A Note on Capitalism

One of the things I rail on in the story is capitalism. Now, to make things clear, I don't believe that capitalism is all bad. There are things it can do that allows for societal growth, especially in the realm of technological advancement. IMO the sci-fi futures we write about would be impossible to achieve without capitalism. At least, a healthy version of it.

What is bad is how easily it's corrupted. There's this idea called neoliberal capitalism, and that's the system we're all currently trapped in.

Before you think this is about liberalism in its modern, political context, please note that neoliberalism is more about libertarianism.

If you're unfamiliar with this system of beliefs… Well, let's just say that it isn't good for the economy. Libertarian political parties will often recruit members on the promise that they stand for "individual freedom".

This is certainly true to some degree, but it's far from the full picture.

Libertarians, especially modern ones, are actually anarcho-capitalists. Their belief is actually "individual freedom to profit". Or, in other words, profiting via unregulated and unrestricted markets.

Buying and selling is a good thing for everyone involved. Cultures learn and grown from each other through trade. Civilizations thrive based on the information they learn, as well as the goods they acquire.

Imagine however, when one civilization profits off another civilization through the exploitation of their people.

For example, slavers.

Owning "stock" that creates your wealth for free is THE libertarian ideal, and thus the neoliberal ideal as well.

Capitalist countries that have this neoliberal foundation in their markets are prone to corruption. And guess what? Most countries these days utilize neoliberal capitalism. The United States especially.

Could we replace capitalism altogether? Yes. In our lifetimes? No. It's far too entrenched.

Think about every anti-capitalist rhetoric you've ever encountered in your life. Songs, shows, movies, books, games… It all came through capitalist systems to get to you.

Imagine Rage Against the Machine. I love the band and what they tell about society and injustice and profiteering. But they had to do it through record-breaking album sales.

The simple fact is the only way to get these anti-capitalist ideas out to a massive audience is through the system they rail against. This is part of its design, of course. Capitalism can wholesale profit off counterarguments against it.

It's resilient in that way.

But again, it doesn't mean all of capitalism is bad. Mostly it's the people who corrupt it.

I don't want to see capitalism go away - it simply needs reformation. Perhaps it even needs violent revolution. It needs to get away from this profit-centered mindset and go into something that's actually beneficial for everyone involved.