The capitalism we have today is at root an immoral system as it depends on exploiting (over the recent century’s and in preset day) the powerless, using their resources (natural resources from other countries) and labour (from our own underpaid workers and those in the third world) to add to our capital to give us a better lifestyle. Add to this the use of cheap energy which in effect exploits the future generations by creating climate change and wasting that fossil fuel capital.
Any system based on immoral ground will become corrupt as ours has.
Somehow we must come up with a new vision of what green sustainable capitalism would look like. If we are to win the argument it must be based on sound moral and ethical ground.
Some ideas:
- A great principle - From each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs.
- A ratio between earnings in a firm of the highest wage not more than 10 times that of the lowest wage.
- Local banks, credit unions, crowd funding to reform the credit system.
- A return to 'sound' money where the money supply is connected to real GDP not created out of thin air.
- A figure of GDP and therefore growth that measures the positive healthy, activity that adds to well-being of the country and doesn't count other destructive activities as being 'growth'!
- Community based self reliance - supporting local producers and businesses.
- Re-skilling formal and informal being supported in every way through apprenticeships, adult education, evening classes, cheap venues in local halls etc
More ideas please.
I like your ideas and would only restate the importance of an economy that took seriously or was based upon the need for not only sustaining but improving the health of this planet for future generations because without that we will have achieved nothing.
ReplyDelete"According to Gandhi, self-sufficiency was a defensive force for the villagers since self-sufficiency protects them from the violence of an economy ruled by a few rich that extract the many poor. According to Gandhi, self-sufficiency was a counter measure for the structural violence of a world-economy that is built on unbalanced extraction of resources and people. The reason behind this is simple: if you are self-sufficient, there is no dependency on someone ‘above’ you. If you are self-sufficient, they cannot force you to grow something you do not wish to grow. If you are self-sufficient, you can determine your own extent of economic interaction." - from http://www.gandhitopia.org/profiles/blogs/gandhi-s-view-on-village-life
Hi Mr H
ReplyDeleteThanks for that - I will look at the web site
Chris