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January 2008
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Modern capitalism rests on the chaotic basis of what the economist Joseph Schumpeter (1883–1950) called "creative destruction". His main theory was that innovation was central to capitalism. And I believe we would all agree when we bring to mind such notable inventors as Edison, Tesla, the Wright brothers, Farnsworth, and many others too numerous to name. But the central problem with innovation is that it tends to destabalize society from time to time when a new technology looms on the horizon such as the automobile. As Schumpeter was keen to realize there are business cycles with both an upside and a downside that come as a result of innovation.
But all this, so far, is a view of idealized capitalism. Real capitalism doesn't actually work this way. It cannot provide stability nor can it provide the greatest good for the greatest number although it seems to claim that it can with its numerous rags to riches tales. Capitalism has only managed to provide the greatest good for the minority—never those who earn a subsistence wage, viz., the majority. It worth adding that working for wages is still a subset of slavery noted by Simon Linguet in 1763.
For innovative capitalism to actually work it cannot hope to progress without a socialist foundation which, among other things, provides the various social safety nets for the displaced worker who happens to lose his job during the destructive cycle of capitalism. These 'nets' include social insurances such as unemployment insurance, Social Security Insurance (SSI), workmen's compensation and many other programs designed to attenuate the destructive phase of capitalism. It also includes universal healthcare since worker's subsistence wages are inadequate to pay for healthcare.
But the socialist foundation also includes human values such as compassion, family values, community values, and perhaps most important, religious values that valorize the desire to search for the meaning of life and bring an end to suffering. Indeed, there is more to life than cars, airplanes, homes, electronic gadgets, and conspicuous consumption. In fact, for thousand of years socialism dominated the world—not capitalism. There was no such thing as the self-regulating market concept of the "invisible hand" or the notion of survival of the fittest (Spencerian Darwinism).
Whathas enabled the so-called capitalist economy to survive has been the socialist matrix that it, ironically, seeks to destroy by legislative means every so many years. But the socialist matrix is not so easily dismembered. From the 19th century onwards, from the popularist movement to the progressive movement, including the Christian socialist movement, there has been a steady continuous stream of small revolutions trying to reassert the hegemony of the socialist matrix. This has sometimes come even in the form of Traditionalism which is a reaction to modernity and rationalization (Weber).
In truth, the human heart is socialist. It only views capitalism as a necessary evil. If there were a better system, the vast majority of mankind would take that instead. While many people defend capitalism against something like Stalinism and the old Soviet state, they cannot defend capitalism when its claims of prosperity only include the bourgeoisie, leaving the many outside in the cold to survive by delivering pizzas.
As a matter of recent history, we find that the capitalists strategically invaded the social matrix, first, using Adam Smith and others as a rationalization for capitalist expansion. In fact, the social matrix of England became the experimental proving grounds which was subsequently pulverized in which everything became a commodity. The works of Karl Marx simply underscore the depth of destruction of the social matrix by the capitalists who reduced the many to a life of wage slavery starting with the very young.
Once the people's hearts and minds were taken prisoner, the capitalists erected their dark, satanic-like smoke stack industries and set as their goal the extraction of as much wealth as they could manage. They even extended their avarice and power through the scheme of colonization.
The wanton destruction of the social matrix by the industrial capitalist is perhaps what drove J.R.R. Tolkien to write his extraordinary work, The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien captures, as no other writer, the war between the spiritual side of man and his dark fell side. In this light, The Lord of the Rings represents an epic struggle between the forces of socialism and capitalism for the control and possession of the human soul.
Buddhism naturally sides with the forces of socialism as against laissez faire capitalism (i.e., neoliberalism). The Buddha, if he were alive and teaching today, would assess the main forces of capitalism to be akin to the deadly Three Poisons, namely, keep the masses dull (moha). Greed (lobha) is good. Deal with problems by malevolence (dosa).
In his wisdom, for the sake of all, the Buddha would take a middle-way approach to such a division understanding that innovation (Schumpeter) can lead to the social goal of leisure for the great majority; such leisure being utilized to search for the truth or used simply to enjoy family life. Above all the Buddha would recognize that inventors, for the most part, are often humanitarians who wish to free mankind from suffering.
On the same score, the Buddha would never support the robber baron capitalist elite who are still the leaders of capitalism; who think of no one else except themselves; supporting asocial individualism as against the socially responsible individual. These are the same people who still fight Unions; who don't want universal healthcare; and who want to turn the Social Security Insurance (SSI) fund over to Wall Street. This same self-proclaimed elite, however, has killed millions of people; who are now trying to destroy our very planet.
I can't imagine Lord Buddha giving a modern discourse on capitalism without saying the capitalist, like the soldier who mercilessly kills, go to a special hell.
Without the strong foundation of socialism, innovative capitalism will not work and even less, the present species of capitalism. Society must have more than adequate social safety nets under it at all times. But equally important, the goals of a society cannot be capitalistic. Ultimately, the acquisition of wealth by the rapacious few, to the detriment of the many, will lead to the rapid end of civilization and pave the way for barbarism.
