No Such Thing as Capitalism

Sam: So you say there is no such thing as Capitalism?

Me: To which I ask you, what is the ideology of capital, the social planning program, the core doctrine or the particular strategies espoused by its adherents? You, as well-read and informed as you are, have no answer to my query? I can tell you right now why that is, there is no ideology, no program, no doctrine of any sort, not even really any plan of action by its adherents, unless you count the age-old one of getting rich. 

You see, (taking up his wallet and proffering a Jackson) this is capital. A piece of paper, representing an assigned value, that has neither sentience, nor emotion, nor investment in any particular state of being. An inanimate object, that exchanged for some item, set on fire, tossed on the waters, all of these states are equal to it, it has no more need to alter the current state of its environment anymore than does the air that circulates around us, or the chairs we sit upon.

And yet this thing, this matter is supposed to impose some sort of political structure, some type of order on society just by being present? I really doubt it.

Sam: So let me ask a fairly obvious question, beyond stoking greed and misanthropy, what does an imposing capital structure do? Come to think of it, what is capital's function, anyway?

Me: Brave questions! First off, yes, capital can be an acquisitive end, even obsession all its own. The same however, can be said of just about anything. Most certainly, those who rail against 'capitalism' tend to exhibit a compulsive desire of their own, that of greed for power. Their external need to impose their will upon their surroundings and all who live within their watch certainly meets or exceeds the internal need of 'big capital' for sucking in and concentrating the wealth contained within.

As for the second, I think more profound question, what does capital do exactly? All capital is is a form of incentive. Incentives motivate actions and a combined set of actions and actors make up a society. 

We all have incentives to motivate us. When we are hungry, we prepare a meal. When we want to fill our time, we read a book or watch TV or surf the net. 

Capital is the successful way we have to make abstract labor and resources. This is of course, in order to exchange them, in what is ideally a mutually beneficial way. You mow my lawn, I give you a fiver. 

Again, even though the concept of capital is the closest thing many will come to a metaphysical form, there really is no mystery to it. There is certainly no set form for how capital can and should be exchanged, after all capital is exchanged even in a society such as North Korea, that officially frowns upon it. I'm afraid the altruistic motives that most theorists and ideologues seek as the foundation for utopias without money, tend to be more personal and point phenomenal than these great minds wish, certainly nothing to base an entire society upon.

Yet we have this concept of a 'capitalist' society. Usually, the image that seems to self-generate in our minds, certainly in those of academics, tends to be an image of a banana republic. Dirty, poverty-stricken streets, plentiful armed soldiers whose tanks and guns tend to be American in origin, lounging and lurching towards a workers' holocaust under tropic skies. 

Which is, of course, what the idea is meant to convey. The idea of 'capitalism', or capital as its own ideology, is a formulation by socialists merely to represent what they supposedly are not. Every new and potentially competing idea, after all, needs to have an opposition to define itself. Capitalism is merely socialism's intended bogeyman, the values and beliefs of the 'bourgeoisie' and big finance, as opposed to a socialist's own ostensibly altruistic and humanistic value system and measures of success. 

Thus by espousing capitalism as a doctrine, automatically places so-called capitalists at a disadvantage. They are, by definition and by deliberate intent of the original definers, defending something which is meant to be a straw man to begin with. Automatically, they are fighting their mental way out of a corner into which they are painted into, which is of course, the result of using a simple material argument (ie, money is good, a lot of money is BETTER!) as opposed to a doctrinal or ideological argument supposedly based on reason, such as their opponents will deploy.

In truth, capital, like just about anything else, does the maximum good for the maximum number under a system that fosters that kind of reciprocity. This would be a representative system that ensures rule of law, including property rights that ensure protection of material assets, wealth and the results of industry and enterprise. That as much as possible at every stage of development, does not monopolize incentivization by either large capital, nor undue political or institutional influence, but allows for sufficient competition and innovation for society to progress and adapt technologically, institutionally and in the body politic.

A society ruled by law, based on a constitution, which in turn is based on individual rights and responsibilities: in short, based on liberty. In short, a constitutional republic, or as close to one as any given political system can be. When its proponents espouse the 'magic of the free market' or other such thing meant to convey what capital CAN do and can bring under the proper conditions, that should be what they mean. 

In short, when you are for capitalism and use the market argument, what you are saying is that you are on the libertarian side of the argument, be you a classical liberal, libertarian or a republican of some sort. You are definitely not a socialist, communist, or fascist (such as types like yourself are often painted as). In fact, from a well-formed argumentative structure not tied to your opponents' rhetoric, you can freely take them on on the basis of YOUR core beliefs and ideas.

After all, compare the success of 'capitalist' societies as opposed to left-leaning, ideological ones. Ask your potential debaters, what is THEIR record of success?!