If not Capitalism, then what?
Two of the articles that we read for Feb. 18th conflict greatly in their views of capitalism extending farther into the century. Natural Capitalism and Can Capitalism Go Green? both acknowledge and postulate the fact that most if not all the environmental problems that plague us today stem from inadequate markets and inequitable relations created and perpetuated by our current system of economics. However, the relative optimisms couldn’t be farther apart, with the first article postulating that fulling functional markets with all costs internalized would solve all our problems, and with that ladder saying that all capitalism based approaches are merely a farce and unethical compromise that will never serve to remediate the world ills that now dominate all environmental debate.
I personally have to agree that the entire structure of our current system is one governed by capital for capital; one that completely neglects the interests of common people and forgoes an ethical commitment to anyone or anything other than shareholders. I also agree that the best course for humanity and the sphere we inhabit would be to create a new system, to yet again evolve and revise in order to simulate a more utopian society; and so in my heart I tend to side with the more pessimistic article. However, the difficulties of overruling the most predominant, powerful, and culturally entrenched institution in the world cannot be understated, literally. As was seen with the fall of Communism, Capitalism was the new world order, and since then the indoctrination of children and fledgling economies has secured it’s spot as essentially a “new god”. There is no stopping it, and there is no real room for debate. The powers that be, billions upon trillions of multinational capital that control almost every facet of life and policy in almost every nation… well they would never allow it. As such I am torn, between feeling neglectful in my role of steward for wanting a capitalism based “compromise” and between the pragmatist inside me that screams out saying the “ecological revolution” that Magdoff and Foster call for is so impossible there is no real reason to even entertain the thought.
I am thus left with a question, without an answer, and no idea where to look to figure it out. If capitalism can’t fix it, and there is no way to be rid of capitalism (it is simply too powerful and prevalent) then what are we left with? Is global warming, and the ensuing environmental issues that will surely accompany it, merely just inevitable realities at this point? And worse than all, is there nothing we can do but try and brace for it?