In this short RSA Animate, radical sociologist David Harvey asks if it is time to look beyond capitalism, towards a new social order that would allow us to live within a system that could be responsible, just and humane.
David Harvey is the Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY).
A leading social theorist of international standing, he received his PhD in Geography from the University of Cambridge in 1961. Widely influential, he is among the top 20 most cited authors in the humanities.
Economic system in which most of the means of production are privately owned, and production is guided and income distributed largely through the operation of markets. Capitalism has been dominant in the Western world since the end of mercantilism. It was fostered by the Reformation, which sanctioned hard work and frugality, and by the rise of industry during the Industrial Revolution, especially the English textile industry (16th–18th centuries). Unlike earlier systems, capitalism used the excess of production over consumption to enlarge productive capacity rather than investing it in economically unproductive enterprises such as palaces or cathedrals. The strong national states of the mercantilist era provided the social conditions, such as uniform monetary systems and legal codes, necessary for the rise of capitalism. The ideology of classical capitalism was expressed in Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations (1776), and Smith's free-market theories were widely adopted in the 19th century. In the 20th century the Great Depression effectively ended laissez-faire economics in most countries, but the demise of the state-run command economies of eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union (seecommunism) and the adoption of some free-market principles in China left capitalism unrivaled (if not untroubled) by the beginning of the 21st century.
(born May 5, 1818, Trier, Rhine province, Prussia [Ger.]—died March 14, 1883, London, Eng.) German political philosopher, economic theorist, and revolutionary. He studied humanities at the University of Bonn (1835) and law and philosophy at the University of Berlin (1836–41), where he was exposed to the works of G.W.F. Hegel. Working as a writer in Cologne and Paris (1842–45), he became active in leftist politics. In Paris he met Friedrich Engels, who would become his lifelong collaborator. Expelled from France in 1845, he moved to Brussels, where his political orientation matured and he and Engels made names for themselves through their writings. Marx was invited to join a secret left-wing group in London, for which he and Engels wrote the Communist Manifesto (1848). In that same year, Marx organized the first Rhineland Democratic Congress in Germany and opposed the king of Prussia when he dissolved the Prussian Assembly. Exiled, he moved to London in 1849, where he spent the rest of his life. He worked part-time as a European correspondent for the New York Tribune (1851–62) while writing his major critique of capitalism, Das Kapital (3 vol., 1867–94). He was a leading figure in the First International from 1864 until the defection of Mikhail Bakunin in 1872. See alsoMarxism; communism; dialectical materialism.
The volume on this living social ad is absolutely obnoxious and seriously detracts from the otherwise high quality of this site. I hope the leadership team at fora considers the path it is taking with these sorts of ads very carefully. A site like this can certainly have advertising as long as its tasteful and in line with the theme of the site itself. Smart people generally don't respond well to used shouting and bright colors. Better to be subtle and have a brand sponsor a page / video etc.
One of the best summation of the current world crisis I've seen. Bravo. Academics also need to stop talking among themselves, and start talking directly to the people--in plain language, and maybe a clever cartoon. Again, just great. I'm linking this to my blog. Thank you.
The relation between financiers and industrials is similar to that of imagination and reality. We need to imagine a future (by means of credit) in order to modify reality (i.e. to modify our current capital). The problem is to be delusive. The success of economy translates into greater risk taking, that is the cycle of delusion and reality.
I tend to agree with William Blum. All forays into a life of sharing and service to others has failed because those at the top have forced it to fail. Wars, overthrown or assassinated leaders, financial ruin, and greed based propaganda are the tools of choice. Capitalism succeeds primarily because it controls the desires and wants of humankind. As long as the financial powers that be can control the populace by dangling the carrot stick of wants supplied then capitalism succeeds.
What if we spent even a 100th of the resources of capitalism's propaganda into a new way of existing where everyone shared equally in the "quality" of life. Why would capitalism share even that much if it would mean it's downfall? I am afraid it will take a tragic and painful paradigm shift to even consider such a thing.
Capitalism succeeds because those at the top get theirs off of the backs of those at the bottom.
Nothing exists in isolation. If the US has stood for over a hundred years and survived socialist interventions and communist enemies. I say that God's Blessing and Capitalism has been the key the success of the US.
Also people talk as if Capitalism is failing. Its not failing at all. Governments are the systems with enormous debt problems, not businesses. If Government would learn to live in reality, like corporations and people do, then we wouldn't be in the mess in the first place. AKA don't give mortgages to people who can't afford them, nor require banks to make those loans in the first place.
Trade is the natural economic system of humanity. Until socialist realize this we will never be free of these bust cycles. People need to live away from Government and become more self reliant. Only then will we see a truly amazing economy.
War mongering, profiteering, slavery and resource theft has been key to both the US and Europe's economic dominance in the world.
How can the debts incurred by government be isolated from business when government decides tax rates and inflation - which directly affect both business owners and the working-class?
The problem isn't with the economic system, because under the right guise the propensity for any economic system to fail or succeed is relatively equal.
Corruption and the lack of regulation set forth for governance of the system is where the failure begins. The problem is that there is unequal representation of all classes in our government. As such, the common man/woman does not have a voice in the affairs of our nation. Greater participation by the low and mid-class should to help ensure balance and adequate regulation to sustain our current economic system. However, this is likely to happen because since the founding of the US, it has always been a elitist run nation with political instigation by financiers, lobbyists and corporate-backed interest groups, which only benefit the wealthy 1%.
The privatization of the educational and healthcare systems keep those with little money sick and dumb. Both of these resources are paramount to the development and maintenance of a nation's economy. When access to these resources are restricted by a monetary system it creates a societal split of beneficiaries and laborers.
Sure, there are a lucky few who can be innovative enough to make wealth from little means...but, when a crab-in-a- barrel mentality drives culture as it does in America - a lot more damage is created than good.
Think of what life would be like if there was national unity. If education was available for all citizens and promoted like the commercials you see on TV announcing the latest fashions, tech gear and pop trends that brainwash many Americans to spend their hard-earned dollars.
What would happen if companies worked together in order to create better products to compete with foreign technologies instead of just using gimmicks to get more local market-shares?
We would be more technologically advanced, more educated and be evolving in industry far beyond where we are today.
Get rid of redundant jobs - focus on education/creativity/innovation...civil engineering, alternative energy, medicine and science.
I don't want a choice of 10 different cellphone providers. Give me a cell phone that works without dropping calls constantly!! I don't want greasy burgers, give me some healthy choices. This country is counter-productive due to the capitalist supply and demand schemes and because of this we collectively have substandard standards. Educate and inspire people to work together. We've been divided for far too long. There's strength in numbers and we've been leaders for a long time, but at this rate the most populous countries will run the world and we will be at their mercy. Blame socialism and communism for the Chinese working together, blame capitalism for driving us apart. It may not be apparent to you now, but just wait...you'll see it after the smoke clears.
The only solution that I see is a dynamic social-economy which alternates to focus on common-good of it's population during one term and capital needs of the economy during the next. This would create balance in social justice, the economy as well as manufacturing/production. I think that this is the only way forward. Sticking with one social-economy for too long only causes social or economic turmoil. There has to be focus on both sides of the fence...equal focus.
member. 
