In a previous post, I had mentioned some of the downfalls to our current system of what I would describe as "extreme capitalism". I would define extreme capitalism as the unnecessary and irrational need for every aspect of our society, whether it be things like education or law enforcement, being solely designed to increase profit and eliminate costs. For most industries, this is simply the force of a free market economy, and that is a very beneficial and beautiful natural process, and works very elegantly, in most cases.
So please do not interpret my criticisms of our economy as an advocation for communism or any other sort of system, because that's simply not my intention. I do believe that capitalism is the absolute best system of governing modern life; those who need or desire to attain wealth may do so if they are motivated and put in the effort, while those who are more concerned with understanding, examining, and enjoying their short time here are also free to do so.
But that does not mean that every aspect of our society functions most effectively under the guidelines of capitalism, as their intention is in direct conflict with that of capitalism. This is most evident in institutions which are designed to serve a public good, things like: health care, law enforcement, judicial system, etc. In all of these instances, capitalism is a direct impediment to their effective and proper functioning. And it seems as though each day, the "middle-class" American is the one who is left to carry the weight, as each of these various industries slowly but surely nickel-and-dime the populace to death. Health care should absolutely not be the leading cause of bankruptcy in the most financially wealthy nation on Earth, and we should be ashamed that it is. Have we all really become so emotionally numbed by the capitalist ideal that we are willing to allow those around us to die because of it?
Today, the notion of business ethics has been altogether forgotten, to the extent that The Wolf of Wall Street may seem tame in comparison to what some of these MegaCorps can do. It seems as though the consumer is in direct conflict with the service provider in a sparring match of hidden and implicit fees. But as soon as you click that 'agree' button that you didn't have the time or desire to read anything about, your head is already in their noose, and you are virtually completely at their will. The problem is, everybody today is too constantly pressed for time and have so many obligations to fulfill that nobody has a chance to notice that there is an invisible war between corporations and their walking dollar signs (consumers). Even worse, I think the problem is that people don't even care anymore, and they think that their role is so insignificant somehow, that they cannot have a voice to change the way things are. Millennials and Generation X haven't really had any demonstrations or impact through public and social activism in their recent history, or they simply don't remember the sentiment of those times, but generations before us would absolutely be shocked to witness our complacency with being oppressed so blatantly and thoroughly.
It's as if there is an insatiable need for our government to deplete us of all our worth, when in fact, it would be more beneficial for them in the long run to allow us to retain some loose definition of financial independence. The strength of this nation has ALWAYS resided in the hands of the majority, and that is what really makes it a great place to live, but it seems that this is eroding from under it's very foundation. All of the most prosperous times in our country's history have been marked by the stability and vigor of the middle-class, and their relationship is one of causation; that is, the success of the middle-class sector of Americans in turn allows the nation as a whole to prosper. And, therefore, without that strength, the entire nation consequently suffers.
Allow me to cite and explain further the ways in which I feel that government and private sector are excessively depleting average Americans of their finances. It seems that, being a young, male driver (admittedly who may appear as a "trouble-maker"), I cannot go a month or two without being pulled over for seemingly unknown reasons anymore. So much so that the DOT is, to me, a fairly routine trip that I know I will have to make every so often. And I definitely am not the most cautious driver, I understand that. I get it. That's not the argument that I'm making, I know that there are definitely times that it has been plausible for me to be pulled over. But there's a difference between that, and law enforcement scanning people to identify potential targets of revenue.
"Look, that kid looks like he probably smokes pot, get him!"
This has also become more and more noticeable with online-based companies, and it is much more discrete and thus harder to find without micro-analyzing all of your transactions. Recently, I've started using eBay more frequently than I have in a while, and combined with PayPal, their virtual monopoly has become very much more adamant about finding every possible loophole available at their disposal to excessively charge you and, in some cases (mine), even withhold all of your funds for 6 months, with absolutely no desire to be compliant in assisting their customers. And because of the way that things are, there are very limited means in place to challenge their supreme authority. This is not an example of the force of the free market, but rather the force of corporate giants levying power and control over the federal government to maintain their dominance. And there is no incentive for either party to have it any other way, because that would relinquish the absolute control that they currently possess. If the government is to have any influence over the free market, they should be providing the means and opportunities for small-businesses to compete with these large established corporations, when in fact the exact opposite is true.
In my (relatively, but nowhere near completely) humble opinion, the modern world is so much vastly different than the archaic foundations that it is currently still operating under. These things have worked, and they have worked very well, for hundreds of years, but at some point, we have to wake up and realize that times have changed drastically, and even though, due to the bureaucratic nature of our institutions, political and economic change is often much slower and calculated than social change, at some point we must inevitably alter our mindset and shift courses if we want to maintain any sense of decent standards of living that we currently enjoy. The problem is, every aspect of the system that is in place is inextricably bound to every other aspect, and altering one facet is the equivalent to removing a Janga piece from the puzzle, as everything else collapses on top of it. But regardless, things must change and will change eventually, so why are we so willingly choosing to remain negligent and go about our days as if there aren't very pivotal decisions that we must face as a species in the near future. Many Asian countries are already being forced to wear surgical masks on a daily basis in order to cope with the extreme smog caused by pollution, caused by our over-consuming global economy. Is that really the world that we all want to live in?
Anyways, Noah Chomsky had some similar comments to say in a video that I was watching that I found to be fascinating, so I decided that I'd talk about my perspective a bit more. Noah Chomsky, for those who aren't aware, is "an American linguist, philosopher,[21][22] cognitive scientist, logician,[23][24][25] political commentator, social justice activist, and anarcho-syndicalist advocate. Sometimes described as the "father of modern linguistics",[26][27] Chomsky is also a major figure in analytic philosophy.[21] He has spent most of his career at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he is currently Professor Emeritus, and has authored over 100 books. He has been described as a prominent cultural figure, and was voted the "world's top public intellectual" in a 2005 poll.[28]" (Wikipedia)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noam_Chomsky
15:10 "The Labor Movement has traditionally been at the forefront of progressive social change, and for that reason, and others.. it is under severe attack . . . fierce attack from the business world.. which pretty much runs the country."
Something to think about, at the very least.
Check out the video below.
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