Do you think capitalism is inescapable?

[paredler]

Title

 

[Forever Sleep]

For humans, it's difficult to imagine life any other way. Even living off grid, there surely would still be 'trade' of goods or skills going on- isn't that the root of capitalism?

 

[Minu]

When enough people realise the harm that capitalism brings it might be possible to change something, but currently its looking really grim.

 

[supergold#2]

i don't think it's inescapable by any means, at least not in the sense that we're doomed to an eternity of unsustainable exponential capital growth profiting the corporate class at the expense of both the worker and the global south, and even have found through my experience organizing against landlords in a tennents union, that genuinely the average american is significantly more onboard with the fundemental ideals of socialism than one might expect, but only up until the point where it is mentioned by name. since the cold war, the cia and various other three letter organizations have done a remarkably effective job at turning that name into some sort of boogeyman, however, when presented objectively with the ideas of collective organizational power, a remapped government expenditure to benefit those it governs instead of foreign interests through a needs based system, open access channels to surrounding community to increase a sense a belonging and familiarity, an most importantly, transference of wealth from nameless corporate spectars back to the workers from whom those wages were stolen; the response is usually one of warmth from the average american.
all that being said, there's an ENORMOUS amount of work to be done to deconstruct the preconceived notions of the first world's "divine right" to leisure and comfort, which is exactly what has created a "third world" in the first place, which is, i feel the bigger obstacle to overcome. the idea that for all of us americans and europeans, as well as many in continental west asia must accept that our lifestyles of constant disposibility is not one sustainable is a very hard pill for most to swallow, myself included, but without such, the bolstering of the global south is nigh impossible.

so do i see global equality and marxist-lenninist-maoist philosophy being adopted globally any time in the foreseeable future? no.
but i do see a struggling people with all the answers in front of them to deconstruct the capitalist structure, to what end, i do not know, but i know people are ready, and all it'll truly take is community led grassroots orgs to slowly show people the light of worker forward philosiphy, without telling them it's socialism too early lol

 

[_AllCatsAreGrey_]

This quote comes to mind:
"We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings" - Ursula Le Guin

The nature of this stage of capitalism is that it's so pervasive throughout our lives that it's easier to imagine an end of the world than the end of capitalism.

I have no clear answers, but nothing lasts forever...

 

[paredler]

This quote comes to mind:
"We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings" - Ursula Le Guin

The nature of this stage of capitalism is that it's so pervasive throughout our lives that it's easier to imagine an end of the world than the end of capitalism.

I have no clear answers, but nothing lasts forever...

Even if capitalism ends, it will only be replaced by something equally bad.

 

[TragedyBornCrimson]

The world as it is right now makes it extremely difficult to get anything worth while done on your own. Just one subject can take your whole life to completely master, but then there are hundreds of other subjects that you have to rely on other people to deal with. We are forced together, forced to be part of society because we can't possibly do everything alone. I wish we could.

 

[frog problems]

i don't think it's inescapable by any means, at least not in the sense that we're doomed to an eternity of unsustainable exponential capital growth profiting the corporate class at the expense of both the worker and the global south, and even have found through my experience organizing against landlords in a tennents union, that genuinely the average american is significantly more onboard with the fundemental ideals of socialism than one might expect, but only up until the point where it is mentioned by name. since the cold war, the cia and various other three letter organizations have done a remarkably effective job at turning that name into some sort of boogeyman, however, when presented objectively with the ideas of collective organizational power, a remapped government expenditure to benefit those it governs instead of foreign interests through a needs based system, open access channels to surrounding community to increase a sense a belonging and familiarity, an most importantly, transference of wealth from nameless corporate spectars back to the workers from whom those wages were stolen; the response is usually one of warmth from the average american.
all that being said, there's an ENORMOUS amount of work to be done to deconstruct the preconceived notions of the first world's "divine right" to leisure and comfort, which is exactly what has created a "third world" in the first place, which is, i feel the bigger obstacle to overcome. the idea that for all of us americans and europeans, as well as many in continental west asia must accept that our lifestyles of constant disposibility is not one sustainable is a very hard pill for most to swallow, myself included, but without such, the bolstering of the global south is nigh impossible.

so do i see global equality and marxist-lenninist-maoist philosophy being adopted globally any time in the foreseeable future? no.
but i do see a struggling people with all the answers in front of them to deconstruct the capitalist structure, to what end, i do not know, but i know people are ready, and all it'll truly take is community led grassroots orgs to slowly show people the light of worker forward philosiphy, without telling them it's socialism too early lol

I believe that there will be either "Socialism or Barbarism". Unfortunately, theses days it seems more likely that we will get Barbarism before westerners accept that they have to give up their little treats.

 

[ijustwishtodie]

It's inescapable since many people are content enough with this system

 

[EmptyEater]

Im the same way a Stage 4 cancer is inescapable, yes.
Especially the corrupt neolib strain currently in the US.

 

[CryingLuci]

Nah, I don't think capitalism is inescapable. It feels that way because it's entrenched in nearly every aspect of our lives, but systems aren't eternal—they're man-made, and anything made can be unmade. Feudalism probably felt inescapable to the serfs once too, but here we are.

The thing is, capitalism perpetuates itself by making us believe it's the only option. It conditions us to equate "freedom" with consumer choice and to think hierarchical systems are the natural order of things. But history and theory show us alternatives. Mutual aid, cooperative ownership, decentralized decision-making—these are all already happening in small-scale ways. Scaling them up takes struggle, but it's far from impossible.

It's not about flipping a switch overnight; it's about building dual power and dismantling the structures of capital bit by bit. Capitalism only feels inescapable if we stop imagining and fighting for something better.