Global capitalism is the economic system that dominates the planet. It runs on the exploitation of human labor to turn the living world into dead commodities, for the profit of a few. The small, powerful minority who own the means of production enforce their dominance through their control over political and cultural institutions, and their monopoly on force. They create a situation of dependency – forcing us to work for them to obtain basic needs like food and shelter. They annihilate those who resist or refuse to assimilate.
This system values profit over life itself. It has been built on land theft and destruction, genocide, slavery, deforestation and imperialist wars. It commits numberless atrocities as a matter of routine daily functioning. It kills 2.4 million children worldwide under age 5 each year by withholding adequate nutrition. It kills 100,000 people annually in the US by denying decent health care. More than 54% of the US discretionary budget is spent on perpetrating imperialist aggression, and recent casualties include more than a million civilians in Iraq, and more than 46,000 American soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. Aside from outright murder, the economic and psychological violence wrought upon the world’s inhabitants is so extensive and comprehensive that it’s effectively all-encompassing.
The system is killing the entire planet, the basis for all life. It’s converted 98% of old growth forests into lumber. 80% of rivers worldwide no longer support life. 94% of the large fish in the oceans are gone. Phytoplankton, the tiny plants that produce half of the oxygen we breathe, have declined by 40% since 1950. 120 species per day become extinct.
Industries produce 400 million tons of hazardous waste every year. Recently, the water in 89% of US cities tested has been found to contain the carcinogen hexavalent chromium. To feed capitalism’s insatiable need for economic expansion, increasingly dangerous methods of energy extraction are being perpetrated: deep sea drilling, oil extraction from tar sands, fracking. No matter the consequences, no matter what the majority of people may want, those in power insist on (and enforce) their non-negotiable right to poison the land, water and air in pursuit of maximum profit.
The threat to our common existence on Earth is accelerating and intensifying. This is a situation of extreme urgency.
Clearly, a global economic system based on perpetual growth is unsustainable. A system characterized by oppression and coercion is pure misery for the majority. The obvious conclusion is that we need to get rid of it, and change to a way of life that doesn’t involve exploitation and ecocide. But first we must face one hard fact: this system won’t stop unless it’s stopped. It can not be escaped, reformed, redeemed, cajoled, abandoned, or rejected. It must be fought, defeated and dismantled.
The global economy is currently falling deeper into a convergence of deep crises. This presents us with a rare opportunity to build resistance. More than an opportunity, this is also a necessity, and our responsibility. This situation is crying out for action.
Yet our movement is weak and fragmented, unable to adequately respond. Our habitual modes of opposition (like protests and demonstrations) no longer seem to work in the ways they once did, and we are unsure how to best proceed. Currently there is no organizational formation that is capable of engaging this situation on the scale that is required. Yet there are countless individuals and small groups who, though we may disagree on much, share the desire for a sustainable, classless alternative to this omnicidal system.
If we are to survive, we must develop ways to work together to combat global capitalism and its crimes, and ultimately bring it down. Individually we are weak and ineffective; together we can be strong. We must build a movement that embraces our political and ideological diversity, and our independent autonomy, while creating mechanisms for common and complementary action. The struggles to end all forms of domination, oppression and ecocide are intertwined. If we can unite our energies, we will increase our chances for success.
Let’s unite and organize to destroy global capitalism, before it destroys us.
Excellent piece Stephanie! Thanks for taking the time to write these inspiring and powerful words in between all of your inspiring and powerful drawings!
Time to fight back.
Thanks,
kc.
“Let’s unite and organize to destroy global capitalism, before it destroys us.” – What do you recommend? I’m all in, if it’s smart and non-violent 🙂
Don’t worry Stephanie, you certainly aren’t alone in trying to take down the ever-burning machine of neoclassic economics. I’ve similarly devoted my life to toppling and re-purposing the outdated growth by making living examples of its flaws and inaccuracy – the lack of accounting for the values of natural resources, like the water purification systems of wetlands that are assigned no value, the stabilization of soil from trees more effective then nets, and the implementation of the water cycles. Capitalism just can’t build those things as well or even at all compared to nature – and the effective of treatment wetlands as water purification systems effective at recycling wastewater into potable quality is a living example of it I intend to create.
I commented a couple months ago, but I love your comic – its reinvigorating, a kick in the ass, a breath of fresh air. How do you propose we unite, though? Just being aware and supporting each other’s efforts politically? I’d suggest forming another non-profit organization, but those always have to compromise and have a tendency to lose sight of their end goals.
