The True Cost of Capitalism

From as far back as we have documented man has seen an increase in life’s comforts thanks to a redistribution of natures resources. We have displayed a level of creativity unmatched by any other species.

The resources have been valued and monetised dependent on their demand. Whether we agree this to be a sustainable model or a positive change for the global community is up for debate another time maybe. What we do know however, is that we have increased life expectancy and provided food, water and shelter for large portions of the modern world.

As undeniable as this fact remains for the western world it is also true that the other half are struggling to implement sustainable economic structures. Whatever the reasons are for these polarising global conditions, we would all struggle to see the sense in someone swapping their western comforts for a third world experience.

With that being said, it might come as a surprise to many that more people die globally from obesity than malnutrition. This fact may be hard to grasp when we consider the apparent lack of resources in developing countries. Perhaps indicating the excessive consumption of a capitalist west is more insidious than it appears.

Surprisingly, (according to CDC WISQARS Fatal Injury Reports) in the United States suicide rates have increased by 50% in males since the millennium began, outdoing their female counterparts 3 to 1. A popular reason for this is reportedly due to the financial strain commonly incurred by men. Also, in 2016, the World Health Organization reported the European suicide rate to be twice as high as Africa’s. This is an alarming statistic if we consider the disproportionate GDPs of the two continents.

So, despite the convenient nature of living conditions, if the western world is truly “progressive” then why are we statistically, physically and mentally, unhealthier than previous generations — what is the true cost of capitalism?

Let us explore the major revolutions that strengthened capitalism’s grip on society, looking at their impact on humans socially, physically and economically.

We can begin with the early agricultural revolution (10000 BC — 2000 BC). I have reason to believe that these dates given by competitive historians are very conservative, but we’ll go with these as it’s not of high importance.

This a period where man began to cultivate crops and build societies with permanent domestic structures. Man was able to establish larger communities and store food for barren periods. Thereby increasing life expectancy, domestic convenience and happiness. With inevitable hierarchy in the form of monarchy and rulership, down to the working man, being implemented, a greater potential for darkness in man’s mind grew.

Next came the industrial revolution (1760 AD — 1830 AD). The use of fossil fuels, especially coal, allowed us steamed engine boats and trains taking man to the ends of the world. Due to the increase of textiles peoples standard of living improved, again diversifying our means of happiness. Large corporations emerged due to huge financial gains, not to mention the unimaginable profits generated through the free labored transatlantic slave trade. This created more power for man over his fellow man, leaving a more toxic and competitive environment for the future generations. Hence, the adage of paying for the sins of our father.

20 years later would see the beginning of the second industrial revolution (1850 AD — 1914 AD). Once again man was using his innovation to grow industry and, in the process, bestowing conveniences onto huge number of the modern world. With the increased production of steel, cars, planes and trains became more accessible seeing a decrease in the cost of travel.

Arguably the most important advancements came with harnessing of electricity by numerous great men. None more greater in my opinion than Nikola Tesla. His inventions enabled power plants to energise whole cities, electro magnetic motor (of which we still use in our household appliances today) and wireless communication. These are just a few of around 300 patents credited to him.

As the resulting rich-poor divide grew a strong sense of competition was becoming ever more apparent in the shadow of capitalism.

In the three revolutions above we have leaned on more of their positive results as their benefits have been plentiful. We have been blessed with such appliances and I could go on to list many more. These are things that should be celebrated as an expression of mans creative spirit that has left us with pleasures and comforts known to no other generation.

However, I can’t help but identify a glaring hunch I have, with all this acclaim human industrial achievement receives through all educational institutes and media outlets. As we celebrate economy prospering a subtler voice is still struggling to be appreciated, this being the “TRUE” impact capitalism is having on the very foundation of community, THE FAMILY.

Nikola Tesla said:

“Now the soft-voiced gentle woman of my reverent worship has all but vanished, in her place has come a woman who thinks that her chief success in life lies in making herself as much as possible like man — in dress, voice and actions, in sports and achievements of every kind“

Not just an inventor, he was apparently very concerned about the order and cooperation essential to functioning of any hierarchical structure, none more so than the human community, which at is foundation is the family unit. Maybe, along with his dedication to his genius, this perceived imbalance in the changing nature of family values led to him never marrying, or fathering children. As we can see some prevalent features at the front of the feminist movement was already apparent in 1924.

