What's striking about capitalist civilization is that it has no real direction. There's no vision for social progress, no commitment to improving human welfare or ecology. All we get is the chaos of profit-oriented production and accumulation as the world burns around us. - ThreadSky

jasonhickel.bsky.social • 10 days ago

What's striking about capitalist civilization is that it has no real direction. There's no vision for social progress, no commitment to improving human welfare or ecology. All we get is the chaos of profit-oriented production and accumulation as the world burns around us.

Comments

zenithstar.bsky.social•8 days ago

It's if you give a mouse a cookie but like.. if you give an Id the world economy

seeyouinnj.bsky.social•9 days ago

That’s the problem with the “invisible hand” framing of markets. They are self-correcting but they aren’t smart, so it takes a long time for problems to become evident and even longer for the ship to turn, and even then that doesn’t mean the new direction is better.

kairos.social•10 days ago

Compass:

kairos.social•10 days ago

Check by inversion: US 2025 = 180° the opposite‼️

• LIBERTY? War on science and academic freedom
• EQUALITY? Nepotism, corruption, authoritarianism, oligarchy, mafia state
• FRATERNITY? Libertarian fascism unleashed.

alanfalconer.bsky.social•8 days ago

Agreed, and the growth-at-all costs agenda exacerbates inequality and social, environmental and climate injustice.

soumayamajdoub.bsky.social•10 days ago

No direction yet organized chaos.

vespa-torto.bsky.social•10 days ago

No moral compass either, tbh

why-not-zoidberg.bsky.social•10 days ago

bodubb.bsky.social•10 days ago

Don't you think you can create social solutions using the same capitalist mechanisms?

why-not-zoidberg.bsky.social•10 days ago

No. Because social solutions driven by profit don't work, since the profit destroys the original purpose of the "solution".

See "American healthcare" or "privatized prisons" etc.

bodubb.bsky.social•9 days ago

Oh, yes, I've seen the issues in America.

In Romania, it's not the best healthcare system, but I'm happy with both the free healthcare system and the private one.

I tend not to agree with people who are against capitalism or against socialism. I think, done right, they are both useful approaches.

cathmartin59.bsky.social•9 days ago

I’m old enough to remember sufficiency…

leetaylorbythesea.bsky.social•10 days ago

Another way in which 'the economy' has become a sort of god. Let's not upset the 'economy', etc. has become to central to how states exist. The economy should exist for the improvement of earth, not its detriment

wazzbot.bsky.social•10 days ago

Indeed, the belief in gdp, growth and the economy is dogmatic. Our times resemble the ideological battle for evolution and science in the 19th century. They use similar fictions, employ priests and choirs and forced conversions and violence and threats etc

grainnefallon.bsky.social•9 days ago

The 'devine right' of 'growth',when it's rarely ever mentioned that the white elite who dreamt up Neoliberal Capitalism, often spoke about how it shouldn't be used alone to measure of performance.

unosociofgenderdes.bsky.social•7 days ago

I agree within capitalist societies it is all about supply and demand and power of control, not equality.

symbo1ics.bsky.social•9 days ago

can't be called "civilisation" actually

symbo1ics.bsky.social•9 days ago

exactly. it represents the end of any human project, i.e. fascism

leesylou.bsky.social•9 days ago

😭🤦

philipstratford.bsky.social•9 days ago

Whilst all the while telling us that the new products and services we're supposed to consume will improve our welfare or something similar. Not always incorrectly, in fairness.

jasonhickel.bsky.social•3 days ago

Bizarrely, some claim that this feature of capitalism is a "strength", because the direction of production becomes the sum of individuals' desires.

