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What's after capitalism? |
postings
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by Kamal Boullata | 0 votes | 
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Kigge Hvid: Hi, Wera. That’s really a hard one. You are into -- you are actually in a country that lived with two very, very, very different economic systems. Germany lived with both capitalism and communism. So, actually, I think, you would have more experience than I would. What is after capitalism? What -- capitalism came after communism in your countries. What do you think would be better? I would have one goal which is also a part of it. I would say that what's after capitalism is the knowledge economy. It’s a creative economy, which is about thinking, planning, doing, innovating, sharing in a totally different way than we do now. I think already now we see small, small things getting up around the world of people doing things differently. I think, in the old world, 10 years ago, 20 years ago, 30 years ago, things were really, really black and white. We had capitalism and we had the capitalists and they were really, really mean; and then we had people and they were not mean. If you look into it right now, I think that all these borders are falling. We do not have black and white anymore. There is no bad - only bad, of course, there is only bad and only good. But, it’s less and less. So, I think, also what we in the old world will call capitalism or capitalists. They also have a huge interesting in common development of our world right now. by Kigge Hvid |
Kurt Weidemann: Capitalism in its extreme form, sometimes called turbo capitalism, will condemn itself some day and become abundant because human beings are not going to put up with everything. Certainly, systems aiming at global power, like socialism or communism, cannot be enforced any more. I think an enlightened form of socialism, which really cares for the concerns of the people might take over from the absolutely capitalistic system which only judges according to categories of win and loss. Wealth and power should not be occupied by economic systems or bank systems or ideological systems or religions. |
Lesego Rampolokeng: Constipation, What comes after capitalism is death and destruction, because capitalism carries the seeds of its own destruction. Capitalism is an evil system that indeed sells the idea that visiting untold suffering, visiting impoverishment on those around you in order to suck the life force out, that’s what capitalism is. Capitalism is the belief that it is right to dehumanize, if by doing so you can get yourself to view yourself as human. So, capitalism inherently carries forth with it, the seeds of the destruction of humanity. Capitalism is a system that is beastly that is based on inhuman and bestial concepts and principles. Capitalism is a celebration of soul death, the celebration of spiritual destruction. Capitalism is material presented as soul as transcendental, as positive. Capitalism means the bones and the blood of entesticals of humanity being used for thrones of those who can, those are the [guns], those are the means, that is what capitalism is, that is what capitalism means and after capitalism comes its own nothingness. |
Leung Ping-Kwan: Well, we don’t know what is after capitalism. But if we look at China and Hong Kong in the ‘70's, it should be an example to be considered because China after more than 50 years of socialism and communism and now moving towards capitalism and Hong Kong as a capitalist city under British colonization for more than 50 years now is returned back to socialist China. So, the one country, two-system situation in Hong Kong which we have home capitalist and socialist and working together and most of the time, sometimes in conflict which each other and there are new consideration coming out, and I think that things needed from capitalism, like the concern for humanistic values. But there also are things missing from the socialist and communist as well. We don’t know what would come after capitalism, but we do see that there is a need for the change of the present capitalist system; and on the other hand, we don’t see socialism or communism as the ideal solution for capitalism. Probably, we are in need of a new kind of combination of socialism and capitalism or capitalism with more humanistic concern or socialism with more concern for political feudal system. We need to get back a new kind of mixture or a new hybrid or a new sense of economic form of the present fighting opposition. |
Lijun Fang: According to the our speed of energy consuming and the current development, do we still have any chances to see what is after capitalism? by Lijun Fang |
Lillian Holt: Wow, what a wonderful question. All I can say is hopefully happiness. That’s all. I mean, everybody wants to be happy. Nobody wants to be sad. Also, we’d like to be successful, but what is success? Success is actually really knowing yourselves ultimately. And success is about also interiority as well as exteriority whereas I think that Capitalism has been about the external essentially and exteriority. And there’s been some good things about it. It gives us a level of survival. But sometimes I think the materialism, consumerism and the individualism and narcissism that has accompanied it has not been good for ourselves, our spiritual development if I can call it that. I’ll talk for myself. But so in terms of Capitalism, what’s after Capitalism? I would say hopefully happiness and harmony in terms of the human condition and how we connect to one another rather than disconnect and how we are humanized in the presence of one another rather than being dehumanized. And that includes the systems which we also work under and in which we live at times. We can’t afford to have dehumanizing systems whether it be in a work area, whether it be in our communities, wherever. And we can’t afford to have dehumanization. And I think that sometimes the idea of greed and profit associated with Capitalism has encouraged that dehumanization and other aspects of it. I think that hopefully happiness I would say, because everybody wants to be happy. We all want happiness. We don’t want sadness. Human beings. And I think it’s possible to have that. by Lillian Holt |
Livingstone Maluleke: In my understanding, capitalism refers to the private enterprise, the private engagement of the private sector and national sect privatization or individual approach of centric, the center putting of aspects of business and; therefore, it is more self-excluding of other aspects and it is also self-centered in the sense. It is full of hypocrisy and it creates a lot of individualism. So, this issue of capitalism is an issue which is so self-centered and do not need more to development; development that could then be realized from a very central, centric point of view and; therefore, it is not a very good thing. Capitalistic approach is not what I would call for if I had to make a choice. Socialism is an aspect, which is better than capitalistic approach. |
