Friday, May 13, 2016

Robert McChesney: Capitalism Is a Bad Fit for a Technological Revolution

Click here to access article in which Mark Karlin interviews McChesney regarding the current developments in computer technology and artificial intelligence. 
Our point is simple: Capitalism as we know it is a very bad fit for the technological revolution we are beginning to experience. We desperately need a new economy, one that is not capitalistic -- based on the mindless and endless pursuit of maximum profit -- or one where capitalism has been radically reformed, more than ever before in its history. It is the central political challenge of our times.
I take issue with the clause "one where capitalism has been radically reformed". This is an oxymoron. Capitalism as a system can only evolve in a certain direction much like organisms. The best analogies I know of are cancers and parasites where the disease eventually takes control of, and destroys, the host. Activists must absolutely forget about "reforming" the system.