freedom of speech l liberty l democracy l solidarity l spirituality

SOLIDARITY

Wild capitalism, characterized by private property ownership, egocentric competition and utilitarism for own economic gain, blind free market forces determining the prices of goods and services, and minimal state intervention, is an engine of poverty and ecological catastrophy.

Modern capitalism, being a money & power-based expansion of instrumental & strategic (not communicational) rationalism, brings liberty for the few, material well-being for the few, the disenchantment of the world, constant dissatisfaction & the iron cage of alienation (Weber).

Operationally, capitalism is based on private ownership and the premise of separating state and business (deregulation). Traditional capitalists believe markets to be omni-efficient (the illusion of the Invisible Hand). They think markets function without interference. The role of the state is thus to protect private ownership "de manu militari".

Neo-capitalism, in vain trying to cope with the social injustices and the ecological disasters engendered by its coarser format, has tried to assimilate solidarity in its definition. This is construed as a major step forward ! It is understood that wild, "free" capitalism is only "profitable" in the short term (take & run), with huge future costs. For in its wild form it always causes the demise of Nature and social fragmentation. If survival on our planet is deemed profitable enough, eventually, a long time strategy will be necessary ! However, the idea capitalism as a system is wrong has not yet dawned, although recently, serious cracks have been identified (Piketty) ...

Today, we are beyond national and continental discourses. A global political system, giving body to a just and efficient planetary participationism, is the ideal, the "utopia", not some wild economic globalization and system of short term cost-cut strategies. The monster of financial industry has recently tried to put the clock back and reintroduced insane deregulation, fraud, theft and social catastrophy. The academic study of economy has become part of the problem (professors payed by those promoting the rule of the wealthy at the expense of the poor). Promoting senseless theories on deregulation & inventing the mathematics for the subprime trap, they co-authored poverty worldwide. Their science is mainly there to increase greed. Everybody knows that the gross differences between rich and poor need to be levelled, but they are on the increase. In this, the role of the state remains crucial.

Too greedy individual actors need to be strongly restricted and if necessary forced by law to contribute more money to a fair distribution of goods and services in our towns, states, provinces, nations and eventually in the whole world. Those wealthy who steal and commit fraud should loose all their personal assets.

The first goal to achieve today, is the radical and irreversible eradication of the horrible poverty striking a billion or more of our fellow humans on this planet. To help to alleviate this, is a direct, spiritual and moral choice touching every individual human being living in the rich countries, in particular the captains of industry and the political elite.

Our planetary society faces a terrible crisis. Time is out of joint. Surely, a moral person seeks a global paradise ? Less remains, especially in our times, mere babble.