Mae-Wan Ho: Well, the post capitalist world is neither socialism nor capitalism. It’s a world which reflects the real value of things, physical as well as spiritual and ascetic and it won’t be based on money. Maybe we can have an economic system that is based on energy because energy is something you can account. The value of money is purely arbitrary and having been to many developing countries where they produce the most amazingly beautiful goods in arts and crafts and things like that and they are literally selling them dirt cheap, based on our currency, based on our current unequal rates of exchange, our unequal terms of trade, which is politically distorted. Therefore money is purely arbitrary. The value of money is totally arbitrary so that the currencies of developed countries are overvalued and that inflates their purchasing power and that is very damaging to the environment because it enables them to consume inordinate amounts of resources and which leads to further destruction and devastation of the world’s resources. It is totally an economic system that doesn’t tell the ecological truth. And a future world, a post capitalist world, a post capitalist economy should do that. by Mae-Wan Ho |
Mahsa Shekarloo: Well, at the rate that capitalism is going, perhaps nothing. It might just destroy the world by the time it’s finished. |
Mark Benecke: Human beings and mankind evolve and capitalism is part of evolution because it is very efficient for the people who gain the money. It is very convenient for the lazy people, mentally lazy or structurally lazy people. So capitalism is very much a product of evolution in which you always will find invertebrates, you will find leaders, you will find structurally lower oriented animals, human beings whatever in the social structure, so it's just the same thing. Look at lions for example, the leading lions can be quite lazy but it takes a lot of energy for them to maintain their position. So, as long as there is no revolting structure coming from below and taking care of whatever is up there, it won't change. So the question is, if there is anything after capitalism, maybe it will be a modified type of capitalism. But in the end, it reflects evolution quite well. So I don't think we are going to have a land of soft, fluffy bears wearing hearts as necklaces and kissing each other. There are going to be hierarchical structures like in capitalism. by Mark Benecke |
Martin Almada: We believe that at some point in time people will notice that this economic model cannot function any longer, it can´t continue like this. We expect the mankind to see that there is going to be a suicide,a collective suicide. This year the climate change has demonstrated how ferocious it can be. There is no time left for any doubts, we have experience and we have proof. We have to prepare and build up a more human political and economic system. Our next stage is possibly going to be socialism, democratic socialism, equitable and pluralist, multiethnical and multicultural. Such a world is possible and we need it. Probably our next phase is going to be that o suicide ferocity socialism |
Masami Saionji: Under capitalism, capitalists take sole possession of profits Very few of them gain prosperity. On the other hand, the people who cannot possess these profits are frustrated at this inequality. This frustration creates tense and conflict between them. If this type of capitalism continues, it destroys the harmony among people and turns into open conflict. To avoid such conflicts, I believe, hearts and minds of people are very important. There seems to be only the capitalism with self-interest minds around the world. Many people under current capitalism think only their own interest, profit and happiness. Gradually ... I think after capitalism reflecting every person's mind... pure-sharing... one lives with one's own man... one asks only what one needs... such .... |
Masuma Bibi Russel: Well, well, I would say it’s socialism or we will have a real world. You know, we are enough of this capitalism and all this people will live in a world better way. There will be peace, there will be happiness, there will be love, affection, and people are part of this world. I think socialism, but I don’t know – I don’t know the word but there should be something, enough of capitalism. I think people will be living in the world which is a free world, it’s like – you are not stamped that you are coming from that part of the world, this part of the world. There will be a world where the economic development will be from each part, not only industrial development, in the agriculture, in crafts, in art, music and everything. I think that after capitalism I think we would have a world where will be wonderful to live. I don’t know the word of what will be. But maybe socialism in a better way, in a better world. |
Mayank Mehta: That’s a good question. My first answer is, I don’t know, because we have no idea really right now what is capitalism and where is that going? I think the world is still inventing itself or still discovering itself and I could imagine a very positive way out of this. As more and more countries become capitalistic, there will be competition between capitalism itself. Right now, the capitalism, today it is practiced is the hands of very few and those countries who are capitalistic, or the so called First World. They are not really competing with each other. They have some way of pushing their competition over to some part of the world, perhaps to the Third World and win this war of capitalism. And my hope is that as people in the Third World, which are right now, the battle ground for the capitalism war between the First World countries as they become more and more prosperous, those countries in the Third World will migrate over to the Second World and then eventually to the First World. And then, there’ll be competition lets say, between China, which will be a capitalistic country, which will be able to fight in economic terms with the First World countries such as, Europe any of those in Europe and the United States. In that situation, I have a feeling that these whole game that is going on right now will move on in a better way. In that case, people will be able to treat each other much more even terms and capitalism will be tampered, it won’t be that mere profit of one set of country or a small subgroup of people in one country will dominate, as it is going on right now. The decisions of across the world, but it will be farmers in China, will be able to have some say in the development all along with perhaps, the mega-corporation in the United States, that’s the hope. by Mayank Mehta |
