EDITORIAL: Capitalism Fails

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By Christina Fermin

Politics & Society Columnist

Capitalism is private control of production and consumption of goods and services. It is this system that has failed us miserably in the last few decades only to have recently materialized to what we see today. Unemployment is currently above 9%, if you include the underemployed (those who work, but do net get paid enough or work in a field they are overqualified for) the figures jump up to almost 20%-30%, depending on whose numbers you look at. Capitalism has failed us, today Corporations are sitting on a treasure chest filled with over $2 Trillion dollars on balance sheets and the poverty rate is climbing astronomically.

Today these large corporations hold more cash and assets than 80% of the population. A generation has gone to school and graduated without any promising job prospects to pay down their debts and satisfy their intellectual minds. More people today are in debt, overworked, underpaid, have little savings or cash on hand. Inflation continues to rise, petroleum keeps fluctuating around $3.50 per gallon with little hope of it going down, which has in itself caused the price of everything else to go up. Things are looking grim, there are threats of the world financial markets collapsing, people are losing their homes to foreclosure at a dizzy speed, tent cities are popping up all over the place, job growth is at a stand still…Capitalism has utterly failed us.

Capitalism cannot survive without the exploitation of others. Whether the other is you, me or the person that lives across the world in places like Asia, Africa and Latin America. There may have been a time when Capitalism worked, but that time has passed and it is time that a new system arises. One that benefits the people and strives to ease the suffering of all peoples across the world. One that claims the world’s resources to belong to the people, not the private interests of the few. A world were cooperation is valued over competition and life is respected. Where profit does not and can not supersede the life of an individual. The world is abundant for us all, why not find that balance?

The good news is that there are alternatives, some of which will not work, others that are bashed because they do not invoke power to the few and some that deserve exploration. I do not know the answer, but I do know that Capitalism has failed 99% of us in some way, shape or form. One of the first solutions need to be along the lines of providing basic needs to the world’s population, stopping environmental degradation, stopping human rights abuses, restoring our world’s Oceans, and facilitate a switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy. While this takes place we as a civilization need to decide where we go from here and how best to operate in balance with the Earth and other species.

Technology could help us meet many basic needs, while we delve more in the realms of spirituality, science, the arts and co-creating something beautiful. As the energy heats up and the masses awaken, there will be more pressure against Capitalism and the status quo. Thinking and dreaming up innovative ways to live now will prepare us for that moment of chaos and rebirth. There are never any endings without new beginnings, and as we are faced with a big question mark and resist the change that we so desperately need and fear, you must remember you are not alone. As the Occupy Wallstreet protest heat up, stay calm and turn off the television, fear is a tool to hold you back. Join in on the resistance and tune into yourself and the world around you.

Peace & Harmony,

Christina

About the Columnist

With a bachelors degree in political science from Florida Atlantic University, Christina Fermin has always cultivated her love for history, politics, sociology, ancient knowledge and teachings, the outdoors, the ocean and the environment. Christina strives to make our world better by helping us all create a new reality and understanding of all taking place here and now.

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One Response

  1. NoSocialism.com December 9, 2011

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