Socialism And Capitalism

We don’t have a deep regard for life nowadays. We value things and possessions, but we lack the sort of appreciation of our own existence and our connection to all other living things on this planet. We don’t have a sense of the miraculous, don’t have ties to people, nature, and profound ideas in any meaningful sense. And while I know there will be a strong reaction to it, I cannot help but state that I believe the fault lies in capitalism.

Let me anticipate the reaction and answer it: “Socialism does not work. It disincentivizes people so they expect to receive a living without working for it.” I won’t now try to dismiss such concerns. Indeed, I think it would be foolish to step blindly into another economic mode. It is best that any shift away from the system we have now to any other system be done with both eyes open, so that we do not jump from the frying pan into the fire. Let us look critically at socialism, not be dismissive of the very real potential dangers. Perhaps socialism is unworkable and too dangerous to ever work. But if this is the case we have to start looking for a third option, because capitalism as we know it is unsustainable.

But this isn’t about socialism, it’s about capitalism. Let’s talk about that for now, since capitalism is the prime mover on our planet at the moment. Let’s look at it with all the honest skepticism as I just suggested we should use on socialism.

Capitalism is killing us. I don’t believe that’s hyperbole. Capitalism was extremely good at saving us from the threats nature presented us with, so much so that we have conquered nature and sit not only atop the food chain but relatively safe from the dangers of flood, famine, tornados, wild animal attacks, and earthquakes. Capitalism has protected us from nature, but it hasn’t protected us from ourselves. It has only made us more dangerous to ourselves and others. Capitalism has allowed us to defeat nature, but it has not taught us how to coexist with it. Or each other.

That is because capitalism is not a philosophy of coexistence but of mastery. It is the law of the jungle extrapolated into human society. It is a philosophy that states that the strong survive and the weak perish. The problem with this, as it has been with any species that has become too successful, is that we will reach a point where the very thing that created our success will create our downfall.

Nature is replete with examples of predators so successful that they have destroyed the very resources for food they required. Growth is not infinitely possible on a finite planet. That’s the point we are at now, and we are still using the same growth philosophy that once worked and now will not.

We need a way of viewing life that appreciates “being”, and capitalism only rewards “doing”. We need to see our existence and our relation to the planet we live on in a complex and balanced manner, and capitalism sees only profit and growth and can only balance finances. All other aspects of human existence go out the window.

Perhaps it is true that capitalism is a necessary evil, that we cannot sustain a society and civilization without it. If this be true, still we should not focus on the word “necessary” and forget the word “evil”. Any system that values things over people is extremely dangerous and must be treated with the same caution as combustible materials or toxic chemicals.

Keep in mind we are only now beginning to see the philosophy of capitalism fully coming to bloom. When capitalist control of our economy and nation was at its worst at the turn of the 20th Century, church, government, and pre-capitalist social mores were still strong and influential. For capitalists to push an agenda, they had to present arguments that were not contrary to the rules of church, state, and traditional morality.

We are now a century past that point, during which time our society has been marinating in a capitalist mindset. Christianity is on the wane. That which now calls itself Christian thought has made its peace with and been co-opted by capitalism, so that supposed men of God do not warn against the inherent conflict between God and mammon but instead use the former as a proponent for the latter. The state exists now to serve capitalism, not merely in practice but in theory as well. As for long-practiced societal norms, they have been replaced by corporate values. Community hardly exists any more. People do not sit and talk on their neighbors’ porches but instead receive their news and opinions from corporate programming and advertising. There is no functioning institution or practice any longer that stands between capitalism and humanity.

Once, even the powerful had to feign homage to a higher power such as king, country, citizenry or the church. Now they nakedly pray before the golden bull, unabashedly willing to sacrifice all else to it. There is literally no moral principle between us and our bestial urges of gluttony, vanity, and greed. This is not a passing fad but a snowball speeding down the edge of a mountain.

We are isolated individuals who have no channels for connection other than the market, no place to meet but Walmart, where self-scanners take the place of our neighbors and their children so that we never have to look them in the eye. We speak about whatever the corporate media has shown us, echo the opinions it gives us. This is the world we have built. This is the world capitalism has built.

We must find a solution to the dangers of capitalism. Perhaps socialism is not the answer, perhaps we need to search further and think harder to find a solution to the soulless and valueless and destructive world we have created. But to rail against the horrors of socialism at this point in time is like warning about the dangers of fire while standing aboard The Titanic. The boat is sinking. The planet is unravelling, and yet we look to the very cause of its destruction for solutions.

