Dear Bamba,
Yours was interesting reading ,I do enjoy it.But let me say this,I do disagree
with you that the difference between this two economic systems are getting
less important.What I believed instead is that the very opposite is
happening.Let me say it this way,the capitalism system did not emerged out of
a vacuum,it develops from something and out of a deep desire of marking more
and more profit.This is the whole process that is dictating the development of
capitalism.This desire for more and more profit is what is making capitalism
more and more brutal and aggressive.We must remember that this fast
technological development only changes the condition of production,that is to
say good and better machines,but it has not change the nature of labour,that
is to say the labourer still work 8 hours or more to meet his /her basic
demands(food and shelter)and that they are not the owners of the profit that
comes out of what we produce,the new machines are demanding more and more of
our attention and energy at work.You are very right that capitalism has
changed since,to extend in form,but even here the change did not come out of a
vacuum,as I said ,such a change in capitalism is a product of the crisis that
capitalism has been undergoing and undergoing,new technology,more profit.But
this change does not make capitalism to be human.
But still it will be interesting to hear from you what actually did change in
capitalism that makes it so to say very close to socialism or could no more be
referred to as classical capitalism.
I might want to believe that you have globalisation in mind, among other
things.My view is that economic globalisation is not a new thing,it has only
developed to new heights.What is new now here is that the owners of capital
have succeeded in marking it possible among other things, to move their
capital anywhere in this world in search of more and more profit without any
hindrance,whether this is legislative or through human actions.
What I am trying to say is that the difference between capitalism and
socialism is not changing.The main objective of a socialist economy is to
change the human condition for the better,both at social,economic and all
aspect of life,make the human being a master at the point of production not a
an appendage to the machines.I believed,any economic system that did not have
as an objective of offering every individual,the means ,the possibility to
live a decent life is far from been nearer to socialism.
For Freedom
Saiks
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Tony, Hamjatta, Saiks and others,
My position on this issue is that we longer live in a world where one can
simply define, and therefore, distinguish between these two major economic
systems. With the advent of the new world order at the helm of rapid growth in
technology, it is becoming more and more difficult to classify any economy
along these two "extremes" as they prove to be in our time. Agree with me or
not, but the trend is that, as every single economic entity is striving to
make the best out of the rapid technological developments in other parts of
the world to strengthen their competitive positions, the distinction between
capitalist and socialist structure is becoming more blurred.
From my point of view, gone are the days when we can classify economies as
capitalistic or socialist. Instead there is a whole spectrum of different
stages of economic development be it from a socialistic or capitalistic stand
point.
Economic systems that are more likely to survive the time will make good use
of the best of Capitalism as well as the obvious benefits of socialism bearing
in tandem with technological growth.
I hope my point is clear enough.
Have a nice day.
Abdoulie A. Jallow
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter".
- Dr. M. L. King Jr.
-----Original Message-----
From: Tony Cisse <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Friday, January 14, 2000 8:53 AM
Subject: Re: Is capitalism working? -Reply
Jaajef Hamjatta,
It may well be, as you say, " Herculean to prescribe a credible and
workable alternative" to capitalism, but what choice do we have? The
article certainly shows that even with a very successful economy, an
"enlightened" leadership (well there is a debate about whether the
Clinton administration is enlightened or not, but it is probably more
towards "compassionate and regulated liberal economics" than the
Regan "market fundamentalism/radicalism") capitalism is still failing to
deliver the goods to the majority of it's citizens.
If this is the case in the most "advanced" capitalist country what
prospect is there of capitalism providing a solution to the problems
facing countries like Gambia?
Your vision of a model of Capitalism being " benign, compassionate and
regulated" is all very well, except the reality (especially as applies to
Africa) is probably more in line with Amadou Kabir Nijie's recent posting
on the diamond trade in Sierra Leone.
Don't get me wrong, I am not an economist and do not have a solution
"to hand". I have read Saiks's response to you on this, and I no longer
understand, in practical, concrete terms what is meant by "socialism" as
a model.
Maybe we should be debating in more precise, and in a less sloganistic
way, about economic models which would actually provide solutions to
the problems we are facing.
Right now there are people gambling on the futures markets,
speculating and making money from the Gambian groundnut harvest in
the year 2005, whilst the producers become the pawns in the game. In
fact these speculators would be well pleased if there was a drought or
disease effecting the crop as it would push prices (and their profits)
higher... how insane! How in the light of this do we find solutions, move
forward and develop?
For me, the problem with statements like yours when you ask " whether
there is a credible alternative to capitalism?" is that it reminds me of
the
fatalism and complacency expressed by Pangloss (Voltaire's Candide)
when he states that this is "the best of all possible worlds".
In reality we can't afford to be complacent that there is no alternative,
surely an essential part of what makes us human is the striving towards
new knowledge and finding new solutions?
Yeendul ak jaama
Tony
>>> Hamjatta Kanteh <[log in to unmask]> 13/January/2000 07:51pm
>>>
Tony,
Thanks for forwarding this piece. It made an interesting reading.
Another
example of how things have yet to be better the way we expect to
under
capitalism.
I just want to ask whether there is a credible alternative to
capitalism?
It is very easy to expose the shortcomings of turbo capitalism but
Herculean
to cite credible and practical alternatives. The beauty about capitalism
(by
capitalism I shall refer to it here to mean as compassionate and
regulated
liberal economics and not market fundamentalism/radicalism associated
with
the neo-liberals of the early 80's) is that it is progressive: it
harnesses
the full potentials of an able individual. An individual/family at the
bottom
of the ladder say in 1980, could be classified as middle class or even
upper
class nouveau riche 1999.
Capitalism benign, compassionate and regulated could bring out the
best
in man. It is precisely this that Marx overlooked in his analysis
capitalism:
that it (capitalism) could reinvent itself according to the moods that
suits
a particular time. So it is easy to diagnose capitalism's swashbuckling
proclivities, but Herculean to prescribe a credible and workable
alternative.
This reminds me what the Historian Louis Namier said of Marx: that he
got the
diagnosis right but with the prescription went wide off the mark. Marx
was
fuller of truth but mistaken.
Good day to you.
Hamjatta Kanteh
hkanteh
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