Anti-Capitalism in Five Minutes or Less

Have you ever wondered why capitalism is an inequitable system that subjugates not only people but the political system they choose even in a democracy, resulting in a hegemonic relationship that makes your government a subsidiary of the economy? Have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe, money is another resource with finite allocations that necessitate that one person having more means another person having less? Or were you too busy twiddling your D to the latest round of American Idol while buying Hello Kitty toilet paper to notice that your government has been hijacked by rich white males who want to perpetuate their system of control? Either way, Robert Jensen has a nice summary of all things wrong in our stubborn little Western world in ‘Anti-Capitalism in Five Minutes or Less‘.

Capitalism is admittedly an incredibly productive system that has created a flood of goods unlike anything the world has ever seen. It also is a system that is fundamentally (1) inhuman, (2) anti-democratic, and (3) unsustainable. Capitalism has given those of us in the First World lots of stuff (most of it of marginal or questionable value) in exchange for our souls, our hope for progressive politics, and the possibility of a decent future for children.

And with the real nail on the head:

2. Capitalism is anti-democratic

This one is easy. Capitalism is a wealth-concentrating system. If you concentrate wealth in a society, you concentrate power. Is there any historical example to the contrary?

For all the trappings of formal democracy in the contemporary United States, everyone understands that the wealthy dictates the basic outlines of the public policies that are acceptable to the vast majority of elected officials. People can and do resist, and an occasional politician joins the fight, but such resistance takes extraordinary effort. Those who resist win victories, some of them inspiring, but to date concentrated wealth continues to dominate. Is this any way to run a democracy?

If we understand democracy as a system that gives ordinary people a meaningful way to participate in the formation of public policy, rather than just a role in ratifying decisions made by the powerful, then it’s clear that capitalism and democracy are mutually exclusive.

Let’s make this concrete. In our system, we believe that regular elections with the one-person/one-vote rule, along with protections for freedom of speech and association, guarantee political equality. When I go to the polls, I have one vote. When Bill Gates goes the polls, he has one vote. Bill and I both can speak freely and associate with others for political purposes. Therefore, as equal citizens in our fine democracy, Bill and I have equal opportunities for political power. Right?

And of course, the final blow to all you capitulaters and compromisers masquerading as pragmatists (if you loved America, you’d question it’s institutions):

One of the common responses I hear when I critique capitalism is, “Well, that may all be true, but we have to be realistic and do what’s possible.” By that logic, to be realistic is to accept a system that is inhuman, anti-democratic, and unsustainable. To be realistic we are told we must capitulate to a system that steals our souls, enslaves us to concentrated power, and will someday destroy the planet.