Fascism Is Attractive To Capitalists

There is no doubt that capitalists have a preference for fascism over socialism, for rule of law by force rather than any real kind of democracy and public participation. Capitalism itself is an economic system that has as its basic tenet the goal of achieving dominance over others and to take from others whatever one can. To take from customers maximum profit at the least cost. To take from the worker the most one can while giving him the least amount possible in return. Isn’t what happened in Nazi concentration camps merely this idea taken to its logical conclusion? To say that coercion is not an aspect of the capitalist system is to believe that capitalists are driven by something other than profit and that they appreciate the ideals of capitalism more than they do wealth and power. In short, it is to believe in unicorns. If this were true we would not today have billions of dollars of wealth being created by those in prison with many more corporations looking to profit off the labor and the incarceration of these workers. If the capitalist can use coercion, he will. He is driven by his duty to his share holders to do exactly that. To this end he will use government to set the rules in his favor, and as the government works more and more exclusively for the benefit of the powerful, it will become increasingly fascistic.

Besides that, democracy is messy and unpredictable. Capitalists need predictability so that they do not over-purchase or over-produce. They cannot sacrifice profit to the whims of the public. The government must function dependably, and function dependably in their favor.

The people, if they understood what was going on, would never stand for this. So they must be kept in the dark, or kept distracted. To this end the capitalists must own the media, in order to keep the populace ignorant, frightened, angry, nationalistic, and amused. The Nazis understood this quite well: they doled out anger, fear, nationalism and ignorance through their news channels while offering people banal entertainment at the theaters and cinemas.

Lastly, fascism demands quieting of dissension. This is quite easy through the normal media, since almost all of it is owned by a small group of extremely powerful corporations. These media companies put forth a pro-corporate, pro-capitalist viewpoint. Why would they not?

For a time, the internet has provided a means for ordinary citizens to communicate with each other and share truths. But this has gotten dangerous, so that now censorship of what we see on social media is now more and more a reality. Of course, it is not called censorship, they call it protecting us from propaganda. But the handwriting is written clearly on the wall and a small group of unaccountable individuals now have the authority to decide who is permitted access to information from their corporate-owned platforms.

We are looking at an emerging global fascism, and so few of us seem aware. So many of us, on the left and the right, waste our time and energy bickering with each other over lesser issues while supporting a fascistic agenda, all the while believing ourselves enlightened, caring, and courageous. 

How To Be Succesful As A Corrupt, Incompetent Dictator

Growing up I never gave the idea of becoming a corrupt, incompetent dictator much thought. I mean, it seems like a lot of work and you’re always looking over your shoulder. But lately, what with a coup in the offing in Venezuela, I’ve been giving a lot of thought as to how I’d behave if all I wanted was to get more for myself and didn’t worry about who it hurt.

The number one thing I would do if I were a selfish, incompetent, and corrupt dictator and was sitting on the world’s largest oil supply would be to privatize it. Especially if I was aware of my own failures as a leader to take care of the people. This is a no-brainer. Privatize the oil and you will be rewarded very handsomely for it. Take the oil out of the hands of the nation and put it into the hands of the very rich and powerful and you have instantly removed your potential adversaries. More than that, you have made some really rich and powerful friends who owe you a solid.

If I decided to live the thug life, as Maduro is accused of doing, I would make sure I cozied up not only to the rich and powerful in my own nation but to those who are running the big show. If you want to be a narco-trafficker, I wouldn’t suggest being an indie but instead work your way up through the cartel. If you don’t curry favor with the Pablo Escobars and El Chapos of this world, you ain’t going to be in it for long. In the world of politics, we’re talking about John Bolton, Mike Pompeo, and Elliot Abrams at this point in time. These are guys you don’t want to mess with. If you aren’t turning a buck for the interests these guys represent, you are digging your own grave. Fortunately for Maduro, he’s got the cheddar these mice squeak for. All he has to do is open the spickets to the oil and the champagne will be flowing just as freely. Give ‘em what they want, Maduro, and that sound you hear will be corks popping, not drones bombing.

Seriously, Nicolas, you have to read a primer on how to be an evil, corrupt, self-serving dictator. All you need is natural resources to take from your own citizens and give to global corporations and you are sitting in the catbird seat. And Venezuela is sitting on the motherlode. Just privatize it, Nicky.

Play the game right and they will never call you a dictator again. Give them what they want and you can take a butcher knife to an American journalist and get away with it. 

Grease the wheels of the powerful and you can stone a woman for adultery in the afternoon and have tea with the President of the United States in the evening. You’re not doing it right, Mr. Maduro.

Maybe you don’t get the whole idea of selfishness. Because if you did, the U.S. would be letting you use your oil to buy powerful weapons to ensure your hold on power. A few Raptors in your arsenal and you wouldn’t have Bolsonaro worrying you any. Hell, the U.S. is dying to sell advanced weaponry. There aren’t enough tin-pot dictators in the world to satisfy them. Weapons are the U.S.’s number one export, the only thing they do well. And just so you know, oil is their number one import. It’s a match made in Heaven. Don’t tell me these babies wouldn’t look better in your airport hangars than over your major cities. 

