Capitalism is Slavery

[MattShizzle]

I don't get why people support it thinking people "earn" what they make by working hard. People who do next to nothing make a fortune while others who work their ass off make nothing. And then the idiocy of saying people are "free" to not work for companies that pay next to nothing and treat their workers like shit - yeah so they can work for another company that does the same. Capitalism is the same as slavery. How is "work at a bad job for next to nothing or starve/be homeless" any better than "work for nothing or be beaten?"

[MattShizzle]

Just needed to rant after the comments of some reactionary family members on facebook - and yes I responded with much of the above post!

[Catmatic Leftist]

It's so pointless arguing with those types. They're never going to listen to reason nor use any semblance of logic at all.

[MattShizzle]

He's a Mormon (my cousin) and has at least one Socialist or very left Liberal friend who commented but his other friends are extremely reactionary or even Fascist. I horrify them and it's worth it to see their reaction to my godless Communist self!

[Lobotomy]

Preach it brotha/sista.

[Zostrianos]

Capitalism, particularly in the US, is a form of dictatorship. There was a political theorist once, whose name escapes me, who came up with the term "totalitarian democracy" to describe US style capitalism. The resemblances between it and various dictatorships are astounding.

1- In a dictatorship, there is no freedom of speech. In Capitalism, there is the illusion of freedom of speech: you can criticize the government openly, and say whatever you want, but the leaders know full well that that criticism rarely leads to action, and so they laugh it off and still make whatever decisions they want - like dictators, they have absolute power, but manage to give people the illusion of freedom. They know full well they can do whatever they want, and people will only complain and mumble, but not actually do anything.

2- Another trait is the illusion of democracy. Particularly in the US, there are only 2 recognized political parties, and both are rotten to the core (Democrats are the lesser evil, but they're center-right at best). When election time comes, the people are bombarded with political ads, lies and bullshit, and given the illusion that they actually have a voice, which is completely false.
3- Totalitarian states rely on propaganda to make the regime look good and brainwash the people with lies. Capitalism does the same, but most of the propaganda comes not from the government, but from the various companies who have the media and politicians in their back pocket; in this case, the brainwashing involves convincing people that they need to buy certain products and services to be happy\look cool\be trendy\ etc., (or that they can have anything they want by means of credit and pay later) so that thereby the people will buy those products and thus continue to feed the capitalist beast. The monster keeps growing, and the people keep buying, many ending up on the street because they couldn't pay back loans to credit card\insurance companies, etc.
4- Fear. Dictatorships often use fear to control the populace, not only through secret police forces, but also by instilling fear of some enemy that becomes the scapegoat for the country's problems. America does that with terrorism, especially in the Bush era, with the color alert system. Also, by instilling this fear, they not only ensure the people's support, but also distract them from the actual problems that plague society, and convince them that the real scapegoat is terrorism (or whatever else they choose). All the while, large sections of the population languish in poverty, and many die because they can't afford to pay for healthcare. And politicians keep doing what they do best, depriving the poor and needy of their benefits, to give them to their hyper rich friends over at Exxon, Monsanto, or any other corrupt multinational. When the people start getting worried, they placate them with the usual bullshit, or organize big public events (like prayer rallies) that are useless publicity stunts, but that blind people to their real enemies: those politicians themselves.
"I could put all this money into healthcare, but I'll just organize a giant prayer rally":thumbdown:

Capitalism is indeed slavery, and despotism of the worst kind

[Zostrianos]

The great Noam Chomsky had a lot to say on this very subject:

Any dictator would admire the uniformity and obedience of the U.S. media.

I have often thought that if a rational Fascist dictatorship were to exist, then it would choose the American system

The more you can increase fear of drugs and crime, welfare mothers, immigrants and aliens, the more you control all the people.

The United States is unusual among the industrial democracies in the rigidity of the system of ideological control - "indoctrination," we might say - exercised through the mass media.

[robbo203]

I don't get why people support it thinking people "earn" what they make by working hard. People who do next to nothing make a fortune while others who work their ass off make nothing. And then the idiocy of saying people are "free" to not work for companies that pay next to nothing and treat their workers like shit - yeah so they can work for another company that does the same. Capitalism is the same as slavery. How is "work at a bad job for next to nothing or starve/be homeless" any better than "work for nothing or be beaten?"

