Capitalism's And Socialism's Mutual Shortfall

Although capitalism, at least initially, encourages innovation and maximum effort, it seems to devolve into something else after sufficient time. When just 1 competitor starts "cutting corners" to cater to the cost conscious among us (who of us is not), this in turn seduces others to follow suit. In effect, it leaves something to be desired*!

Socialism leads to "cutting corners" no less because there is no "force" as it were to encourage innovation and maximum effort**. We are once again left wanting!

Regrettably, wanting seems to be life's greatest unquenchable desire. Perhaps we should just accept what is?

*Examples: customer service being automated (though I do love that sexy woman's voice!), decreasing quality of many products or their almost instantaneous obsolescence (presumably this is very deliberate, as it goes hand in hand with capitalism itself. For it "beautifully" necessitates a continuous need for more "stuff")

**Examples: any "to do" with the Department of Motor Vehicles, procuring a business license in the city of Atlanta

I will end with a bit of a pipe dream. What if we as a society were just motivated to work hard simply for its own sake? Like I said, a bit of a pipe dream.....or perhaps far more.

A Verdict On The Issue Of Health Care

How could something like the health and well-being of our citizens be relegated to the arbitrary whims of bureaucracies? On the other hand, to view health care from the perspective of each human being's every specific need and desire, how are we to expect this kind of personal care to be at all affordable?

It is essentially a debate about treating health care in a utilitarian versus an emotional manner. This is difficult because though the well-being of human beings is perhaps the most sacred of life's issues, it, like any other difficult issue, has severe restrictions placed upon it because we live in a finite world. If only it was infinite!

Unfortunately, there is neither enough money, nor doctors, nor organs to be transplanted, etc. to meet every personal need and desire of every citizen such that we are all treated with the utmost care.

It may be difficult to stomach for many of you but the world does not revolve around you, your parents, your children or Grandma Gertrude. It might be true to say that your world revolves around them. The problem with this is that obviously we all have our own ideas as to whom and what the world revolves around, many of which are in opposition to one another as they are vying for the same limited resources.

Alas, the “World's World” revolves around a collective One, many people and issues of which you could not care less about because they are not part of your world! But the problem with trying to approach health care in a utilitarian manner is that it will by its very nature foment accusations of being cruel and callous simply because this is perhaps the most emotional and fragile issue known to man. How dare we dehumanize our fellow brethren like this!

But to approach it in a purely emotional manner seems to necessitate astronomical expenditures of which nobody seems willing to take responsibility. How do we address this utilitarian/emotional dichotomy? Any response to this that places the answer “somewhere in the middle” simply obfuscates the problem all over again. The middle means a thousand things to a thousand people!

My opinion on this, depressing as it may be for many, leans more toward the “coldness” of utilitarianism. Of course this view will likely incite feelings of dehumanization, but I see this trend taking shape quite nicely in many of our other affairs, so perhaps this is our inescapable destiny?

The Collective Struggle Of Existence 2

I want to discuss my idea of accepting what is. “Shirley you can't mean accepting everything just as it is,” Mr. Smith asks quizzically?

Firstly, I will respectfully ask him not to call me Shirley ever again! Secondly, what if I were to tell him that is exactly what I mean?

“Well that just sounds like a meaningless waste of a life, devoid of satisfying your wants and desires and hence accomplishing little or nothing,” Mr. Smith sadly reflects. Perhaps.

But the fact that few if any practice this philosophy of accepting everything exactly as it is inevitably leads to conflict. Why? Because the world we live in is finite and as such, there will be many losers for all the winners out there! This collective struggle explains why the world is exactly as it is.

My point in advocating a philosophy based on accepting everything exactly as it is is to expose what systematically stems from a philosophy that does not. Conflict and struggle over power, money, resources, ideology, jobs, mates, etc.

Many will point out that obviously we should accept some things as they are but not everything. The problem with this is that there is no consensus as to what exactly should be accepted and what should not. This being the case, there will be conflict and struggle regardless because many of the things some think should be accepted, others think should not which in turn creates conflict and struggle.

My point is not to say one should or should not accept this or that. My point is that the inevitable result of people trying to change what is to what they think should be is conflict and struggle! I see this as neither good nor bad in itself. It just is.

However, the ramifications of this conflict and struggle will inevitably manifest itself in very ugly ways. Fighting, arguing, blaming, violence, vengeance, war, envy, resentment, espionage, treason, etc. This must be accepted with a philosophy predicated on changing what is to what each individual thinks should be.

This is why the world is exactly as it is! How could it be any other way?