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Capitalism Cancels the Passions

musingmind.substack.com

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Re: Capitalism Cancels the Passions

#2
I would phrase it a little differently: capitalism cancels vanity.

Up until the 16th-18th centuries (in Europe), the best way to get rich was to use force to loot/steal from others. Capitalism was the result of a set of institutions which allowed for more widespread trade, and profit from innovation.[1] These institutions took money from the rich who used their wealth for vanity projects (the passions this author desires), and gave it to the innovative problem solvers and inventors.

[1] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7863046-the-most-powerfu...

Re: Capitalism Cancels the Passions

#3
post #2

I would phrase it a little differently: capitalism cancels vanity . Up until the 16th-18th centuries (in Europe), the best way to get rich was to use force to loot/steal from others. Capitalism was the result of a set of institutions which allowed for more widespread trade, and profit from innovation.[1] These institutions took money from the rich who used their wealth for vanity projects (the passions this author de…

I don't think the article is actually advocating a return to feudal monarchy.

Re: Capitalism Cancels the Passions

#5
post #4

I'm definitely envious of all of the time the people who were dying of starvation on forced labor farms under Mao or Stalin had to pursue their passions.

The author is envious of the landed gentry, able to profit (through the use of force), and pursue a series of vanity projects (or passions).

Re: Capitalism Cancels the Passions

#6
It’s extremely hard to square the basic premise of this article: capitalism was created so that passions wouldn’t result in autocratic regimes, with the apparent retreat of liberal democracy across the western world. It’s also hard to square this hypothesis with the re-entrenchment of authoritarianism in countries recently exposed to capitalism, such as China & Russia.

Re: Capitalism Cancels the Passions

#7

It’s extremely hard to square the basic premise of this article: capitalism was created so that passions wouldn’t result in autocratic regimes, with the apparent retreat of liberal democracy across the western world. It’s also hard to square this hypothesis with the re-entrenchment of authoritarianism in countries recently exposed to capitalism, such as China & Russia.

China being a particularly interesting example, as Mao did not permit many passions (aside from Communism).

Re: Capitalism Cancels the Passions

#9
post #2

I would phrase it a little differently: capitalism cancels vanity . Up until the 16th-18th centuries (in Europe), the best way to get rich was to use force to loot/steal from others. Capitalism was the result of a set of institutions which allowed for more widespread trade, and profit from innovation.[1] These institutions took money from the rich who used their wealth for vanity projects (the passions this author de…

That's not phrasing it differently, that's changing the whole meaning of the article and it's title.

Re: Capitalism Cancels the Passions

#10
post #2

I would phrase it a little differently: capitalism cancels vanity . Up until the 16th-18th centuries (in Europe), the best way to get rich was to use force to loot/steal from others. Capitalism was the result of a set of institutions which allowed for more widespread trade, and profit from innovation.[1] These institutions took money from the rich who used their wealth for vanity projects (the passions this author de…

That's not phrasing it differently, that's changing the whole meaning of the article and it's title.

Yes, I intended it as a modest proposal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Modest_Proposal

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