Man (males) has always been prone to abuse his power being the most physically dominant of the genders and has resulted in the most violent period of history coinciding with the period of our greatest material advancements. Maybe we lost sight of the importance of family somewhere down this apparent rabbit hole of economy.

The violence of colonial warfare also manifested domestically where, maybe not physically, children have suffered from the neglect that was a result of this conflict in the form of broken homes and adult substance abuse. Also, although abundant in food supplies, our food’s content has become ever more devoid of nutrition responsible for a multitude of disease and illness, being replaced with genetically modified produce.

A major issue that seems to be rarely addressed is the ever-increasing competitive nature of the male and female, where historically, biologically and essentially it was one of compliment. While real self awareness and human interaction has been replaced with “things”, the capitalist drive for economic prosperity was leading us to a point where the male and female would inevitably start competing for ideological position, mano (mother) a mano (father). This would become endemic of a society that increasingly values economics and material gain over a cooperative community with family values at its core.

I have a friend who plays basketball professionally, he’s 6’10, 220lbs. Me being 5’10 we had the equal opportunity to become basketball players, but the outcome will more often than not remain loyal to our not so equal physical stature. With that being said, equal opportunity being firmly established, it would be disingenuous for a rational person to expect equal outcome.

In this scenario and in the backdrop of domestic competition, the obvious question is: if career is the primary focus in the education system who will be proficient in the raising of children? More on this shortly.

To wrap up this piece I wanted to take a look at the most recent revolution, the digital one (1975 AD — Present). We have great men like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Elon Musk that are pushing us still to greater levels of comfort. Some in the west are able to generate capital to fly to the other side of the world, enjoy any adrenaline fueled experience, taste the widest range of cuisine, indulge in a range of dopamine inducing highs and indulge in a world of wonder at their touch-screen fingertips.

See, here again, I find myself almost eulogising about the benefits that I undoubtedly appreciate, the point of this article is to ultimately determine who are most adversely affected and are the greatest “LOSERS” of a system that promises and delivers so much pleasure and “happiness”.

In this same society we see an increase in suicide rates, a decrease in fertility rates, virtual reality dependence, toxic relationships, pharmaceutical reliance, an increase of diverse gender and sexual identity — In 2018 a Human Rights Council article stated more than half of transgender boys between the aged of 11 and 19 that participated in the survey had attempted suicide — This being an alarming statistic, whether the cause be nature or nurture, gender issues/liberation are a long way from being definitively understood by mainstream science, and tragically may never be realised.

Many issues and new challenges are being risen by this ever-emerging culture. Which results in more uncertainty, and consequential confusion pushes chaos to the top of the bill.

If we were to ask ourselves ‘what is the most important job in the world?’ Only few would have the courage to disagree with the notion that the most frequent answer is that of raising a child. Whether we endorse a scientific stance and measure the inherited characteristics through interaction or genetics, or you endorse the theological stance that we pay for the sins of our fathers, both stances point essentially to be the same thing in my opinion. If this remains so, and whichever family model we choose to raise the next generation in, it maybe beneficial to consider:

• Are my desires directed toward happiness or meaning?

• Does my concerns primarily lie with what I put inside my body or what I decorate it with?

• In child rearing are we more inclined to emphasize career or parenthood?

• Is it possible to teach a girl to be a father or a boy a mother?

• What distinction is more desirable in your pursuit of a partner, someone who wants to keep a home or a person who pays to keep you at home?

• In the case that you were to have a child, are you as prepared/equipped for raising a family as you are proficient in your career?

In exploring the questions above we will undoubtedly give ourselves a chance to be more prepared for the future. I assume that consciously no human would choose harm over help, disease instead of health or chaos over order.

Here is where we find the answer to the question of child rearing proficiency. The academic institutions we all grow up in did very little to equip us for the duty an individual has to their offspring. Leaving a system where the most proficient and capable individuals are those who are paid for the labor of the greatest privilege and responsibility of child rearing, not the parents who are busy and misguided, from reception to university, to the pursuits that essentially bolster economy rather than the physical and mental health of the child. So sad but so evident.

