| |
|
|
|
The “Evils” of Capitalism? |
Every once in a while, you hear something that you can’t believe that
you heard. You immediately assume that you must not have been “listening
at a thinking level”, and you completely misunderstood what was said.
Not very uncommon, it happens to many of us fairly regularly. That’s why
we so often ask, “what did you say”. Almost always the response fits
into the proper “box” in the conversational interaction.
There are, however, other times when what is really said either doesn’t
make sense, or raises the hackles on the back of your neck. That is
exactly what happened to me recently. I was driving to a meeting and
happened to be listening to a news report on NPR (National Public
Radio), when a reporter was describing the protests and demonstrations
associated with the WEF (World Economic Forum) meetings, which were
being held in New York.
It was noted, that for the most part, the demonstrators were
relatively peaceful in their protestations unlike what happened in
Seattle in 2001. The reporter went on to describe a profile of the
demonstrators, commenting that many were first or second year college
students who, as it was reported in the New York Times, had left a rally
for “Earth and Animal Liberation”. So far, so good. It sounded like a
fairly accurate description of what was taking place. Then, “IT”
happened! The reporter, or someone who was being interviewed, stated,
“It’s good to see these young students not only demonstrating against
environmental and social issues, but finally protesting against
the EVILS of capitalism as well”. Thank God for having windows in cars.
It was a rather cool day, so my windows were closed, therefore probably
saving several lives of the people in the vehicles around me in the
traffic on the highway. Why? Because if any of the occupants of those
vehicles had heard the “primal” scream that leaped from my throat they
would certainly have thought a mad man was loose, and would have driven
off of the road to almost certain destruction.
Let’s attempt to put this event in proper perspective. If the students
mentioned were not living in the best of a “capitalistic” society, they
would, in all probability, not be attending Princeton, Harvard,
Dartmouth, UCLA etc., because their parents wouldn’t have the financial
ability to accommodate their tuition and related expenses. It might also
be said that without being a part of a “capitalistic” state, many of
these halls of higher learning might not even exist. A high level of
probability exists that the demonstrations and acts of protest in which
the students participated would not be allowed in a non-capitalistic
society. As a matter of fact, in how many other countries than our own,
would the behavior of these demonstrators not only be allowed, but also
“defended to the death”, even though many, maybe even a majority,
disagree strongly with the basis of their discontent?
Capitalism is defined as “an economic system characterized by private or
corporate ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined
by private decision, and by prices, production, and the distribution of
goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market”.[1]
Another way to describe capitalism is to say capitalism “is a social
system based on the recognition of individual rights, including property
rights, in which all property is privately owned”.[2] Keeping these
comments in mind, despite my primal scream, I am not in objection to an
opposition to capitalism, if it is based on facts, but rather in
objection to the descriptive “Evil”. Of all the various
politico-economic systems are present in the world, capitalism must be
recognized as the one that is the least “Evil”.
It becomes fascinating to go slightly below the surface of the comment
the “Evils of capitalism” to examine what the “Evils” may be. The
discovery process will, most likely, uncover little. Capitalism, it
turns out, is the only politico-economic system based on the doctrine of
individual rights. Capitalism recognizes the right of each and every
person or entity to be its own owner. This means having the right to
live and function in any manner chosen, as long as it does not
violate the rights of other people or entities. Not a bad premise
under which to operate. We are fortunate that our Founding Fathers
created a Constitution that severely limited the government’s use of
force against individual rights. (Please remember the earlier comment,
concerning the non-violation of the rights of others). Historically, the
greatest spiller of human blood has been various governments, most of
which were anything but “capitalistic” societies. Governments, almost by
definition, have the “legal monopoly” to exercise the lawful use of
force and wholesale barbarism on its people. We do not have to travel
very far back in time to recognize examples of this premise.
One of the “Evils” that those, who without a full understanding of how a
capitalistic society functions, may find lurking in the closet, is the
belief that capitalism favors the few. Nothing could be farther from the
truth. An understanding of how a free market operates is essential to an
understanding of the benefits associated with a capitalistic society.
A capitalistic society is one in which “evil is not rewarded, but
punished and the good is admired and praised. A society where virtue is
not a weakness, but a strength”. A capitalistic society is one in which
“a life of imaginable riches and wealth, is a possibility – for everyone
who is willing to think”.[3]
As noted earlier, capitalism does not “favor the few”. Quite the
contrary is actually the case. Because capitalism is a society which
allows each individual to act unhampered by government, except for a set
of logical, albeit at times cumbersome, regulatory guidelines. It causes
wealth to be created in the most efficient manner possible. This process
ultimately raises the standard of living and increases the economic
opportunities, and the availability of a constantly growing supply of
products and services for all within the society.
Capitalism demands that the market place be one of “laissez faire”, one
that is commonly described as being a “free market”. Similar to the
concept that our Founding Fathers established demanding the separation
of church and state, capitalism means the separation of the economy and
the state. This “free market” concept means that as “one man” may create
more wealth for himself, he simultaneous creates more wealth and
opportunities for others. In reality, the needs for more goods and
services, which must be purchased, increases as the amount of the wealth
of our “one man” increases. It is similar to the proverb “a rising tide
raises all boats”. It must be understood, however, that the boats may be
of different sizes.
Capitalism may be the only societal system in which true freedom can in
fact exist. Many people might be very surprised to discover the
realities surrounding the story of the Pilgrims and their journey aboard
the Mayflower. Many stories would have us believe that the trip was
totally an escape from religious persecution. This is only partly true.
The voyage of the Mayflower was, in fact, a capitalistic venture. The
trip of the Mayflower, which was a converted wine vessel that plied the
Mediterranean, was financed by a group of investors led by John Alden,
William Bradford and others, known as “The Merchant Adventurers”. This
group risked their investment in return for which they received the bulk
of the produce generated by the settlers for the first six years after
the settlement was established. The composition of the passengers on
board for the sixty-six day crossing indicated that a majority were
merchants looking for a return on their investment. This group wrote and
executed the Mayflower Compact, which served as a precursor to
constitutional law in the United States. So, it might be said that
capitalism was the primary reason for the development of what we would
now call the American Culture.
To imply that capitalism is “evil” indicates a lack of understanding of
the benefits associated with the process. As noted earlier, capitalism
demands a system inside of which freedom and liberty exist. Since
capitalism upholds individual rights, including the right to comment and
demonstrate negatively against a capitalistic society, and an
entrepreneurial spirit as absolutes, capitalism upholds freedom as
absolute. It is a “just” system, which allows each person to reap the
rewards of his or her labor without interference from any outside
influences. For these reasons we should give thanks that we exist in,
and enjoy the fruits of, a capitalistic society.
[1] Webster’s Collegiate
Dictionary Tenth Edition, Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, Springfield, MA USA
[2] Bahamas 2000, Co. Ltd, Mark Da Cunha
[3] Bahamas 2000 Co. Ltd
|
