By Christina Fermin
Politics & Society Columnist
Capitalism is private control of production and consumption of goods and services. It is this system that has failed us miserably in the last few decades only to have recently materialized to what we see today. Unemployment is currently above 9%, if you include the underemployed (those who work, but do net get paid enough or work in a field they are overqualified for) the figures jump up to almost 20%-30%, depending on whose numbers you look at. Capitalism has failed us, today Corporations are sitting on a treasure chest filled with over $2 Trillion dollars on balance sheets and the poverty rate is climbing astronomically.
Today these large corporations hold more cash and assets than 80% of the population. A generation has gone to school and graduated without any promising job prospects to pay down their debts and satisfy their intellectual minds. More people today are in debt, overworked, underpaid, have little savings or cash on hand. Inflation continues to rise, petroleum keeps fluctuating around $3.50 per gallon with little hope of it going down, which has in itself caused the price of everything else to go up. Things are looking grim, there are threats of the world financial markets collapsing, people are losing their homes to foreclosure at a dizzy speed, tent cities are popping up all over the place, job growth is at a stand still...Capitalism has utterly failed us.
Capitalism cannot survive without the exploitation of others. Whether the other is you, me or the person that lives across the world in places like Asia, Africa and Latin America. There may have been a time when Capitalism worked, but that time has passed and it is time that a new system arises. One that benefits the people and strives to ease the suffering of all peoples across the world. One that claims the world’s resources to belong to the people, not the private interests of the few. A world were cooperation is valued over competition and life is respected. Where profit does not and can not supersede the life of an individual. The world is abundant for us all, why not find that balance?
The good news is that there are alternatives, some of which will not work, others that are bashed because they do not invoke power to the few and some that deserve exploration. I do not know the answer, but I do know that Capitalism has failed 99% of us in some way, shape or form. One of the first solutions need to be along the lines of providing basic needs to the world’s population, stopping environmental degradation, stopping human rights abuses, restoring our world’s Oceans, and facilitate a switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy. While this takes place we as a civilization need to decide where we go from here and how best to operate in balance with the Earth and other species.
Technology could help us meet many basic needs, while we delve more in the realms of spirituality, science, the arts and co-creating something beautiful. As the energy heats up and the masses awaken, there will be more pressure against Capitalism and the status quo. Thinking and dreaming up innovative ways to live now will prepare us for that moment of chaos and rebirth. There are never any endings without new beginnings, and as we are faced with a big question mark and resist the change that we so desperately need and fear, you must remember you are not alone. As the Occupy Wallstreet protest heat up, stay calm and turn off the television, fear is a tool to hold you back. Join in on the resistance and tune into yourself and the world around you.
Peace & Harmony,
Christina
About the Columnist
With a bachelors degree in political science from Florida Atlantic University, Christina Fermin has always cultivated her love for history, politics, sociology, ancient knowledge and teachings, the outdoors, the ocean and the environment. Christina strives to make our world better by helping us all create a new reality and understanding of all taking place here and now.
1 comments:
You said it yourself, "Capitalism is private control of production and consumption of goods and services."
What SPECIFICALLY about that has failed?
If you're talking about the Bailouts of the Banks and Auto companies, THAT'S NOT CAPITALISM, that's Fascism. Where profits are Private, but losses are public. The last time we had a big bust was in 1987, what did Reagan do? He ALLOWED MCI to go bankrupt, He ALLOWED all the banks that made unsound loans to go bankrupt and go out of business. He ALLOWED all those guys to lose their investments, AS THEY SHOULD HAVE, because THAT is capitalism. He didn't interfere with the free markets, and because he did this, within 6 months it was all over and the economy was growing again. THAT is capitalism!
What we've had over the past few years this is NOT Capitalism. Constant Government intervention is NOT Capitalism.
Whenever Capitalism is tried it ALWAYS works. Look at the Roaring 20's when Harding reduced the rates from 75% to 25% and CUT government spending in HALF. Look at the period after Kennedy cut taxes and the period after Reagan cut taxes. They all led to economic BOOMS.
Even after 9/11, after Bush cut taxes, the economy grew MORE in 2 years than China's ENTIRE economy (2Trillion at the time)!
Here in the United States of America, the POOR have TWICE the wealth of average Joe around the world and are practically on par, if not better off than most Middle Class European families!
In China, where you have Centralized Planning and Centralized Government and Government companies compete against private companies, the average income is LESS THAN $5000.00 a year. The average household income is HALF the official U.S. Poverty Line.
The VAST majority of families don't even own an Air Conditioner, Car, Dishwasher, Washing machine or especially a Dryer.
Show me ONE country in the world that is Socialist at it's Core, where the average Joe has a better standard of living and more disposable income?
You CAN'T, because it doesn't exist.
No, business moves in cycles and unless the Government gets in the way, like they did in the 1930's the, the 1970's and now, the business cycle recovers and moves forward fairly quickly.
The creative Destructionism of the Free Market, of Capitalism is FAR, FAR better than ANY central planning could ever hope to achieve.
It's the reason why the U.S. Government is the most powerful country in the world, it's why we have 5% of the world population and 78% of the world's wealth. It's not a perfect system, by any means, but it's better than anyone else out there.
Post a Comment