For A True Vision 2025
By Ernest Kithsiri –JUNE 17, 2018
Ernest Kithsiri
We may have read many definitions of capitalism. “Capitalism” according to my Oxford English Dictionary is “an economic system in which the production and distribution of goods depend on invest on private capital and profit-making”. Capitalism is a social order where profit regulates the financial life and the social structure.
“Capitalism – also called Free Market Economy, or Free Enterprise Economy, economic system, dominant in the Western world since the breakup of so called hypotheticalfeudalism, in which most of the means of production are privately owned and production is guided and income distributed largely through the operation of markets.”
We have heard all above. But the intent of this article is to discuss the non-apparent side of capitalism, reason why it continues to last long, to emphasize that it’s an idea that it uses certain natural characteristics of human being for betterment of the majority (not everyone),that it discourages a very fewcharacteristics of complex human being for the betterment of majority, that it helps science to discover wonders of the world and the universe, that it helps science to go beyond the earth, that it helps 99% majority to become successful in whatever the way, that it helps create individuals to use their libertarian rights, that it de-centralizes power from a one mighty government to individuals to function in a society.
Article also discusses, the forces and practices that derail the capitalism which is supposed to be for the many. It also discusses, the non-apparent dubious players and practices that destroy the liberal sibling of capitalism.
Going beyond, it discusses the leadership required in Sri Lanka for the next phase of its economic development. The strategic policies required for Sri Lanka.
Greed or self-interest – What if this can be used to generate millions of jobs?
Inquisitive nature of human – What if this can be used to discover the world and the universe?
Like to be different – What if this can be used to create a diverse society?
Willingness to accept challenges – What if this can be used to generate enthusiasm?
Stingy – What if this can be used for optimal use of resources?
Innate human tendency to care one another- What if this can be used for a sustainability of businesses?
Laziness – What if this can be mitigated for an active society?
That’s exactly what Capitalism does. – It promotes number of natural characteristics of human being while it suppresses or discourages some other conflicting human natures of same human being. Capitalism is inherent in human nature.
Some of the above human natures may be considered “evil” in certain societies. Mainly those ideologists exist in communist or socialist societies.
Let’s look at more closely about above characteristics or human nature and how they are used in Capitalist societies.
Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet are billionaires in accounting books. They all came from the so-called 99% society. All what they gained is wealth in accounting books. If someone closely looks at their personal savings, will realize how that wealth has created millions of jobs. Their wealth is not in the form of “cash”. It is in the form of liquid(mostly) or non-liquid assets. All what they have is the freedomto manage the wealth. Is it a bad thing? Absolutely not. But in the socialist or certain pseudo communist countries, yes, it is a bad thing. Because socialism believes authority should be given only to the government-an entity that has no value of the hard-earned wealth, bunch of people who wants the control of hard earned someone else’s wealth. In many socialist countries governments are more corrupt than most capitalist countries.
