Surviving Capitalism (Not) : Global Power Project, Part 3: The Influence of Individuals and Family Dynasties

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

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Global Power Project, Part 3: The Influence of Individuals and Family Dynasties

Click here to access article by Andrew Gavin Marshall from his blog.

There are two statements in this essay which I find a bit troubling because it puts too much emphasis on individuals, families, and family dynasties:

In this third part, I examine the dynastic influence wielded by prominent corporate and financial families. This is not a study of wealth, but a study of power.

Empire does not just happen, nor, for that matter, does “capitalism.” Society is made, constructed, shaped, directed, organized and engineered.

My fundamental emphasis is, and has long been, on the system which informs the actions of people. Of course, everything is connected and individual actors do influence the system, but it is the system that is always the dominant influence. And, social-economic systems reign over many centuries. Therefore, it follows that the names of the prominent actors are really not that significant because they may be replaced tomorrow by other names. Such emphasis puts the spotlight on the actions of individuals and families and away from where it must be--on the system which enables individuals and families to obtain so much power over our lives. Their names really don't matter. They could be "Xyz" or "Abc", etc.

It is the system which transforms wealth into power. Surely that is not hard to understand. If you "own" (made possible under the rules of capitalism) a factory which is the largest employer in your community, you will automatically have substantial influence over the decisions made in that community. If you "own" a bank in that community, you may exercise even more power if that factory owner is dependent on your extension of credit to him/her. The rules of capitalism inevitably result in the concentration of wealth which, in turn, transforms itself into power. The fact that this has resulted in family dynasties of power is an inevitable result of such a system.

Individual capitalists are always seeking to combine with others to extend their power. The reason we see families rising to the top is simply because families ties are naturally the strongest basis for human association. But we see endless other combinations of individuals that seek to extend their influence in the forms of think tanks, corporate associations, ruling classes, international forums such as the G-8, Bilderberg meetings, etc.

Putting the emphasis on individuals and families could divert our energies away from changing the system by attempting to change the dominant actors within the system. This would never substantially change anything. And, we have seen far too many examples of this. Time is running out for the human race. We no longer can afford to have our attention and energies diverted once again into dead ends and away from the task of fundamental revolution. This means that we must not only remove the capitalist way of organizing society, but figure out a new system that can sustain both human nature and mother nature.