Michael E. Tigar: Yes, that is a magnificent question. What did the French monarch say, "Apres moi, le deluge?" That's the first answer, isn't it? Let's hope that there is something after, other than a planet denuded of all its people and all its resources by the threat of nuclear war spawned, I'm afraid, by leaders of my own country in which though the leaders of other countries are also complicit. What's left after capitalism if capitalism succeeds; because of the dominance of the process of production by the honoring of private greed in destroying the planet through global warming and its consequences? Well, I think there is an after. I think that we are poised to take charge of our own destinies now. We are poised to develop and maintain institutions that bring the rule of law to bear upon the conduct of leaders that restrain and punish the activities of those such as President Bush who have engaged in war crimes and crimes against humanity, who bring to them therefore the same accountability that the square in Berlin where we are sitting in a sense represents in terms of the development and enforcement of these norms against claims of impunity, even by very powerful people. And we are poised as organized people to take charge of our own economies, through organizations of workers and other democratic organizations because we need to replace this confiscatory system, this kleptocracy with another one. Now, to do that, we have to grow organizations that reflect the values that we mean to have when we change things around. Trying to explain democracy to George Bush is like trying to explain a sundial to a bat. We have to talk amongst ourselves. |
Michael Laitman: Humanity develops by means of the egoism that grows in it. Egoism develops us in such a way that we always think that something good lies in front of us. At least in the past, we always thought that something good lay before us, and we ran to meet the future. Time after time, step after step, like a baby who grows and matures—so we develop. We thought that we will come to a better culture, to a better economy, and that everything will be good, and if we did not feel very good at the time, then of course our children would feel very good. This is how we enacted everything present in our ego, until we came to the current times, when we no longer think that the situation can become any better. We have already become disillusioned in our development. Now humanity faces a dilemma. On one hand, if we continue developing by means of our ego, then we will come to Nazism in all the nations. In essence, it will be a governmental regime in the whole world, in all of the nations. In this case things are going towards a Third World War. Or we will come to altruism in all of the nations. We will achieve this if humanity will realize that altruism—is the law of nature. In essence, this is nature itself. Man will merit life and the forces of life and will be salvaged from annihilation only on the condition that he will observe this law. Just as observing all of the laws of physics, chemistry, and biology brings us good results, so it is here: if we will observe the law of nature, the law of altruism in human society, like in a living body, then we will merit the altruistic national structure and achieve equivalence of form with nature, equality between us, and a life in esteem and security. And if not, then God-forbid Nazism and universal annihilation will come into the world—together with all of the global ecological disasters. |
Michael P. Totten: That’s a very good question. I think, I’ll take a little slice at that. There is a brilliant book that just came out, by Yale Law School professor Yochai Benkler, called the "Wealth of Networks", and he points out that in this last century, capital was absorbed by a few companies or individuals, in very large sums, to produce mass-produced goods that were then sold to a basically passive citizenry who had a few choices in which to purchase their goods. In the last decade we’ve seen a profound change with the collapse in the price of computers, and a collapse in the price of global internet networking that now we are seeing the emergence of non-market producers, the classic example today being Wikipedia, the encyclopedia that is now larger than any market based encyclopedia, is available in 43 languages, continues to grow on a weekly basis, has a peer-review process that sustains and improves continuously the quality of the material. And for Benkler's thesis is that in this century we are going to see competing with the market, non-market affiliations, associations, collaborative to create things like Linux, the open source software as another great example, that now is used by many places around the world in lieu of market offered software programs, and this was done all through voluntary effort and labor. People obviously are not just driven by market, they are also driven by passion, their interests, are motivated by moral and ethical principles, and they now see a tool that can bring them together with other interested persons wherever they are in the world, to create things that prior to this were limited to the market place with capital requirements that place it out of their control. |
Mohammed Arkoun: Yes, that is indeed a question difficult to answer because the world now faces a historic conjuncture where a generalized crisis of the mind itself is being noted. A strong mind, an aware mind, a mind opened to a humanist vision of the organization of the society is needed to sum up a long history of capitalism and to look at capitalism as a contribution to civilizations, societies, but also as a system that has been marked by considerable failures from the point of view of human rights, of the fundamental respect of other people as being equal people. And yet capitalism didn't do that. Therefore a critical balance of capitalism must be made by all citizens of the world, first because those who have been injured by the wild development of capitalism since the eighteenth, nineteenth, twentieth century didn't yet speak, and it is necessary for them to speak with their freedom, with their history, with their memories that are wounded memories, that are suffering memories and it is necessary to involve these wounded and suffering memories in a speech process at the world level where those who still practise capitalism, it should be said, in a cynical manner and often as wild as at the time of colonization, so that they finally hear this speech and that a reflection on a possible after capitalism can be undertaken. |
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