Capitalism Is Always Capitalism…Same old same.

Unfortunately for most people around the world, the social system the world lives under today is capitalism, a situation in which the moneyed classes hold economic and political power. For that reason, almost all the rules governing international relations on the planet in the form of laws, social practices and traditions have a foundation convenient to the capitalist order. Everything on our small planet affects everything else. This interdependence is a harsh reality. We all face impending doom—and potential hope. How do people continue to let themselves get fooled time and time again?

One percent of world's population holds almost half its wealth. Some 18.5 million households around the world have at least $1 million worth of assets, for a total of $78.8 trillion – or about the same size as global annual economic output. That also amounts to 47 percent of total global wealth – based on holdings of cash, financial accounts, and equities, but not real estate – leaving the rest to be divided by the other 99 percent of the world's population. The elite one percent have steadily grown their share of global wealth from 45 percent in 2013 to 47 percent last year. Offshore tax havens hold some $10 trillion, an amount that grew to around 3 percent last year.

Capitalism will continue to appear to temper itself through myriad things -- socially responsible investing, social impact bonds, philanthro-capitalism and venture philanthropy plans that make investing in personal finance as a solution to poverty, etc. Those looking for meaningful change must move past those red herrings. The world’s unelected dictatorship of money rule 24/7, moving forward on a steady basis with its many-sided pillaging of the common good, its never-ending poisoning of the community well. We are fooled into accepting that every few years dropping our vote into a ballot box is an exercise in “self-rule”. Radical politicians are willing to rock the capitalist boat, but not to capsize it. Capitalism threat to life on Earth and we can no longer afford to be passive spectators.

Capitalism is synonymous with freedom … provided, of course, you agree that the first and foremost of the freedoms enjoyed by capital is that money can buy everything. When the ability of money stops those acquiring the goods to sustain life or turns necessities for life into a commodity that can be bought and sold, capitalism’s much-vaunted freedom disappears. There is always a struggle between the empowered rich and the poor who suffer the consequences of such control over the wealth of the planet. When conditions dictate, oligarchs and plutocrats make concessions to their “subjects” in order to prevent them from using their numerical advantage and organizing to disturb and upset the established order. For capitalism, the media is only considered democratic where capitalists are allowed to buy radio and television stations, newspapers, magazines and news agencies so they can see to it that what is disseminated serves its interests. These interests are the determining factors in the whole society. But when the ruling classes’ hegemony is in danger, they then support each other in defence of their exploitative interests.

Socialism is not about creating a society of saints and angels but about simply building a society where it is easier for people to do good, allowing all of us to express our full humanity.