<\/p>\n
Capitalism: Problems and Solutions<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marx\u2019s critique of capitalism stays imperative for societies. Mostly, he influences thinkers of the modern period (Marx, 1994, Pg. IX). \u00a0Marx points out that workers become alienated from their labor as they continue to produce more, the poorer they get (Marx, 1994, Pg. 59). To change this type of exploitation of capitalism between the exploited class and the exploiting class, \u00a0people must be patient and strategic because change cannot be done overnight. Although, I am optimistic about change within capitalism, still, capitalism has problems and strengths that maintains its system to grow while increasing the disparities between the poor and the rich (Rees, 2008, Pg. 686). Thus, this manuscript provides the solutions of capitalism, focusing to bridge the gap between the poor and the rich. This attempt can be accomplished when there are inside individuals within capitalism who are willing to make improvement within it. Thus, poor people must be conscious in the capitalist system to positively change its exploitive nature while embracing solutions such as degrowth, blacks financial improvement and respect for nature. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Capitalism: A System That Reproduces Itself. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The first problem then is capitalism\u2019s power of self-reproducing while exploiting the working class in the name of free trade. I stand for proper free trade but \u00a0not brutal conditions that capitalism creates, resolving personal values or worth into exchange value such as money, commodities and materialist values (Marx, 1994, Pg. 161-163). Marx says it well when he inserts, \u201c It has resolved personal worth into exchange value, and in place of the numberless indefeasible chartered freedoms, has set up that single, unconscionable freedom— Free Trade. In one word, for exploitation, veiled by religious and political illusions, it has substituted naked, shameless, direct, brutal exploitation (Marx, 1994, Pg. 161). <\/span><\/p>\n Marx has claimed that the history of all of society is the history of class struggle (Marx, 1994, Pg. 158). Also, \u00a0I agree with Marx that there is an existing struggle within capitalism. Then, Marx points out that the exploited class (or working class) will overcome advanced capitalism due to the nature that the exploiting class has created, a condition of exploiting the working class (Marx, 1994, Pg. 158-169). Moretothis, in \u201cThe Communist Manifesto,\u201d Marx alleges that the proletariat will be victorious (Marx, 1994, Pg. 169). I disagree with this claim because the United States have experienced revolutions, struggles and it is still a capitalist society and not a communist society (Marx, 1994, Pg. 170-171), which strengthens the idea that capitalism reproduces itself. <\/span><\/p>\n Although, Marx was wrong when he claimed that proletariat (workers) will overcome the bourgeoisie (exploiting class or capitalists), yet, Marx was right when he mentions that the modern bourgeoisie is self-developing while brutally exploiting the workers (Marx, 1994, Pg. 161). This suggests that there is a sense of progress of a class that is self-reproducing and self-developing. Marx puts it this way, \u201cwe see, therefore, how the modern bourgeoisie is itself the product of a long course of development of a series of revolutions in the modes of production and of exchange (Marx, 1994, Pg. 160).\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n In addition to the system of the exploiting class versus the exploited class, Marx provides a sensitive and problematic claim, but one that is true in that workers are becoming slaves which is the true nature of capitalist society. The place that shows this, is when Marx writes, \u201cNot only are they slaves of the bourgeois class, and of the bourgeois State; they are daily and hourly enslaved by the machine, by the overlooker, and above all, by the individual bourgeois manufacturer himself (Marx, 1994, Pg. 165).\u201d Not only is this sensitive, but also, it establishes a problem within a society because this system manipulates and contains workers as slaves. <\/span><\/p>\n I wonder why isn\u2019t capitalism changing, especially when advanced capitalism, like the United States is poisonous to the working class (Gottlieb, 1992, Pg. 128). To me, it seems like capitalism is not changing anytime soon because it produces itself by reproducing the condition of production which can mislead people to think that the problem lies in the people who benefit from capitalism. Rather, people should consciously realize that the problem is the source of everything: the capitalist system in which they live in. In the \u201cIdeology and Ideological State Apparatuses,\u201d Louis Althusser writes, \u201cAs Marx said, every child knows that a social formation which did not reproduce the condition of production at the same time as it produced would not last a year. The ultimate condition of production is therefore the reproduction of the conditions of production (Althusser, 1970, Pg. 1).\u201d Thus, It stays clear that capitalism will not change if people continues to blame the rich and not its system that includes state power and ideologies that sustain the source. