Seems there is a discussion on the nature of capitalism making appearance in the letters section. I’ll wade in.
Capitalism is a process where resources are applied to produce a commodity for sale, hopefully at a profit. It is a system based on obtaining profit. In his letter (“Capitalism makes perfect sense” March 20, 2013) Mr. Van Caeseele is partially correct with his claim that the western world has reaped great rewards from capitalism. But these rewards have come from the exploitation of resources, vegetable, animal, especially human, mineral and now of course money has become a commodity.
Unfettered capitalism is, as Marx has written, “a revolutionary force.” By its very nature capitalism will, if allowed, exploit any resource until collapse or exhaustion by any means possible (war being the ultimate sin) for the largest profit possible.
As we live on a planet with finite resources we see that capitalism will not work in the long run unless it is heavily regulated to perform as a “good citizen.”
Capitalism by its design is nihilistic in nature and will grow, as it has, to completely dominate all efforts to restrain the traits it represents. The driving trait of capitalism is for the ever-expanding accumulation of capital and personal wealth at any cost to life or life support systems. This is the mantra behind globalism’s drive for hegemony embodied in so called “free trade agreements” like the current Trans Pacific Partnership and Canadian/European Trading Agreement the Harper government is currently negotiating. These “trade” agreements are really all about conferring sovereign rights to corporations which trump those of nation states to control the manner in which profits are to accumulate.
This is what capitalism ultimately delivers... death in the long run as it cannot practice sustainability and remain capitalism.
Brad Fuller
Nelson