The Depravity of Capitalism

[Warrenx]

This is a shorter version of a thread I started on tech-forums entitled, "On Competition".

Since the beginning of so great an era as the emergence of humanity onto the barren wasteland of earth, we have utterly dominated nature. Our shinning ability above all other creatures that inhabit this earth must be our innovation. Innovation in the schemas we abstract, the systems we manifest, and the inventions we realize. However, as useful and strategic as our imagination is, it in of itself is a pandora's box, just waiting to unleash a demigod of chaos. Unfortunately this "demi-god" has been released. It has been released in the form of competitive growth, also known as, competition. But what is competition you say?
In 1982, Michael Milken reported earning 800 million dollars from his "philanthropist" service agency. However during that same year, a Motel 6 was constructed in Ghana, its average worker salary was ten cents a month. In 2006 MERC, GSK, and numerous other pharmaceutical companies (who built upon the progress of collaborative and cooperative groups before them) announced they would slow production of linezolids, instead concentrating their efforts on symptom relief of chronic diseases (rather than curing those diseases). Dichloroacetate, it is a little known drug that has been shown to eliminate or shrink tumors and malignant cancerous growths to nil in as little as one month. "DCA" as it is pronounced was the result of a collective study and research group composed of scientists from many nations. It was forwarded by an independent non-profit organization that has since been bought-out by a name pharmaceutical company (guess). What do all these have to do with each other?
Whether by the strangle-hold of common-stock holders, the vice of big business monopoly, or the individualistic ambition humans are too afraid to let go, the world is being hollowed out by the greed and competition that snuff out innocence at every turn.
My grandmother has an interesting depiction of heaven she once told me, "As I went through the gate, I gazed upon a table where everyone was feeding themselves insatiably, there was misery and despair on their face, the sign above the gate said 'Hell'. Then I went to a second gate, I yet came upon another table; however, this table was different, the people at the table were as frantic as those of the other, except they were trying to feed everyone else."

[badkarma138]

I am so going to regret this.

What is your alternative? If you could snap your fingers today and replace capitalism with your system of choice, what would it be?

[Maltyrius]

Originally Posted by badkarma138

I am so going to regret this.

You should have run.

[Solymer89]

Originally Posted by Warrenx

This is a shorter version of a thread I started on tech-forums entitled, "On Competition".

Since the beginning of so great an era as the emergence of humanity onto the barren wasteland of earth, we have utterly dominated nature. Our shinning ability above all other creatures that inhabit this earth must be our innovation. Innovation in the schemas we abstract, the systems we manifest, and the inventions we realize. However, as useful and strategic as our imagination is, it in of itself is a pandora's box, just waiting to unleash a demigod of chaos. Unfortunately this "demi-god" has been released. It has been released in the form of competitive growth, also known as, competition. But what is competition you say?
In 1982, Michael Milken reported earning 800 million dollars from his "philanthropist" service agency. However during that same year, a Motel 6 was constructed in Ghana, its average worker salary was ten cents a month. In 2006 MERC, GSK, and numerous other pharmaceutical companies (who built upon the progress of collaborative and cooperative groups before them) announced they would slow production of linezolids, instead concentrating their efforts on symptom relief of chronic diseases (rather than curing those diseases). Dichloroacetate, it is a little known drug that has been shown to eliminate or shrink tumors and malignant cancerous growths to nil in as little as one month. "DCA" as it is pronounced was the result of a collective study and research group composed of scientists from many nations. It was forwarded by an independent non-profit organization that has since been bought-out by a name pharmaceutical company (guess). What do all these have to do with each other?
Whether by the strangle-hold of common-stock holders, the vice of big business monopoly, or the individualistic ambition humans are too afraid to let go, the world is being hollowed out by the greed and competition that snuff out innocence at every turn.
My grandmother has an interesting depiction of heaven she once told me, "As I went through the gate, I gazed upon a table where everyone was feeding themselves insatiably, there was misery and despair on their face, the sign above the gate said 'Hell'. Then I went to a second get, I yet came upon another table; however, this table was different, the people at the table were as frantic as those of the other, except they were trying to feed everyone else."

The only foreseeable way any of this could/would change is if the general mindset of human beings, at it's core(human nature) changes. No Government or Economical system will have such a drastic effect as anything created by humans has the potential to be corrupt. If the intention is pure then the end result will be good, but so often the intention is diluted with personal agenda, the corruption is built in to the very fabric of these systems.

Here's a snippet of what I mean: ask yourself this question, when your driving home after a long day of work and you are stuck in traffic, how do you react. Do you let the person next to you in your lane to facilitate their need and thereby making the whole travel process smoother, or do you inch your way so close to the person in front of you guaranteeing they won't steal that spot ahead of you and thereby (in your perspective) make it home that much faster.

Human nature is the culprit in this and that may be the one thing that can't be changed unfortunately.

[cyan10101]

Originally Posted by Warrenx

This is a shorter version of a thread I started on tech-forums entitled, "On Competition".