At any rate, again keep up the good work. World needs more of this, but you know that. 😛
Dear DarkMagus,
Thank you for your comment! To answer your question, I think we need to unite in organized groups based on various levels of ideological unity, both geographically based and otherwise, and then build some kind of network with other groups that can facilitate coordinated action and support when appropriate. Not sure exactly how that will gel, but that’s my rough notion of what we need.
We need to grow our roots in our communities – show practical examples of how a sustainable world without hierarchy is in their interests and can align with and improve their lives. we need to build on their views and actions in order to integrate fully with our communities. no more coming into a community and demanding to see OUR vision implemented.
We need many bases and shared spaces – without these our actions become unsupported and unsustainable; the energy is spent on one-off events and theres no where to go and feedback and keep the energy rolling.
We need to stop chastising other modes of resistance and embrace diversity of tactics – none of us know which particular tactics are going to enable our visions to become a reality. in the most famous cases of resistance, such as cuba, civil rights, ghandi, etc. it was a combination of various different tactics, violent and non-violent that pushed the authorities to step-down and realize their errors.
we need to create more efficient modes of networking and there needs to be a general consensus that we support each other regardless of our affiliations – the desire for change should be enough of a binding force.
as individuals we need to realize our strengths and maximize on them for increased effectiveness – dont feel pushed into doing something you have little or no ability for – your time can be spent better else where. if we are all doing the best we can there will be more than enough people getting involved in this efficient movement to fill the roles needed in this diverse struggle.
if your actions are destructive, then be effective at that – dont get caught: it is more effective to target specific choke points and weak spots in the night, than it is to give the police justification for more repressive measures and laws that will be used against you if/when you are caught.
if your actions are creative, then be effective at that – you will never get the media attention violence does if you just wander about with a few placards from a to b – use theater, use art, subvert the system. build projects like eco villages and permaculture gardens in city centers on squatted land if you dont have the resources. paint murals on the walls to inspire resistance, create big puppets to play out the issues of your discontent. open your mind to new ways of protesting – integrate it into your everyday life.
be inspired: inspire
Thorn, great ideas!
Capitalism isn’t an economic system. It’s a pathology.
I have many thoughts and it is as though you have spoken my mind, word for word patterns laid out as in only dreams can my own… Vision and plans I have lots of though, so please, let me know how I can help.
We must combine local action with a greater network of information and in an organized fashion… I have big ideas and small steps, want to call it Power of Think, activist arm called Fight Club, kids section and would love to include your books and information as a resource, in fact have had your book “50 ways” filed for some time under “essential tools”. Please let me know regardless thank you so much.
Namaste,
Erica Mooney
As a capitalist American I’d like to give my opinion. First, I would love to have a classless society where everyone works for the common good. Where everyone “does to eachother as they would have them do to them” This is perfectly in line with my christian upbringing. In fact it is exactly what christianity teaches. Which is odd because typically socialists despise christians.
Anyways, there is one unsurmountable obstacle to make this dream a reality. Human nature. Capitalism is based in some way on greed. A desire to make your own life better and to put your neighbors need second. When you have a government that forces one to give their own fruits of labor up for the greater good that person does not work as hard. It’s just the way it is. There is no way around it. (not necessarily for individuals but humanity as a whole.) Also, the people in power inevitably take more than their own share. Why? They are just people like the rest of us. Fortune just smiled on them enough to put them in power, along with their own hard work (be it ethical or not)
A society where everyone works diligently for the good of the whole is impossible with human nature. But, if you make everyone accountable for thier own life, society as a whole benefits. It is a sad fact that some people will meet with misfortune, health problems, etc. It may sound callous, but its true. Life is not fair.
Capitalism is the only form of economy that enables everyone to be truly free. Free to do what they want, earn their keep, and be punished or rewarded for their efforts.
Oh and I am on the total opposite end of you all on the environmental debate. I actually work in the environmental field. I believe the earth can handle far more than we are throwing at it. As for groundwater pollution, there is a reason we have livers and kidneys. The millions of tons of pollution must be kept in context. it’s tiny in comparison with the size of the earth and the fact that the earth cleans itself. I believe humanity will destroy itself with war far far far before environmental consequences even come close to destroying our planet. Our planet is far more resiliant than you give it credit for.
