ddhr.org - Capitalism vs. environmentalism

Date: 2014 | 08 | 04

Aug 4, 2014

I'm a bit ignorant on the topic of economic policies, but it seems from the outside that capitalism is pretty good at making people rich by sort of exploiting other people and things. That's fine and all, because it enables class mobility. But I think an even bigger issue is the exploitation of things that don't have a voice, namely the environment. Capitalism has a tendency to bleed things dry, like oil wells and forests. As long as people make money, it's deemed a success. I think -- and I'm pretty sure I'm right about this -- there's a limit to how much capitalism can exploit the environment. It's fine for now because there's a lot of nature and a lot of money being made. But at some point, the wells will dry up and the forests will disappear, and no amount of money will be able to undo it. I like capitalism, but I think it should be regulated to an extent. #nature

Linked: Purpose of environmentalism

Comments

HDH

Sep 25, 2014

A few brief thoughts: I think you might agree, instead of Capitalism being the problem, it's capitalists, bureaucrats, (including government) who can corrupt any system if not restrained. So, yes checks and balances are necessary but let's not penalize Capitalism. It's a relatively small number of PEOPLE who create problems and not the system. And those same people can be found in all walks of life, which is why everyone should vote.

Capitalism: an economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state.

Socialism: a political and economic theory of social organization that advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.

Communism: a political theory derived from Karl Marx, advocating class war and leading to a society in which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs. (in Marxist theory) a transitional social state between the overthrow of capitalism and the realization of communism.

While there's always room for improving mostly everything, and there is certainly a place for regulation,which form of political/economic system has produced the highest standard of living and the highest quality of life for the most people?

Which system provides the best incentive and freedom for creative expression and innovation?

Excepting the Federal Govt., which system is most accountable keeping in mind you can't spend what you don't have?

Finally, wouldn't you agree, our current economic and political system is superior to the alternatives currently operating in the real world?

Dave

Sep 29, 2014

This wasn't meant to be a plea for socialism or any other form of government or economics. It was merely a comment on the fact that capitalism can be destructive because there's no financial incentive to not be. Yes, capitalism has been successful. That's fine. But it could use some tweaks. I'm not well-versed enough in economic theory to know what those tweaks are. But I think I'm well-versed enough in environmental science to realize that there's an inherent disconnect between what's good and what's profitable.

HDH

Oct 31, 2014

I agree with you 100%. Never personally having come across perfection, there's always room for improvement with pretty much everything.