Ask Prof Wolff: Why Can't We Imagine Moving Past Capitalism?

A Patron of Democracy at Work asks: "How should we answer when people say, 'capitalism is the only way there is, nothing else works.' How do we live without earning and profiting from our working and, in doing this, making ourselves prosperous from our own industry and ideas?"

This is Professor Richard Wolff's video response.

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“Marxism always was the critical shadow of capitalism. Their interactions changed them both. Now Marxism is once again stepping into the light as capitalism shakes from its own excesses and confronts decline.”

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[Aceks]

Reminds me of a episode from the Simpsons called the Serfsons when Lisa Simpson was criticizing feudalism, and Homer said "I told you to lay off of feudalism. It's the only system we know, and it is the best". A lot of people in the USA are like Homer Simpson or Peter Griffin in many ways in that they are ignorant, and they are proud of being ignorant. LOL

[suzanneharris]

Good question from Nicholas. Big difference between economics & capitalization. This segment was one of the best, Professor Wolff. ♥

[boombot]

Brilliant👍😎 analysis! Thank you❤🌹🙏, 💕dear Prof. Wolff❤ May your channel grow 🚴三fast to encompass a larger audience!

[Redpoppy]

I view this topic as someone who has been raised by abusive parents and then only lands abusive partners. We just can't see ourselves without being abused because that is all we have ever known. We have over-adapted to these deplorable conditions and now we almost ask for the abuse to reaffirm our own existence. We are truly ruled by overwhelming, all-consuming fear.

[michaelhanson]

This tendency we have to apply the profit motive to everything in the United States will be our undoing. Even a basic service like the Post Office for example, has been reduced to things like SPLY and Lean Sigma Six programs. Imagine your trash collector having to recruit new customers while picking up the waste. They expect mail delivery personnel to do this.

[rsavage-rv]

If your system of understanding and organizing the world takes for granted the extinction of humanity, you should discard it.

In _The German Ideology_ Marx discusses how those in power have always used their position to spread the idea that the present situation is eternal and immutable, even though it never is.

[Heyoka]

I want a system in which wage slavery and class-warfare are both abolished, yet no such system is ever proposed or envisioned.

[almaesquer]

i love proffessor wolff i wish we had more people like him

[goofusmaximus]

Why can't we imagine an alternative to capitalism? We're NOT allowed to! Alternatives to capitalism are deemed heresies.

[cheri]

Great job always Professor Wolff. You are the best!!!

[Arbaaltheundefeated]

I always found a significant hurdle in discussing things like this with most people is that very often the term 'capitalism' to them is a far more encompassing term than it deserves to be, most people I talk to on the subject seem to think even the concepts of currency and trade themselves somehow *are* capitalism. It's no wonder then that they find it impossible to imagine a world without capitalism. A society where nobody transacts one good or service for another, with or without currency involved? Yeah, that does seem rather farfetched... but not what serious criticism of capitalism is typically about! In these cases the discussion rarely survives the stage of having to try to explain how their idea of what capitalism is, is wrong... because 90% of the time if you're trying to convince someone they're wrong, you're not going to succeed, regardless of how right you may be. And even if you succeed.. they are probably not open to further discussion afterwards.

[josephschaumberg]

Our imagination is so stunted that we can’t imagine‘Beyond Capitalism’.

[DavidSanchez-vxbv]

In fact, Capitalism as the dominant economic system will last much more less than, for example, Feudalism or others. The main question here is if our plannet can support more years of Capitalism or not and if we may need to accelerate the change of Economic System

[williamblack]

It would be nice to talk about capitalism in the past tense.

[KarlMarxFanClub]

Thank you for all the hard work that you do. You’re more appreciated than you realize.

[thecatsbackyard]

Ooh I love this question and know the answer already. We have to be free to experiment as human beings democratically. It isn't just difficult to imagine moving past capitalism. It's difficult to imagine moving past minoritarian dominance in all arenas of life. Even when we have democracy over all these we will still need to evolve socially forever. Rigidity is inherent to any form of human organization which requires democracy for necessary changes to be made.

[emiebex]

My Personal Opinion it's because people perfer self gratification & profits over long-term ideals like Medicare For All.

[Kronikalrag]

Good video, well explained one day i am hopeful it will gradually move toward a system such as The Venus Project, there's a lot of good things in that and also some things that need a re-look or change.

[tinoyb]

It would be interesting to see a comparison/evaluation of economics systems versus human population over time.

[paularohrbaugh]

The Democracy Collaborative is working on building the next economic system--interesting to explore.