Selfishness is Next to Godliness: How Capitalism is the Opposite of Human Moral Traditions: Part I

[Donnachaidh]

http://my.firedoglake.com/ohiogringo/2011/02/13/selfishness-is-next-to-godliness-how-capitalism-is-the-opposite-of-human-moral-traditions-part-i/



:snip:

“Americans celebrate wealth. And they should.”
–President Barack Obama

“Let those who hoard the wealth that God has given them never think that they will benefit from it. It will bring them nothing but evil. The riches that they have hoarded will be their chains on Judgement Day.”
The Koran, 3:180

Quite the contrast there. Barack Obama, a self-proclaimed defender of capitalism, succinctly summed up what he truly believes in those two quotes. He also directly contradicted a fundamental moral tradition that is common to all of the major world religions and moral philosophical traditions. I could have just as easily cited the Torah, a Buddhist work, a Hindu Yogi book, the Egyptian Book of the Dead, the threefold law of Wicca, of any number of secular humanists.

For capitalism, the ultimate good is the accumulation of capital, or profit, for its own sake. Profit is defined as how much money one has accumulated by the sale of a product or service after the cost of making the product or performing the service is subtracted from the total sale price. This isn’t exactly rocket science here.

More at the link --

[RegieRocker]

1. It is the morality of the people that define everything.

[CrossChris]

2. Capitalism capitalizes on problems that need to be solved.

The glitch is that solving problems will always dry up a well of capital. So too many people are now in the business of making sure problems don't get solved that will fix things that people are capitalizing on.

[kestrel91316]

3. The Bible: It is easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle

than it is for a wealthy man to get to heaven. Or whatever.

[el_bryanto]

4. What motivates people?

I understand that most of us here at DU are noble souls who don't want big screen TVs, nice cars, fancy meals, and so on. But what motivates other people? How do you construct an economic system that prioritizes decency, generocity, and helping your fellow man in a society where people aren't decent, aren't generous and don't care about their fellow man?

Bryant

[Locrian]

5. yes

capitalism is a giant FAIL for humanity and likely our species.

The monetary system /capitalism / free market whatever the hell you want to call it values EVERYTHING ONLY in $$$. It encourages the hoarding of wealth in the hands of the few - effectively extracting OUT of the community. The nasty insidious thing is that it drives selfish behavior as the norm vs cooperation.


Great read. Another good one is Douglas Ruskoffs book "Life Inc." Very similar theme in the book and at that article you posted. http://rushkoff.com/books/life-incorporated/

[Starry Messenger]

6. k&r