Capitalism

Good god this is complicated: this is a matter of hashing out an equitable moral philosophy, economic theory, and political theory. Moral capitalism is GOOD. It creates and innovates and lifts humanity up! Unrestrained capitalism is BAD. It exploits and destroys and dehumanizes! (Read: A People’s History of the United Sates by Howard Zinn to learn about the capitalism’s collateral damage)

When resources are plentiful and relatively distributed, capitalism seems fantastic. When resources are scarce and centralized and concentrated, capitalism seems horrible.

People that control the wealth control the laws. They control the market. They control the land and resources, all the media and all the information, and thus jobs and livelihoods. If the wealth is relatively evenly distributed, democracy can function for all. When it is concentrated in the hands of a few, democracy cannot function.

Consider a capitalistic society that continued to see an increase in inequality, where eventually 10 people owned all the wealth and all the land. Everyone that lived in the society had to rent homes from these 10 people. And they were given jobs by these 10 people. They were paid a wage to survive, but not to save. Because they couldn’t save, they couldn’t buy their own land or a home, they couldn’t invest in entrepreneurial activities and create their own wealth. They are essentially slaves.

This is an extreme illustration of the path we’re headed down.

It seems very obvious to me of the dangers of continuing down this path.

A government is only available vehicle for curbing over zealous capitalism

You can have a moral economy or an immoral economy.

You can have a moral government or an immoral government.

If you have an immoral, overzealous and corrupt government, the PEOPLE can revolt. Revolution is the only way to overthrow an immoral government.

If you have an immoral, overzealous and greedy capitalistic economy/ oligarchy, the government is the only vehicle for protecting the people.

It’s complicated. It’s really a discussion we need to sit down and just talk it out.