On paper, capitalism — like basically any system — seems perfect.
Allowing the free market and competition to create a culture of benevolent, generous business owners and grateful, well-compensated workers sure does sound like utopia.
But once humans are thrown into the mix, this idea that once sounded so flawless suddenly begins to disintegrate.
Ambition drives corruption. Lobbyists representing the interests of multi-millionaires and billionaires shamelessly buy the influence of politicians for ever-increasing tax breaks that since Reagan and Thatcher have resulted in nothing more than increasing wealth inequality.
Yet there are unquestionably redeeming qualities to be found in capitalism. Not all billionaires are the same. Like all humans, some are pretty awesome. Others, well, not so much.
There are the Bill Gateses of the world, who from modest beginnings in a suburban house’s garage built one of the first home computers that would eventually go on to help found Microsoft, which generates gainful work that people seek out. His philanthropy also funds worldwide projects to alleviate not only poverty but also improve living conditions for people around the world.
Then, we have the Waltons and the Bezoses of the world — those whose historically unprecedented fortunes were amassed largely by exploiting people who are paid so little many still require government welfare. Bosses who could substantially increase salaries and still remain obscenely wealthy, choose not to.
We can no longer dismiss criticism of capitalism by saying, “It’s better than Venezuela!”
We should not be setting the bar so low as to compare ourselves with a failing state as a sign of success. To improve, we should compete with those systems that reduce inequality and increase all-around happiness.
Canada is listed only in seventh place on a study investigating people’s overall life satisfaction around the world. Far better than the U.S., lagging way back in 18th place, and Venezuela, in 102th. But what about Finland, in first, followed in order by Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Switzerland.
These nations are what we so-called simple socialists are talking about. No one in his or her right mind wants Soviet Stalinist style socialism. Frankly, that’s as vexing as I’m certain moderate folks who are right of centre feel when they’re called Nazis or fascists.
Let’s be clear. Dismissing democratic socialists as something along the lines of Stalinist Maoist commies is as disingenuously lazy an argument as labelling anyone who supports the likes of Trump or Scheer as a boot licking brownshirt.
So long as people on either side of the identity politics spectrum remain mentally entrenched with such stereotypes, little progress or middle ground is likely to be found.
Which is ironic, considering people generally have far more in common than they might think. Most of us just want to pursue a fulfilling path that provides for ourselves and families, perhaps even help others when we’re in a position to do so. Maybe have a bit of fun along that journey whenever possible.
But capitalism has not always encouraged the best traits humanity has to offer. Fewer people have more than ever before, and most are barely seeing any increases. Besides, pretending we can sustain unlimited growth on a finite system is fantasy we must dispel sooner rather than later.
At what point do we finally collectively arrive at the conclusion that capitalism in its current form could very likely spell our undoing? It was certainly great while it lasted. But as with every other time in history, the system desperately needs an update.
