Thought ya’ll might like to read an enlightening critique of capitalism:
Capitalism is productive and efficient beyond compare. It rightly rewards those who take risks or develop needed skills, services, and products. It is dynamic and diverse, forever coming up with new things and experiences. It is almost color blind, the only hue that it ultimately cares about being the tint of currencies and coins. It champions liberty and it knows that without enough money to share one’s views freedom of thought and speech are truncated rights.
From a Christian perspective, capitalism is also ethically troubling. It not only recognizes greed, it baptizes and catechizes it, too. Gordon Gekko in Oliver Stone’s 1987 movie, Wall Street, said it best: “Greed is good!”
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Another big problem is that capitalism depends upon a constantly growing economy, which requires an accelerating and unsustainable consumption of the world’s natural resources: oil, minerals, water, plants and animals, water. Many say that this is capitalism’s greatest ethical challenge. I agree.
Looking forward to see the next article in this free market capitalism discussion… I’ve got a couple other thoughts on the subject of Christians and materialism here.
The Triple Bottom Line: The Critique of Capitalism and Where to Go from Here:
Check out this insightful political cartoon entitled “The Party’s Over” from a 17 year old. Whatever your point along the political contiuum, if this crisis does anything, I hope it gives us any pause in terms of our economic and ethical models. All of this reminds me of the artistic critique of greed and consumer society I published a year ago of the feature on Current TV. During this holiday season one really does have to wonder about the consequences of buying everything.
All of this suggests we need a new bottom line. At the very least I think we should very seriously consider the triple bottom line concept (People-Planet-Profit). In the mean time, Ariah has some interesting alternative gifting suggestions and I just created a short but handy holiday gift giving guide for non profits and charities.
1 response so far ↓
davidrlarson // December 22, 2008 at 1:20 am |
Thanks for this note and for this fine blog!
I agree with those who say that the present crisis gives all a chance–maybe requires us–to go “back to basics” and rethink things.
It has long seemed to me that the Milton Friedman types have a view of human nature more like Hobbes and that Adam Smith’s was more like Hume’s and that has been a big problem. But I hope to be more certain about this soon.
Meanwhile, there is a place on the Internet called “The Lost Legacy of Adam Smith,” by an economist in the UK holding forth that many today have misread Smith.
I’m looking for help in every quarter!
I think his name is Gavin Kennedy. Perhaps you already know of him.
In any case, thank you for visiting us and for doing so much so well right here.
David Larson
David Larson