Capitalism is Not Democracy: Beyond the Propaganda

The spirit of democracy embraces equality of treatment. Within this context, government is constitutionally required to treat all people equitably, based upon tenets of social justice. In contradistinction, capitalism pivots on the pursuit of money, status, and power. Government in a capitalistocracy, in pressured to primarily serve commercially 'wealthy' 'owners of capital'. As this occurs, society becomes more "capitalistic", away from democratic ideal that may be embraced by the populace. In such a political economy, government treats people and groups, in a pecking order of relatively "superior" and "inferior" groups. This pecking order pivots on the maintenance of a progeny of white elites cliques. These elites have sought to consolidate power in a 'white supremacist' oriented status quo, since the earliest European Empires, including Rome, have sought to conquer and oppress. These conquests have enabled the expropriation of raw materials to furnish the proto-military-industrial complexes of Empires, that can enable further other sought conquests. Elite cliques of the United States and Europe use 'global capitalism' as a means to further consolidate their power, that have pivoted on a prevailing 'white supremacist' status quo against the poor, and non-European peoples.

As societies become more 'capitalistic' under pressures of American-led 'global capitalism', their governments treat people and groups, based upon their relative access to money, status, and power. This political economic context undermines and destroys democracy. This process is occurring in 'the west'. In the so-called "Third World", 'institutions of capitalism' from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to the World Bank use the broad capitalistocratic culture of financial system to execute techniques of oppression on behalf of maintaining white elite supremacy. It is within this context that the priorization of humanity occurs that has been referred to be retired Canadian Lt.-General Romeo Dallaire. Retired Lt.-General Dallaire became an articulate and inspiring champion of international human rights, having witnesses first-hand, negligent conduct by 'western' governments, that had prevailed over 'genocide' in Rwanda.

In capitalism, people and groups are treated according to an anti-poor, sexist, and racist status quo. This status quo pivot in turn on a pecking order of access to money, status, and power, that groups are perceived to have by the capitalistocratic Establishment. Indeed "money talks" in the capitalist system, whereas in a democracy, the affirmation of the human rights must be executed irrespective of "possession of riches".

The apparent priorization of humanity, creates a context for the instigation and perpetuation of worsening social injustice. This includes capitalistocratic 'western' governments prevailing over atrocities from homelessness, to the destruction of vital ecosystem which marginalized communities depend upon for their quality-of-survival to genocide. Indeed in the prism of capitalism, the pursuit of strategic military control of 'raw materials' is far more important that affirming the quality-of-survival of all people, that is the constitutional promise of democracy. This helps explain why in the United States, and other such societies, more and more money is put into weaponry, that can already destroy the Earth several times over, while the socio-economic conditions of the poor, and "minorities" worsens.

In the apparent prism of capitalism, 'blacks' and 'indigenous peoples' are on the lower part of the "totem pole" of capitalism. The oppressive treatment of blacks in Africa and elsewhere, and indigenous peoples in Canada, the United States, and Australia reflect this disenfranchisement. Such an apparent 'prism of capitalism', provided for the context of allowing genocide in Rwanda, and subsequently, Darfur in Sudan, in Africa; and numerous other such profoundly negligent conduct internationally. If 'western' countries were in fact, inspired by 'democracy' as U.S. President George W. Bush states, these government would have pro-actively responded to the stopping of genocide, and other such atrocious human rights abuses. As capitalistocracies that are de-evolving into states of neo-fascism, 'western' governments are motivated by the cynical strategic interests and materialistic ambitions of military-industrial complexes.

As 'the poor' and "visible minorities" become more and more marginalized by capitalism, their treatment by capitalistocratic institutions worsens, which entails even more marginalization and oppression. Corporate Globalization has demonstrated such an apparent trend.

The spirit of democracy inspires consideration of 'equity'. 'Equity' refers to a context of executing relative treatment to human beings with is based on principles of fairness, compassion, and shared human rights. Consideration of equity correspond with the 'Golden Rule' philosophical context. Within this context, human economic agents, including politicians and their policy-making allies, should not execute a treatment context, that they would not want themselves to be subject to. This very basic sounding idea is substantively being ignored by "market expansions" that are being executed in a manner that is worsening human suffering globally. Such an enlightened and rudimentary social justice-inspired idea is pivotal to the a posited cosmopolitan economic system, that is inspired by the spirit of democracy. In other words, politicians and policy-makers should be guided to treat people who are without food, shelter, and clothing, as these politicians and policy-makers would to be treated, if they were the people, who were without food, clothing, and shelter. Similarly, within a cosmopolitan context, rally for political choices which strive to create a responsiveness to facilitating access to food, clothing, and shelter, that you would want, if you were without food, clothing, and shelter. If you would not want to work in sweatshops, why support institutions which create sweatshops to support the selfish pursuit of elitist materialistic ambitions?

In the cosmopolitan economic context, it would be prohibited for government in western countries to allow transnational enterprises to move into "Third World" countries, to exploit people as "human capital", and also relatively poor environmental standards that worsens local quality-of-living. Economic cosmopolitanism would, for example, support universal wage and environmental standards in the spirit of United Nations Covenants. In the cosmopolitan economic context, as a politician of policy-maker, if you would not want to be deprived of vital healthcare based upon your lack of access to financial resources, do not deprive other people access to such vitally needed healthcare, based upon access to financial resources. It is this Biblical Christian context, which is completely ignored by professing "Christian" U.S. politicians who substantively worship and serve Mammon.

As politicians with allied policy-makers, wouldn't you want a political economic context that sought to provide timely assistance to your quality-of-survival, that recognized your civil and human rights, affirmed by U.N. Covenants? Policy-makers and politicians who are inspired by democracy, create policies which complement the 'Golden Rule' philosophical context. Furthermore, within this context, do not instigate or support wars that you would not want you son or daughter to be put in harms way. Politicians and their policy makers would need to demonstrate reverence for all people, pursuant to executed policies, in an equitable manner, in a democratically inspired cosmopolitan economic system, irrespective of money, status, power, and other related kinds of mammonistic prejudices.

This editorial commentary was excerpted from the book entitled 'Capitalism is Not Democracy: Part III', ISBN: 1897036906 .