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So, I will not try to blame the elites who own the means of producing the condition of reproduction and the means of production. However, It remains as productive if people start playing within capitalism\u2019 game in order to change capitalist system. I claim that capitalism’s \u00a0growth continues to give favor to the rich and not the poor. Therefore, to distribute wealth, individuals, especially poor people, must not only learn how to play capitalism\u2019 game, but also, embrace the system because that is the key of reducing its power. Furthermore, the tension of blaming affluent individuals who benefit from capitalism do not solve the problem, rather, it diverts from the source of the problem. Thus, my focus is merely on the capitalist system. <\/span><\/p>\n Moreover, blaming few people about the disparities between the rich and the poor does not do justice to poor people because the blaming continues to cover the actual problem which reminds me of Chris j. Cuomo\u2019s statement that ties to the idea of finding who is responsible or who to blame about climate change. Cuomo is a professor of Philosophy and Women\u2019s Studies, and an affiliate faculty member of the Environmental Ethics Certificate Program. She writes that, \u201cwho then is responsible for addressing climate change?… Attributing blame to humans simpliciter diverts attention from the real sources of the problem and reproduces the narrow view that there is a universal greedy human nature that inevitably leads toward planetary destruction, and the mistaken assumption that everyone naturally desires the lifestyles enables by modern Western colonial development (Cuomo, 2011, Pg. 697).\u201d You may wonder why introducing climate change when we are talking about capitalism and\/or the disparities between the poor and the rich! It is simple. <\/span><\/p>\n Climate change issues and other problems such as poverty, racism; and wars at home and abroad, directly and\/or indirectly do connect to capitalism because capitalist system advocates for expansion and an illusion of progress (Scheer, 2002, Pg. 131). Therefore, the ecological crisis also connects to capitalism’s mode of expansion. Moretothis, Rees writes that, \u201cIt might be argued that the modern ecological crisis is the product of growth-based market capitalism and contemporary societal institutions, not biological drivers, and that earlier cultures were able to develop stable, even spiritual, relationship with their local ecosystems (Rees, 2008, Pg. 689). Talking about progress within capitalism, Rees writes that, \u201c… and green consumerism is becoming mainstream in many developed countries—but none of this activity has made much difference (apart from fostering the illusion of progress), (Rees, 2010, Pg. 14).\u201d In short, capitalism create problems, not progress. If I did not establish the problem at this point, then I must clarify. I illustrated that capitalism is bad because it oppresses workers and it tries to do the same thing by reproducing the means of production that embodies brutal conditions toward the working class. Before I talk about the solutions, it stands imperative to talk about the ideology and\/or ideologies that contain people in capitalism. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Capitalism Power: Ideology and Containment. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the above paragraphs, I have been showing the power of capitalism as a system that knows how to self-reproducing. Nevertheless, \u00a0I did not explicitly mention various ideologies that play a big role for its maintenance. Ideology is everywhere but it does not have history (Althusser, 1970, Pg. 20-23). An ideology exists because it can manifest as material (Althusser, 1970, Pg. 25 ) The claims that an ideology is everywhere, possessing material condition make sense because ideologies do control our daily lives. Althusser inserts that, \u201chere, an ideology is the system of the ideas and representations which dominate the mind of a man or social group (Althusser, 1970, Pg. 20).\u201d Besides this definition of ideology, it seems intelligible to keep in mind that there are various ways of demonstrating an ideology. Below, I will give examples to better explain an ideology because it is essential to capitalism.<\/span><\/p>\n I claim that you and I might have our own ideologies that advances our agendas. In addition, capitalism has ideologies which help in the reproduction of \u00a0the means of production. Not only does it helps in producing the means of production, but also, it contains individuals. Therefore, capitalism\u2019s ideology purpose is to aim for reproduction of means of production and containment. Example 1: Imagine, and think seriously about this statement: \u201cif you work hard, you will become rich or you will go far in life, the harder you work.\u201d In that statement, capitalism\u2019s ideology is to influence for more hardworking people in order to fuel its system. <\/span><\/p>\n For the sake of expanding this example, assume that person A recognize that the system is calling him\/her to work hard, then person A says: no because person A feels like his\/her father was told by his parent the same thing, but person A\u2019s family is still poor, reminding person A that, \u201cthe rich continues to get richer and the poor poorer.\u201d Like person A, Rees claims that, \u201cThe rich get predictably richer while billions of people—half the human family—remains malnourished and materially deprived (Rees, 2010, Pg. 20).\u201d In this scenario, one might argue that person A is overcoming capitalism and not fueling its system. Although that can be the case, still, \u00a0my point is that ideologies are everywhere because capitalism exists. <\/span><\/p>\n Example 2: In this example, person A is a believer or he\/she attends church. In this scenario, the church mentions, \u201cif you pay more tithes, then you will enter in the heaven.