“we are not blind! We are men and women with eyes and brains...and we don't have to be driven hither and thither by the blind workings of The Market, or of History, or of Progress, or of any other abstraction."
We can observe events unfolding all around the world keeping our discussion group theme in mind. The post-election violence in Kenya, for example, is portrayed by capitalist media as tribal in nature, with little reference to neo-colonialist success in setting up a capitalist economy upon Kenya's liberation from direct colonial rule, occupation and a colonial-capitalist exploitive economy. A success widely attributed to using one tribe and its associates to govern in the interests of Great Britain and transnational corporations based in Europe. Our discussion group's reading list should include World on Fire: How Exporting FreeMarket Democracy Breeds Ethnic Hatred and Global Instability by Amy Chua
From yet another recommended book, For the Common Good by Herman E. Daly and John B. Cobb Jr.
"A political community cannot be healthy, if it cannot exercise a significant measure of control over its economic life."
Returning to the kid in the opening paragraph that came to hear about capitalists and later capitalism; he grew into a young musician extremely busy practicing his scales, captivated by the beauty of music, and had little time to try to understand political economy. When he did ask questions, older students would advise him to “Just practice Man - n’ stick to your horn!”
The army draft and a million dead Koreans made him less accepting of a murderous immorality of mass life-taking lies put out by the power brokers of the status quo. (To be continued),
Margaret Mead encourages, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
And Anne Frank, "How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single minute before starting to improve the world."
Let us enjoy our camaraderie while discussing the serious theme before us.
Bibliography:
When Corporations Rule the World, David Korten, 2001
One World Ready Or Not - The Manic Logic of Global Capitalism, William Greider, 1997
The Growing Power of Big Business, Duncan MacLaren and Ian Willmore openDemocracy February 20, 2003
Economic Sharing: A Shift In Global Values, Rajesh Makwana, Copyright 2007 Share The World's Resources (www.stwr.net)
Small Is Beautiful - Economics as if People Mattered, E. F. Schumacher, 1973
World on Fire: How Exporting Free Market Democracy Breeds Ethnic Hatred and Global Instability" by Amy Chua, 2004
Capitalism – a threat to life on Earth Discussion Group,
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