Walter Lipmann, a 20th century journalist who referred to society as the “bewildered herd” where the role of the media is to put this herd in its proper place as “passive spectators” as opposed to “active participants”. At no point in history are we more equipped to heed this warning than today with nearly 6000 years of documented experience. In the age of information, ignorance is a choice. No one has the power the change the masses. But we can be a conscious individual and play our part as active participants in the solution to the problem of capitalism.

The cost of capitalism in regard to our people, the so called “black community”, (the reasons for calling the community “so called” is stated in my ‘Absent Truth’ article) has been one unmatched by the people of any other continent. Although all men have been lied to, we have been told the most amount of lies. Africa has the largest and most diverse reserves of natural resources of all major land masses, but yet remains the poorest continent by GDP only escaping the bottom of the list thanks to Antarctica.

If you don’t believe there is alternative history to be told you must believe then that Africans are innately incapable of managing their own resources due to cognitive inferiority to other racial groups. This being a subconscious idea I assume the majority of humans must endorse if they have not looked into alternative histories. As Damien Marley put it in an amazing song called Patience, you cant reminisce of a place you’ve never been/seen. Few people I meet of African origin are aware of our history pre 16th century.

This discovery of the potential of Africa’s resources resulted in “The scramble for Africa” which coincided with the industrial revolutions of the 18th to 20th centuries. This was the prelude to an unparalleled dehumanization (human zoos were still in operation in 1950s Belgium) of her people or any people in recorded history (apart from voices that are no longer heard due to the genocidal nature of colonisers). Leaving the people of Africa and those of her diaspora still battling with identity issues and forms of PTSD (see Dr. Joy De Gruys lecture on “post traumatic slave syndrome” on YouTube) that was a byproduct of relentless pursuit of power by European colonialists. This dehumanization is still insidiously propagated by the education systems across the world where the colonisers have implemented a euro-centric education system that is still upheld even after a countries celebrated “independence”.

As well as all the issues highlighted in this article impacting our black family, a crippling impact very few of our brothers and sisters are aware of is Africa’s place historically in the civilisation of the modern world. This idea naturally separates the average person who does no research beyond their state education, to the true value that Africa plays in the sustaining of many societies cultures today physically and spiritually. This would naturally result in an uplifting sense of identity that almost all races of people seem to maintain simply by celebrating the achievements of people that look like them.

When a person fails to identify with what they see in the mirror whether deformity or just not feeling like they subscribe to a standard of attractiveness idealised by popular culture, the mental and physical illnesses that can arise are so prevalent across society.

Black people’s self-esteem is not being uplifted by historical or current narratives and leaves it up to the individual to repair his ideas of a truth that all men were born equal. If we continue to measure this by an economic standard we will forever be bound to the rules set by men who serve capital as opposed to the most high (God, Jehovah, Allah, Consciousness) and you will judge yourself on personal wealth, rather than behaviors attached to the idea that we are at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder and cannot be validated without “things”.

This mindset and approach is essential, providing the most direct route to results as you will take full responsibility and not blame outside influences, of which we have no control, on our fulfilment of life, relieving negative subconscious of lack. And maybe, just maybe, more of our brothers and sister will stop running from a more substantial black identity.

As industry grows and life is becoming more defined by attachments and comforts, the seeking of this essential perspective is being evermore harder to grasp.

These characteristics of the black community has led to many adverse effects being maintained and even propagated by Her own people. This is engrained to such a degree no other race of people are as openly dismissive of their own identity, where Africa and her people arguably have the greatest reasons to be celebrated. So the true cost of capitalism on Africa’s children seems to have stripped them of the ability to reclaim her while other “races” have their way with her. Just ask China, India and Russia about Africa’s economic worth.

We will never be able to repair the cost of capitalism until me can reclaim the power to change its ideals and culture. Our peoples culture will be ours when we can control its direction. The reclamation begins one person awakening at a time.

If you are already on your journey to heal, we celebrate that. Or if this encourages you to begin, Absent Truth is a platform I’m sure can enrich your journey.

THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF MY OPINIONS AND PERSPECTIVES, AND I HOPE YOU THE READER HAS MANY OF YOUR OWN TO SHARE. IF YOU DO SO PLEASE COMMENT. I’VE REFERENCED A FEW SOURCES, FEEL FREE TO PUT ME ONTO NEW INFORMATION.

Kwasi Genus