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Eco-Philosophical Search For Core of Truth
1] Is the Market The Enemy?
by Jan Lundberg
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If modern humanity has indeed lost its way, by destroying itself and life all around, can we identify clearly the most key, singular problem and address it? Are we to attack it? Tolerate it critically?
Assuming money, greed, materialism and exploitation are part of one main threat to our existence, and we call this threat the market, have we included whatever else threatens us? What is the enemy? Is it a "what" or a "who"?
When we see and hear a polluting motor vehicle in action, disturbing the air, water, sound and our safety, or when we see deforestation take its toll on the environment and climate, have we dealt with these major examples of threats by simplifying the focus to the market? Or, does overpopulation answer our question?
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If these questions vex us, it is tempting to acquiesce to tolerating the market by instead blaming technology or population growth, or, the supremely vague answer: "humans are hopelessly, insufficiently evolved." Yet, the market seems to cover almost everything we can see as inimical to our survival as natural, social beings. The market has not been around much of our time as a species walking on two legs. The market even deigns to cover such a basic real, necessity of life - land. Land is for sale and becomes part of "the market."
Landlordism is another example of harm done by the market, as a tendency in opportunistic/predatory human interactions. A landlord exploits the basic need (or right) for shelter, without required concern for the common weal. To make money is the purpose, and if people are freezing outside or uprooted from their homes, so be it in the market system.
When Marxism questioned who ruled by virtue of owning the means of production, this line of logic could have stopped there as to allowing the market. So, to question the legitimacy or the advisability of letting the market exist, we are going deeper than "who rules." We may be saying no one should rule, or that everyone should "rule" (rule themselves).
Private property is today much related to the market, and it's hard to imagine one without the other. Private property as a concept has been questioned as to anyone's right to it. Can there be adequate property for the individual, the family, the tribe or community, for the sustainable culture(s) of the future to avoid a replay of the selfishness inherent in class conflict?
Free trade has been sanctified as the alternative to war. But wars happen largely because of desire for more trade or to protect or expand markets. Warfare predated the market, but anthropological evidence suggests that primitive war is more ceremonial than genocidal. With the growth of the market and global capitalism and "free trade" oligarchy, genocide has become more frequent, although it has been couched in terms of liquidating foes of democracy (read, foes of the "free" market).
It would be a mistake to target "the problem" as the United States of America, when many other cut-throat nations have their own corrupt and ruthless, money-oriented power games installed in government and other institutions. Similarly, it is just as foolish to isolate George Bush as "the problem." He has many imitators, colleagues and rivals. Al Gore as vice president was, for example, part of the effort to rig up China with more nuclear power plants.
Our ecological deterioration so uncontrolled and devastating may be attributed to the market. Yet, if we decide our main goal is to, say, cut fossil fuels use globally, we must present a clear source of the harmful behavior(s) at issue, and develop a clear solution to stop or greatly curtail it.
Who has the answer? Or, Is there an answer? Some concerned people advocate non-market social systems. These people may call themselves anarchists, but if anarchy is rule by no one, i.e., no government, does that mean there is still the market? "Libertarians" advocate the market. "Socialists" may do so as well.
Is small entrepreneurism the same thing as The Market? In today’s exagerated market economy, with massive corporate chain stores and unbelievably large quantities of commodities bought, sold and shipped globally, small-town farmers markets are for most shoppers and sellers an exhilarating alternative: human beings can interact and trust each other while getting the most basic product of all: good, local food. In Arcata, California the farmers market is a tradition dating back to the 1970s, and the same spirit that started it has resulted in a ban on any additional formula restaurants. Next may be an attempted ban on new retail chain stores.
To deal with the problem of the market, to target it, a simple unified theory or system of living is needed. It could even take the form of a religion. Such a religion or spiritual movement could be already extant or yet to be devised and revealed. Jesus did kick over the benches of the money lenders. The long-term solution to spiritualism in action, from the marketeers’ point of view, was to co-opt the religion and construct churches that took money from the market to build them.
Imagine there’s no market
I wonder if you can
- to paraphrase John Lennon. He of course benefited greatly from the market.
Imagining daily life without the market may be a healthy, productive exercise and even a run-up to our near future. Self-sufficient communes don’t have a market within them. It is hard to imagine a typical town in the U.S. having no market system. Yet, in removing the market from the picture, we are left with direct dealings between people for exchange and cooperative projects to meet essential goals. Sounds good to me. I would appreciate hearing from you.
- – Jan Lundberg
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Jan Lundberg, co-founded the Lundberg Letter, called "the bible of the oil industry," in 1973. Mr. Lundberg ran Lundberg Survey Incorporated for the petroleum industry, utilities and government. He founded the Sustainable Energy Institute (SEI) in 1988.
We promote and practice cultural change as key to sustainability. Does economic growth via fossil fuels and materialism provide real security? A sustainable society features car-free living and growing food locally. Communities must return to self-sufficiency for food and energy.
Culture Change and SEI:
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Published by Sustainable Energy Institute, a nonprofit charity 501(c)(3) California corporation.
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