capitalism

capitalism has been great.  for a significant portion of human history, it has provided a clear indication as to where scarce resources need to be allocated, and has provided adequate incentive (ie profit, or self-interest) to then allocate the required resources.  this has benefited the individual, the customer, society, frequently mankind as a whole.  humans would not be in nearly so good a position now, if it weren't for the benefits of capitalism.

however there have been periods of time when it hasn't worked so well.  no doubt there are other contributing factors: protectionism, oil cartels, unions, political interference from both liberal and conservative  sides - with many others that don't immediately come to mind.  but in my short life time, i have experienced boom and bust, recessions, stock market crashes, sovereign defaults, financial crises, none of which reflect a stable and healthy system.  and of course, these primarily financial phenomena lead in to various other spheres of human activity - poverty, persecution, unemployment, mental sickness, unhappiness, revolution, war.  again, far too many to mention.

recently, it has occurred to me - there is nothing holy and sacred about capitalism and free markets.  it is the dominant economic paradigm of our generation, but to bastardize a churchill quote on democracy - it is the worst economic system, except all the others that have been tried.  specifically, i would suggest it is producing bizarre, even amoral, economic consequences, producing suffering for many of us where suffering is potentially unnecessary, and the logical consequence of capitalism is occurring before our very eyes - the growing differential between the haves, and the have-nots.

as evidence for the above charges against capitalism, i would offer the following.  people are starving in many places in the world, cannot access medicine, have inadequate shelter, inadequate drinking water - all of which could be provided.  we, the humans of the world, produce enough to more than satisfy the basic needs of the entire human race.  but instead of satisfying these needs, there is cosmetic surgery, luxury brands, electronic gadgets, 5-star hotels, fast food.  this is because the economic system, capitalism, dictates that we allocate our economic resources where profit can be maximised.  there is no profit in feeding the 3rd world masses, but feeding time-poor westerners a salty, fatty, addictive hamburger - that is the highest aspiration capitalism can offer.

much of our daily life is driven by this model - our consumption, calories, work, housing, social mores, all is based on a foundation of maximising our income.  in reality, for those of us not directly involved in food production (plus a couple of occupations like doctors and other services essential for prolonging life), everything we do is just a game, developed by humans, to relieve the boredom now that we don't need to hunt and gather.  and despite the massive technological breakthroughs in recent centuries, there has been no reduction in stress and work levels - any productivity increase is offset by new 'games' that need to be done for us to earn an income, which will enable us to consume goods, calories, pay for housing, impress our friends, and hopefully save some for a rainy day or for the next generation.

the consequences of this profit driven system, is that profit accumulates at the top of the economic food chain.  those that are very successful at making a profit continue to do so, accumulating more and more profit, more and more power, and being celebrated as the pinnacle of success because that is what capitalism is all about.  and who can begrudge them - would we be different if we were the rich and successful?  as with all of us, i expect the natural instinct is to protect and preserve your position, and then to protect and preserve the next generation.  but when you control such vast resources, why stop at the next generation?  you would plan in centuries, and use your resources to manipulate society, countries, politics, anything required to keep your legacy supreme.

the name of the blog - ample - is intended to reflect that what we now have, is ample.  if resources could be allocated according to need rather profit, if so many resources weren't wasted in competition and if there was more cooperation, perhaps less people would be suffering.  perhaps more people would be happier.  perhaps without so much waste there would be more opportunity for ingenuity and innovation, perhaps there would be more freedom to pursue these objectives as well.

this blog will be a record of my thinking process, my insights, theories that have been half-thought-out and that are100% untried.  and i expect it will go unread.  but it may help me preserve thoughts that would otherwise go unrecorded, so why not.