But this is clearly false. Capitalism does *not* enable all people to have an equal say in the direction of production.

jasonhickel.bsky.social•3 days ago

On the contrary, production under capitalism is strikingly undemocratic. It is controlled overwhelmingly by the few who hold most of the power over finance, wealth, capital and investible assets: the large financial firms, the commercial banks, the monopoly corporations, and the 1%.

jasonhickel.bsky.social•3 days ago

If the idea is that all people should have an equal say in the direction of production, then what we need is economic democracy. Economic democracy - at the level of private firms, public services, and finance - would enable us to direct production in more socially beneficial ways.

jasonhickel.bsky.social•3 days ago

Whoever controls production, and the surplus we produce, determines the shape and direction of our civilization. If we do not have democratic control over our production and surplus then we can hardly say we live in a democracy.

direnekoloji.bsky.social•1 day ago

https://bsky.app/profile/waronwant.bsky.social/post/3ll7sve6tec26

elasamblearista.bsky.social•3 days ago

I totally agree. But we need a roadmap to get there. Nobody is going to support economic democracy without a clear picture

rewildnature.bsky.social•3 days ago

Indeed, the world needs a Progressive Utilisation Theory, for the maximum benefit for all, including for non-human nature. @proutistuniversal.bsky.social

demarchicroad.bsky.social•3 days ago

What kind of "roadmap" do you want? Obviously, the key part of the pathway is revolution. The capitalist ruling class has shown they will use everything at their disposal to avoid even small concessions.

demarchicroad.bsky.social•3 days ago

What would it even mean to have democratic control over "private firms"? Is there any reason to even want to perpetuate the idea of private firms?

burabure.bsky.social•3 days ago

Pat Devine fleshed this idea out nicely in "Participatory Planning Through Negotiated Coordination"

palumboliu.bsky.social•7 days ago

It seems to survive by sheer instinct of self preservation. Completely oblivious to the laws of nature. Or metabolic rift.

hfmatters.bsky.social•10 days ago

Indeed. Only answer I've come across is "a sustainable and equitable world for humanity", which is pretty good goal. Achieving it is of course another matter and probably unachievable without some post-capitalism #degrowth :-)
https://www.terrafiniti.com/capitalism-what-is-the-point/

charleshb.bsky.social•3 days ago

@skyview.social unroll

sonjamondello.bsky.social•10 days ago

It's why we're doomed. Good riddance to us. We're disgusting murderous beasts anyway. Humans are a failed evolutionary abomination.

dhilrukshi.bsky.social•8 days ago

Buying baubles and trinkets can't be our reason for existence. Understanding humankind’s purpose and place within the universe should be our no.1 priority.

ecogenic.bsky.social•3 days ago

Capitalism is a parasitic model based on competition and inequity. We're social animals by default and, like all social animals, we thrive on cooperation and equity. Capitalism isn't compatible with human societies. It promotes conflict and poverty. It's been holding back progress for centuries.

blackbirdsing.bsky.social•9 days ago

The direction is channelling power and control to multi billionaires
Greed can’t be satisfied
That is where capitalism is taking humanity
Musk is one example

markr51.bsky.social•10 days ago

The system is destroying both its external and internal boundaries. Mass psychosis and climate catastrophe. Lunatics are lighting the fires.

sgeez.bsky.social•7 days ago

An unsustainable model is infinite growth & consumption. A cancer that needs to be cut out.

anotherwealth.bsky.social•3 days ago

Capitalism has fragilities. Historical qualification of the Ecological Footprint, in terms of overshoots or biospheres consumed, shows 'economic recessions' and/or pandemics to benefit the planet at a desired rate.

bcnthomson.bsky.social•9 days ago

I beg to disagree. There is a clear direction, and a deliberate program, towards extreme resource extractivism, extreme human exploitation and extreme wealth concentration in the hands of the dominant few, the planet and human civilization be damned.

symbo1ics.bsky.social•9 days ago

it's literally fascism

mushotoku.org•9 days ago

The only direction is the accumulation of wealth.

glostermeteor.bsky.social•9 days ago

Isnt that the entire point of capitalism and free markets? There isnt 1 centralised plan

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