Not the other way round!
Global capitalism now has no serious rivals. But it could destroy itself
That subhead is dead posh, but has the benefit of brevity.
Basically it’s saying ‘There are too many of us. There are getting to be more and more each day. Most are getting richer. And they have few other outlets for their money than buying stuff that screws up the planet in the making (and using, in the case of airplanes, etc, because most rich, and not so rich, folk spend so much time working they have to rush about the planet in the few moments spare just to find more ways of blowing the excess dough).
This is the second time that elephant has been trumpeted this week. The last was a shrill lady from Transport 2000 (London, not-yet-parent, doesn’t cook much at home branch... ‘who needs cars?... we can all cycle!) on Newsnight, who the government and hence BBC seems to think represents all who care about our fair planet.
But you know what? I agree with you.
It is a pretty Pyrrhic victory if, having triumphed, you, or perhaps your heirs, don’t have much left to enjoy it in.
And there, to me, is the rub.
Time. And what ‘we’ do with it.
Our future is in our hands, but we do leave most of it to a rather odd, even unholy, alliance of government, business, various ‘groups’ and... the media to ensure it’s all going to work out OK in the end.
And at any one time they all hook up and fall out on various tribal, selfish and self-interested (with the odd smidge of altruism every so often) lines, such that historically one bloc has been pre-eminent until it isn’t.
Leaving aside nuclear Armageddon, we have now for the first time a potential global threat which rather demands that all these groups, in all their separate bases of operation, with all their various associated nuances (race, religion, etc)... cooperate.
I’m not feeling too encouraged at this point.
Most ‘isms’ are not really designed to cope with much on a planetary scale. It’s just competing to win locally. Trouble is, Mother Nature’s evolutionary design has hit a snag: there’s no more space to expand, and an awful lot of us are none to keen on dealing with that problem the old-fashioned Serengeti way. And having just hit fifty, I’m not too keen on them addressing it even locally, by making me today’s Soylent Green additive.
Personally, I think that little lot needs to be higher on the agenda by now than 4x4s, or even the terms of the next Kyoto’s location, but moving on....
I have to say of the ‘isms’ I actually think capitalism is in with the best chance, because it is most likely to throw up those with the desire and the means to act. I have to assume there are some squillionaire supermarket chiefs who do have kids and do worry about their futures almost as much as shareholder returns. Let’s just hope he or she is not the next Hugo Drax (no beard if it’s a her).
Speaking of beards there are some glimmers of this happening already, but I’m still trying to reconcile Mr. Branson saving the planet with Big Al at the same time as spending his next Bank Holiday in space (unless that tourist rocket is propelled by rubber bands).
And at least most capitalist systems are sort of democratic (for now), with sort of free - if no longer very effective, or trusted - presses (for now).
So if a bloke, or a lady, or a very small mixed bunch do start doing stuff for their own short-term personal interest at the expense of others, we can often still find out and try and stop them. In many cases, at least in the West (but not always), it can be without getting banged up or done in.
Davos has been mentioned, and here I must play my own devil’s advocate to the cause of ‘BIG’ business helping much at all - http://junkk.blogspot.com/2007/01/enjoy-today-tomorrow-is-looking-lot.html
But compared to the alternatives, in other countries and indeed our own political classes (who can see no further than their career and the next election, if that far – I do believe in a sorry twist that allotments are being dug up for someone’s next Olympian concrete folly), I’m afraid they are the best of a very bad lot. I just wish more would see fit to act while they are still establishing their power bases by raping the planet first, and not just once they have had their go and are seeking other outlets.
But there are those keen to DO something about it, and a little less of the talking.
It would indeed be good to get a few more.
How about you?
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