- 23 Oct 2015 18:06
#14612159
Indeed, rather as the feudal elite of the late Middle Ages absorbed many of the elements of capitalism into itself in order to survive, elements which eventually became so dominant that they were able to initiate the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions of the 18th and 19th centuries in Britain, which laid the foundations of the modern world in which we now live. A similar process occurred during the transition from the slave-based economy of late antiquity to the feudal system of medieval Europe - the ruling elites had no choice but to gradually transform themselves in order to survive. As Lampedusa put it, "If we want things to stay the same, then things must change." This is probably how humanity will transition from capitalism to socialism - as the capitalist system begins to collapse due to increasingly severe structural crises (of which the 2008 financial crash was only a foretaste), it will become increasingly necessary to introduce socialist or at least quasi-socialist policies in order to sustain the moribund system for as long as possible. After all, what else was the banking bailout but an example of socialism for the rich?
Late-Stage Capitalism takes more and more elements of Socialism unto itself to maintain power, at least the superficial forms or symbols of Socialism along with other oddball ideologies like Social Democracy, without any actual substance.... A bit like moving the deck chairs about on the Titanic I guess.
Indeed, rather as the feudal elite of the late Middle Ages absorbed many of the elements of capitalism into itself in order to survive, elements which eventually became so dominant that they were able to initiate the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions of the 18th and 19th centuries in Britain, which laid the foundations of the modern world in which we now live. A similar process occurred during the transition from the slave-based economy of late antiquity to the feudal system of medieval Europe - the ruling elites had no choice but to gradually transform themselves in order to survive. As Lampedusa put it, "If we want things to stay the same, then things must change." This is probably how humanity will transition from capitalism to socialism - as the capitalist system begins to collapse due to increasingly severe structural crises (of which the 2008 financial crash was only a foretaste), it will become increasingly necessary to introduce socialist or at least quasi-socialist policies in order to sustain the moribund system for as long as possible. After all, what else was the banking bailout but an example of socialism for the rich?
"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies." - Marx (Groucho)