\u201d Person A might say, \u201cI am a good christian and I want to go to heaven, therefore, I will pay more tithes.\u201d It\u2019s clear to say that, an ideology influenced person A because there was a sense of promise that ties to the supernatural or to the unknown place. Also, it is an ideology because it aims to take money away from person A, making person A poor and a receiver, richer. I am not arguing that paying tithes in church and working hard in life is a bad thing because I believe that some christians do find joy by obeying church leaders, knowing that some men of God are good people who donate away those tithes to orphanages. Also, some individuals find a sense of purpose when they work hard. In the next example, we assume that person A did not pay tithes because he\/she understands that it is not a prerequisite to enter heaven.<\/span><\/p>\n Example 3: In this case, person A plays sports and he\/she has a goal to become The Best Player Of The Year. Person A is then motivated to do anything possible to reach that goal. As person A was walking out from practise, trying to cross the road at night. While waiting for cars to pass by, he\/she sees an ad, mentioning, \u201cif you want to be the fastest person, you must buy this drink. It is cheap. It cost only $9.99 per bottle and are you ready to be the next superhuman? This drink will give you passion, respect, fitness and motivation.\u201d If I was to analyze everything in this third example, it would take another four pages but I will be vague and say that almost everything in the last example is an ideology. It is an ideology because of words choices such as \u201cThe Best Player Of The Year\u201d award, It is cheap, superhuman and\/or it will give you a sense of respect. <\/span><\/p>\n In short, an ideology is everywhere and it interpellates. Interpellates relates to a French word: to call or to hail. It calls back and forth between an ideology and a subject. Althusser thinks that an ideology calls a subject and a subject can not call back to an ideology. For instance, if you are a new born baby, you don\u2019t come in the world, then start making the rules, rather the school makes rules for you. Althusser connects an ideology within schools as ideologies that focuses to teach about \u201cknow-how,\u201d and not about how-why. The place that shows this is when Althusser writes, \u201c… Thus they learn know-how (Althusser, 1970, Pg. 4).\u201d He was referring to this idea of how capitalism contains people, from childhood to adulthood, so that they know how to increase productivity: from school to work. These children then becomes part of labour-power because capitalism need people who labour (Althusser, 1970, Pg. 3-5). I.E. Cultural products and education are parts of capitalist system that continues to maintain capitalism. <\/span><\/p>\n The problem rises from various areas. Like, in an example 2, going to church and\/or the pledge of allegiance to the flag are all rituals that represents the material condition of an ideology. Furthermore, false theory can play a major role, making people alienated. A good example can be observed in example 3, which shows alienation. Person A thinks that the drink will give him\/her superhuman energy. This alienation is problematic because it creates illusions of being something else. The drink then has power of passion, of respect and of fitness which makes person A valueless because person A seeks a $9.99 drink\u2019s values (Marx, 1994, Pg. 55-68). On page 62, Marx provides a powerful insight about a worker of, and his work condition. Marx inserts that, \u201cHis work, therefore, is not voluntary, but coerced, forced labor. It is not the satisfaction of a need but only a means to satisfy other needs (Marx, 1994, Pg. 62).\u201d The moment that I was reading about this form of alienation due to power of ideology that manifests everywhere and materialistically, I was thinking about the sellers of the drink not person A.<\/span><\/p>\n Up to this point, I have been talking about the problems of capitalism but I did not go into details on how to change this powerful system. Before I present the solutions within capitalism, I shall take another detour. The detour will help us emphasis more on the idea of containment because I focused mostly on ideology. Containment is used by powerful individuals in order to control people who want to resist against the state power structure. For example, people who are so poor might inspire to go to a strike and the government may contain them by providing assistance, making them to comply with the system (Read, 2009, Pg. 29). Unlike, Althusser who thinks that ideology always calls people, Stuart Hall believes that culture can be contained by the exploiting class and can also resist ideologies. Hall writes that, \u201cthe study of popular culture has tended to oscillate wildly between the two alternative poles of that dialectic – containment\/resistance (Hall, 1998, Pg. 443-445).\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Now, that I have showed how the exploiting class represses the exploited in capitalism, I plan to expand this notion that people can overcome capitalist ideologies when they consciously resist. In addition to this, it stays indispensable to note that resistance can take many forms, resistance from not using fossil energy system but renewal energy system or resistance by establishing food sovereignty where consumers and producers collaborate and share power equally at a local level. Portman inserts, \u201c Food sovereignty remains an emerging and constable structure of resistance, continuously being framed and reframed in the context of growing movement comprised of diverse constituency of producers, processors, and consumers around the world (Portman, Pg. 456).