"Republican Capitalism" is killing the Earth, not Capitalism

[gulliver]

Last edited Sat Sep 4, 2021, 02:37 PM - Edit history (1)

Capitalism is one of the best ingredients of an economic system, imo, especially when well regulated and in partnership with good government. Sustainability, for example, can be a product. Capitalism, as we are all witnessing, is more than capable of producing that product. Sustainability's "market share" is growing.

The main so-called problem with Capitalism is and has been "Republicanist Capitalism." It sometimes tries to go by the more respectable name, "laissez-faire," but I think that term doesn't do it justice. It's lazy, greedy, short-sighted, stupid, incompetent, ruthless, and wasteful at best. It's criminal-minded at worst. It's Republicanist Capitalism.

Republicanist Capitalism actively undercuts the market prospects of sustainability and the gigantic number of well-paid, life-enriching jobs that producing that "sustainability product" would create. Good Capitalism will gladly act as an engine for bettering the climate and Earth but, as with so many, many good opportunities and prospects for humanity, Republicanism stands in the way.

The biggest pragmatic solution to climate change and environment problems? Vote out every single Republican in every single election right down to the dogcatcher. Worldwide, do the same thing with every Republican-style clone. Let the sustainability market take off. Even the Republicans will thank us, both for the jobs and for freeing them from the hostage situation they are in vis-a-vis their broken unit base.

[Big Blue Marble]

1. Humans are killing the ecosystems of the earth.

We, who live in the first world, particularly, have to take responsibility.

[gulliver]

2. That's true, of course. The only question is what can be done about it.

Capitalism and democracy are two huge parts of any answer that has a prayer of working.

[Big Blue Marble]

7. It is corporatism, more than capitalism, in all its forms that is the significant obstacle.

We need international leadership to encourage the changes we need to make. As long as corporate
CEO's set the agenda that leadership will be missing. Republicans are merely the handmaidens of
corporatism and to some extent the Dems as well.

[gulliver]

11. Corporations are emerging as leaders, belatedly.

We're starting to see the old guard of corporate leadership die off and be replaced. Leadership is changing to include more diversity and better ethics. TFG was kicked off of some corporate platforms. Many corporations have been weighing in against voter restrictions. Republicans are the handmaidens of corporations, but the relationship is showing signs of strain, imo.

Plus, there is clearly a strong business case to be made for sustainability and "green jobs."

[Big Blue Marble]

15. I agree there are some signs of hope.

Some corporations are supporting more energy conservation and green energy generations, others are
green washing. All are still encouraging consumption and profits over people while their wealth continues
to allow them to buy our government. it is not corporations per se as much as it is corporate power
and financial influence in our elections that prevents us from getting the leadership we need at this
critical time.

[aocommunalpunch]

3. LMAO

We can't explain defunding the police, but people are going to parse capitalism? GTFOH.

[gulliver]

4. Not sure what you mean

Are you saying that those on our side don't know what Capitalism is or that "Republican Capitalism" is not a good label for the bad parts of Capitalism? Or something else?

[aocommunalpunch]

5. I'm saying it's a lost argument from the get-go.

People can't wrap their minds around nuanced meanings of many things in society. Take the concept of socialism. Christ, people act like it's nothing but pure evil. People here say you can't use it because of its inherent tainted spelling/meaning. Obviously, there's insane amounts of nuance to judge the actual meaning behind its intent. Do people want to try and do that? Fuck no.

The same thing will happen by trying to split capitalism. You're absolutely right. There are differing versions of capitalism. And the argument is lost immediately because people don't do nuance. It's infuriating, but ignorance is bliss, so CAPITALISM IS NUMBER ONE, BABEE!

[gulliver]

8. If "Republican Capitalism" works as well as "defund the police" that would be a win

You're right that people don't get nuance. Part of what I'm arguing is that the messed up Republican idea of Capitalism needs to be given a name.

[aocommunalpunch]

9. Try "legalized bribery".

Are they doing what the donor class wants or their constituents? It ain't for no reason whatsoever. They are being "influenced" or bribed to do as they are told. Pound that message in.

[greenjar_01]

6. Nyope

[marie999]

10. The main problem is human population.

Until climate change has killed enough people so the planet can regenerate more than is being used climate change will get worse for humans. Humans are greedy.

