Capitalism, Sustainability, and the Possibility of Global Collapse

09-20-2008, 12:02 AM

I have some thoughts on the economy that I would love to get some responses to:

First: Capitalism (and I'm using a narrow, economic definition: a market system subject to the laws of supply and demand) was born out of colonialism. The death knell of fuedalistic mercantilism was the "discovery" of two continents; one filled with gold, the other with abundant naval resources, and both with potential sources of labor. Capitalism was born through the physical exapansion of nations and resource exploitation.

Second: The very expansion that gave rise to the market systems now practiced globally is required to sustain this particular economic system. Capitalism is unsustainable without continued growth. The economist Keynes understood this very well, and his views drove the expansion of global Capitalism in the last half of the 20th century - despite the weakness of Keynesian economics exposed by the abusrdities of "Regeanomics" in the 1980s. "Rising tides lift all boats" thinking has limped along regardless - for whatever reason (insert illuminati theories here if you wish) - and expansion still means the acquisition of more resources, more territory, etc. What do most economists, politicians, and CEOs agree will spark most of the wars in the 21st Century? Natural resources - primarily fossil fuels and arable land. Capitalism does not necessarily mandate conquest, but that is how it came to be, how it exists today, and is predicted by most involved to continue.

Third: If we were to wake up tomorrow, and all the mechanisms of Capitalism were forever gone, would that really be a bad thing? So what if the dollar collapses? So what if the power goes out and grocery stores run out of food? Such a chaotic event would certainly lead to immediate wide-spread death and destruction on the planet, but is that really any worse than the orderly, well planned death and destruction we have today? The "economic collapse" as spoken of in the mainstream and alternative media is not deserving of the panic it commands.

Just some thoughts - let me know what you think.

09-20-2008, 12:02 AM	#1
historycircus Guest Posts: n/a	Capitalism, Sustainability, and the Possibility of Global Collapse I have some thoughts on the economy that I would love to get some responses to: First: Capitalism (and I'm using a narrow, economic definition: a market system subject to the laws of supply and demand) was born out of colonialism. The death knell of fuedalistic mercantilism was the "discovery" of two continents; one filled with gold, the other with abundant naval resources, and both with potential sources of labor. Capitalism was born through the physical exapansion of nations and resource exploitation. Second: The very expansion that gave rise to the market systems now practiced globally is required to sustain this particular economic system. Capitalism is unsustainable without continued growth. The economist Keynes understood this very well, and his views drove the expansion of global Capitalism in the last half of the 20th century - despite the weakness of Keynesian economics exposed by the abusrdities of "Regeanomics" in the 1980s. "Rising tides lift all boats" thinking has limped along regardless - for whatever reason (insert illuminati theories here if you wish) - and expansion still means the acquisition of more resources, more territory, etc. What do most economists, politicians, and CEOs agree will spark most of the wars in the 21st Century? Natural resources - primarily fossil fuels and arable land. Capitalism does not necessarily mandate conquest, but that is how it came to be, how it exists today, and is predicted by most involved to continue. Third: If we were to wake up tomorrow, and all the mechanisms of Capitalism were forever gone, would that really be a bad thing? So what if the dollar collapses? So what if the power goes out and grocery stores run out of food? Such a chaotic event would certainly lead to immediate wide-spread death and destruction on the planet, but is that really any worse than the orderly, well planned death and destruction we have today? The "economic collapse" as spoken of in the mainstream and alternative media is not deserving of the panic it commands. Just some thoughts - let me know what you think.