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No, We’re Not All Capitalists
“We’re all capitalists.” It’s a phrase that gets thrown out to knock down critiques of capitalism. Along with it comes remarks about where people who think capitalism is flawed buy their groceries, or their clothes, or the smart phone they’re typing their tweet on. We all participate in capitalism. It’s the water we’re all swimming in. That’s not the same as being a capitalist, though. The level of discourse on this has to be raised because of how quickly the world is changing.
Something I’ve been writing about more is climate change. I’d steered clear of the topic for a while, because I wasn’t sure how to wrap my arms around the magnitude of it and share my thoughts in a meaningful way. Nevertheless, it crept into some of my more popular Medium essays, and I’ve committed to writing about it more. Climate change turns every discussion about economics (which at its root is about resources and their distribution) into a discussion about saving the planet. Environmentalism isn’t just for the granola-eating hippies or something you grow out of after university. We’re talking about the fate of the planet. This is literally about our survival. Individuals can’t fix this. Governments have to. And the scale of international cooperation needed is like nothing we’ve ever seen before. The required level of urgency can’t be achieved, though, because to address climate change is to reject capitalism…