I believe you all have good hearts. But are naive. I truly do love the idea of a utopia where everyone is equal and works to help their peers rather than themself but it is impossible. So, I will work for my own share. Radically resist giving it to a government, but use my time and money to help people and causes that I choose. And attempt to be a non hypocritical christian by giving to others before myself. (honestly not happening, its hard but i try)
I thought I would respond to Jay22, as I am also in the environmental field. I deal with groundwater pollution on a daily basis as a project manager and environmental scientist, and I must say that Jay22 definitely speaks the story that my client wants us to swallow. It is, however, just the surface of the issue. The deeper problem is corporate collusion in policy making.
In California (where i’m from – my frame of reference) there are millions of underground storage tanks that were abandoned in-place or removed with residual hydrocarbons in place. They slowly leech considerable amounts of benzene, toluene, ehtylbenzene, xylenes, MTBE, it’s daughter product TBA, and so-called lead scavengers like EDC, EDB, and so on, into the public water supply that is deemed by law to be available for so-called “beneficial use” for all that live in the state of California. The stance of the major oil companies and most responsible parties is that most of these emissions will eventually be degraded by biological and physical processes in subsurface – ie, “Natural Attenuation.” Currently the regulatory body accepts this argument for the majority of leaking underground take cases across the State. They accept this because there has ben vigorous lobbying by responsible parties to shape public policy. Let me give you an example.
Over the last 5 or so years there has been a great focus from regulators on vapor intrusion into buildings above groundwater plumes. While dissolved-phase hydrocarbon pollution tends to attenuate over time without risk, their proximity to surface and sub-surface structures can lead to intrusion of volatiles into these structures and increase an occupant’s incremental cancer risk. Vapor intrusion has slowly developed into a regulators main tool of leverage to trigger active remediation as opposed to passive, “natural attenuation” methods. At a recent client meeting with major US environmental subcontractors, my client announced the amazing inroads it has made with their crack team of “scientists” pulled from near-by “farming institutions” being involved in the crafting of the upcoming Department of Toxic Substance Control’s guidance on vapor intrusion risk assessment. My client was able to use these “scientists” to convince the regulatory authorities that parameters, including groundwater depth, distance between contaminated soil mass and buildings, etc can be used – rather than direct measurements – to screen for soil vapor intrusion risk. This is a great cost savings to my client, eliminating an estimate 50-75% of their vapor intrusion investigations.
I don’t think jay22 would take issue with such activity. I however find it atrocious. First, I take issue with the fact that one of the largest polluters in the country is using public universities as “farming institutions” to train academics on research projects of this company’s choosing and push their ideas into the greater body of scientific research. This action develops inherent bias in the research performed by the researchers and, in my mind, calls into question the findings of such research. Second, I believe that there should be a strong boundary between the regulatory body and the private industry they are regulating. By colluding the two, you take objectivity out of the regulatory process and inject the company’s bias into regulations. This is directly seen by the great win professed by my client at the meeting I referred to. This is also a net loss to the greater public, as their regulators are no longer regulators, but industry pawns.
Another example of industry collusion is the State of California UST reimbursement program, set up for small-scale polluters (ie, mom and pop gas stations who don’t have the resources to fund the remediation of their spills) to help improve the quality of groundwater around the state. Great in theory, however, if you look at the checks cut every month you’ll see them payable to ExxonMobil, Shell, ConocoPhillips, Chevron, and so forth. Why would a bankrupt state like California have it’s own citizens foot the bill for the clean-up of pollution introduced by some of the most profitable companies in the world? I have to think that there are loopholes in the law being exploited. I can see no other reason. Based on my experience with the DTSC issue, I can only assume these loopholes are the intentional result of industry lobbyists.
When I was in college, I was taught the polluter pays principal – which basically speaks to the accountability Jay22 was mentioning. Those who pollute the water should foot the bill to clean it up. As our corporatist system is currently set up, this is not the case. Those with the most power and largest lobbying force – which in the case of environmental remediation includes environmental consultants who’s sole job is to provide objective analysis of the environmental problems they are studying – end up being paid by the tax payers to clean up the mess they caused.
I am expected to advocate for my client, rather than be objective. I’m there to convince the regulators that my client is the good guy. That they want to do everything they can to mitigate human health risk caused by their pollution. They have the greatest of intentions. That’s why a site that has ethylbenzene levels in soil gas at 5 feet below grade two orders of magnitude higher than human health screening level should be closed. Because they already ran a soil vapor extraction system that was marginally effective. They refuse to run it again.