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Socialism and Buddhism
Modern capitalism rests on the chaotic basis of what the economist Joseph Schumpeter (1883–1950) called "creative destruction". His main theory was that innovation was central to capitalism. And I believe we would all agree when we bring to mind such notable inventors as Edison, Tesla, the Wright brothers, Farnsworth, and many others too numerous to name. But the central problem with innovation is that it tends to destabalize society from time to time when a new technology looms on the horizon such as the automobile. As Schumpeter was keen to realize there are business cycles with both an upside and a downside that come as a result of innovation.
But all this, so far, is a view of idealized capitalism. Real capitalism doesn't actually work this way. It cannot provide stability nor can it provide the greatest good for the greatest number although it seems to claim that it can with its numerous rags to riches tales. Capitalism has only managed to provide the greatest good for the minority—never those who earn a subsistence wage, viz., the majority. It worth adding that working for wages is still a subset of slavery noted by Simon Linguet in 1763.
For innovative capitalism to actually work it cannot hope to progress without a socialist foundation which, among other things, provides the various social safety nets for the displaced worker who happens to lose his job during the destructive cycle of capitalism. These 'nets' include social insurances such as unemployment insurance, Social Security Insurance (SSI), workmen's compensation and many other programs designed to attenuate the destructive phase of capitalism. It also includes universal healthcare since worker's subsistence wages are inadequate to pay for healthcare.
But the socialist foundation also includes human values such as compassion, family values, community values, and perhaps most important, religious values that valorize the desire to search for the meaning of life and bring an end to suffering. Indeed, there is more to life than cars, airplanes, homes, electronic gadgets, and conspicuous consumption. In fact, for thousand of years socialism dominated the world—not capitalism. There was no such thing as the self-regulating market concept of the "invisible hand" or the notion of survival of the fittest (Spencerian Darwinism).
Whathas enabled the so-called capitalist economy to survive has been the socialist matrix that it, ironically, seeks to destroy by legislative means every so many years. But the socialist matrix is not so easily dismembered. From the 19th century onwards, from the popularist movement to the progressive movement, including the Christian socialist movement, there has been a steady continuous stream of small revolutions trying to reassert the hegemony of the socialist matrix. This has sometimes come even in the form of Traditionalism which is a reaction to modernity and rationalization (Weber).
In truth, the human heart is socialist. It only views capitalism as a necessary evil. If there were a better system, the vast majority of mankind would take that instead. While many people defend capitalism against something like Stalinism and the old Soviet state, they cannot defend capitalism when its claims of prosperity only include the bourgeoisie, leaving the many outside in the cold to survive by delivering pizzas.
As a matter of recent history, we find that the capitalists strategically invaded the social matrix, first, using Adam Smith and others as a rationalization for capitalist expansion. In fact, the social matrix of England became the experimental proving grounds which was subsequently pulverized in which everything became a commodity. The works of Karl Marx simply underscore the depth of destruction of the social matrix by the capitalists who reduced the many to a life of wage slavery starting with the very young.
Once the people's hearts and minds were taken prisoner, the capitalists erected their dark, satanic-like smoke stack industries and set as their goal the extraction of as much wealth as they could manage. They even extended their avarice and power through the scheme of colonization.
The wanton destruction of the social matrix by the industrial capitalist is perhaps what drove J.R.R. Tolkien to write his extraordinary work, The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien captures, as no other writer, the war between the spiritual side of man and his dark fell side. In this light, The Lord of the Rings represents an epic struggle between the forces of socialism and capitalism for the control and possession of the human soul.
Buddhism naturally sides with the forces of socialism as against laissez faire capitalism (i.e., neoliberalism). The Buddha, if he were alive and teaching today, would assess the main forces of capitalism to be akin to the deadly Three Poisons, namely, keep the masses dull (moha). Greed (lobha) is good. Deal with problems by malevolence (dosa).
In his wisdom, for the sake of all, the Buddha would take a middle-way approach to such a division understanding that innovation (Schumpeter) can lead to the social goal of leisure for the great majority; such leisure being utilized to search for the truth or used simply to enjoy family life. Above all the Buddha would recognize that inventors, for the most part, are often humanitarians who wish to free mankind from suffering.
On the same score, the Buddha would never support the robber baron capitalist elite who are still the leaders of capitalism; who think of no one else except themselves; supporting asocial individualism as against the socially responsible individual. These are the same people who still fight Unions; who don't want universal healthcare; and who want to turn the Social Security Insurance (SSI) fund over to Wall Street. This same self-proclaimed elite, however, has killed millions of people; who are now trying to destroy our very planet.
I can't imagine Lord Buddha giving a modern discourse on capitalism without saying the capitalist, like the soldier who mercilessly kills, go to a special hell.
Without the strong foundation of socialism, innovative capitalism will not work and even less, the present species of capitalism. Society must have more than adequate social safety nets under it at all times. But equally important, the goals of a society cannot be capitalistic. Ultimately, the acquisition of wealth by the rapacious few, to the detriment of the many, will lead to the rapid end of civilization and pave the way for barbarism.
thezennist at 2:05:00 PM EST Blog about this entry |
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