Capitalism gets ugly by Robert Bridge

Having just run the gauntlet of the latest financial crash with the shirts still on our backs, albeit nicely wrinkled and sweat-stained, perhaps it is an appropriate time to poke some fun at this icky little ‘ism' that wants to devour us all. And now ladies and gentlemen, the top 5 things Karl Marx never warned you about Capitalism:

5. Capitalism will never live up to its commercials. Capi­talism is a lot like those automobile commercials that feature a smiling stud behind the wheel, hot babe at his side and not another car along Sunset Boulevard for as far as the eye can see. In reality, Capita­lism is an eternal one-lane traffic jam, a never-ending treadmill, with everybody clamoring for the promised passing lane; the system is rigged that way.

I have one vivid image of the ongoing crisis that is going to be difficult to shake: friends, family and co-workers loading up on foodstuffs - pasta, canned corn, beans, salt, even matches - in order to survive a few extra weeks should the financial house of cards come tumbling down on our heads. Perhaps you know very intelligent people too who are suddenly talking about buying some farmland in the countryside "just in case." Eventually, I came to the conclusion that they are on to something. Think about it: You wake up one sunny morning, walk to the local hypermarket (is it just me, or is ‘hypermarket' one of the ugliest words in the English vernacular?),' and there is a chain across the doors with a sign that reads, "Sorry, Folks, Closed Due to Crisis." Personally, I find this more than a little disturbing. So where exactly is the "free" in this market? What Capitalism giveth, Capitalism taketh away.

4. Environmental Apoca­lypse Now. I will not beat this dead dog too long because by now we are all pretty sick and tired of hearing about the "dying planet." Yes, the glaciers in this big cocktail called Earth are melting, the weather has gone berserk and professional golfers are appearing in Iceland. My god, the end really is near. But here is the dry irony of the whole impending catastrophe: The inhabitants of the third rock from the Sun are shaking in their boots because the man-made financial markets are spiraling out of control, yet daily we accept with cool indifference the Yahoo! news that the very life support system of our planet is collapsing due to our reckless financial markets. Go figure.

3. The People are Mise­rable. Here is a nice bit of twisted Logic to ponder: A. Our happiness, the economists tell us, is directly proportionate to the amount of things we consume; B. Americans consume more than any other people on the planet; C. Therefore, Americans must be the happiest damn people on the planet. Wrong. According to a recent article in the Washington Post, one of the most popular products amongst "happy" Ameri­cans is anti-depressant medication. "One in 10 women takes an anti-depressant drug such as Prozac, Paxil or Zoloft, and the use of such drugs by all adults has nearly tripled in the last decade," according to data from the FDA. Incredibly, even the kids are lining up for their happy pills. "The number of children getting psychiatric drugs... soared. In 2002, about 6 percent of all boys and girls were taking antidepressants, triple the rate in the period 1994-96." Nationwide, the figures are at epidemic rates. "Overall, 44 percent of all Ame­ricans, including children, were taking at least one prescription drug in 1999-2000, a 5 percent increase since 1994."

So where are the happiest people on Earth? Yes, Denmark. Should we chalk it up as mere coincidence that its government officials, according to the nation's happy website, "exercise a considerable regulatory control and provide comprehensive services for the citizens"? Maybe.

2. Warped Democracy. In the West, the evil corporations own everything, even the political system. Have you ever heard of the Commission on Presidential Deba­tes, CPD for short? Well, it's time you had, because this corporation has been regulating and sponsoring the US presidential debates since 1987, when the League of Women Voters mysteriously surrendered their duties. Incidentally, it was the Democrats and Republicans who initiated this little Belt­way Brother­hood of the Ballot. This corporation de facto determines who gets to participate in the debates "as determined by five selected national opinion polling organizations." They use this data to determine if a candidate has a chance of attracting 15 percent of the vote. If these polling organizations say "no," ba­sed on their criteria, the CPD duly rejects the candidates [Forbes, Perot, Nader, etc.] from debating with the Dems and Reps. Maybe the corporate-owned media will expose such contradictions? No, Mr. Mur­doch has better things to invest his time in.

1. Capitalism is dead, long live Capitalism. The latest crisis, which has governments scrambling to pump up their financial institutions, which collapsed due to the latter's sheer greed, has reinforced the belief that ‘socialism is for the rich, capitalism for the poor.' Actually, I truly believe that Capi­talism is the best system we can hope for: it unleashes the highest capabilities of the people; it organizes development far more methodically than other systems; it is guided by the wisdom of the "invisible hand" of the market, which, although imperfect, does tend to be an accurate guide and compass. But can we honestly call what we have come to inherit - with massive corporate enterprises [read: Wal-Mart and McDonald's] dotting our local communities - genuine capitalism? Even Adam Smith would shriek in horror at what passes for "fair competition" today. I say, bring back the local butcher, the local pharmacy, the local shoe store, the local retailer, the local hardware store, the local restaurant, the local theater, etc., etc., and then we can talk about the ‘Crisis of Capitalism,' at least with a straight face.

By Robert Bridge

from http://mnweekly.ru/essay/20081016/55351147.html