Post-Capitalistic Free Market Economy - How Can US Be Rescued (Part II) - Realities and Problems

We now look into the reality of the situation and				success which is the basic ingredient of the
problems facing our technological society in order				American daily life. In reality, everything is
to find a way to rescue our troubled system and				evaluated in terms of dollars and cents. The other
move toward a democratic economy and to its				important but non-material aspects of life become
corresponding social order.				marginal in this process of evaluation. This feeling
The more we look into the history of American				is often so intense that it becomes difficult for an
Revolution and the formation of its constitutional				American to stop, truly relax and enjoy the life. In
government, the more we become astonished				general, an American works very hard not only to
about the depth of knowledge, dedication, and				achieve economic security but to accumulate
sincerity of the few men who led this nation from				wealth. As a result of this strained lifestyle he
colonialism to independence and beyond. The				encounters all kinds of dangerous ailments, ulcers,
Federalist Papers are indicative of tremendous				heart problems, blood pressure, depression and
wealth of knowledge, wisdom, an intelligence of				other mental illnesses. In his drive for a better life
those who laid down, so carefully and so wisely,				and accumulation of wealth an American never
such a radically liberal foundation for the political				stops. He always think of enjoying life sometime
system of this country. It is further astonishing				in the future, a dream which rarely materializes.
how, after 200 years of advancement, leaders				Then one day he has a stroke or heart attack
with the caliber and philosophical influence of the				and dies. The strange observation in American
founding fathers have disappeared from our				psychology is that those who take over the
society and narrow-minded specialists and				accumulated wealth don't learn the lesson but
uncivilized, socio-politically ignorant business				follow exactly the same course of action of the
executives have taken their place. Those individual				deceased from whom they had inherited the
rights and liberties for which the founders so				wealth. This seems to be the main characteristic
persistently preached and violently fought for,				of the lower middle class, middle and upper middle
have been overshadowed today by authoritarian				class Americans which constitute some 70% of
and undemocratic economic processes and				the population.
capitalistic norms imposed by monopolies and				The bottom 30% who suffer at the expense of
oligopolies of the economic elite. However, there is				the rest, sincerely believe in equality of
a consolation. What the revolutionaries did fight				opportunity but find nearly all the doors shut on
for has not been banished but only suppressed. It				their face. The elite considers them as social
is at the foundation of American society, at the				garbage yet among these we may find the best
grassroots, that we find honesty and integrity still				"humane" Americans. There is always a growing
strong. It has been molested nut not destroyed.				discontent among this group as well as the lower
Erosion and corruption have moved in and firmly				middle class work force. The worsening situation is
established themselves primarily in the upper				carefully watched by the elite elements. When it
echelon of our society, fostered by unethical				approaches the point of uprising and violence then
norms taken root by what is variously known as				certain welfare legislation is passed to stabilize the
"corporate state," "military-industrial complex." Our				situation.
representatives and leading bureaucrats are				Individualism is another ideal belief of ordinary
mostly a part of, or heavily influenced by this				Americans, yet, every day more and more they
cooperative power of industry and military. None				want the government to take care of the social
of these dominating economic factors existed in				and economic ills and discomforts. As a result of
the early years of our independence, nor were				this demand the United States has, gradually,
they imaginable to this extraordinary dominant				become and expanded welfare state spending
extent until after World War Two.				hundreds of billions of dollars in an array of
President Eisenhower was the first president to				welfare programs. The money for these
warn the American people, in his farewell address,				exuberant expenditures, does not come from the
of the dangers of the military-industrial complex				rich elite class but through revenues received by
to our society. The result has been the				heavily taxing the middle class. So, in America the
suppression of individual rights and freedoms,				middle class, constituting the majority, supplies
particularly since 1960s, extraordinary privileges to				expert knowledge and technology to the elite
big business and effective control of our				through the production process and pays to quiet
socio-economic and political system by a privileged				the lower class in order to stabilize the
economic group consisting of only 0.4 of one				environment for steady production and
percent of American household.[1]				maximization of profits. Consequently, the
From all the investment assets, 1% is owned by				American capitalism has persisted in its dynamic
the $5,000-$9,999 income group, 7% by the				operation because of special arrangements by the
$10,000-$24,999 group, 11% by the				elite, when necessary, through the passage of
$25.000-$49,000 group, 15% by the				special welfare legislation tending to stabilize the
50,000-$99,999, or 34% in all. The rest, 66% is				society.
