This series of articles is not about capitalism-bashing.
For all its shortcomings, capitalism has fostered an unrivaled explosion of human creativity and prosperity.
However, the social and economic system under which we live today is very different from the simple set of principles once called capitalism.
The shift capitalism has taken is profoundly and negatively affecting our spirituality, our ethics, our virtue, and our morality.
Some Background In its simplest, and purest form, capitalism yoked together the well being of the community and the well being of the individual.
When capitalism is expressed in this form, an individual is able to serve the well-being of the whole, while at the same time, serving the well-being of self.
The principles are simple: allow freedom to individuals and companies from central economic planning.
Allow individuals to find a real need or a real want in the community, and let them meet that need as efficiently and as inexpensively as possible.
The community needs a consistent source of wheat, or barrels, or denim, or baked bread.
Figure out how to meet that need as efficiently, as inexpensively as possible, and sell to people with a tidy profit built in.
In the process, serve the needs of the community, and make a profit for yourself.
The dangers built right into the system compel us to do our best work.
If our assessment of the community's need or the want is inaccurate, we spend a bunch of money and energy to provide the need, but nobody buys our goods or services.
We lose our shirt.
Also, if our manufacturing process is inefficient, and somebody else figures out how to do things faster, cheaper, better, then people will buy from our competitor instead of us, and again, you'll lose your shirt.
The beauty of this simple system is in the balance of freedom and risk.
The combination works to assure that people do their best thinking and their best work in the service of the community, and in the service of self.
And the system worked! It worked like a charm! So well, in fact, that it worked itself out of a job.
At some point after Word War II, most people in our nation (with notable exceptions) had their material needs, and many of their wants met.
What was needed to live satisfactory material lives had been provided.
Most people had their clothing, shelter, and food needs met.
As a whole, we had kitchens with refrigeration, agricultural systems to stock our grocery stores with affordable goods, and even many modern conveniences.
However, the economic system under which we Americans live today bears only a slight resemblance to this older version of capitalism.
Few consider the implications of the shift that has happened around us, particularly the negative effects on our spiritual, moral, and ethical values.
For all its shortcomings, capitalism has fostered an unrivaled explosion of human creativity and prosperity.
However, the social and economic system under which we live today is very different from the simple set of principles once called capitalism.
The shift capitalism has taken is profoundly and negatively affecting our spirituality, our ethics, our virtue, and our morality.
Some Background In its simplest, and purest form, capitalism yoked together the well being of the community and the well being of the individual.
When capitalism is expressed in this form, an individual is able to serve the well-being of the whole, while at the same time, serving the well-being of self.
The principles are simple: allow freedom to individuals and companies from central economic planning.
Allow individuals to find a real need or a real want in the community, and let them meet that need as efficiently and as inexpensively as possible.
The community needs a consistent source of wheat, or barrels, or denim, or baked bread.
Figure out how to meet that need as efficiently, as inexpensively as possible, and sell to people with a tidy profit built in.
In the process, serve the needs of the community, and make a profit for yourself.
The dangers built right into the system compel us to do our best work.
If our assessment of the community's need or the want is inaccurate, we spend a bunch of money and energy to provide the need, but nobody buys our goods or services.
We lose our shirt.
Also, if our manufacturing process is inefficient, and somebody else figures out how to do things faster, cheaper, better, then people will buy from our competitor instead of us, and again, you'll lose your shirt.
The beauty of this simple system is in the balance of freedom and risk.
The combination works to assure that people do their best thinking and their best work in the service of the community, and in the service of self.
And the system worked! It worked like a charm! So well, in fact, that it worked itself out of a job.
At some point after Word War II, most people in our nation (with notable exceptions) had their material needs, and many of their wants met.
What was needed to live satisfactory material lives had been provided.
Most people had their clothing, shelter, and food needs met.
As a whole, we had kitchens with refrigeration, agricultural systems to stock our grocery stores with affordable goods, and even many modern conveniences.
However, the economic system under which we Americans live today bears only a slight resemblance to this older version of capitalism.
Few consider the implications of the shift that has happened around us, particularly the negative effects on our spiritual, moral, and ethical values.
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