monetary Fund. Capitalism isn't inherently bad. It unfolded itself organically and in a dynamic way, taking on new features and social functions in alignment with its three main tenets over much of the 19th century. It has been doing exactly what it has designed itself to do- maximize profits, continue growing and maximize return on investment. What has grown out of that, and essentially over taken the older forms of capitalism, much like a cancerous tumor, is global financial Investment firms, such as Banking, Insurance and universal Credit, putting capitalists' gains to work generating even more wealth, while they clamor for extraordinary profits, “ that summon the most violent, mean and malignant passions of the human breast -the furies of private self interest “* This has allowed capitalist enterprises to expand into massive industrial conglomerates, cartels and monopolies, and to grow increasingly omnipotent since the last quarter of the 19th century. These institutions have no allegiance to any flag, nation, or country. The bottom line (profit) is their Supreme Being. Global financial institutions are in essence huge gambling casinos where the House has a guaranteed percentage advantage, in both selling and buying over the players. They are able to rig the game and the value of their chips so as to increase their wealth exponentially. The newest forms of capitalism is the Multinational Conglomerate Corporation, which plays well into the Global Financial Market. Today there are no actual owners or responsible adults to guide the course or trajectory of these enterprises, since the main driving forces are short term quarterly goals and have become autonomous, existing in and for themselves. They are otherwise, logical growing beings with no other mandate than to become themselves and have morphed into an almost sacred existence that has no moral conscience, soul or lifespan, ruled by autonomous, faceless interlocking board members. Since they seemingly control the needs, desires and values of the world through advertising and the mass media, there is almost nothing to counter-pose their their influence since their laws reflect the our reality. So, what is the problem if we can all be fat and happy? When I say all, this excludes the byproducts of our capitalist system such as, the psychologically sick, the homeless, the unemployed, the marginally functioning workers, crime, violence and a reactionary police state. Never the less, fat with all the disposable gadgets and empty calories of mass media advertising, along with the newest feel-good medicines and drugs so reality and virtual reality interplay. The problem is capitalism avoids the costs of externalities that are destroying our environment and our natural existence while we give up our free choice in reverence to the false gods of Growth, Progress and Consumerism. Felix A. Pacheco January 2019 ' You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one...'
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!

Donate

$110.00 donated
in the past month

Get Involved

If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.

Publish

Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.

IMC Network