\u201d My goal, then is to bring a sense of realization that they are many ways of deconstructing capitalism and solve its problem. Thus, people should rethink solutions that reduces the destruction, injustice and deadly consequences created by capitalist system. The author mentions that \u201c… the continually increasing standard of living has tied people to the system. When people\u2019s selves are shaped to a hierarchical, falsely \u2018democratic,\u2019 endlessly materialistic society, they cannot reject the system of domination without rejecting their own needs and values. In fact, however, the glitter of advanced capitalism is really poisonous: (Gottlieb, 1992, Pg. 128).\u201d I have established capitalism as a deadly system and I plan to reduced its poisonous nature in the next paragraphs. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Solutions: Degrowth, Blacks, Respect For Nature<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n My argument then is that the solution to capitalism is the awakening of individuals. People must have class consciousness in order to understand the forces within capitalism. To be conscious about nature and ourselves, the first step will be about rethink degrowth. What is then is degrowth? Giorgos Kallis indicates that, \u201cdegrowth, instead, involves a rethinking of the organization of society signaled by terms such as limit, care, and and depense (Kallis, 2015, Pf. 2).\u201d In short, degrowth brings humans to rethink about sustainability of the universe while reducing modern growth-based development narrative that seek the exploitation of people and the planet (Kallis, 2015, Pg. 1). I submit that implementing degrowth can shift the power of capitalism from the few powerful \u00a0to the many working class because people will start to care about the environment while reducing material growth and enabling poor people to enter in the field of financial stability (Rees, 2010, Pg. 20). In degrowth, people will start to care more about others.<\/span><\/p>\n Furthermore, the capitalists will know the limit of what to produce and what not to produce. An individual might wonder to know what would make capitalists who seem to be greedy to comply with degrowth. My view is that degrowth does not mean negative growth such as recession and depression, rather, it brings people globally to rethink about things like climate change while reducing the unnecessary production of materials (Kallis, 2015, Pg. 2). Also, degrowth will demonstrates how the illusion of development within capitalism destroys body and people\u2019s well being. Kallis says it well when he inserts that \u201cthere is a substantial body of evidence that demonstrates how growth threatens both environmental and social well-being (Kallis, 2015, Pg. 2).\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n The solution lies in the inclusion of all people. People who are left out by the existing status quo, mostly poor people. Capitalist society, as we have seen earlier continues to reproduce while exploiting the poor. An environmentalist, Dale Jamieson brings a powerful point that when we show respect to nature as responsible beings or conscious beings, then we tend to do better as humans. He continues by saying that people find meaning by caring about nature, fulfilling their wholeness which is a concern for psychological integrity. Jamieson inserts that, \u201cwe do better by our lights when we respect nature\u2026 for respecting nature is from a concern for psychological integrity and wholeness (Jamieson, 2009, Pg. 442-443).\u201d My point is that if we become whole when we respect nature, then what about when people consciously respect both nature and the poor\u2026 \u00a0I am convinced that attaining this step might be the stepping stone toward decreasing racial tension in a capitalist society, resulting to a new era of none policy brutality and more <\/span><\/p>\n The leading motivation then is to bring equal treatment and equal distribution of wealth to all classes and races. This means that I am advocating for black ownership of means of production because when poor people do well, especially blacks whom labor have been exploited for centuries. I am not advocating for reverse racism (if there is a such thing as reverse racism in United States), rather, I am advocating for equal opportunity that starts at destroying all systematic racism that have been containing blacks to stay poor. Du Bois mentions that, \u201cBlacks and white work together in many cases, and influence each other\u2019s rates of wages. They have similar complaints against capitalists, save that the grievances of the Negro worker are more fundamental and indefensible, ranging as they do, since the day of Karl Marx, from chatter slavery, to the worst paid, sweated, mobbed and cheated labor in any civilized land (Du Bois, 1933, Pg. 281).