The Crisis of Capitalism
Capitalism, and the imperialist system that develops upon its economic foundations, is the main cause of human poverty, exploitation, violence and suffering in the modern world. As a system of socio- economic organization, capitalism long ago exhausted its historically progressive role. The blood-drenched history of the twentieth century – with its two world wars, innumerable “local” conflicts, the nightmare of Nazism and other forms of military-police dictatorship, eruptions of genocide and communal pogroms – is an unanswerable indictment of the capitalist system. The number of victims claimed by capitalist-inspired violence runs into the hundreds of millions. And this figure does not include the consignment of the peoples of entire continents to unrelenting poverty, with all its attendant miseries. The gigantic scale of the existing productive forces and the extraordinary advances in technology are more than sufficient not only to abolish poverty but also to guarantee every human being on the planet a high standard of living. Culture should be flowering amidst unprecedented material wealth. But, instead, conditions of life are deteriorating for the working class, and human culture, deprived of perspective and hope for the future, is in deep crisis. The source of the contradiction between what is and what should be is a global economic system based on private ownership of the means of production, and the irrational division of the world into rival nation-states. All efforts to raise the living standards of the working class and address serious social problems run up against the barrier of private ownership of the means of production, the anarchy of the capitalist market, the economic imperatives of the profit system, and, last but not least, the insatiable greed and money-madness of the ruling class itself. The claim that the capitalist market is the infallible allocator of resources and the supremely wise arbiter of social needs stands utterly discredited amidst the endless series of speculative scandals and multi-billion dollar bankruptcies that have rocked the world economic system during the past decade. The boundary lines between “legitimate” financial transactions and criminal fraud have narrowed to the point of being almost invisible. The separation of the process of personal wealth accumulation from the production and creation of real value is an expression of the general putrefaction of the capitalist system. The irreconcilable conflict between the profit system and the very survival of humanity finds, in a literal sense, its most noxious expression in the crisis of global warming and the natural environment. The cause of this crisis lies not, as is falsely claimed by the bourgeois media, with population growth. Nor is it the result of science and technology – whose development is critical to the advance of human civilization – but, rather, with their misuse by an irrational and obsolete economic order. The impossibility of finding a genuine solution to the increasingly critical problem of climate change and other environmental problems within the framework of the profit system is an “inconvenient truth” that bourgeois politicians – even those who profess concern for the environment – deny. All scientific evidence points to the fact that nothing short of the socialist reorganization of the world economy – in which the planetary environment would no longer be held hostage to either the profit motive or destructive nationalist interests – will achieve the reductions in greenhouse gases necessary to prevent disaster. The solution to the spreading economic crisis and the deteriorating social position of the working class lies not in the reform of capitalism, for it is beyond reform. The crisis is of a systemic and historical character. As feudalism gave way to capitalism, capitalism must give way to socialism. The key industrial, financial, technological and natural resources must be taken out of the sphere of the capitalist market and private ownership, transferred to society and placed under the democratic supervision and control of the working class. The organization of economic life on the basis of the capitalist law of value must be replaced with its socialist reorganization on the basis of democratic economic planning, whose purpose is the fulfillment of social needs. On Nov 25, 12:35 pm, Jim Willis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > What’s more than obvious is this; when it comes to solving the > financial meltdown, the inmates are running the asylum. It’s almost > like high school kids are running the show and if the subject matter > were not so serious it might be entertaining, to a degree. What we can > ascertain is this truism; not one pencil pushing idiot in charge of > this bailout has any idea what to do or when to do it. Perhaps we > should have drafted doctors in this fiduciary endeavor as the first > rule of medicine is, “do no harm”. > What the Federal Reserve, along with the treasury has done is to > create a never ending line of corporate hobos, “tin can in hand” lined > up around the block, waiting to get into the treasury soup kitchen. > Though, it is fun to watch them grovel. > > Look, as faithful readers you can attest to my humility and self > deprecation. Can’t you? Still, having the solution to all life’s > frailties and foibles, economic or otherwise, it is my moral > imperative to shower knowledge upon those less synapsetic endowed. > > Plus, this isn’t that hard. An economic collapse had to occur. True, > the democrats shifted this bad boy into high gear with their, > “oversight” of the evil twins; “Fannie and Freddie” yet, they only > laid the inevitable on the American doormat. And, by the way, made > millions doing it; thanks democrats. We owe you. > > We’ve all heard of the rust belt, the diminishing industrial base, > declining manufacturing. It’s really simple; we have driven industry > out of this country. Blame the uncertain labor market, “unions”, the > second highest corporate tax rates in the entire world, compliance > regulations, environmental terrorists, college graduates whom aren’t > smarter than a fifth grader wading into the labor pool, state tax > rates, municipal tax rates, energy costs, health care costs, insurance > costs, trial lawyers, OSHA, lazy employees and Miley Cirus. Gee, why > wouldn’t a company want to do business here? > > No, we have driven manufacturing out of this country and metamorphosed > into a service economy, think dishwashers and waitresses. A full > seventy percent of our GDP is based upon citizens purchasing goods and > services that we don’t make here. We purchase products from India, > China and Japan while borrowing the money to purchase these imports > from India, China and Japan. These countries are loaning us the money > to purchase their products thinking that someday we’ll be good for it. > It’s the classic bend over and, “take the money” scheme. > > It is untenable, unattainable, unsustainable, unprofitable and unwise. > And, it can be repaired. Corporate taxes are merely a built in tax on > consumerism. For the most part corporations build in that tax on their > good or service, making American made products more expensive and > unable to compete in the world marketplace. Combine the simple fact > that we are the world’s largest consumers with the knowledge that > companies want to make their products here, “shipping costs” it would > seem that the square peg will fit in the round hole. > > In the short term, government will have to do with less, a concept > unknown to Washington proper. Were we to cut corporate taxes to, > say…., zero, and cap capital gain tax at five percent, the entire > industrial world would be beating down our door. Good jobs would > ensue, the tax base would grow exponentially and the birds would again > sing. > It is estimated that there is over $7 trillion dollars in offshore > accounts waiting for opportunity. Ironically, that exact figure is > what we have spent battling our economic woes. That surely worked out > well; didn’t it? Still, Obama has one card; if he’ll play it. > > Economist Christina Romer will be director his Council of Economic > Advisors, which provides economic analysis and advice to the > president. Christy is a supply sider; a brilliant economist and one > tough broad. It makes me wonder how she finagled an appointment from > the messiah. However, if his most merciful listens to this woman, “and > ignores the advice of Larry Summers” the Conservative Springfield plan > has a chance. Hey, we all know one thing; Obama knows as much about > economics as Paris Hilton knows about wearing panties. He will have to > rely on advisers. Frankly; I doubt Obama can do simple math. > Fair Points; Christina is also in favor of enforcing the up tick rule > wherein short sellers can only dabble in markets with an upside, > abolishing mark to market rules, naked shorts and whitey tighties. > > So…….this could work. Provided Obama turns his back on the rabid left, > slaps down the democratically controlled congress, snubs the press, > ignores all but one of his economic advisers, puts Michelle back in > the kitchen and gives up his political future. Also, he may have to > take up smoking, again. Ah well, I guess I was dreaming. > Conservative Springfield 25 NOV 08 --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. 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