There’s a discordant note in the title of distinguished journalist William Greider’s new book about fundamental problems of American political and economic life. Does capitalism have a soul? No, Greider acknowledges, but he thinks it could and believes very tentative efforts are under way in this country to implant one, even if the host doesn’t want it. As evidence, he writes,… return to article
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Reader Comments (6)Page 1 of 1 pagesAn excellent review.
I suspect that Bill Greider is a little overly optimistic about the possibility of “reform” within capitalism. We have had many of these currents (Maslow’s theories, worker participation, ESOPs, theory Y, Likert’s matrix, etc.) flowing around and through capitalism throughout the last century or more. But they have always been marginalized by the power of the corporate culture and the assumed reality, if not spoken out loud until very recently, that everything is subservient to this quarter’s profits.
While he mentions it as a positive development, I think that worker owned and managed cooperatives represent the only sustainable, long lived corporate enterprise that will provide human scale and community-centric sensibilities within a market based economy. All other “private enterprises” should be limited to sole proprietorships and traditional partnerships which survive only as long as all their members are alive.
Bill’s book is, however, a great insight into the many good ideas and perhaps Quixotic efforts of intelligent and committed humanists and activists trying to bring sanity to the frequently sterile, usually narrow-focused and short-sighted, and often inhuman world of modern corporatism.
Posted by Norm Conrad on Mar 5, 2004 at 12:51 AM William Greider’s book is a liberal approach to our country’s problems.
What we need is a progressive approach based upon an anti-capitalist, pro-socialist agenda.
Moberg in his review suggests, “But the idea that there might be another way to organize societyís work, wealth and consumption seems incomprehensibly alien to most Americans todayóand must grow out of their present conflicts, not a forgotten past.”
Capitalism’s inability to do anything except make the owners of capital wealthier off the labor of workers who continue to become more impoverished is the source of our problems.
The struggles of the past have not been forgotten by the people as Moberg suggests. These strugles have intentionally been erased from the history books by those who profit from the system and benefit from controlling workers.
We need to abolish capitalism as we struggle for reforms, not to save this rotten capitalist system but to replace it with socialism.
The struggle continues, the class struggle… as we fight for a better future without capitalism it is important to understand and learn from the struggles of the past.
Posted by Alan L. Maki on Mar 5, 2004 at 10:59 PM William Greider’s book is a liberal approach to our country’s problems.
What we need is a progressive approach based upon an anti-capitalist, pro-socialist agenda.
Moberg in his review suggests, “But the idea that there might be another way to organize societyís work, wealth and consumption seems incomprehensibly alien to most Americans todayóand must grow out of their present conflicts, not a forgotten past.”
Capitalism’s inability to do anything except make the owners of capital wealthier off the labor of workers who continue to become more impoverished is the source of our problems.
The struggles of the past have not been forgotten by the people as Moberg suggests. These strugles have intentionally been erased from the history books by those who profit from the system and benefit from controlling workers.
We need to abolish capitalism as we struggle for reforms, not to save this rotten capitalist system but to replace it with socialism.
The struggle continues, the class struggle… as we fight for a better future without capitalism it is important to understand and learn from the struggles of the past.
Posted by Alan L. Maki on Mar 5, 2004 at 10:59 PM William Greider’s book is a liberal approach to our country’s problems.
What we need is a progressive approach based upon an anti-capitalist, pro-socialist agenda.
Moberg in his review suggests, “But the idea that there might be another way to organize societyís work, wealth and consumption seems incomprehensibly alien to most Americans todayóand must grow out of their present conflicts, not a forgotten past.”
Capitalism’s inability to do anything except make the owners of capital wealthier off the labor of workers who continue to become more impoverished is the source of our problems.
The struggles of the past have not been forgotten by the people as Moberg suggests. These strugles have intentionally been erased from the history books by those who profit from the system and benefit from controlling workers.
We need to abolish capitalism as we struggle for reforms, not to save this rotten capitalist system but to replace it with socialism.
The struggle continues, the class struggle… as we fight for a better future without capitalism it is important to understand and learn from the struggles of the past.
Posted by Alan L. Maki on Mar 5, 2004 at 11:00 PM William Greider’s book is a liberal approach to our country’s problems.
What we need is a progressive approach based upon an anti-capitalist, pro-socialist agenda.
Moberg in his review suggests, “But the idea that there might be another way to organize societyís work, wealth and consumption seems incomprehensibly alien to most Americans todayóand must grow out of their present conflicts, not a forgotten past.”
Capitalism’s inability to do anything except make the owners of capital wealthier off the labor of workers who continue to become more impoverished is the source of our problems.
The struggles of the past have not been forgotten by the people as Moberg suggests. These strugles have intentionally been erased from the history books by those who profit from the system and benefit from controlling workers.
We need to abolish capitalism as we struggle for reforms, not to save this rotten capitalist system but to replace it with socialism.
The struggle continues, the class struggle… as we fight for a better future without capitalism it is important to understand and learn from the struggles of the past.
Posted by Alan L. Maki on Mar 5, 2004 at 11:01 PM What we need is a fixed democracy (through, among other things, proportional representation, full public financing of campaigns, media reform, and better civic education) so that the people can actually decide whether they want a socialist or capitalist economy. personally, i think a capitalist economy is here to stay. it is possible to have socially responsible businesses, especially using cooperative models. (e.g. www.sweatx.net) few deny that the profit motive is a powerful pusher of creativity. however, the profits must be shared with all workers. call it a more socialist form of capitalism, but capitalism nevertheless.
Posted by Phil on Mar 11, 2004 at 1:21 PM Page 1 of 1 pages -
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