WhatisCapitalism?

KnowYourEnemyRageAgainsttheMachine 2/1/2012LAVA AlexKnight,endofcapitalism.com

1. CapitalismisaGlobalSystemofAbuse

a) CommonSenseRadicalismspeaktothecoreissueinawayeveryonecan emotionallyunderstand b) Howdoesitfeeltoliveinacapitalistsystem?Likeanabusiverelationship. i. Theproblemthathasnoname. c) Socialandecologicaltrauma d) BPOilDisasterdemonstratessystem'slogic:profitoverall,totallackofaccountability

2. Power,Abuse,Resistance
a) b) c) d) PowerOverandPowerWith InternalizedOppressionvs.InherentNeedforSelfdetermination SystemsofAbuse/Oppression:Patriarchy,WhiteSupremacy,Class SomeFeaturesofClassSocieties: i. Inequalitythefewbenefitattheexpenseofthemany ii. Economicproductiondisconnectedfromhumanneed iii. Forcedlaborslavery,wageslavery iv. Stateviolencepunishment,repression v. Warfare,Conquest vi. Propaganda vii. Unsustainableecologicalabuse viii. Popularresistance e) CapitalismisthemostadvancedClassSociety

a) FinancialSpeculation b) CommodityTrading,Commodities c) WageLabor,WageLabor,WageLabor d) Enclosures:thelargest,butinvisiblepartoftheiceberg i. anyenergy,resourcesorlabortakenbyforceor withoutjustcompensation

3. Capitalism:PyramidofAccumulation

4. StagesofCapitalism:1492Present
a) MercantileCapitalism(14921793) i. LandEnclosuresdisplacementofEuropean smallfarmers ii. Colonization,Genocide iii. Slavery iv. WitchHuntsattackonwomen b) IndustrialCapitalism(17931971) i. Fossilfuel ii. MechanizedproductionRichardArkwright's steampoweredfactories iii. WorldWar iv. WelfarestaterisinglivingstandardsintheGlobalNorth

c) Neoliberalism(19712008) i. GlobalizationindustrymovestotheGlobalSouth,eliminationofalltradebarriers ii. Privatization/Deregulationattackonwelfare,riseofnonprofitindustrialcomplex, prisonindustrialcomplex,StructuralAdjustment iii. Computerizationextremeisolationoftheindividual iv. AstronomicalDebtriseofcreditcardindustry,studentloans,housingbubble d) ZombieCapitalism?(2008Present) i. Neoliberalismisdead.Yetitwalksamongstus? ii. Bailoutsarelifesupporttothetuneof$12Trillion iii. Austerity=cannibalismforeclosures,unemployment,cuttingservices,wages, benefits,retirement,etc.destroythebasisforthemassiveconsumptionproppingup theglobaleconomy

5. TheAddictionDilemma a) Leaveitwithmeanditwillkillme.TakeitfrommeandIwilldie.
b) c) d) e) SelfHatredisthepsychologicalnormundercapitalism AddictionisaresponsetoTraumastress,abuse,deprivationanddisplacement Asocialdisease,notapersonalfailing Selfdestructionvs.selfsufficiency

6. TheNeedforGrowth
a) Thesystem'sgreateststrengthisalso itsgreatestweakness b) InevitabilityofCrisistheShark c) TheProfitMotiveandthenecessity ofareturn

7. TheEndofCapitalism

a) EcologicalLimitstoGrowth:peakoil, peakuranium,peakwater,peak food,peaktransport,etc. b) SocialLimits:resistanceofeveryday people,everywhere.ArabSpring, Occupy,Chineseworkers. c) Recovery,Relapse,orRevolution?

RecommendedReadings: Federici,Silvia.CalibanandtheWitch:Women,TheBodyandPrimitiveAccumulation.
Autonomedia2004. Freire,Paulo.PedagogyoftheOppressed.1967. Heinberg,Richard.TheEndofGrowth.NewSociety2011. Klein,Naomi.TheShockDoctrine:TheRiseofDisasterCapitalism.2007. Mat,Gabor.IntheRealmofHungryGhosts:CloseEncounterswithAddiction.2008. Mies,Maria.PatriarchyandAccumulationonaWorldScale.ZedBooks1986. Turbulence.LifeinLimbo?Vol.5,December2009.www.turbulence.org.uk

AlexKnightistheeditorofendofcapitalism.comandiswritingthecoincidentallynamedbook"TheEndof Capitalism,"whicharguesthattheglobalcapitalistsystemisbreakingdownduetoecologicalandsociallimitsto growth,andwearetransitioningtoanoncapitalistfuture.AlexwasactiveinthenewStudentsforaDemocratic Society(SDS)from20062009,andnowspendsmostofhistimeorganizingwiththewonderfulpeopleofOccupy Philadelphia.