Since the beginning of so great an era as the emergence of humanity onto the barren wasteland of earth, we have utterly dominated nature. Our shinning ability above all other creatures that inhabit this earth must be our innovation. Innovation in the schemas we abstract, the systems we manifest, and the inventions we realize. However, as useful and strategic as our imagination is, it in of itself is a pandora's box, just waiting to unleash a demigod of chaos. Unfortunately this "demi-god" has been released. It has been released in the form of competitive growth, also known as, competition. But what is competition you say?
In 1982, Michael Milken reported earning 800 million dollars from his "philanthropist" service agency. However during that same year, a Motel 6 was constructed in Ghana, its average worker salary was ten cents a month. In 2006 MERC, GSK, and numerous other pharmaceutical companies (who built upon the progress of collaborative and cooperative groups before them) announced they would slow production of linezolids, instead concentrating their efforts on symptom relief of chronic diseases (rather than curing those diseases). Dichloroacetate, it is a little known drug that has been shown to eliminate or shrink tumors and malignant cancerous growths to nil in as little as one month. "DCA" as it is pronounced was the result of a collective study and research group composed of scientists from many nations. It was forwarded by an independent non-profit organization that has since been bought-out by a name pharmaceutical company (guess). What do all these have to do with each other?
Whether by the strangle-hold of common-stock holders, the vice of big business monopoly, or the individualistic ambition humans are too afraid to let go, the world is being hollowed out by the greed and competition that snuff out innocence at every turn.
My grandmother has an interesting depiction of heaven she once told me, "As I went through the gate, I gazed upon a table where everyone was feeding themselves insatiably, there was misery and despair on their face, the sign above the gate said 'Hell'. Then I went to a second get, I yet came upon another table; however, this table was different, the people at the table were as frantic as those of the other, except they were trying to feed everyone else."

I am not sure where your grandma got her heaven/hell thing but I have heard it before. It is even the resolution to several riddles, one was in the "Mindtrap" board game. I am also not sure if you have heard of the invisible hand by Adam Smith. Yay, econ classes!

The invisible hand is a metaphor coined by the economist Adam Smith. In The Wealth of Nations and other writings, Smith demonstrated that, in a free market, an individual pursuing his own self-interest tends to also promote the good of his community as a whole through a principle that he called “the invisible hand”. He argued that each individual maximizing revenue for himself maximizes the total revenue of society as a whole, as this is identical with the sum total of individual revenues.

[Warrenx]

Originally Posted by Solymer89

The only foreseeable way any of this could/would change is if the general mindset of human beings, at it's core(human nature) changes. No Government or Economical system will have such a drastic effect as anything created by humans has the potential to be corrupt. If the intention is pure then the end result will be good, but so often the intention is diluted with personal agenda, the corruption is built in to the very fabric of these systems.

Here's a snippet of what I mean: ask yourself this question, when your driving home after a long day of work and you are stuck in traffic, how do you react. Do you let the person next to you in your lane to facilitate their need and thereby making the whole travel process smoother, or do you inch your way so close to the person in front of you guaranteeing they won't steal that spot ahead of you and thereby (in your perspective) make it home that much faster.

Human nature is the culprit in this and that may be the one thing that can't be changed unfortunately.

I believe what you are talking about was best summarized by Adler, its called, "Striving for Superiority." In and of that argument Adler went on to say that although the individual strives for superiority, there is a greater inborn force at work known as "social interest" that is supposed to dictate all great action towards the "commonwealth." The problem I see however is in the economy(s) that have been built. The nature of competition as so stressed in a free-market economy is purely an artificial apparatus for sustaining that said economy, and not necessarily the whole human race (even if that economy does seem to suffice the latter).

[Cynic]

The quickest growing and most financially successful system in human history might not be pretty, well planned or pure, but it's still the quickest growing and most financially successful system in human history. The Industrial Revolution and century following saw Communist/Totalitarian nations almost a hundred years behind capitalist technology, and starving/freezing for not going industrial.

I agree, it's not a fair system, nor a pretty one. It's easily corruptible and far too easy for a wealthy person to control. But it works better than any other system, and as long as it appeals to the need for self-advancement that most of humanity carries, it will still be successful.

[badkarma138]

Originally Posted by badkarma138

What is your alternative? If you could snap your fingers today and replace capitalism with your system of choice, what would it be?

Warren, you seemed to have missed my question, so I quoted it for you. You have defined what you see as a problem, so I would really like to hear what your proposed solution is please.

[Pamba]

Lol.
Just put all in two little things:
From the time man kind formed civilization there was and is only one kind of it. It's slavery. in ancient times slaves can be killed or sold if they were not doing their work good enough to satisfy owner. Now you (and your family) get kicked and left to starve if you don't make enough profit for your boss. What is real difference?
here is a joke:
a man is standing by sea shore and fishing and another man is coming to him and asks what he is doing with fishes he fish. I eat some of them and I give others to my friends. Why you don't sell them and get money you can buy more fishing stick and fish more fishes? What for asks the fisherman. You get more money and buy a boat so you can fish and sell more fishes. What for asks the fisherman once again. Then you buy more boats and get other fisherman work for you and fish more fishes you can sell. Again what for ask the man. Then you can buy a factory and you will have a lot of money so you can do whatever you are pleased to do.
And what do you think I'm doing now was the answer.
Don't ask for fairness of any kind in the life your are living but try to live in the way which is making you most happy. It's your life.
The only one thing in life which must happen and must be done is to die. Everything else is just up to us. Little moments of happiness can be brought to us only from other people so have many friends and communicate with other people, and from time to time do whatever pleases you.

[snackereen]

Originally Posted by Pamba

Little moments of happiness can be brought to us only from other people so have many friends and communicate with other people, and from time to time do whatever pleases you.

couldn't have put it in a better phrase. That's almost it. As long as the world is not able to treat everybody in the same way, feed them, give them shelter and safety, there will never exist a perfect system.
The "perfect" system exists in many different ways, depending your personal situation, so this discussion will be endless. It too much depends on what each person wants and expects from life.

The only thing we could do is try to find the way/system we can stand behind and/or fight for, taking everybody else around us into account - whichever that will be.