Message-ID: <32D756C7.29CB@mind.net> Date: Sat, 11 Jan 1997 09:00:55 +0000 From: "B. Diamond" <mailto:bdiamond@MIND.NET> Subject: Re: Why capitalism is NOT sustainable -Reply -Reply -Reply To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
The Otts wrote:> It seems that the focus has been on the acquisition of material wealth,
> by individuals, corporations and nations as the measuring stick for an
> increasing standard of living. While I do not disagree with this
> completely, I feel it does not go far enough. We must also look at
> other quality of life issues. Who can say that the standard of living
> is better when material things are readily available and affordable, but
> at the same time the crime rate increases, especially among young
> people; the divorce rate increases bringing with it broken families; the
> poverty rate increases, especially among children; and the gap between
> the rich and poor increases while the size of the middle class
> decreases?
>
> Could these not also be reasons why capitalism is not sustainable?
>
> Is it possible to have both? -- a high standard of living in terms of
> acquisition of material things _and_ a healthy social structure?
Excellant points Peggy! This goes to my initial argument with Steve Eskow that sending young men and women from the village and into the "real" world (thus depriving them of their culture, their family, their IDENTITY) and teaching them how to enter the marketplace are not laudatory goals in and of themselves, nor will they usually solve more problems than they create. This i feel is the crux of the problem with many development projects, and I have personally witnessed this time and time again in so-called development projects in Central and S. America. In my opinion, in our culture capitalism has, in effect, become our social structure. Twenty years ago, if you slipped on ice on your neighbors sidewalk, it was an unfortunate accident. Now, it is a lawsuit--even spilling your own coffee on your lap can result in a multi-million dollar judgement from McDonald's!!! The mantra of capitalism (in my mind) is profit (and the resulting materialism) at any cost. How can a system be sustainable that advocates continued use of single hulled oil tankers because buying doubled-hulled tankers (that would prevent millions of gallons in oil spills each year) would cut into profits too much? We have gotten to a point where all we appear to be concerned with is amassing wealth, and as I said earlier, capitalism is a system that handsomely rewards those who can turn their backs on values, community, etc. in order to generate a profit. We can and must change.
B. Diamond