this post was submitted on 05 Apr 2024
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I had a family member like this... They'd go off about how awful capitalism is, and the shit that goes with it (to which I'd generally agree) but have a house full of google home devices, brag about how much they buy on amazon, and simp for the giant megacorp for which they worked a retail job...
It woulda been funny if it wasn't so sad.
Let's never forget that it is ok to criticize a system you're part of.
It sure is. Unfair examples would include:
I did think a house full of smart speakers from the advertising behemoth is a kinda funny example though - what do you think?
I think the problem with capitalism isn’t the cool stuff that has been produced under it, it’s everything else about it. Literally the only reason to forgo buying a MacBook or a Google Home device as some sort of anti-capitalism spite move is to have the upper hand in conversations like this. In reality, you not making those purchases won’t move the needle in any way. If it did, it would be in the negative. Our entire economic system and system of employment relies on making purchases like that. Consumer spending is the economy.
Fundamentally there is no difference between buying an iPhone vs any other phone in terms of its support for capitalism. If anything, an iPhone might be better. Apple actually inspects its factories and at least pays lip service to stopping the most egregious abuses like forced or child labour. That white box Chinese android phone? If anything was built by forced or child labour, it’s that.
So targeting individuals for their purchases is both pointless and counterproductive. If you want to affect change, then vote, protest, organize. Push for and support proper regulation and controls. Make it so that people’s employment isn’t required for them to get healthcare, services, shelter. Make it so that an economic recession impacts those with the most, not those with the least.
Stressing about trying to make the least capitalist choice under a capitalist system just does exactly what they want you to do. The more time you spend judging your neighbour, the less time you spend looking up and see who’s really fucking you.
Thank you. I was trying to figure out how to express my opinion on this matter, and you pretty much did. We're all allies in this, just by virtue of the fact that we were born into it. Let your fellow man do their thing, knowing they probably made the best decision possible with the information they had, and focus on systemic improvements, instead of trying to control one dude at the end of the line.
He complains about life yet he is still alive. Curious.
/s
I spose you missed the part where I generally agreed with his criticisms (as someone who is also part of the system), and how the focus of my reply was the simping and bragging.
I’m with you, liked your comment.
Someone had a great reply to me though!
According to Varoufakis, this is techno feudalism. He wrote a book about it. So arguably, it's not capitalism but by no means is it better than that
Varoufakis is just one of many people who have come up with fancy new terms for capitalism and imperialism. It's not to say that he doesn't have an important perspective on some things, but coming up with new terms for things defined over a century ago only serves to distract.
Wouldn't the best term be mercantilism? Power through the accumulation of wealth, but instead of nations it's now corporations. It's definitely not capitalist since capitalism is about having competition, and that doesn't happen without constant government intervention to break up monopolies and trusts.
over a century ago Lenin has defined imperialism as capitalism in decay, monopoly capitalism, capitalism that has outgrown competition, that has stopped playing a progressive role in history and became solely a force of reaction, and since then not much has changed