The capitalist mentality has so permeated the public consciousness that it has begun to undermine the capitalist mentality. (That is, the idea that "competition is healthy and necessary" has been parroted so much that people have begun to advance the idea that competitors in a market must not be allowed to fail, even though a market without failure is by definition a market where there is no competition.)
We've become post-capitalism capitalists. Trans-capitalists, perhaps.
Interesting post. I'd say we are in the era of sucker capitalism, wherein people are fed shit and then convinced that it is tasty.
For example, poor countries are pressured/bullied to have free and open markets, and are continually told that that is the only way to economic advancement. The fact that virtually every rich country got that way through protectionism and government 'meddling' in the economy doesn't seem to matter. Depriving poor countries of these tools is, I would argue, immoral. Yet here we are, forcing the impoverished to let our corporations have unfettered access while believing we are doing the right thing.
We also go against our own interests, and are happy about it. Like with IP, where the original intention was to ensure maximum benefit to society, not protection of property. Yet today, enough people believe that patents and copyrights exists solely to protect the owners to ensure the only people who benefit from IP are the people that own it.
Or helathcare in the US, the country that spends the most (both nominally and percapita), yet has the worst outcomes amongst any rich nation (7 child deaths per 1000 live births, shameful).
The 1% is doing a really good job at increasing their %tage of the world's resources year by year while keeping the masses content.
edit: I love the fact that this post is preceded by one that has Christopher Walken asking for more cowbell. soooo awesome.
