THE WEST OUT OF CONTROL
Posted by anthonynorth on October 10, 2007
Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, western culture is said to have gone from strength to strength. Capitalism is king, with affluence breaking out all over. However, the reality may not be quite what it seems.
On the down side, multi-nationals are becoming more powerful than countries, and in commanding the economy, they also command governments. And you can add many other problems to this.
Where do we start?
We could start with individuality rising above community, leaving so many people alone. We could start with the environmental damage being done to the planet. We could start with wars due to other cultures fearing for their existence.
And this is before mentioning rising crime, psychological problems out of control, and the average person having debts many times his annual income. Indeed, the drawbacks seem far in excess of the advantages.
But why has it all gone so wrong?
One answer is to go back to a conference at Mont Pelerin, Switzerland, in 1947. At the time, collectivism was rampant, and a number of intellectuals, headed by FA Hayek, met to devise an economic strategy to destroy it.
Including the likes of Popper and Friedman, think tanks were formed throughout the west, their influence leading to Reaganomics and Thatcherism, and the eventual economic victory over Communism.
It worked well, and went on to create today’s super-Capitalism. But the reality is, it was a weapon. It was a weapon that won. But it was a weapon that was never turned off. And when a weapon goes out of control, it ends up turning on the user.
© Anthony North, October 2007
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1poet4man said
What began as a weapon (your term), has morphed into a virus…and like it’s antecedent plagues, will rear the ugly part of its self over and over until…well I am not sure until when.
Poetman
anthonynorth said
Hi Poetman,
Good analogy. It isn’t that I’m anti-Capitalist. I’m not. It’s just the empire-building employed, destroying the level playing field and thinking solely of profit.
What is missing with this weapon/virus is moderation – the acceptance of other systems, other ways. It’s an ideology out of control. And we may not know when it will end, but you can be sure it will. Every system does.
But at what cost? That’s the problem.
writerchick said
Hey Anthony,
I’m not sure it is captialism so much as what seems to be a natural progression in societies and cultures. Just a few decades ago, most of the western world were still spinning along in the Industrial Age, but in the last decade or so we have morphed into the Information age – any westerner pretty much has the world at their fingertips and can access it at will. The newest and hottest comodity these days is information and by virtue of that, often people do not have to leave their homes, their desks or their computers to have a complete life. It has brought about immense isolation and naturally when one is isolated, they will constantly and continually look to themselves as the center of the universe, because in essense they are. What is the solution? No idea. Just an observation.
WC
anthonynorth said
Hi WC,
The process you speak of here is definitely happening, but I think it is happening alongside the process I’m getting at – maybe even as a continuance of it.
For instance, community began to collapse long before the internet, and it can’t really explain environmental damage or, for that matter, wars.
But the ages old need for some men – yes, usually men – to rule us all seems to be alive and well in the multi-nats. And if it is rearing its ugly head again through an ideology similar to a weapon …
But yes, certainly, the Information Age is presenting problems anew, too.
diamondsandrust said
Yes, and the weapon has now been resprayed with colourful graffiti to look interesting and inviting to those who can’t read the small print on it’s side. It has a new name too – It’s now called Globalization.
anthonynorth said
Hi Diamondsandrust,
And it’s such a nice word: ‘Globalisation’ – innocuous, welcoming, good.
Like a wolf in sheep’s clothing!
1poet4man said
Globalisation is the myth of – All of us are ONE – in One big happy family – each of us is only attempting to acquire enough sense (cents) to ensure prosperity…
I am not a Socialist, Marxist, or Communist, I am a little “d” democrat and a very definite capitalist…
But pigs will be pigs, and big pigs will be big pigs, and the forces of big money have little concern for the likes of a thoughtful capitalist such as myself, and even less concern for anybody without a enough money to buy a place at their Big Pig Table.
Poetman
anthonynorth said
Hi Poetman,
Have you been inside my head and retrieved my thoughts? 🙂
1poet4man said
Well no, at least I don’t think so 🙂
Poetman
tobeme said
Very interesting, thanks for sharing this view of the world.
anthonynorth said
Hi Tobeme,
You’re welcome.