Our 37th prompt comes from Pumpkin. They ask:
Which system are you for: capitalism, socialism/communism? Why? (Sustainability in Kenya and what not)
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Pumpkin,
Welcome back! Most of us are deeply aware that we live in a capitalist society, and more and more, the drawbacks are proving to be greater than the benefits.
The term capitalism became popular after Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels published The Communist Manifesto. It was an apt name for a system where capital was king, and where those who had it prospered while others floundered (see #15: Can we really enjoy work?). The means of production in capitalism are owned by private individuals and corporations. The goal of these people or corporations is to make a profit. If they are large and/or managed by people other than the owners, the goal of the management is also to maximize shareholder value. Under capitalism, anything can and will be monetarily valued then commoditized/sold, including friendship (see Facebook and Twitter) and culture (see #21: Afropolitanism and the Gentrification of Food).
The government’s role in this case is to set and enforce laws and regulations to make sure that the needs and rights of both individuals and corporations are protected. However, this rarely happens since corporations tend to gain more at the expense of people, who generally suffer. After all, they tend to have more capital, and this system prioritizes the free flow of capital/goods/services, not the wellbeing of people. This then leads to class division – you’ll find the rich, the middle class and the poor in capitalist states. One’s dignity and treatment before the state is dictated by one’s class.
Socialism in part arose as a response to this system. Marx, Engels and other peoplr noted with concern the adverse effects of capitalism, most importantly inequality (which just keeps getting worse), and decided to take steps to fix the situation. They proposed socialism as a solution to rabid capitalism. The priority here is the common good, and the means of production, including capital, are owned by the public. A socialist state/government could, for example, control all the means of production and distribute goods and resources to the public, ensuring all their needs are catered for, or it could do this through taxation, letting private individuals and corporations control means of productions but providing social services through tax (whose rates would be higher than those of capitalist states due to lack of class discrimination). I think all states fall somewhere in-between socialism and capitalism. Unbridled capitalism is dangerous, as we have seen, but we would also have massive riots if we suddenly decided people could no longer own private property.
Communism is the final stage of the evolution of our economic systems according to Marx, Engels and many others. It envisions a classless society, without hierarchy, without currency, without personal property, where people work in harmony, resolve their disputes amicably, produce enough goods and services, and where everyone contributes based on to her abilities and receives based on her needs. Heck, even the state doesn’t exist anymore. In this system, the community is king. Communists believe that this is our ultimate goal. It is important to note that there exists no true communist state in our world today – we are dealing purely with theory here – and it’s easy to see why. This is a very utopian view.
Given what we now know, if I had to pick one of the three, I’d definitely go with socialism, because it prioritizes people over capital. I have long said that the day we put human beings and their dignity at the centre and all other things at the periphery of our socio-political and economic systems is the day we will know true peace and justice.
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This post is part of a daily writing experiment that I’m running for a year. I’d love it if you took part! ?