[gulliver]

13. It's a per capita footprint issue more than a population issue

Democracy needs both to regulate environmental impacts like carbon pollution and be a major customer for green products and services. Democracy is a way for consumers to provide demand for common goods and services that they wouldn't individually need on a case-by-case basis. Sustainability is as common a need as roads and education.

As poor people raise their standard of living, their environmental impact goes up. We can't ask them to stay poor, but we can deploy both Capitalism and democracy working together to reduce per capita impact. The goal is for people to be able to live better and better while the total ecological impact of humans goes down instead of up.

[marie999]

18. People in the industrialized countries will not lower their standard of living.

People in 3rd world countries want what the people in industrialized countries have. Nothing will be done to even slow down climate change except when enough of the population dies so that the remaining people use less than the planet can regenerate. People are greedy.

[ananda]

12. I like to think of it as Corporate Fascism.

...

[gulliver]

14. Corporations and other large organizations are starting to be our friends

The Internet, the dying off of the old corporate guard, and the emergence of social conscience in leadership and human resources decisions are starting to turn the tide. Corporations are becoming more and more important as power blocs that can counterbalance populism. TFG got tossed off of corporate platforms. Corporations have been taking strong positions against Republican voter suppression measures. Many, many corporations are now aiming at zero-or-lower carbon footprint.

I'm not saying corporations are saintly, but they do have a business interest in the human race, democracy, the environment, etc.

[moondust]

16. You mean the unbridled greed

unleashed by Raygun, Friedman, Greenspan, et al., for the benefit of rich white guys that has led to absurd inequality, rape of the planet, and a disgraceful culture of BLAB (Big Lies And Bullshit)?

[iemanja]

17. I disagree

Capitalism by its very nature is exploitative. It depends on exploiting worker's labor in order to generate profit. Laissez-faire exists since the very onset of capitalism, before the birth of the Republican party. The inequalities of the Gilded Age can't be reduced to the Republican party.

Capitalism is a distinct period of history, dating from the onset on industrialism and the English Enclosure Movement that separated workers and peasants from the means of production. There was no safety net in this country until the 1930s (such as it exists), and the destitution that capitalism depends on existed long before the birth of the Republican party in 1854.

[Voltaire2]

19. nah, its just capitalism.

It is a system that requires perpetual exponential growth. That is unsustainable.

[gulliver]

20. Nope, it really is Republican Capitalism

If you consider sustainability a product (via green jobs and services), sustainability itself is a huge source of growth. That should be intuitive. We all know that when you work cleaner, it both takes more work (jobs) and produces a higher quality output (wealth). Capitalism is a proven engine and should be used to enable sustainability to the maximum extent possible.

Republican Capitalism is the Voodoo Economics Bush Sr. spoke of so long ago. It's knee-jerk, superstitious, paranoid, and packed with disinformation. See also, Republican Epidemiology.

[Caliman73]

21. Capitalism is capitalism. The regulations are typically to limit the damage.

Whenever you concentrate money into the hands of fewer and fewer individuals, you will get the problems we see with Capitalism. As others have said, it is built into the nature of the system.

Certainly governments can put regulations in place that can try to limit the problems, but when people reach a certain level of wealth and power, they will inevitably work to freeze the rules in place that will keep them in power. Studies have shown that the top 10% of wealth owners in the US get about 60% to 90% of their policy preferences put into law whereas the rest of the population maybe gets 30%. That is an outgrowth of Capitalism. With more money you can buy more resources, including government power. The media frames issues by reporting on some, and not on others, by the way they discuss the situation. Film, radio, etc... help to shape our lives and how we think. Who owns the media? It isn't the poor, working, and middle class. Where we are now is the result of a concerted effort by wealthy people to change the narrative away from the New Deal era of politics that was a reaction to one of the worst economic downturns in US history. We have been through it before and looks to be a cycle that if not directly repeating, certainly echoes.

I don't know what the answer is. I have thought Socialism, however, I don't know if that would be the case. The major problem is how to solve the issue of human greed and thirst for power, especially in large, complex, and globally connected societies. Capitalism is a good system for helping to amass large quantities of Capital. It is not particularly good at distributing the benefits of labor and societal goods. Given that the top 10% of wealth owners hold 85% of the world's wealth, the data shows both the "positive" and negative aspects of the system. Republican and Democrat have less to do with it than the nature of the system.