CAN WE ACHIEVE A SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE VARIANT OF CAPITALISM?

             IS THERE A SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE VARIANT OF CAPITALISM?

                                                by Tom Leonard

Here are a few very informal thoughts, which I will record whenever 

they occur to me. They include input from a variety of sources. 

(1) With its roots in the Industrial Revolution, Capitalism has failed 

because it focuses us on monetary profit, and needs to exploit and

 mistreat the workers in order to make a consistent profit. The strike

 and strong trade unions in the UK of the 1970s was followed by the neo-

liberalism  which combined with the austerity of the 21 st.century.

Reagan's and Thatcher's mutual admiration society was

 largely responsible for this. Neo-liberalism may have been initiated by a

 speech by Prime Minister James Callaghan in 1976.

(2) In principle, a democratic government and local councils that control

 our private companies by appropriate social constraints and nationalises

essential services could be made to work. Unfortunately, most politicians

 are self-seeking and cliquey, and many are corrupt.

(3) If political systems fail in socio-economic terms, then the politicians

 go to war since this is the only way of apparently redeeming 

themselves. We are experiencing that, yet again, at this very moment

and the devastation to ordinary people and our climates continues to be 

immense.

(4) Most scientists are in the pockets of the politicians and vested interests.

 While many scientific "advances" are pivotal to our future, many others amount to

 money-spinning pseudo science. Much of medical, in particular psychiatric,

 research is similar,

(5) Any socially acceptable variant of Capitalism would need to accommodate

 (e.g.in the workplace) the growing number of our citizens with mental health issues

 and to find, hopefully holistic, treatments which actually work while causing minimal

 physical harm,

(6) Anarchism sounds good, but it didn't work in Barcelona in 1936. In the UK, the

 diehard Tories could get re-elected within anarchist democracy anyway. Anarchists

 also failed in Edinburgh a year or so back when the Autonomous Centre of

 Edinburgh on Brunswick St. closed after becoming tainted with TERF

 sympathisers. ACE once had a powerful local influence. It had historical links

 during the 1990s with the LGBT activists when both were housed on Broughton St.

 Some socialists still regard anarchism as the Utopian final stage of communism,

 but that's just a futuristic pipedream.

(7) The U.S. (as it exists ATM) will always screw over anything we try to modify

 Capitalism in the UK.

 

(8) So far my answer to my key question is NO  (27th August 2022)

(9) We may be heading for a Mad Max society within the next few decades where

 productive grass roots groups are hounded and shot to pieces by alt right fascists

 who still want to live off the gravy. Is there anything we can still do to avoid that?

(10) Will the Churches of England and Scotland outlive colonialist Capitalism? No,

 because they're steeped in it.

(11) Any new society would need to accommodate people of all genders and

 orientations within all-accepting social structures. Such structures or communities

 should accommodate alternative and extended families but also single, though

 possibly gregarious, people who want to stay single, They may or may not be

 involved in multiple relationships. Most churches are too prejudiced in their

 dogmas to be able to preach in these terms.

(12) To address the key question, politicians really need a deep basic

 understanding of practical economics, including long term economics, in both

 qualitative and quantitative terms. Unfortunately a huge number of factors need to

 be considered, and economic experts will invariably differ. The discernment of long

 term trends is an essential issue.

(13) In Britain, our Welfare State, including the NHS, was largely funded by our

exploitive colonialism. If our former colonies stop us exploiting them, then it is

 completing unclear how we will be able to fund a sufficiently affluent society in the

 future. This might however prove difficult as the former colonies have accumulated

 huge effectively enforced debts while being exploited by European imperial lists.

 The Chinese have recently cancelled a portion of the debts to themselves, but

 Britain seems unlikely to do this.

(14) Our trades unions will hopefully become stronger, supported by our striking

 workers. Maybe the unions will determine our future

(15) I was talking to a Muslim lady in Church today (4 Sept 2022), She says that

 many Muslims believe in social revolution as part of their faith. Maybe when the

 grassroots revolution comes, many Muslims, christians with a small c, and

 socialist Jewish people will participate.

(16) It is now much less likely that we can achieve a socially acceptable variant of

 capitalism within the next few years, following the accession  of Liz Truss to

 Prime Minister, and the accession of Charles to the throne, See 

          IS THE QUEEN'S DEATH PART OF A RIGHT WING COUP?