Capitalism. Definition from a different perspective.

"Capitalism is an economic system based on private ownership and control of capital and the means of production. In capitalism, capitalists own almost all the land, and everything that comes from the land. People are forced to respect this "ownership" of the land by the threat of violence, delivered through the state."[1]


Currently we have 1% of the population owning almost 50%-70% of the wealth of this nation. Many of these people occupy and have occupied government positions throughout their careers. The one thing the Democrats and Republicans do have in common is profit. For years we have been told that money for social programs has been tight and budget cuts are necessary. Meanwhile more businesses are consolidated into fewer hands, more subsidies going to large corporations, more contracts going to large businesses, and more millionaires and billionaires.

If Obama represents the left and the people's movement for freedom and having a say in their political lives, and not living in a fascist state, why does he promise a domestic police force twice the current size and more well funded? There has been study after study showing that when people are placed in a position of authority over others, that they will abuse that power. The Stanford Prison Experiment is a perfect example. When applied to national level, you have prison guards (police) roaming the streets, placing people into that mental state of feeling cornered, scared, and helpless.

"At first, the prisoners were not completely into their roles and did not take the counts too seriously. They were still trying to assert their independence. The guards, too, were feeling out their new roles and were not yet sure how to assert authority over their prisoners. This was the beginning of a series of direct confrontations between the guards and prisoners....Because the first day passed without incident, we were surprised and totally unprepared for the rebellion which broke out on the morning of the second day....The three guards who were waiting on stand-by call at home came in and the night shift of guards voluntarily remained on duty to bolster the morning shift. The guards met and decided to treat force with force....The prisoners' rebellion also played an important role in producing greater solidarity among the guards. Now, suddenly, it was no longer just an experiment, no longer a simple simulation. Instead, the guards saw the prisoners as troublemakers who were out to get them, who might really cause them some harm. In response to this threat, the guards began stepping up their control, surveillance, and aggression."[2]

When applied to a larger social context, the implications of this are grave. When people stand in solidarity for their personal independence, every hierarchical authoritarian structure in the world finds a way to assert itself as being in control.

The State knows how to assert its authority and the state serves the interest of whatever group happens to dominate it's apparatus and popular opinion. That interest is currently of the minority group of capitalists in the world.



[1]http://www.infoshop.org/octo/matrix/Capitalism

[2]http://www.prisonexp.org


Read more ...