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Difference between revisions of "Capitalism Kritik"
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(Changed the reading list. There is no reason whatsoever that Das Kapital would be on a "required" reading list due to two reasons: First, there is no world where that is necessary for understanding the Cap K. Second, there are much better descriptions and summaries which get to the point. Those summaries being "Value, Price and Profit" as well as "Wage Labour and Capital." Utopian and Scientific is a really good intro book. German ideology is just the basic phil anyone should know.) |
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Thomas Piketty - Capital in The 21st Century | Thomas Piketty - Capital in The 21st Century | ||
Douzinas and Zizek - The Idea of Communism | |||
== General Thesis == | == General Thesis == | ||
'''Capitalism''' is the economic system based on: | '''Capitalism''' is the economic system based on: | ||
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a) Free-market ideology, when private sectors controlled the market not the state. | a) Free-market ideology, when private sectors controlled the market not the state. | ||
b) Exploitation of labor, it requires a massive amount of laborers to be exploitated for their labor. A perfect capitalist world is a "take not give" world. | b) Exploitation of labor, it requires a massive amount of laborers to be exploitated for their labor. A perfect capitalist world is a "take not give" world i.e. slavery. | ||
c) Constant circulation of commodities, when items of utility can be | c) Constant circulation of commodities, when items of utility can be exchanged which strengthens the system. | ||
A '''commodity''' is any item that can be of utility to humans. | A '''commodity''' is any item that can be of utility to humans. | ||
==== Exploitation of People (Marx’s Theory of Alienation) ==== | ==== Exploitation of People (Marx’s Theory of Alienation) ==== | ||
The problem with capitalism is that a small group of people own a large portion of the means of production, allowing them to monopolize earnings and subject the majority to unfair conditions. This small group is known as the ''bourgeoisie'' while the other group is known as the ''proletariats''. | The problem with capitalism is that a small group of people own a large portion of the '''means''' of production(material used for production like minerals, labor), allowing them to monopolize earnings and subject the majority to unfair conditions. This small group is known as the ''bourgeoisie'' while the other group is known as the ''proletariats''. | ||
The bourgeoisie and proletariats have an oppressive relationship: proletariats are exploited by the bourgeoisie and alienated from themselves and their labor. | The bourgeoisie and proletariats have an oppressive relationship: proletariats are exploited by the bourgeoisie and alienated from themselves and their labor. | ||
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This is usually what justifies the debate-typical extinction scenarios: capitalism requires too many resources and is unsustainable, causing global warming as people search for more resources, which ends the planet and kills everyone. Other justifications for extinction include disease proliferation and war. When people run out of resources, they push into natural habitats and expose themselves to new diseases that they don’t have immunity to, causing everyone to die. Similarly, the lack of resources can cause resource wars that go nuclear. | This is usually what justifies the debate-typical extinction scenarios: capitalism requires too many resources and is unsustainable, causing global warming as people search for more resources, which ends the planet and kills everyone. Other justifications for extinction include disease proliferation and war. When people run out of resources, they push into natural habitats and expose themselves to new diseases that they don’t have immunity to, causing everyone to die. Similarly, the lack of resources can cause resource wars that go nuclear. | ||
An example is peak oil – we’ll eventually reach a point where our extraction of oil will “peak” and then permanently decrease because oil fracking will become unsustainable. | An example is '''peak oil''' – we’ll eventually reach a point where our extraction of oil will “peak” and then permanently decrease because oil fracking will become unsustainable. | ||
==== Alternative Economic Systems ==== | ==== Alternative Economic Systems ==== | ||
There are many alternatives to capitalism – most solutions will focus on giving back control to the proletariats to make a stateless, classless, moneyless society. To transition to these systems, there needs to be a revolution to overthrow the state. Some forms of revolution and their alternatives include dual power, Marxism/Leninism, Trotskyism, counsel communism, and anarchism. | There are many alternatives to capitalism – most solutions will focus on giving back control to the proletariats to make a stateless, classless, moneyless society. To transition to these systems, there needs to be a revolution to overthrow the state. Some forms of revolution and their alternatives include dual power, Marxism/Leninism, Trotskyism, counsel communism, and anarchism. | ||
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'''Socialism''' is when the means of production, distribution, and exchange would all be regulated by the country as whole. | '''Socialism''' is when the means of production, distribution, and exchange would all be regulated by the country as whole. | ||
'''Half-Earth Socialism''' is when a planning body "Gosplant" determines the socio-economic and environmental direction. | |||
== Uses in Debate == | == Uses in Debate == | ||
The capitalism kritik (usually shortened to the “Cap K”) is a criticism of how a policy or structure increases the prevalence of capitalism. | The capitalism kritik (usually shortened to the “Cap K”) is a criticism of how a policy or structure increases the prevalence of capitalism. | ||