Is capitalism
destroying the fabric of our society?
Peter Joseph,
the founder of
the Zeitgeist Movement, argues
that it is. His philosophy is at the center of Abolishing
Capitalism, an 'Empire Files' documentary hosted by
acclaimed journalist Abby Martin.
The film is essentially a long form interview with Joseph as he
sounds off on a variety of topics, including banks, the stock
market, debt, and class division.
In his view,
capitalism is a scourge that has eroded our capacity for
empathy.
It promotes the irrational consumption of goods and
services, shamelessly appeals to our primal need for social
inclusion, and corrupts in its ability to reshape our
priorities.
In the process, it
sets the stage for bringing out our worst misogynistic, racist
and exclusionary instincts. Advertising is the means by which
the system is able to perpetuate itself.
The average person often fails to recognize the cancer of
capitalism.
By design, the
process is covert and muddied in complexity. The movers and
shakers of the financial industry in the United States - the
Wall Street traders and tycoons - create nothing. They merely
make money from money...
The elite line their
pockets with increasing bundles of wealth while the lower and
middle classes continue to struggle. Corporations are
equally ruthless in their attempts to exploit the vulnerable
masses.
In one such scenario, Joseph exposes a major company
that takes out life insurance policies on its employees.
Every aspect of the
financial sector is driven by profit, including the sanctity of
life and death itself.
Joseph extends these grievances to the state of the world's
underdeveloped countries, global starvation and poverty, and the
degradation of the environment.
It's not all doom and gloom, however. His message is also
aspirational.
Collectively, our
best and brightest have the power to transcend the capitalistic
model, fully commit to the promise of renewable energy, conserve
our precious resources, dismantle class divides and cure
societal ills.
Abolishing Capitalism offers no counter argument to Joseph's
assertions.
But it does provide
viewers with concepts that are worthy of careful thought and
debate, and which might inspire activism for change.
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