I have been to a few meetings for socialist groups in Sydney over the last few weeks since my return from Latin America because I really see no future for the world under the current capitalist system. My fundamental reasons for this are:
1) Corporations have no moral conscience
Capitalism strives to produce in the most efficient way to produce the greatest profits possible. The problem with this is that the moral obligation to do this doesn't fall within the realm of the corporation but rather the community. Meaning that a company will only pay attention to it's obligations to society when it is forced to do so by community pressure or government controls. The problem we have is that government controls are increasingly being given away by governments as they focus on economic success rather than societal development. Consumer education is severely hampered by the way that we access information ie. through mainstream media sources who's profits come from advertising from the business world. Corporate good-deeds must by definition be centred around greater profits for them to remain popular in the share market.
The result in this global economy is searching out conditions where greatest worker exploitation, environmental disregard will be either tolerated or consealed. Migrant workers are bearing the brunt of this trend across the world from London to New York to Soeul http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=69&ItemID=12856 (SOuth Korean insight). In the resources sector majority world communities are frequently thrown from their land in the name of profits http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=9&ItemID=12832 (article about this in Colomiba). Deiliberately misleading of public opinion to maintain a corporate image is standard practice.
Fortunately workers continue to organise around the world and not give way to slavery. The reason that working conditions are betting in the western world is not that companies are more concerned here it's that workers have more rights to stand up for themselves without threats of kidnappings, torture and death to the same degree as in the majority world. Companies are forced into better practices by government and independent reporting on treatment of workers and the environment. Fortunately for companies, governments like Bush and Howard focus on economy and lower environmental standards and working conditions
2) Corporate media must control public opinion for corporate interests
Under the capitalist system the media plays the role of keeping the masses controled and distracted, telling them what to think and what to buy. Advertising drives media and thus obligates media to act in the interest of business. Free thinking media would immediately question whether governments are taking actions in the interests of the population. For the "free" west this plays out as mock debate which draw people to the conclusion of whatever is going to be best for big business who pay the bills.
Anything from silencing and discrediting those who disagree with the system or offer alternatives to the domination of the ruling class to maintaining a state of fear in the population to justify military spending and restriction of civil liberties.
Consistently those who don't wish to be part of the rat race or wish to talk about alternatives to the current way of life are branded radicals or hippies. This has become an unconscious reaction for mainstream society despite the fact that mainstream society is increasingly cynical about the ambitions of government.
The war on terror has seen civil rights sacrificed in the face of an at best magnified threat at worst a construction by those in power to keep the masses scared. The result of a scared population is a willingness to put faith in government to protect them as a priority above all other actions of government. This is a big part of the explanation for why Howard, Blair and Bush managed to maintain their abuse of power for so long. Australia's press is ranked 35th internationally but is higher than the US http://www.rsf.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=639.
Despite many people in the minority (rich) world's reluctance to say that capitalism doesn't work, massive cracks are appearing in it's structures. Bush has enlightened the world to the goals of the US government. Howard has put profit over people to turn out billions in surplus while dismantalling our education and health systems. Kyoto was a watered down version of what we need to do to keep our world liveable and even that was too restrictive for our governments when people are increasingly aware that we must change because of increasing severity of draught conditions and natural disasters touching our lives. Their extremely unpopular warmongering tactics and scare tactics are exposed to all those who care to look beyond the information they are given by governments and business.
Anyone who can link together the fundamentals of capitalism and the recent events by defintion recognises the need for an alternative.
Alternatives ?
That is the alternative is the first question that comes to mind when you realise that capitalism will never deliver a good life for all or a sustainable economy. To argue that we are progressing towards either of these things under the current model is a very difficult task. The idea of perpetual growth, a fundamental of capitalism makes this impossible.
Socialist groups call for workers and the majority to take control of production and make decisions about the direction of society. They argue for a cooperative approach to development that is inclusive rather than the individualistic, dog-eat-dog approach of capitalism. It seems good on face value but the legacy of China and Russia hang as a dark cloud over this ideal.
Todays socialists disociate themselves from Stalin, Castro and Mao and call for socialism from below. A rising to power of the majority which dismantles existing structures to deliver a new approach to production and society. Still some believe in the Venezuelan or even so called Bolivarian model for change implemented by Chavez and complemented by Bolivia and Ecuador and a degree of solidarity with other left leaning governments in the region are the key to a global revolution.
I'm not sold on the idea of world domination as the end to all our problems without an associated level of enlightenment, tolerance and understanding. It's dificult to see if this would naturally create a sustainable, peaceful existence across the world. It does however seem obvious that the current system won't and that power concentrated in the hands of few is dangerous regardless of the system of economy.
For now I think we must put forward alternatives and fight for freedom of expression, the right to strike and the right to protest are the most obvious weapons of the masses being supressed by governments. We must expose human rights abuse and raise awarenes of the system that we are living in.
Everytime I hear a friend complaining about their boss or wages I feel this urge. Everytime I see someone talk about the damage we are doing to our environment I feel this urge. Everytime I hear students talking about the power being taken from thier unions and their struggle to manage work and study I feel this urge. When I think back to how this all manifests in Latin America I feel this urge.
What is the alternative model society should adopt? I think it will present itself as a raised level of consciosness in society manifests and we realise our thoughts and actions are what drive the world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuvBT1ybFHo&mode=related&search= cut and paste the link
Posts
