The Capitalism that never was... will we ever experience real capitalism?
I recently watched and reflected upon, doing a little bit of facts finding and research too, the most recent movie of Michael Moore “Capitalism: A love story”.
The movie came out in 2009 ( http://michaelmoore.com/books-films/capitalism-love-story ), nowadays the featured are more relevant than ever!... some of the notes I took watching the movie/documentary and researching it:
The Capitalism that never was...
Capitalism never lived bottom up in practice only in principles spoken as opportunity to choose and to be free to do what you want. Reflection number 1 on that: Capitalism in itself, the way that was first theorized by Adam Smith and his ‘invisible hands, free market dynamics” would be a dynamic tool to empower people to potentially express the very best of oneself (I found very interesting article on the topic: “Adam Smith Was Not Schizophrenic” http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/12/adam_smith_was_not_a_schizophr.html ). Reflection number 2 the banking system has become the key overriding force of any political power, much less a democratic one. The authoritative Robert Fisk describes this well in his recent article “Bankers as Dictators of the West” http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-bankers-are-the-dictators-of-the-west-6275084.html
Key banker institutions have come to communicate to their shareholders their power quite openly; Citigroup in a 2005 report to shareholders declared that the USA are by now a Plutonomy concept where 1% at the top rules over the remaining (see this document regarding that report, still visible on internet - the original report that slipped out on internet was soon censored http://maximinlaw.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/6674229-citigroup-mar-5-2006-plutonomy-report-part-2-1-1.pdf )
What a democratic workplace is like...
Isthmus engineering in Wisconsin as a nowadays concrete example of a successful company driven in its organizational dynamics by the bottom-up motivation of capitalism setting workers as true owners, that actually apply real democratic principles to manage the workplace (see the company website for further details http://www.isthmuseng.com/company/worker-owned-cooperative/ ). The company is successful and as Moore points out in his flamboyant style: “Every member one vote on decision making. Money is out of the equation and just for that they end up making more money and money actually shared!”. Reflection: let’s pay attention, this is an actual company, that manufactures, that provides concrete services, this is the way that it adds value to the economic system and to society; it is not a company that makes of its business simply by ‘playing with money’. The issue of workers ownership is often pointed out in these pages and that we will never get tired to point out to engage an actual and constructive debate on that (see as actual references on key insights http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_O._Kelso and http://bostonreview.net/BR23.6/gates.html ).
Wall Street Monsters & Co. ...
According to Moore now Wall Street now can bet on anything - refinance, consolidate bills, “if you cannot repay it we just take your house” but first they changed the rules destroying financial regulations. He names names Countrywide, Citibank and then is some sort of mafia that comes to collect. He points out that Flint (his hometown in Michigan) in a few decades switched business from manufacturing cars to sending foreclosures ordered by banks. In the current US many students come out of the university system with a degree that they can hardly use and debts that amount even up to $ 100.000 .
Life insurance on other people’s lives is an investment tool banks can use in the USA. This so called financial tool appears to be something unbelievable but it is actually what can happen, and legally! in the USA. This is an example on how the financial system is going completely some key principle of the USA constitution, promoting Union and General Welfare, not Profits. Reflection: it would be useful to always go back to the roots of many democratic constitutions that were written when actual social and cultural values had different point of references...
FDR Bill or Rights empty legacy and the current European and US crisis...
The determined Moore also points out that the Second Bill of Rights issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on January 11 1944 (http://www.fdrheritage.org/bill_of_rights.html) never got implemented. Among these rights:
“The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;
The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;
The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;
The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;
The right of every family to a decent home;
The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;
The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;
The right to a good education.
All of these rights spell security. (...)”
This is all particularly meaningful during the present times when these rights are more than ever put into question not only as a practice but even as a concept! Europe got implemented some of them for years but now it seems to be paying a dear price for it (actually most of its citizens are). During the last few months it has been more and more evident that the european systems appearing to protect some social and economic rights to the common people seems no longer affordable.
Michael I disagree! ...
What has happened? It has happened that the economic system has been developing in a way that enriches a few at the expense of the many. Michael Moor calls capitalism evil, I disagree, capitalism and democracy can match up and support each other to actual societal progress when they are allowed to spring and develop from the bottom-up! This is a concept that appears vague and unrealistic because we have been conditioned to think this way, let’s learn and truly discuss more about the links posted above. We owe it to our intelligence, to our present, to our future and the future of our sons and daughters.