Privatize it and they will come.

Privatize it and you won't have to work any harder or smarter than a Walmart greeter. That’s the beauty of it. You give your nation’s resources to foreign corporations and they will do all of the work for you. All you have to do is cash the big checks they write to you for your re-election. Hell, you won’t even have to worry about the hard work of running your country: they’ll do that for you too! They’ll write the legislation, all you have to do is sign it. If the people don’t like it, they’ll sell you more guns. Simple. If you think running a government is hard in a capitalist system, just take a look at the people they have running things in the United States. Do you really think you could be a worse figurehead than George W. Bush or Donald Trump? I didn’t think so.

In summary, Mr. Maduro, play the game as it’s set up, and you should have no problems going forward. Play the game and you could establish a dynasty, just like the Sauds and Bushes. If you have any doubts, just look at what Saudi Arabia is involved with in Yemen.

 But if you don’t do as I suggest, and do it soon, I’m going to start doubting your commitment to being a corrupt, self-seeking dictator.

Escaping The Matrix Part 1: The Media

We can never begin to grasp the truth, can never start to shape the world that needs to be, until we are willing to see beyond and reject the illusion our media has fabricated. We have to come to the understanding that they are not our friends, that they do not have our best interests at heart. It is not their job to educate or enlighten us but to propagandize, distract, and divide us. The primary concern of the media is not human beings but profit. They do not speak a human language but a corporate one, because that is who they are and what they serve.

The media is in the hands of a very wealthy few. Their interests are to increase profit, decrease cost, and make a system that works for the very wealthy appear to be the best of all possible systems. Everything else is secondary. Commitment to truth is secondary. Creating an educated and informed citizenry is secondary. Covering the most pressing issues of our day is secondary. Time and again it can be shown that the media covers issues that are not important but focuses instead on what is salacious and divisive. To them, Donald Trump was a Godsend.

The best thing the media can hope for is a sex scandal. Wars are nice but they have to do more work and be a little more aggressive in shaping the narrative. A good sex scandal has all the benefits of a war with none of the risk. Get a good sex scandal up and running and it will provide sufficient cover for the warmongers to bomb people overseas without the populace even noticing. Put some bimbo’s boobs on the screen next to a picture of a married politician and nobody’s going to care that children are being blown up by drone strikes.

As Russell Brand said, the people on the other side of the screens are not your friends. They seek to mold your opinions, want you to buy into the idea that money rather than human beings is what matters. Sure, there are many real human beings working to provide content, but as long as they are in the service of corporations for a paycheck, they are really no different than those who worked within the Nazi system: both subjugate their own humanity and connection to their fellow humans in order to further themselves in inhuman structures.

The media does not want you to feel powerful. They want you to subject yourselves to the authorities they promote. Their spokespeople, be it Rachel Maddow or Rush Limbaugh, are millionaires working for billionaires. They are paid obscene amounts of money to spread the opinions of the wealthy to the average American.

They want you to feel helpless so that you do not act to change things. They want you to feel helpless so that you are ready to accept the answers THEY provide, which you settle for even though you know deep down it is not what you need. They want you to feel stupid, so that you do not question authority.

And as the news outlets of the oligarchs preach to you the gospel of the sociopathically rich, so does the media attack you with their entertainment and advertisement arms. They have convinced you that their programming is therapeutic as an escape from a stressful and unpleasant reality, neglecting the truth that daytime talk shows and nighttime drama have the potential of helping create an understanding in their audience that would lead to making reality less stressful and unpleasant. The truth CAN set you free but the media is more concerned with ensnaring you in endless unreality (the ultimate unreality being what they call reality TV).

This is why the media will not show you pictures of homeless people freezing to death in the cold but instead shows you people drinking beer on the beach.

Billionaires, and those who seek to advance themselves by spreading the gospel of billionaires, have no interest in providing you with the kind of morals and context you would need to make the world a better place. The very fact that they have billions of dollars proves where their values lie. They do not wish to make you smart but instead want to keep you ignorant. Why would it be otherwise? Why would people whose primary goal is to extract from others whatever they can, do something that would endanger their self-interest?

No, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised. The media exists to block the way. The media exists to place in between you and human progress every impediment and distraction in its grasp, and its reach is quite pervasive. If we ever hope to get beyond our feelings of powerlessness, confusion, hopelessness, and division, we will have to see the corporate propaganda machine for what it is: a servant of the few and an enemy of the many.