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Have I been told off by Julian on the Drudion for....
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Merrick
Merrick
2148 posts

Edited May 03, 2009, 12:37
Re: capitalism and the law
May 03, 2009, 12:31
IanB wrote:
Given humanity's current stage of enlightenment and the last 250 years of history I tend to believe that in our corner of the world capitalism is often the only reliable bullwark we have against despotism.


We achieve it by doing precisely the sort of inhuman slaughter you speak of! Only, as we're financially colonial, it's not in front of our faces. Our material comfort is a concentration of wealth. We are the same colonial power that we ever were.

We're squeamish about having slaves in our back yard these days, much more savoury to squirrel them away in an Indonesian sweatshop.

In America, you still get black hands working the same fields for no money as their slave ancestors. Only now we call it prison labour.

IanB wrote:
we are in some cases talking loss of life on an unimaginable scale.


The millions dead in Iraq to supply us with oil, the millions dead in central Africa to supply us with precious minerals, the eradicated tribes of South American forests, they would all surely agree.

IanB wrote:
What seems to temper despotism is the hope for material improvement.


What drives despotism is, in large part, control of resources that generate the most profit.

IanB wrote:
I still believe that if people in the more prosperous nations were specifically told the number of Dollars or Euros or Pounds that they themselves would have to give up each year in order to guarantee a just global distribution of water, food, health care and shelter then there would be a majority who would sign up for that if the plan is credible regardless of the material cost to them personally. No flags required.


Beautifully put there, really eloquent. I totally agree. Which is what makes me motivated to relentlessly struggle for change. I know that the overwhelming majority of people have an intrinsic thirst for justice and that, when we really see what we're doing, we choose the fair thing. and yes, as you say, that people will sacrifice for the common good if needs be.
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