[Air-l] capitalism always lies?

[Art McGee]

> Art, any chance of adding to your list -- capitalism,
> patriarchy, and white supremacy -- capitalism's twin
> cousins: militarism and consumerism?

Consumerism is a byproduct and subset of Capitalism. The
creation of demand, where none previously existed, is a key
feature of our modern economies. Why do you think kids are
so confused: "The economy is looking good today as *consumer
spending* is up....The stock market went up 100 points on
news that *consumer spending* has increased..." Ever hear
of the stock market going up on news of increased consumer
savings? Ever hear that the economy is strong because people
are saving money instead of buying depreciating crap? These
days, you're made to feel guilty, like you're not properly
contributing to the economy, if you aren't spending money.

Militarism, on the other hand, is a bit more complex and
more of an amalgamation of everything. Part of it is
Patriarchal aggression, part of it is Capitalistic greed,
and part of it is White Supremacist racism and imperialism.
However, one thing I would say is that militarism is
definitely not unique to the U.S., it's just that when we
engage in it, we tend to inflict more collateral damage due
to our size. However, Patriarchal aggression is something I
would say undergirds militarism globally, no matter what
country. If we could just kill off all the men in a
figurative (not literal) sense, there would be far fewer
wars and much less violence. The social construction of male
identity is basically responsible for most of the world's
death and suffering.


Art