If I advocate for the environment, or even the facts, I will be fired.
So based on my experience in the environmental world, collusion is alive and well, and if, as Jay22 states, “Capitalism is the only form of economy that enables everyone to be truly free. Free to do what they want, earn their keep, and be punished or rewarded for their efforts,” then apparently that punishment mechanism is broken. Or never existed in the first place.
So that’s the thrust of the issue. It’s not reaching for a utopic dream of classless social order. It’s about exposing and punishing those who use the power structures currently in place for their own greed-filled adventures. After observing the post-Environmental Policy Act regulatory body’s considerable impotence at enacting and enforcing meaningful environmental laws, those of us with our eyes open see that without major revolution, there will be no improvement. It’s recognizing that technology has made considerable advances in distracting us from the atrocities being committed under our noses, with little advances in actual quality of life (our quality of life is, in fact, decreasing now because of industrial processes and technological advancement). It’s about getting decrepit processing plants like the Chevron refinery in Richmond – which has been shown to pollute far beyond what is considered a safe level – shut down or at least improved. It’s about recognizing that the problem *is* the system. And the only way to fix it is to destroy it.
Don’t misread me – I also believe that if we pollute to our heart’s content the system will eventually stabilize and the earth will live on. But make no mistake – It would be just as happy to continue without the human race as it would be to continue with the human race. These natural systems are our life support, and without them operating in a very delicate balance, we will either have to evolve, adapt, or die trying.
Also, there are many Christian socialists. Socialism isn’t anti-Christian, and any comment to the opposite effect is ludicrous. Authoritarian communism in Russia and China certainly had secularism as government policy, but not socialism. I personally believe one can be good to others without embedding themselves in the blood-drenched dogma of the Christian church, and that being Christ-like is not analogous to being Christian. But what do I know about socialism, I’m an Anarchist.
In the end, I believe Jay22 has a good heart, but is very naive. I truly do love the idea of a Utopia where capitalism is self-correcting and holds those accountable for their actions, but it has shown itself to be untrue. So, I will hold onto my beliefs, and radically resist corporations by minimizing my input into the capitalist system, and always fight for facts over rhetoric (honestly, it’s not happening, but I try).
responding to Jay22 is a waste of time. People have become so blinded by capitalism we don’t know that we’re blinded. I respect Stephanie because she is a constant reminder of undeniable truths like it or not.
How long can capitalism last realisticaly? It has to come down like an imploded building. Harsh words but true. But surviving within the system while trying to destroy it is strenous work.
Keep up the good work.
As an average ordinary person, as well as being a Christ-believer, I totally agree with jay22 that the whole global capitalist machinery is built upon human greed and the need to take advantage of another human being. We are all so far in it that I think it’s impossible to get out. How do we destroy human greed and the human lust for god-like power through own limited human minds and capabilities? For me, it is a spiritual problem. As the bible says: “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)
Dear Stephanie,
This was a very well written essay. I have recently discovered your very entertaining comic strip and have been catching up (to here Jan 2011 so far).
I would like to invite you to post also your future essays, or simply a link to the blog when you update, to the International Ecosocialist Network message board: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EI-Network/
Also two other good links for allies (and more links, reading material, and great stuff!):
http://ecosocialistnetwork.org/
http://www.ecosocialistsunite.com/index.html
Please also consider signing the Belem Ecosocialist Manifesto available at either site. Hopefully we can get some traction on organizing here in the US.
To the naysayers and apologists for Capitalism above, I have a few comments. Marx is remembered for the Communist Manifesto, but more important is “Capital” or “Das Kapital.” This treatise largely proves with math and economic forumulas that capitalism is unsustainable. Too much to go into here, but even without the ecological crisis, it would eventually destroy itself. What’s left over, however, may not be pretty. The current economic crisis fits Marx’s models perfectly. A good person for reading (or youtube watching) on this is Prof. David Harvey, if anyone cares to look him up.
And the Christian comment is just silly. Socialists don’t despise Christians, they (speaking for only some, really) largely think they are hypocrites. Jesus was one of the greatest socialists of all time. He hated wealth and privledge, and was working to build an organization to change the systems of power.
Just as silly, is this nonsense about not being able to change the system, becuase greed is human nature, and that’s just the way it is. Rubbish! No you can’t remove greed from the human psyche, but you don’t have to build an ecominic system around it. Love is also part of human nature; we can build a system around that instead. Surely Jesus would agree.