Capitalism Wars: Episode I- What is Capitalism (and why do people oppose it)?

Seeing as it is my winter break until January 24th, I wanted to start a new series about the system of capitalism, why people oppose it, and different activists, groups, and aspects of the movement to bring it to an end.

Now, as I briefly referenced in my animal/earth/human liberation post, I (and Dr. Steve Best) believe that an underlying cause of the oppression of animals, the earth, and humans is the system of capitalism (defined as “an economic system in which the means of production are privately owned and operated for a private profit”) dominate in the Western world. That makes me, for all intents and purposes, an anti-capitalist; one of a global movement. “Anti-capitalist” is something of a blanket term (as pages like this suggest) for activists seeking to abolish capitalism in favor of a different economic system.

But why do people oppose capitalism? Well, different activists oppose it for various reasons. Ecofeminists (who count me among their ranks) say capitalism uses the natural world as just another commodity. Anarchists (well, some anarchists) oppose capitalism on the grounds that it promotes social domination and a hierarchical society. Socialists oppose capitalism in favor of a more cooperatively-run economy.

But why do I, your (hopefully) favorite blogger, oppose capitalism? Well, basically, I see a system that exploits its workers and screws over more people than it benefits (what else can happen when a small group of people own and run everything?), to say nothing of the environmental damage it causes or the lives (human and nonhuman) torn apart by it (BP Oil Spill, anyone?), as being a system that we, the earthlings, and our home, the Earth, could do without. But what are people doing about it?

Well, dear readers, that is a topic for Part 2 of this series. Later days!

~ by lunacoyote87 on December 27, 2010.

4 Responses to “Capitalism Wars: Episode I- What is Capitalism (and why do people oppose it)?”

  1. =/

  2. […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Holise Cleveland III. Holise Cleveland III said: RT @untilallarefree: #ALF Capitalism Wars: Episode I- What is Capitalism (and why do people oppose it)? http://goo.gl/fb/2SBmY […]

  3. An Alternative to Capitalism (which we need here in the USA)

    Athenaeum Library of Philosophy:


    John Steinsvold


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