second Coffee Den Tuesday, July 28, 2009 FIRST What alternatives to capitalism? Hosted by Patrick Knorr
The debate was introduced by excerpts from the book by Hervé Kempf
"How the Rich are Destroying the Earth " (Editions du Seuil, 14 €.)
" (...) A predatory and greedy ruling class, wasting his living, misuse of power, an obstacle course which change is needed urgently. It does not project is animated by any ideal, not issue a rallying call. Having defeated the Soviet system, the neoliberal ideology does not know what s'autocélébrer. Almost all spheres of power and influence are subject to its pseudo-realism, which claims that any alternative is impossible and that the only conceivable way is leading to ever increasing wealth.
This representation of the world is not only sinister, she is blind. It ignores the explosive power of injustice, underestimates the severity of the poisoning of the biosphere, promotes the reduction of civil liberties. She is indifferent to the deterioration of living conditions of the majority of men and women willing to do squander chances of survival of future generations. "
THEN THE DEBATE IS ON: That's what was said by an art-and others: Everything can be learned but no policy courses in Education. So there is a depoliticization mass of people transformed into obedient, which is a fundamental problem.
Yes, but not in the mass, we can act on its own scale to make things happen.
It teaches economics at school, but what kind of economy?
education makes us young soldiers. Capitalism that the economy is in the hands of those who do not produce.
system, it participates in all developing individualism, giving bread and games. This is not a problem of education is an issue proposals and values. How do people want change society?
We are on earth to work but we must give new meaning to capitalism. Work has lost its recognition that he could give to man.
70 years ago, the man was working to feed his family, today he works for the superfluous. That is a problem of values.
To return to the topic tonight what are our alternatives? The refusal of the consumer society has long existed, in the early 70s (communities, ....). Examples of initiatives are numerous:
- short circuit
distribution - self-build
- Energy independence
- sharing knowledge
- local currency or barter for services exchanged
- microcredit
- pooled procurement, pooling of equipment
- solidarity economy, SCOP
... In the streets of Colmar there is an establishment exchange of services between neighbors. For this to work, there is the necessity of the encounter, knowledge and respect between people.
That's the social bond, which is the basis of everything. We need to revive local democracy.
There is thus an important role of the politician but there is also a problem of choice in light of the current offer. This
is also due to the political attitude of each, were elected officials we deserve.
These are personal actions that will connect to create the next revolution.
The capitalist system no longer needs the policy, it can live independently.
The current crisis demonstrates, it must regulate capitalism by obvious measures:
- removal of pension funds
- coaching credits.
Salary is the basis of capitalism. We exist by our salary allows us to live. This wage has declined in recent decades. There are more and more wealth and less and less work.
must be created the income history.
must reflect the amount of salary compared to a real reduction of working time which frees up time to evolve.
Historically, there is a need for collective work for the survival of the human face of adversity. This spirit of survival, encouraged by these difficulties, will make a difference.
Is there an alternative to capitalism? It is not necessarily a replacement system but it is the individual or local actions will eventually lead to a new political project.
is a value problem. The work is become a value as the emergence of the industrial world. Family for example has long been a core value. Only emergency
will move people. How does it happen to make people aware? Today, perhaps the Greens who have the opportunity and they should seize it.
What is capitalism and what we gene in this system? He does not know
share equitably.
Evil is the property but the property is also the dynamics of society.
There is a large force of imitation of the capitalist system.
We must speak of decline, this is no longer heretical even if it shines a lot of people. What
defined wealth today? Is the GDP, which mean nothing.
An example of an alternative is the proposed conversion Ecological Society (The Greens) which covers the following areas:
- Contribution climate / energy
- Transport
- Improving the energy performance of buildings
- Conversion of basins jobs to renewable energy industries
- Change of aid to agriculture
Obama seems to have adopted this type of social project. Denmark's long experiment.
The only alternative is between capitalism and Marxism.
must combine the individualism that is necessary for some areas and collectivism.
Capitalism does not work, Marxism either. We must find a compromise solution such as in small tribes of Native Americans. It is the human fact that has frustrated the global systems, only small communities can regulate this problem.
It takes three-joint of the company:
-
economic - political
- civil society
Today there is an imbalance between these components, stifles economic. We must restore its place in civil society.
The problem is not wealth, is that although part of the wealthy, we are not happy in this society.
Wealth is still a problem because it is always at the expense of someone.
Primitive societies were well organized ruined by contact with other tribes and especially by the confiscation of some information. This confiscation continues in our society where information is controlled by capital.
There is often blocked because the citizen is placed in situations of fear with a heavy responsibility of the media in the hands of s into the system.
Mutualism is a real alternative to capitalism.
Unfortunately, there was degeneration of the French banking system which was originally mutualist.
However, the social economy is still living in France especially in the areas of insurance and social protection. It offers in addition to working conditions more favorable to employees. This system works
(SCOP, cooperatives ...) and it might work in all areas (eg schools cooperatives).
change will come from above, it will come from humans. We have to stop capitalizing must be changed individually. (synthesis performed by François Herrb)