Indeed. At least in a system of chattel slavery the slave owner had some sort of incentive to keep the slave in good shape - not just because "it" performs better but also because it might fetch a higher price on the slave market. The relationship of the slave to the master was much like animal stock to its owner. A well treated cow produces more milk, a well fed pig makes for more succulent meat

Under Ancient slavery, some slaves did not fare too badly and there were some political kingdoms - as in North Africa - where slaves rose to political prominance and power. Under capitalist "free" labour the relation between employers and employees is much more impersonal. The poverty and economic hardship endured by many workers is held to be an external cost of no direct concern to the employer . He or she is driven, not essentially by malice but by the impersonal forces of economic competition to exploit his or workforce to the hilt in the quest for profit

[sickle]

I don't get why people support it thinking people "earn" what they make by working hard. People who do next to nothing make a fortune while others who work their ass off make nothing. And then the idiocy of saying people are "free" to not work for companies that pay next to nothing and treat their workers like shit - yeah so they can work for another company that does the same. Capitalism is the same as slavery. How is "work at a bad job for next to nothing or starve/be homeless" any better than "work for nothing or be beaten?"

I believe that there should be a strong, left-wing state that assures minimum wages and tries to remove poverty.
However I think that the employers, or in your eyes the slave masters, should not always be seen as the 'evil-doers' or culprits of society. Otherwise they will start the next revolution.

[Mnemosyne]

I am confused at the comments which discuss Capitalism as a political system when it is not...

Please remember that America is not, nor has ever been a truly Capitalist (as in, the economic system) society.

The free market is not the catalyst for, or reason behind, wage labor and multi-million dollar corporations.... hence why all groups who support both of those argue passionately against any kind of free market approach in economics.

[La Peur Rouge]

However I think that the employers, or in your eyes the slave masters, should not always be seen as the 'evil-doers' or culprits of society. Otherwise they will start the next revolution.

Bourgeois revolution has already happened.


Please remember that America is not, nor has ever been a truly Capitalist (as in, the economic system) society.


News to me. What else is capitalism besides an economic system?

[Mnemosyne]

It isn't anything beyond that- which is why Azaran's post confused me. :)

I should stress that I define capitalism in the classical liberal sense as a completely free market...

[Apoi_Viitor]

I should stress that I define capitalism in the classical liberal sense as a completely free market...

So basically, capitalism is a fairy-tale that has never and will never exist.

[RebelDog]

I think we call it capitalism because we are so used to doing so, but clearly as some above point out, it is not capitalism. The rich elite in the US, or anywhere else for that matter, would never have amassed the wealth they have if they had to operate in truely free markets. They are subsidised, given unfair trade advantages and the military force open hitherto unreachable markets for them. Oh, and they get billions of dollors in bailouts when things go pear-shaped. Free-markets (as far as they do exist) are for poor people and the rich get socialism. All these business twats bang on about free-markets and how wonderful they are whilst they take every state handout going and benefit from state intervention here there and everywhere. Its bullshit and they know it.

[Nox]

The great Noam Chomsky had a lot to say on this very subject:

Any dictator would admire the uniformity and obedience of the U.S. media.

I have often thought that if a rational Fascist dictatorship were to exist, then it would choose the American system

The more you can increase fear of drugs and crime, welfare mothers, immigrants and aliens, the more you control all the people.

The United States is unusual among the industrial democracies in the rigidity of the system of ideological control - "indoctrination," we might say - exercised through the mass media.

FFS, why is Noam Chomsky always right?

[Zostrianos]

FFS, why is Noam Chomsky always right?

Noam Chomsky should get the Nobel prize.

Here's another one:

"There are many terrorist states in the world, but the United States is unusual in that it is officially committed to international terrorism, and on a scale that puts its rivals to shame."

http://www.chomsky.info/articles/199112--02.htm

[Mnemosyne]

So basically, capitalism is a fairy-tale that has never and will never exist.

Actually, there have been more than a few examples of free market systems, most of which were done via commodities based trading... even well before the term 'laissez faire' was penned. It most often has appeared alongside anarchistic societies because of that whole freedom thing. ;)

A true free market system is put very simply: Darwinism.

In America? Unless you are talking about Native American's, no it has never existed.