controlled by a small elite.[2] These facts, with no				A third peculiar characteristic of the Americans is
doubt illustrate that there is much that is wrong in				their ideal thoughts about democracy on the one
America. The events of the past four decades				hand and their lack of interest in putting it into
have demonstrated the enormity and variety of				effect by a democratic process on the other. It
the problems that plague this society and its				might be quite surprising to outsiders, who have a
economy. These problems take different forms				rosy picture of the American democracy, and a
for different people. Some people suffer much				great many Americans themselves, that only a
more than others and no one remains unaffected.				little over 50% of eligible Americans participate in
Corruption, hypocrisy, suppression, alienation,				presidential elections; 30 to 40% participate in
racism, crime, destruction of the environment,				congressional elections which is the major
waste, exploitation of our natural resources,				policy-making body of the nation; and 10 to 20%
foreign wars, and brutality toward other people				vote in local elections where most of the
are just a few of our major problems. They are				regulation of their daily life are decided. Thus,
the result of our neglect and lack of interest in				ideally, Americans strongly favor political equality,
developing a just social and political system, in				freedom of political expression, and democratic
contrast to our zeal and drive in developing our				electoral process, yet overall, the majority of
economic system and accumulation of individual				them do not bother to vote nor actively
swealth. Thus, we have created an imbalanced				participate in democratization of highly corrupt and
society - highly developed scientifically and				abused electoral system.
economically remaining quite backward and				Americans believe in free market economy, yet,
outmoded socially and politically.[3]( Edwin Knoll and				they strongly resent its consequences such as
Judith N. McFadden, American Militarism 1970, New				the concentration of wealth and power in a few
York: Viking Press.,1969, p. 2.) The combined				corporations ruled by the super rich elite and the
effect has been not only to oppress a great				huge amount of profits made by them.
many people at home and abroad, but to				Overwhelmingly believing in equality of
generate a widespread sense of anxiety among				opportunity, they witness the rich getting richer
those who do not perceive themselves to be				while the poor getting poorer. They want both
oppressed.				equality of opportunity and capitalistic prosperity
America outside its borders is perceived to be a				despite the tensions and incompatibilities that exist
democratic society, and because of this				between these two concepts. Capitalistic
perception it is admired and desired by many				opportunities lead to unequal economic rewards
foreigners. American citizens, a majority of them,				causing ever expanding class stratification.
also think of the system as being democratic. But				Economic rewards and resources accumulated by
the reality is that what both foreigners and				the wealthy are then converted into political
Americans see is a facade of democracy. The				resources creating political disparities destructive
foreigners have no opportunity to understand the				of democratic electoral process and unrivaled
real autocratic operation of the system behind this				opportunity to shape public policies.
facade, and what the citizens see, they are				However, there is one strong positive factor in
conditioned to think so by continuous propaganda				favor of the individual and American public as a
supported and orchestrated by the capitalist elite				whole. Social consciousness about the basic ideal
and being conditioned and indoctrinated from the				of equality of opportunity carries comparatively
childhood.				heavier weight than the public perception of the
American democracy has been carefully designed,				capitalistic economy and resulting social and political
in an evolutionary process of some 200 years, by				inequalities. But capitalistic indoctrination through
the economic elite, to satisfy, provide for,				childhood education and continuing blitz of
maintain and protect the capitalist needs for an				propaganda has left very few unaffected in
stable, delicately but firmly controlled, and				holding their social consciousness and the ideal of
economically productive society. In this regard, the				equality of opportunity. There are, however,
American society has three basic, complex and				indications of slow but steady increase in their
perplexing components, quite difficult to be				number.
understood by ordinary citizens or outsiders				In the next essay we will discuss the other two
except for some experts in the fields of social				basic components of the American society,
sciences. These three components are individuals,				private organizations and public institutions.
private organizations, and public institutions within a				References:
highly materialistic society.				1. Richard C. Edwards, et al, The Capitalist
As an individual, an American has two standards:				System: A Radical Analysis of American Society,
ideal and real. He believes in equality of				New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1972, p. 173.
opportunity for everyone, with incredible 90%,				2. Ibid., p. 174.
but nearly always desires to be considered more				3. Edwin Knoll and Judith N. McFadden, American
equal than others. It seems that this reality is the				Militarism 1970, New York: Viking Press, 1969, p, 2.
result of keen competition for materialistic

Democracy

Post-Capitalistic Free Market Economy - How Can US Be Rescued (Part II) - Realities and Problems