Capitalism is the Reason

Extreme Capitalism

From a Google Image Search - Hampton Institute

Capitalism is the reason we are in danger of losing our democracy. You cannot have total laissez-faire capitalism regardless of the ideological underpinnings of your government. Humans have dual natures which we may never rid ourselves of. It is difficult for us even to imagine a world that does not contain both good and evil. For every vice, there is a virtue. The seven deadly sins that exist in each of us: pride, lust, greed, sloth, envy, wrath, and gluttony are motivations we struggle against throughout our lives. We strive to attain the seven virtues: chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness, and humility, several of which may not be valued as they once were. We bring our internal struggles with good and evil impulses into every aspect of our lives.

You don't have to be anti-capitalist to understand that economies and businesses must protect themselves against our worst human flaws. Capitalism does not exist in nature. It is a system created by humans to produce goods, sell and buy goods, and store assets to ease our way through good and bad times. Any systems created by humans, for humans, must be regulated; there must be rules, or we are tempted to rationalize greed as good, which leads us to the rationalization that the universe rewards the prideful with wealth, and that protests of injustice or unfair practices are coming from those who are jealous, whose flaw is their envy.

We once believed that capitalism only worked if a nation was a democracy. Since authoritarian states opened their doors to capitalism, we learned that capitalism may work even better when workers are controlled by intimidation, and overweening government control. Capitalism has long been a struggle between owners/managers and workers. Sometimes the "makers" have more power. Sometimes the "takers" (as the workers have come to be known), unable to comply with the greed of the owners, band together (in unions) to fight greed-gone-wild because external forces like inflation, or recession/depression have them on the ropes, unable to make enough money to support their families or even themselves.

Republicans have been working to deregulate capitalism, to take away the rights of workers. They are stockpiling fortunes and telling everyone that they are wealthy because they are more deserving. Perhaps it was a creative idea that turned them into a winner, but perhaps it was because they were more pleasing to God, as proven by their success. Perhaps it was a family fortune handed down that made this particular human a winner, totally deserved of course. Regardless of how the fortune was obtained the main message is, 'no one is laying a hand on my fortune but me.'

Right-to-work laws that are intended to kill unions are all the rage these days among Republicans. Abandoning safety regulations that protect workers from injury or even death is de rigueur. Who cares if asbestos kills those who work with it; it is the best (and least expensive) protection against fires, says Trump as Republicans shake their heads yes. Who cares if we ruin our beautiful planet by clinging to fossil fuels, say the millionaires and billionaires whose profits depend on the continued use of these fuels? Who cares if we run out of fresh water or pollute our oceans if we keep our producers happily hoarding profits? Who cares if a top-heavy economy is not a sustainable economy the Trumpers say? Trump will be our protector. Trump will keep the wheels of business oiled and powerful enough to hold regulation (and taxation) at bay. Project 2025 will give capitalism free rein for the foreseeable future. And if we run this planet into the ground, there are billions more out there in the universe, says Elon Musk. Who cares if we have two astronauts in space right now that we can't bring home? We will lose a few humans no matter what path we follow to the future, say those who believe manifest destiny now extends to cover the entire universe. Aren't we still colonizers?

It is because of the Republican marriage to unfettered capitalism that democracy is in their sights. They have been to China and other authoritarian nations where workers have no rights and it was capitalist heaven (how do you like your heaven now, post-pandemic). It's because the Republicans have joined forces with Evangelicals, who insist that financial success proves that you are God's chosen ones, that we find ourselves trying to protect our freedoms from theocracy and oligarchy. Trumpers’ main job is to help millionaires and billionaires hold on to their fortunes. Even the church agrees that helping the poor hurts them. Who knew? No wonder so many of us are atheists or agnostics.

If we get capitalism under control, our democracy will become stronger, our economy will thrive for both workers and producers. We will have access to everyone's creative solutions to climate change. Then we can work with allies and enemies to arrive at viable approaches for adaptations our planet will require to adjust to climate changes. Sustainable approaches will mean that Earth can continue to supply humans with food, water, healthy ecosystems, and beauty. “There is no place like home.”