Capitalism will eat democracy -- unless we speak up | Yanis Varoufakis

[Cheese Sandwich]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=GB4s5b9NL3I

[rhett o rick]

1. How can we fight the dominance of the Capitalists/Corporatists?

I haven't watched the video yet, but I don't see a way to fight them. It appears the momentum is too much to overcome let alone human nature.

[Cheese Sandwich]

2. I don't think there's one right answer

We can learn something from Mr. Varoufakis I think. That being that electing a government is not enough because all the underlying structure of the economy and institutions is still the same. It's very difficult or impossible for any elected government to relieve the forms of oppression when the oppression is built into the structure of the system. Sure yes we do need politics but we also should focus on changing the underlying structures at the same time. This means working for more democratic control in our local communities and workplaces, getting democratic control of the material structure of production and distribution at a very physical level, organized in a very democratic way so then when we do elect people like Mr Varoufakis they will have the material support to reject the threats of the capitalists when they threaten to cut off vital services. There's no magic answer to this though. You can try Gar Alperovitz. He has decent ideas about how we might be able to transition to a post capitalist economy.

https://www.google.com/#q=gar+alperovitz+next+american+revolution&tbm=vid

[rhett o rick]

3. I am not familiar with Mr. Varoufakis but will listen. I have read a few things on post-capitalism,

like "Agenda for a New Economy" by David C. Korten. But IMO it's human nature for some humans to want to dominate and take power. No matter what post-capitalism system we devise, some authoritarian will take over and exploit it.

[Cheese Sandwich]

4. Varoufakis was finance minister for the SYRIZA party. He's a socialist economist.

If you're on to David Korten I think that's pretty close to the Gar Alperovitz stuff. Basically just trying to have more democracy through worker co-ops and a more community oriented economy, with some emphasis on more local control, as opposed to everything being run by multinational corporations.

With regard to human nature it clearly has some tendencies toward authority, greed and domination, but also some other tendencies toward solidarity and mutual aid. So I guess we should try to have a system that encourages the better tendencies and discourages the worse ones. The capitalist system clearly encourages and enables the negative tendencies like greed, rent seeking, power grabbing. That's practically the definition of capitalism. Socialism would hopefully discourage those tendencies by democratizing power and bringing capital under relatively more democratic control. That's my thought anyway. Others would have different ideas I'm sure.

[rhett o rick]

5. My point is that even if 95% of humans were socialistic it doesn't take very

many bad apples to spoil the whole box. The local cooperatives etc of post-Capitalism can be easily crushed by authoritarians. Sorry but I have a very negative outlook. I think it's impossible to eradicate wealth (the difference of assets between individuals) and make every human with equal power. Maybe AI can do it but I doubt it. And even if they could, would it be what we want?

I am not sure we know what humans want.

[Cheese Sandwich]

6. Then maybe we can just talk about worker coops, a strong social safety net, robust public services,

and a functioning representative democracy, all made possible by limiting great excesses of wealth.

Hopefully human nature can handle that without devolving into tyranny.

[rhett o rick]

7. I hate to be so pessimistic but here's how I see this capitalism playing out.

There may be a great attempt by some, maybe many to invent a post-capitalism economy but those in power will gain complete control of all of the resources, including water and strangle the new economy. Monsanto will outlaw individual farms, etc. Those in power will convince the mass of followers among us that someone specific is to blame including liberals. In tough times people all too easily turn to tyranny.

[Cheese Sandwich]

8. LOL

Yeah you're probably right

[rhett o rick]

9. Hey, tell me I am wrong for cripes sake. I don't want to be right.

On Edit: Seriously, I am looking for someone to talk me out of it.

[Cheese Sandwich]

10. I don't think you're wrong

We're probably doomed.