Nations are composed of many elements. They are created out of their own education systems, their religions and art, their sports, and architecture, their economy, military, transportation systems, sciences, literature, natural resources, government, and perhaps many others.
A great nation blends these elements into an interrelated pattern of contrasts and beauty with each supporting, enhancing and helping to define the others. One component may lead for a period of time with others providing strong support, then another may come forward with the support and help of the people.
But in a capitalistic nation, ALL of the its components must become secondary to its one lead item which is The Economy. In the words of James Carville, “It’s the economy, Stupid!” ALL other components of a capitalistic nation have to give way to the Economy.
And the value of all other factors are judged only in economic terms. The value of the nation’s education system is determined by how well it prepares its students to get a job and make money, the value of a work of art is determined by how much money it is worth, the value of a sports team by how much money it made and the players by how much money they are paid, scientific explorations are judged by how much money they might make. In every case the value of any endeavors is rated by how much money it might return.
The defining characteristic of capitalism is its constant and accelerating accumulation of capital. The wealth of an organization or a city or a state or a nation, if it is capitalistic, will continue to be gathered together into fewer and fewer hands. The workers will still be paid, but their pay will be determined only by their employers. They will receive less and less a percentage of the money their project earns, will be required to worker longer hours for less pay, and will have less and less input in that matter, and begin to assume many of the characteristics of servants.
How then can capitalism be made to work for us? First, capitalism has many points of value. It is necessary to fund large operations, like maintaining ports, building airliners, automobiles and in many other important aspects of modern society. But it must be contained by at least two other forces. First, there must be room for a vibrant, strong and powerful Free Enterprise System. This provides an outlet for people who may be dissatisfied with the corporate culture, or who have an “idea”, or just want to create a product or service to sell. Second, government must control capitalism – not by controlling the corporations, or the industries, or the workers, but by controlling the capitalist market and prevent it from becoming a cannibalistic market. And governments must also protect the free enterprise market from capitalism. Finally, there must be room for Common Areas. This is not a page from communism, but from our founding fathers who provided for common areas in all towns. Central Park in New York, National Parks in many nations, early villages in America had the court house in the center of town with a large square of land for the people.
This won’t be easy, it will never be a “finished” and “completed” project. It will always be a continuing procedure requiring input and communication between the factors involved. New technologies and new problems will constantly appear and need to be integrated and built upon.
For more information on the book, click here: http://www.johnhwomack.com/John_Womack/Capitalism.html
For more information on the book, click here: http://www.johnhwomack.com/John_Womack/Capitalism.html
No comments:
Post a Comment