'The Capitalist System' by Mikhail Bakunin

In this essay, originally written around 1871, Bakunin explains how capitalism is by its very nature exploitative. By concentrating political power and economic capital in the hands of capitalists, capitalism guarantees that the workers of the world will always live in misery. The asymmetrical power relationship between bosses and laborers is the backbone of capitalism, and there can never be equality or freedom as long as capitalism exists.

[blackwater]

In a nutshell: the world today. How long ago was this written again? Human progress indeed! :/

[raceace]

The concepts are ageless and still absolutely relevant to today. Pure greed.

[Fuzzycuffsqt]

I love how succinct Bakunin is on these topics. It affords his words a timelessness that will not allow them to lose relevance until capitalism is dismantled.

[gepmrk]

'The worker always has the right to leave his employer' reminds me of 'The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread.' Anatole France

[BartAlder]

Bakunin was dead right about capitalism and dead right about Marxism. He more or less prophesied the key political battlegrounds of 20th century. Quite extraordinary.

[jsbart]

I mean this literally could have been written yesterday, with minor jargon adjustments and no one would be able to tell it was written over 100 years ago 😬

[heathersyvilla]

This channel is a godsend, omg, I have dyslexia and little time to sit down, but I can listen to audio at my work, so this really is the best thing I could have found in my life right now. Thank you all so much for putting in the work to provide this for people like me who can’t sit down and read these works 🌹

[spinnact]

He writes so well. Lucid, passionate, to the point. Thanks a lot for the reading!

[gkritziosgeorgios]

They without us, nothing; we without them, everything.

[TheWizardYeof]

Holy SHIT this is depressingly accurate to the modern world.

[nevermind]

Important note on Bakunin’s intro, this is decades before any form of a Marxist “socialist” state existed and he had predicted a Marxist socialist state would be a one party dictatorship. Bakunin’s definition of socialism is way closer to industrial democracy and nowhere near Lenin’s definition of socialism.

[NonServiamMedia]

“But here steps in Satan, the eternal rebel, the first freethinker and the emancipator of worlds. He makes man ashamed of his bestial ignorance and obedience; he emancipates him, stamps upon his brow the seal of liberty and humanity, in urging him to disobey and eat of the fruit of knowledge.”
― Mikhail Bakunin

[mikhailbakunin]

Everybody should listen to this audio.

[mattnewhouse]

a system of slaves where the slaves don't even fully realize what they are.

[jamesmurphy]

We need to reform education in order to reform civilization

[figurefiguras]

It is unbelievably sad that this accurately describes today's world, especially here in the 3rd world where there is virtually no min wage to speak of

[christopherdamien]

Thank you for this very competent reading of an important text. The analysis of the capitalist system which Bakunin offers us can quite easily accommodate present-day variations of capitalist exploitation. Of course, in many parts of the world, as well as within so-called modern, democratic societies (sic), the kinds of systemic exploitation he describes continue largely unchanged and unabated (albeit disguised by way of ideological and consumerist modes of seduction). The logic of domination is one in its aims; the expressions of this logic and its impact on and throughout the world (human, natural and technological) are legion. AudibleAnarchist provides us with very powerful analyses by great thinkers. Thank you.

[harrykirk]

In Bakunin's time my impression is that while workers were exploited and mistreated, citizens of all countries were necessary for any kind of economic productive activity, and thus ordinary people had more de facto political power than in modern highly outsourced, finance controlled and automated economies. Therefore capitalists of the 19th century had to be somewhat clever and competent to hold on their positions of authority and power over ordinary citizens. . In 21st century societies using sophisticated propaganda, outsourced labor and outsourced automation, the capitalist has much more fully realized the perverse dream of receiving unlimited goods and services in return for doing nothing of any value whatsoever. This has led to extreme levels of incompetence and even stupidity amongst capitalist ideologues in positions of authority over our societies. This is a great, unnecessary tragedy. We surely have access to unprecedented levels of knowledge, clever, sound science and productive solutions. Yet our leaders are not merely exploitive but are also obvious morons. They not only exploit ordinary citizens. They also endanger the very existence of every citizen of the world with climatic disasters, unscientific economic nonsense and nuclear wars. Thinking people of the world are systematically marginalized, while on center stage, the idiots in charge (or their hapless, stylishly attired spokesmodels) drone on and on.

[burden]

One planet-one people . This is the necessary view!

[pianystrom]

I don't consider myself an anarchist, but in in the era of Trump, I must say there were some good points. It feels good to expand your thinking.Thanks for uploading!