Surviving Capitalism (Not) : 9 Signs That We May Be Living Through Another Depression

We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

9 Signs That We May Be Living Through Another Depression

Click here to access article by Joshua Holland from AlterNet.

I am posting this article not because I think it is particularly useful, but to illustrate a liberal orientation on the current economic crisis for working people in the US. The overall perspective is that, although unfortunate and prolonged by misguided policies, the current economic collapse is just another temporary setback for people.

Reporting on recent poll results, the author writes: "Two-thirds of those polled by Newsweek and the Daily Beast even said they were 'angry at God.'” This reaction, which suggests that the economic collapse was an "act of God", reveals the low level of political consciousness of many in the US. Their anger should be directed more intelligently. The fact that it isn't, is likely due in large part to this kind of liberal analysis fed to them daily via liberal mainstream sources.

The author continues on with his shallow report with this statement:

Yet the reality that's breaking down Americans' sunny optimism is obscured by reports that the economy is in recovery, and has been since June 2009.

Because, like a true liberal, he totally ignores the class structure of society, he can only wring his hands in pity for the unfortunate (workers) who are not (yet) benefiting (as are capitalists) from the "recovery" . His final paragraph provides a good summary of his views on the economic disaster: it's temporary, but lasting longer than it should due to misguided government policies.

When historians look back on this era, they'll marvel at the degree of delusion that led lawmakers and the media to focus relentless energy on the deficit while turning a blind eye to the economic pain being felt by a majority of our citizens. Economists will write PhD theses detailing how this long, somewhat shallow Depression was nurtured by insane contractionary policies Congress enacted in the middle of a pummeling downturn.

Totally missing from his assessment is any recognition that we are approaching the Götterdämmerung of capitalism, and possibly the human race. The system's growth imperative and the concentration of wealth and power to provide profits for a few has resulted not only in the current economic destitution for many working people, but also in depleted resources and a polluted environment that is threatening to destabilize a climate that can support human life.