Capitalism: A Disease To Be Eliminated

When a person is ill a competent doctor will attempt to identify all relevant symptoms: high temperature, site of aches and pains, loss of appetite, heart-rate, blood pressure, etc. etc. Following diagnosis treatment will be offered in the form of dietary advice, physiotherapy, drugs, surgery or some combination of these or other remedies. If the aim is to cure the illness and prevent its return then the causes of the disease will need to be identified and eliminated. Effective treatment can only follow correct diagnosis of the cause. The doctor will seek to understand family history, working conditions and living conditions. Regular check-ups and preventive care are the surest way to avoid the onset of serious illness and an appropriate regimen leading to a healthy lifestyle will more likely ensure non-return of the previous disease.

Political commentary on and diagnosis of society's ills, however, tend to focus on discussion of how to treat the symptoms with scant regard to eliminating the causes. Reform rather than structural change. There continues to be a plethora of books published both criticising and then offering reforms to the capitalist system; so many, in fact, that it points to the fact that there is a large audience of readers dissatisfied with the status quo, knowing the current system doesn't work for them. An audience aspiring to structural changes?

Treating only the symptoms, i.e. reforming the system, is ultimately doomed to failure in society as in the patient. Capital has no interest in that which is not in its own interest and governments are limited in their ability to implement reforms as they are pulled in various directions by the power of capital's demands and the need to appease their constituents long enough to remain in power in the short term. Markets, money and money markets don't play by rules endorsed by consumers. Whilst claiming to promote human freedom capitalism profits from the denial of freedom, especially of the workers employed by capitalist enterprise.

Social consequences are largely ignored by capital. Evidence of this is everywhere from the countries with the richest economies to dirt-poor nations with all populations exploited or deliberately abandoned for economic reasons by local and global capital. More families and individuals are impoverished, hungry and made homeless each successive year in countries from Africa, Asia and Europe to the Americas and the general public are afraid that they, too, may fall victim to the disease as they tighten their belts and try and take precautions; but we have been taught to see capitalism as a system “too big to fail.” We have also been taught to be afraid of considering the alternative of dismantling the system and some continue to shout “reform.” Yes, many willingly keep taking the palliative medicine rather than working together to eradicate the disease for the benefit of themselves and future generations.

What needs to be recognised much more widely is that the whole set-up of capitalism - the free-market economy and monetarism - is one enormous scam against those who produce the wealth, whether globally or locally. Those who produce the wealth are currently all part of a huge lottery; this year, here and now, in work; next year, maybe out of work. But, just like a game of chance, some manage to stay lucky and others never get a look in. Join the club. If you are one of the multitude who needs to work in order to live, you have been duped. Well and truly.

The cause of the disease has been identified. It's time to remove it completely. Only a structural change will do.