Stop Blaming Capitalism, Start Looking in the Mirror \ stacker news ~culture

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Stop Blaming Capitalism, Start Looking in the Mirror

2642 sats \ 19 comments \ @kepford 27 Mar culture

Regardless of what you have heard Capitalism isn't to blame for all the ills in modern life. Capitalism is simply free trade without centralize control. Of course there are many details I'm glossing over and degrees of freedom. Critics of capitalism rarely explain how it works. They complain about people buying too much stuff. People being over-weight. They complain about waste. People buying stuff they don't need. They complain that teachers aren't paid enough. They complain that professional athletes make too much money.

All of this boils down to two things.

People don't like what others choose to do
The products we see and world we live in is a result of the desires and values of the people

I agree with many of the critics of capitalism. There is a ton of crap. There's a ton of waste. There are professions I wish were more profitable and others I wish were less profitable. I'm going to ignore the state for once here. Obviously the state puts its thumb on the scales and distorts the market. But this isn't the main factor IMO. The main factor in the world we live in is us. The people. Our desires. Our values. The things we value are reflected in the market. People don't like to admit this because it is uncomfortable. We are spoiled, self-centered, brats that are desire machines. Yeah, you can blame advertising. You can blame "capitalism" but the alternative is starvation and death (socialism).

Its time for us to stop blaming freedom for all the ills in our society and take ownership for our actions. Its us. Thing is, I can't change you. But, I can change my actions. Adjust my values. Adjust my frame of view. I'd love to start hearing people take responsibility and self ownership. Start living out your values. Don't be a part of things that you view as problems. Be a part of solutions. I can't tell you what that looks like but if you think about it for a while you can come up with some things. Its easy to blame others. Its hard to take responsibility for yourself and own your flaws and mistakes.

What do you think?

Inspired by @k00b's post

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37 sats \ 1 reply \ @kepford OP 27 Mar

I have a very similar view of conservatives who worship freedom with their mouths but don't work towards it. The turn it into a fetish instead of a way of life. They are freedom larpers, not living free but rather crying that the world around them won't allow them to be free. They vote for men to make them free and cry when it doesn't work out. I had a sort of awakening about this in 2019 and realized I was a larper more often than I'd like to admit.

Just in case you think I'm being mean to those that complain about capitalism.

72 sats \ 0 replies \ @Undisciplined 27 Mar

This was the direction I wanted to go.

I usually have far more respect for someone who really lives their values, even when I don't share those values, than I do for people who pay lip-service to the same ideas I hold but do nothing to advance them.

We can learn from people who act out their beliefs, because we can see the results. When it's just cheap talk, there's not much to work with.

58 sats \ 0 replies \ @Rothbardian_fanatic 27 Mar

Perhaps that flaw that you speak of is envy. Envy drives the progressive/lefty/collectivist/Marxist/socialist/communist/murderers to do what they do. It drives the intervenors into doing what they do. It drives the regulators into doing what they do. It drives the statists into doing what they do. It drives the pearl clutchers into doing what they do. It drives the infuencers into doing what they do. It drives the celebrities into doing what they do. It drives the poor people into doing what they do. It drives us into doing what we do. Is this what the real driver of most of our problems is? Can you show me different?

120 sats \ 1 reply \ @SimpleStacker 27 Mar

"Our constitution was made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." -- John Adams

57 sats \ 0 replies \ @jtraub91 27 Mar

so john adams admitted that the government is inadequate... interesting

62 sats \ 3 replies \ @Butterfinger 27 Mar

Capitalism is the pure accumulation of capital to produce more, be it stones, fish, wood, gold or whatever. What is to blame is the lack to liberty to practice capitalism, taxes and theft in general.

0 sats \ 2 replies \ @kepford OP 27 Mar

Of course but many of the things people mention have nothing to do with taxes or theft. Its literally people's preferences not aligning with the person complaining.

Most critiques of capitalism amount to people wanting to control the behavior of others. They literally think they know best. Its hubris plain and simple.

64 sats \ 1 reply \ @Butterfinger 27 Mar

I agree, as Mises wrote that envy and ressentment are the drivers of socilaism

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @kepford OP 27 Mar

Indeed. Mises has so many great insights.

61 sats \ 1 reply \ @unschooled 27 Mar

Great post. It reminds me of many a conversation I've had trying to convince a friend who has spent a but too much time in the academy that, what the Frankfurt school misses is that they take part in and benefit by the same excess of the capitalist system they purport to oppose (a point often made by Ammous) and that, in fact, them possessing those advantages is not evil but the fruits afforded to them by a system that lifts up everyone's standards of living.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @kepford OP 27 Mar

they take part in and benefit by the same excess of the capitalist system they purport to oppose

Very common and IMO a fair criticism.

52 sats \ 2 replies \ @Satosora 27 Mar

A lot of desires changed during covid. Those were interesting times because society really changed. Or change was forced on society?

10 sats \ 1 reply \ @kepford OP 27 Mar

Yeah, for sure. Some was forced but others were already in motion and were accelerated. There were some good things that came about as a result.

43 sats \ 0 replies \ @Satosora 27 Mar

One of the big take aways was that people were saving more money and investing time in relationships. Now that is slowly bleeding away.

45 sats \ 3 replies \ @Undisciplined 27 Mar

I agree wholeheartedly, but I also have more thoughts on this than time to write them.

@remindme in 5 hours

31 sats \ 2 replies \ @Satosora 27 Mar

I have been waiting for your response. Hurry up lol

10 sats \ 1 reply \ @Undisciplined 27 Mar

I doubt they’ll be worth the wait.

26 sats \ 0 replies \ @Satosora 27 Mar

You usually have a pretty good perspective on things. Not that l agree with everything you say, but at least l know it isnt ai.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @joseph_at_nostr_fan 28 Mar

I agree 100%

There was a similar conversation in Nostr yesterday, and I added some reflection on this topic there that I thing are valuable for this thread as well, below is my argument in favor of capitalism, and against their main rival.

Capitalism relies on four key pillars:

Personal ambition.
Skill and experience to build solutions.
Freedom to trade. Where no one can stop you from selling or buying goods and services.
Freedom of speech so you can freely share the good news of your product, or your recommendation to anyone.

All of these do not work under socialism, or find significant challenges. Modern socialism has unfortunately thrived in many “democracies.”

Socialism blocks freedom via regulation, it makes whole industries unprofitable or available only to the few massive corporations or oligarchs that can comply.

We see this especially in the EU where regulation wants to control cryptocurrencies and even artificial intelligence to benefit the few.

That is also why deregulation and freedom are the real winds of innovation, because wherever freedom reigns talented people will build solutions.

This is the reason why Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have been persecuted and sidelined, they enable freedom to trade, and to act with your wallet anywhere, anytime.