What a title they saddled this one with!
Responsible approach to equality, global prosperity is crucial to human survival
Enjoy!
What a title they saddled this one with!
Responsible approach to equality, global prosperity is crucial to human survival
Enjoy!
4 comments:
Hi Monica,
Good article, well thought out and researched. One question though, how do we deal with corporate greed that comes with unregulated Capitalism? In order to get to our ideal world we have to anticipate that all the countries of the world will start using Socialist ways of govening to ensure equality for all in every country; no discrimation against gender, sexual orientation, religion or lack there of, respect for tribe and ethnicity.
Your ideas are great and we can work towards them and teach future generations the importance of striving to develope this kind of world.
Keep on Keeping on
Scott
I firmly believe that capitalism can and does work. I firmly believe that the current economic downturn is, in fact, capitalism working. That may sound a little contradictory, but think about it. It's like evolution, which doesn't just apply to biological systems, but also to cultural and economic systems. The economy just got a Darwin Award. We started basing too much of our wealth on little slips of paper (securities) instead of actual material resources. That was stupid. The market tanked. This is a form of self-regulation. It is by no means unprecedented in the history of our country. The difference is that this time, we are unwilling to live with the consequences and the route out of this recession has taken a particularly dark and obscure path.
I also firmly believe that capitalism must be regulated. I appreciate the Republican stance of small government, but I also believe the government has certain responsibilities which cannot be (but were) shirked. I also think that regulation does not need to place an undue burden on either government or business. Our current regulatory climate is far too complicated and needs to be simplified and strengthened.
I do not believe we need to convert to socialism in order to ensure equality. I believe we can do this by creating a mainstream shift in our culture. Capitalism survives well in a consumer culture, but it also reflects culture as it by design bends to the laws of supply and demand. If we demand equality, I think we can make it happen, even within a capitalist system. It will require a shift in values, away from valuing material goods, and towards valuing time, people, and experiences (of nature, interaction, etc.).
Anyway, when it comes to the economy, I'm at the bottom of the food chain and have been for some time. Which means I've learned exactly how little it actually takes to get by. Therefore, I know that I can get by. I've very little to loose. For those people who believe "getting by" is a four-bed, three-bath house in the suburbs, two cars, five-hundred channels of cable television, daily stops at Starbucks, and a new wardrobe every season, things are probably going to seem a little more bleak.
Please excuse me if my sympathy is less than outstanding.
Your sympathy is cool and it reflects on your ideals.
I am more pessnistic when it comes to people, money and power. I don't see the feasiblity of Capitalism working world wide, in order for this to happen the wealthy would have to reach a hand downward to get the ball rolling and with the exceptionss of a few individuals I haven't seen this happen without the government stepping in and making it happen. I didn't mean that we need to convert to Socialism, as beautiful as pure socialism is it is as faulty as un-regulated Capitalism and creates the same enviroment of slavery. What I meant was that at this time with world leaders currently leaning towards the right they will need to start leaning more towards the left inorder to incorporate your ideas. I love the idea of having all the people of the world living in the same stanards we, and by standards I mean comfortable without excess. I agree that Americans have too many toys that they think are needed and will make them happy, I live a simple life myself by choice also. I wish I could be alive to see the day that sweatshops, cheap plastic products, the need to sell drugs for survival and such are a things of the past. Maybe Obama is the person who can start the ball rolling, someone who can communicate on a more world wide and compassionate level thus bring about change, I hope so.
I am sorry if you took offense to what I expressed. From my own pective/ignorance I felt the one thing missing in your article was the "how" under the current system we live in. Call me an old Leftist I just don't have much faith in the wealthy helping out the working class or those even further down to raise up.
Thanks for sharing your views.
Scott
Scott,
No, I didn't take offense. I'm rather hard to offend. When I do take offense, I generally come right out and say, "I find that offensive." So no worries.
The "how" of fixing the world is rather hard to cover in a column with an 850 word limit. Even if I knew what the "how" would be in the first place. :-)
-M
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