Do you agree that Minimalism is the arch enemy of Capitalism?
Would Capitalism fail completely if all people were Minimalists? Let us not forget that what keeps Capitalism alive is "senseless" Consumerism. Once people stop spending money on nonessential goods Capitalism is DEAD, in my opinion.
Thanks for your answer.
I am using the word Minimalism in a colloquial way.
"Read this comment:
Yeah, you know, Christmas’s approaching again and we all enter this hypocrite supposed religious festivities, where spending money and buying stupid things is the only real purpose, as well as eating, drinking and being a very very good person (this is sarcasm, just for the case you did not get it).
Whatever, I’d like that this positive feelings and people behaviour would last forever, but without the need of all the associated religious fervor (most of it hypocrite in my honest opinion) and market explosion that is getting closer once again.
And of course, the stupid waste of energy (only taking into account the lights, the whole thing would be far more) and the consequences this has in our ecology. Do we promove “five minutes with no energy” iniciatives to right after this ones switch on millions of unuseful lights for a month ? This is not the way"
This is one way of thinking, and some of the words are right.
When do you think people will stop spending money?
I say never!
LGHT BRIGHT!
"Let us not forget that what keeps Capitalism alive is "senseless" Consumerism"
FALSE. Capitalism is the person who produces a better or more popular product making income from said product. My "senseless" consumerism gets me things like grade A eggs and laundry detergent that promises to keep my whites whiter, but if it doesn’t then I have an alternate brand to choose.
edit – Yeah, no one NEEDS and iPod and you’re right, it is completely senseless. Minimalism can be Capitalism’s enemy.
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In Japan, as an example, minimalism is the norm and they have a thriving economy which is as capitalistic as they come.
What actually perpetuates capitalism is the production of and selling of needed products, goods and services to those who feel the need for the same where such is traded for "money" or other valued objects.
Greed can be and often is an off shoot of capitalism when individuals or groups mistake their needs for their wants.
Even in a minimalist society, farmers will still sell food stuff, furniture makers will still ply their wares, there will still be a need to transport the same so an associated industry will develop and exist, processing and packaging will still occur with originators, middlemen and consumers, etc.
No one and no thing exist in a vacuum separate from all others as long as they possess even one item which was produced by another.
Be well.
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Every ‘ism’ fails or vanishes as and when it serves its purpose or replaced by another.
Once you are totally free from desire, want, you can be defined as the ‘minimalist’.
Is it possible?
Life is full of choices, and many of us never used to choose wisely;that is why we keep on adding many things, most of which we may never need, as you aptly call ’senseless consumerism.’
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Actually, what you described is better expressed as Post-Capitalism or Neo-Captialism. Traditional capitalism is a totaly different matter.
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No.
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Tell me where in this world the majority of people would accept less when they can have ‘more’?
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I explained better porq not understand a thing about it takes my email: andre_agape15@yahoo.com.br
References :
"Read this comment:
Yeah, you know, Christmas’s approaching again and we all enter this hypocrite supposed religious festivities, where spending money and buying stupid things is the only real purpose, as well as eating, drinking and being a very very good person (this is sarcasm, just for the case you did not get it).
Whatever, I’d like that this positive feelings and people behaviour would last forever, but without the need of all the associated religious fervor (most of it hypocrite in my honest opinion) and market explosion that is getting closer once again.
And of course, the stupid waste of energy (only taking into account the lights, the whole thing would be far more) and the consequences this has in our ecology. Do we promove “five minutes with no energy” iniciatives to right after this ones switch on millions of unuseful lights for a month ? This is not the way"
This is one way of thinking, and some of the words are right.
When do you think people will stop spending money?
I say never!
LGHT BRIGHT!
References :
Comments by the desk
Windows
>Would Capitalism fail completely if all people were Minimalists?
It depends what kind of minimalism you’re talking about. Cave men made do with sticks and rocks and animal furs, but capitalism would work just as well for them as for us, because there are still things they want, things they have to trade, and therefore deals to make that can be profitable for both sides. On the other hand, if we decide to keep all our modern technological manufacturing ability, and go for minimalism more in terms of quantity than in quality, then modern capitalism would take a severe blow, but it would not die completely.
>Once people stop spending money on nonessential goods Capitalism is DEAD
It depends what you mean by ‘nonessential’. There are things we consider essential now that were seen as luxuries only a few decades ago, and as magic a few centuries before that. For example, telephones. You can do without a car in many cases, but it’s hard to do without a telephone. Yet, only some 60 years ago not very many people even had telephones, and 150 years before that, the idea of a voice going down a wire and coming out the other end was considered absurd. So ‘essential’ is largely a matter of perspective.
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