\u201d Therefore, blacks\u2019 ability to embrace and own the means of production in capitalist society will allow black to be financially stable, as a conseconquence, this ownership fo means of production will secure him\/her respect that he\/she deserves. Thus, embracing capitalism can be the only way of blacks\u2019 survival against racism and \u00a0discriminations. They will seek progress as a way of becoming prosperous within capitalism while maintaining the focus towards respect for nature. Tom Regan, an American philosopher, mentions that, \u201cour most fundamental right, then, the right that unifies all our other rights, is our right to be treated with respect (Regan, 2013, Pg. 119). <\/span><\/p>\n Finally, acting disrespectful towards another human is an act of self-degradation. Thus, respect should be a way to reach what we have been missing within capitalism. People must respect themselves, and nature. Also, people must resist toward capitalism and bureaucracies that do not want to make a change for future generation (Cuomo, 2011, Pg. 706). Therefore, individuals should become more conscious. Gottlieb writes that \u201cwithout class consciousness, the masses will be psychologically tied to an oppressive society— whether that society be dominated by capitalists or party bureaucrat (Gottlieb, 1992, Pg. 127).\u201d The consciousness will enlighten people of all races, backgrounds and classes to come together in order to sustain the future of the ecosystem. <\/span><\/p>\n In conclusion, deconstruction of capitalism will not happen overnight because it is a long process, however, there is hope because people must influence a new narrative that is not motivated by material means rather respect for nature and other beings. That should be the main and the only focus for beings to be whole. Thus, blacks must own the means of production. <\/span><\/p>\n To finish, ideology continues to call you via tv, at school where you teach or at night before you go to bed. Remember, ideology exists everywhere and the only way to overcome this situation, one must embrace capitalism while maintaining the solutions mentioned above. Thus, poor people must embrace capitalism, seek degrowth, maintain respect for all people, resist, encouraging blacks to own the means of production because collaboration with living and nonliving things will make everyone stronger. I have introduced consciousness, moral responsibility and progress as in degrowth. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bibliography<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rees, W. What\u2019s blocking sustainability? Human nature, cognition, and denial. 13 – 25. Vancouver: University of British Columbia, 2010 <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rees, W. Human nature, eco-footprints and environmental injustice. 685-699. Vancouver: University of British Columbia, 2008<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jamieson, D. Climate Change, Responsibility, and Justice.\u201b Sci Eng Ethics, 16 (2010): 431\u2013445<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Portman, A. \u201aFood Sovereignty and Gender Justice.\u201b Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, 31 (2018): 455\u2013466.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Cuomo, Chris. \u201aClimate Change, Vulnerability, and Responsibility\u201b Hypatia, 26, 4 (2011): 691-714.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Regan, T. \u201aThe Case for Animal Rights.\u201b In In Defense of Animals, P. Singer, Ed. 13-26. New York: Basil Blackwell, 1985. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Read, J. A Genealogy of Homo-Economicus: Neoliberalism and the Production of Subjectivity. 25-36. The University of Southern Maine, 2009<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marx, K. Selected Writing. Ed. Lawrence H. Simon. Indianapolis, Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. 1994<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Scheer, H. The Solar Economy: Renewable Energy for a Sustainable Global Future. 311\u2013325. London: Earthscan, 2002 <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Gottlieb, R. Marxism, 1844-1990: origin, betrayal, rebirth. New York and London. 1992<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Kallis G. The Degrowth Alternative. A Great Transition Initiative Viewpoint, 2015<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Althusser, L. Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses. 1-39. La Pensee, 1970<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hall, S. Notes on Deconstructing \u2018the Popular.\u2019 1998, Pearson, Pg. 442-453<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Du Bois, W.E.B. Marxism and the Negro Problem. The Crisis, May 1933<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n Capitalism: Problems and Solutions Marx\u2019s critique of capitalism stays imperative for societies. Mostly, he influences thinkers of the modern period (Marx, 1994, Pg. IX). \u00a0Marx points out that workers become alienated from their labor as they continue to produce more, the poorer they get (Marx, 1994, Pg. 59). To change this type of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8011,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"builder_content":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/pl314-spring19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/158"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/pl314-spring19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/pl314-spring19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/pl314-spring19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8011"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/pl314-spring19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=158"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/pl314-spring19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/158\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":632,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/pl314-spring19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/158\/revisions\/632"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/pl314-spring19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=158"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}