money, power, greed, colonialism and exploitation

[ChairmanMah]

generally speaking, if europeans did make way to systems such as real estate, patents, etc. that gave rights to owners of their properties. does that say that they are more greedy?

i've heard a stereotype that chinese people are greedy but i can't help but think that these european systems are the most greedy, vicious and self serving.

i thought of this after i read an article about dr. thomas chang who was a researcher who is accredited to the first artificial cell.

At the time he made this discovery the u.s. patent office said that it was not patentable because it was a replica of nature. But now, other companies have used his research to their own financial gain.

Some have said that he lost out on his own idea to others.

Dr. Chang said in an interview that he doesn't mind and he hopes it paves the way for others to help people.

http://ww2.mcgill.ca/alumni/news/w96/chang.htm

I think this is admirable that he takes this "dalai lama" stance on the subject.

are europeans naturally more adept to being more selfish, greedy because they feel they must always expoit something for their own financial gain or does this mentality cross all types of people?

[Cipherous]

I don't think you can say the European system is responsible, I think its the greed and power that drives the actions that is responsible.

Afterall, it is evident in all humanity. Where there is the weak and helpness, the strong will exploit them for profit. Sure, there are some noble people amongst the strong that will stand up for the weak but theres not enough so to make a real difference.

I am sure if Asians were on top, there'd be just as many problems (if not more) in the world today.

[AliBabaIncorporated]

i'm with cipherous. everyone's greedy.

The europeans just happened to stumble across a system whereby greed could be rewarded without harming other people so much: capitalism (with all those private property rights you decry; you forget that without them, we'd be back to the strong killing the weak and stealing their land and women whenever they got the urge). Under every other system, greed could only be satisfied by stealing directly from the people. Under capitalism, you have to do something at least marginally useful to some people in order to earn your millions.

[Cipherous]

i'm with cipherous. everyone's greedy.

The europeans just happened to stumble across a system whereby greed could be rewarded without harming other people so much: capitalism (with all those private property rights you decry; you forget that without them, we'd be back to the strong killing the weak and stealing their land and women whenever they got the urge). Under every other system, greed could only be satisfied by stealing directly from the people. Under capitalism, you have to do something at least marginally useful to some people in order to earn your millions.

I wouldn't say capitalism is a system where there isn't much harm. Afterall, 50% of the world lives on just 2 dollars per day and the top 1% of the world own like 90% of the world's economy. If anything capitalism has streamlined exploitation without the actuall pulling of any triggers or without any swords being drawn. Instead guns being pointed at your head, its the threat of taking away whats in your pockets. Which is worse...going from a lavish life to a poor existance (relatively speaking of course) or just being shot dead? I am sure many would pick the latter. Would people give up their luxuries for the good of others? Would most people? I dunno...by the way the world is going...it doesn't seem like it.

People are so used to only seeing whats obvious that they sometimes forget theres no difference between being forced to do something or being tricked into doing something.

[AliBabaIncorporated]

I wouldn't say capitalism is a system where there isn't much harm. Afterall, 50% of the world lives on just 2 dollars per day and the top 1% of the world own like 90% of the world's economy. If anything capitalism has streamlined exploitation without the actuall pulling of any triggers or without any swords being drawn. Instead guns being pointed at your head, its the threat of taking away whats in your pockets. Which is worse...going from a lavish life to a poor existance (relatively speaking of course) or just being shot dead?
Who has gone from a lavish life to a poor existence? You're making a false accusation here. Why is capitalism to blame for the fact that there are poor people in non-capitalist countries in Africa and Central Asia whose economies suffer from all sorts of government interference and corruption? Living on $1 a day was hardly a situation created by capitalism; it was the fate of 100% of the world's population save a few kings and chieftains, UNTIL capitalism came along. It wasn't as if Sub-Saharan Africa had a high standard of living and then Evil Whitey only got rich cuz he came in and stole their wealth. No other economic system produced growth and greater efficiency in uses of resources ANYWHERE in the world; at least capitalism produced growth and greater efficiency in uses of resources at some places in the world.

[Cipherous]

Who has gone from a lavish life to a poor existence? You're making a false accusation here. Why is capitalism to blame for the fact that there are poor people in non-capitalist countries in Africa and Central Asia whose economies suffer from all sorts of government interference and corruption? Living on $1 a day was hardly a situation created by capitalism; it was the fate of 100% of the world's population save a few kings and chieftains, UNTIL capitalism came along. It wasn't as if Sub-Saharan Africa had a high standard of living and then Evil Whitey only got rich cuz he came in and stole their wealth. No other economic system produced growth and greater efficiency in uses of resources ANYWHERE in the world; at least capitalism produced growth and greater efficiency in uses of resources at some places in the world.

If any system has money or any form of credit, its capitalism. which begs the question we known any other system of trade? You'd be surprised how much true communism and capitalism ,where everybody has the same power and amount of money, have in common. However, we all don't have the same amount of power and money.

Don't get me wrong, modern capitalism is not entirely to blame for the woes of the world. Capitalism is basically everyman for himself without few restraints much like Darwinism. If everybody had the same amount of money and power, then capitalism would be conducive to the progression of every man. However, that is not the case, you can distinctly see a disparity of monumental portions between the rich and poor. Just as the days of Kings, emperors and chieftains, nothing really has changed with the exception of technology.

You have to admit that alot of societies had to adapt and change their culture to fit into the capitalistic world. There had to be phlight and misery to change. For instance, the opium war where the British forced the Chinese to buy opium because they had nothing else to trade. When the Chinese refused to buy opium and threatened to kick the British out, the British declared war. The chinese couldn't compete with the guns and cannons of the British, thus they had to change their culture and adapt to the British to survive. Thus, you see what modern day China has become.

can you blame agricultural countries to compete with those of capitalistic countries? And blame their failure on them entirely? European countries colonized basically the entire world and upset the balance of civilization and the balance of social systems. You can't just expect countries such as Zimbabwe to drop every aspect of its culture and society and conform to everything that is European. When the European powers left, its not the people that came into power. Its those military generals and greedy pieces of shit that were 2nd to the Europeans that came into power. Thats why you see all the war and poverty in such countries.

Capitalism is a great system with those who already have the money and power such yourself and even me. Thats why we're extolling it because we have benefitted so much. Just by having a computer, having an American education, you're more than likely to be in the upper 5% of the entire world.

As for the rise of living standards and the "efficient" use of resources, I give credit to technology and education not necessarily capitalism. Go look any papers on cooperative game theory and non-cooperative game theory, you will see that modern capitalism is not efficient. Why? The biggest payoff is acheived when everybody has equal bargaining power,its the sublime state where its the most efficient. As I stated before, it is not the case, there is clearly a disparity between the rich and the poor, the very few elite control the economy and the rest are just to follow.

[Chester]

generally speaking, if europeans did make way to systems such as real estate, patents, etc. that gave rights to owners of their properties. does that say that they are more greedy?
No, that would be silly.

After all, the Chinese were very good at perfecting feudalism and autocratic oppression all on their own.

[kasia]

moving to rant.