| The Homestead Manifesto Page 2 Let me summarize my conclusions: capitalism is a scam, democracy is a sham, and religion is a hoax. Readers may laugh at my single sentence denunciation of the triad of columns that western civilization�and to a great degree, the entire modern �civilized� world�rests upon, but treating such a widespread indictment as the comical ravings of an extremist is symptomatic of our inability to confront the truth about our major institutions. We�d prefer to shrug off with a chuckle a claim with such broad implications rather than conduct our own point-by-point assessment of where the world stands today, and where each of us as individuals stands in it. The Scam: Capitalism I do not intend, here in this composition, to discuss in detail my thought process for the conclusions I have reached regarding capitalism, democracy, and religion, as doing so could turn this into a book rather than an essay, but I do hope to provide some background as to how I arrived at what amounts to a dismissal of western civilization. Let me begin with capitalism, the economic system that the United States embraces and seeks to foist upon all other peoples of the world. Capitalism, by definition, is a structure in which decisions are made and actions are taken according to their effect upon a single criteria� which is, of course, capital. A given action�s effect upon any other factor is irrelevant in such a system. (2) The goal of the individual in such a system is to collect as much capital�money, property, possessions�as possible, NO MATTER how much above and beyond what one may spend in a lifetime, or what one�s children and children�s children may spend, AND regardless of the plight of others who RIGHT NOW desperately need such resources to feed and shelter themselves and their children. This is absurd. We live in a world with more than enough food, land and resources for the six billion human beings who inhabit the earth, yet a small number hoard the overwhelming chunk of it, and they do so in the name of capitalism. The rationale that is often used to justify such an unjust arrangement is that �a rising tide raises all boats,� and it is a contention without merit. As has often been said in response, those without boats will drown no matter how high the tide. I wish, however, to attack that mode of thinking on a different level. The backbone of the �rising tide� argument�in fact, a fundamental tenet of capitalism itself�is the belief that �progress� is the natural order, as well as the best way to cure all of society�s ills. In the analogy, it is this progress�the continual advancement and application of technology (whether the cotton gin, the automobile or the computer)�that raises the waters. However, the progress of our civilization has become a march forward almost completely bereft of conscience. With the sole motivation being the accumulation of capital rather than the welfare of the planet and its inhabitants, modern civilization�pulled on a leash by capitalism�has defiled virtually every acre of land, every drop of water, every breath of air, and�as a result�every living being on the planet. Capitalism is a scorched earth policy, destroying all of the resources in its path�a path that globalization has carved worldwide. While a small group has used the call of �progress� to stockpile massive amounts of wealth, the remaining billions have hardly benefited from the technological �advances� that are supposed to make the world a better place, and those same billions have not been raised up by the waters of progress. Instead, while a few sail past on gigantic yachts, the overwhelming majority of people have been left to drown. The three hundred or so years since the dawning of the industrial revolution have not eliminated hunger, abolished war, or eradicated disease. (3) All of those still exist, each on a massive scale. Capitalism may not necessarily be charged with eliminating such afflictions, but the �progress� demanded by the system has, in fact, contributed to the proliferation of these blights upon humanity. Let�s look at some examples: in the rush for personal fortune land has become a valuable commodity rather than a resource available to all, removing billions of people from the opportunity to produce their own food; wars, almost always fought over access to resources and markets, have become vastly more deadly, with weapons that could annihilate everyone only a button away; chemical byproducts dumped into rivers, lakes and oceans or spewed into the sky pollute our water, food and air, causing cancer, among other diseases. These are all the result of the progress that capitalism demands. In exchange, we have sporty cars, superfast computers, ubiquitous cell phones, air travel to anywhere, televisions with five hundred channels, dishwashers, microwave ovens, and artificial fish that hang on the wall and sing. All of these (well, except for the fish), most Americans would say, have made modern life faster and more convenient. I would argue that most of our technological innovations have come between our relationships with the earth, with most of the other members of the animal kingdom, with the cultures of our ancestors, with our communities, and with our families. (4) In the past two hundred years, �progress� has taken most citizens of the wealthy nations of the western world from their farms, their villages and their small towns and either forced them or lured them to urban and suburban areas. Farming or otherwise making a living outside of cities or suburban malls and office parks has become difficult. Under the guise of economic development, we have destroyed the agrarian economy, and with it our connections to the land and to each other. The most representative image of our culture used to be a family sitting around the dinner table, partaking of the bounty of the earth; that image has changed to that of an individual alone, staring at a television screen or computer monitor. Capitalism is to blame for the disconnectedness of modern society. (5) Land is now private property, and food is just another commodity: engineered, processed, marketed, distributed and sold. The earth and its gifts, however, are not products, and they cannot be withheld from the people. |