Noam Chomsky wrote a most interesting and informative article published by In These Times, "
Can Civilization Survive Capitalism?" which is making the rounds through all the liberal, progressive and leftist web sites and it is being posted all over on FaceBook and blogs.
This is good this article is getting the widespread distribution it deserves but the discussion of this article seems to kind of just end with praise rather than moving to "What needs to be done?"
As usual, Chomsky makes an excellent case against capitalism and in defense of democracy; but, also, as usual, Chomsky fails to follow through on his anti-capitalist thinking leaving the solution and our movement building to others to discuss--- those others are us.
Chomsky articulated the problems with capitalist democracy fairly well but failed to point out that Wall Street is our enemy and it is this Wall Street enemy of ours we need to challenge for power; not only to defend democracy (and Chomsky failed to point out exactly what is required to defend democracy) but to be successful in bringing about many other needed reforms.
What has changed in this country since we have won all other reforms is not that capitalism has "improved" or even that it has become so much worse--- even though it has become the epitome of everything evil and disgusting; but, the real change is that Wall Street is now so much more powerful that it can resist and stand up to any challenge people bring forward with one exception: Wall Street will not be able to withstand a challenge to its power from a people united intent on bringing Wall street down.
A defense of democracy is like all of our other problems we face and experience in this "new world" dominated by Wall Streets raw power--- in order to protect, defend and expand democracy requires challenging Wall Street for power.
With Occupy Wall Street, Idle No More and the climate change movement, why is it still so difficult to have this discussion about the need to challenge Wall Street for power?
The answer to Chomsky's question is becoming more obvious to all of humanity by the hour:
No, civilization can't survive under capitalism. So why are we waiting to abolish capitalism? Why are we being so timid in bringing forward the socialist solution as advocated by Albert Einstein over 60 years ago:
http://socialismtheoryandpractice.blogspot.com/2009/04/why-socialism.htmlHere is
Chomsky's article. I would encourage everyone reading Chomsky's article to read Albert Einstein's article on "Why Socialism?" because Einstein answers Chomsky's question PLUS he provides an answer which Chomsky only implies. In addition, Einstein provides the socialist alternative to capitalism which Chomsky does not.
http://inthesetimes.com/article/14684/can_civilization_survive_capitalism/I made this comment in response to Chomsky, not as a criticism; but, to add in what he has missed in this article published on the In These Times web site:
Wall Street is our enemy. Capitalist power is concentrated in monopolies at the helm of Wall Street. Every single movement for peace (and the military industrial complex has the largest carbon footprint of all), movements for jobs and full employment, the movements for health care reform and the movement trying to halt global warming--- no matter how large and powerful these movements become which advocate reforms that would benefit people, Mother Nature and society as a whole--- all come up against a brick wall. That brick wall--- our common enemy is Wall Street. So, why aren't we advocating challenging Wall Street for political and economic power instead of throwing up our arms in bewilderment and exasperation in defeat when we aren't following through with the struggle we need to wage: the struggle for working class people's power.
We create peace movements, health care movements, labor movements, jobs/full employment movements, civil rights movements and now climate change movements but we don't follow through in bringing all of these movements together into a huge anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist, anti-monopoly movement bringing people into the streets and to the ballot box.
In fact, we don't even have a political party taking up the demands of our movements. Instead, the major tendency has been to use the Democratic Party which is one of Wall Street's parties to advance demands for reforms. Really, how likely is it that a party like the Democratic Party which is controlled and manipulated by our Wall Street enemies is going to allow us to use their party to solve the very problems Wall Street in quest of maximum profits has created for us?
As I see it, we have two tasks confronting us--- bring all of our movements together so we can take our struggles into the streets in a more powerful way and we need to create some kind of working class based peoples party capable of being the voice of the people in the streets and we need to begin the challenge to Wall Street's power.
I doubt most of the present "leaders" of any of our movements are up to the task of challenging Wall Street for political and economic power since most are now the products of the foundation-funded think tanks.
And who are the "philanthropists" who fund these foundations which in turn fund all these "think tanks" providing the "knowledge" to all of these movement "leaders?"
Aren't these "philanthropists" the very same Wall Street capitalist parasites who profit from the exploitation of our labor and the rape of Mother Nature?
Capitalism has become an barbaric and cannibalistic imperialist monster only capable of breeding wars, destroying our ecosystems and our entire living environment.
Society needs these Wall Street capitalists about as much as my dog Fred needs ticks and fleas.
Our movements, if they are going to achieve the successes--- solutions to our many common problems--- which we seek are going to have to step up the struggle to a new phase: working together united in challenging Wall Street for power.
Think anti-capitalist/anti-imperialist education.
Think organizing to challenge Wall Street for power.
