Short video that avoids the word capitalism but nevertheless sheds some light on the system. Too bad it doesn’t get deeper into the impoverishing of humanity or the destruction of the planet, which are so glaring, but so hidden. We need to understand the ways the system is killing life if we’re to have any chance of creating a society that values life.
Douglas Rushkoff is author of the book Life Inc. – How the World Became a Corporation and How to Take it Back.
The End of Capitalism 
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February 13, 2010 at 4:35 pm
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The fact is that the vast majority of mankind is entirely indebted to the productivity of a handful of individuals. Capitalism is the only social system in history that rewards people on the basis of their own productivity, since it gives people the right to property. Consider the computer and worldwide internetwork you are using to rail against Capitalism. Would these inventions would exist in a social system that “ensures the fair distribution of wealth and property” as you propose? In this new dystopia, where individuals live their lives in the service of “the people” and for “the common good”, who will provide the goods and services you require? Why will they do it? You argue that we should dispense with Capitalism on the basis that it requires consumption and growth, but this is false since these are artifacts of modern quasi-socialist monetary policy. You seem to labor under the delusion that human beings are about to experience a kind of spiritual awakening, where individuals will be overcome with an overwhelming sense of altruism and generosity. Here is the inconvenient truth: human beings are animals, and Mother Nature is a real bitch. She tries to kill us at every opportunity, be it with famine, disease, or natural disaster. Mankind will never live in harmony with the planet, because the planet wants to kill us. If you think your future is so promising, then I encourage you to pursue it in a remote region of the country you purchase, without the assistance of modern locomotion, communication, medicine, or the other benefits Capitalism has provided you with. And as for the impending paradigm shift, you can rest assured that I will vigorously defend my right to life and property, so come prepared if you intend to seize them.
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February 14, 2010 at 6:52 pm
alex
hi, thanks for commenting on my blog.
im sorry that you havent understood my views at all.
ill try to understand yours.
you say that everything good, like “computers” is a result of capitalism.
you say that everything bad, even “consumption and growth” are the results of “socialism”.
i think you’ve confused these terms. capitalism requires corporations to make a profit, each business cycle. if they dont grow, they perish. so mcdonalds needs to sell more hamburgers, microsoft more software, toyota more cars, etc etc. that’s why they’re producing more and more, even when we the public don’t need more, we need less.
you also say that “Mother Nature… tries to kill us at every opportunity.”
what i understand from this is that you have not been paying attention to the events of the last 50 years, and the massive attack on our planet perpetrated by our industrial capitalist system. almost everyone acknowledges the danger we have put our planet and ourselves in by polluting, destroying, clearcutting, homogenizing, etc. i’m sorry that you havent caught up.
as for creating a more beneficent economy, i think it is entirely possible, because unlike your jaded view, i believe that humans are capable of a wide range of behaviors, including both selfishness and generosity. capitalism tries to stifle generosity and encourage selfishness. why in the world can’t we do the opposite?
in fact, judging by how we’re treating the planet and each other, trying a new kind of system is not just a possible idea, it’s absolutely necessary.
thanks again, please keep thinking about these issues
alex
February 15, 2010 at 2:20 am
ofheartandmind
Liked the video – his example at the beginning underlines what exactly is missing in our system – a sense of commonality with one another. However, the fact that the video does not mention “capitalism” does a disservice to the cause of its upheaval. Unless capitalism is identified as the perpetrator of these very real experiences in a disjointed society, there is little chance for the problems which stem directly from the system to be addressed and ended. Thanks for posting, as always, Alex!