To think that Capitalism is going to destroy earth.

[Comecon69]

Capitalism is going to kill the plannet, Capitalism leads to hundreds of thousands of avoidable deaths every year. We need to seriously consider how we in the West live and how sustainable it is. Im worried for my kids and gran kids. We need localism, its the only way to sustain the planet.

[OrangeVase]

Mass - capitalism - yes maybe. It is the scale of it rather than the basic premise though. Essentially whoever has the power whether Church, State, Monarchy, Big Business - if they have enough of it we will all lose.

But yes, we cannot go on buying forever

[BMW6]

Unless "Capitalism" is the name of a large comet or metorite that is hurtling our way YABU (and rather silly).

HUMANS (whatever their Fiscal, Social, or Political dogma) may well destroy themselves and use up most of the Earths resources, but the Earth will carry on and recover very well after we have gone. Just like it did after the cataclysmic event that wiped out the dinosaurs.

[SaucyJack]

I shouldn't worry about it.

A religious WWIII will kick off between the West and the Middle East and kill us all long before then.

[Trembler49]

Localism is the only way to go. Back to the Stone Age everyone. Where's my axe?

[BMW6]

Oh and I pmsl at this pearl of wisdom Capitalism leads to hundreds of thousands of avoidable deaths every year

[crustsaway]

Rather that than communism

Bit of strong statement there OP

[morningtoncrescent62]

YANBU. The logic of capitalism is that markets have to constantly expand, so we (as a species) need to produce and consume more and more. Forever. If taken to its limits this will of course involve the destruction of the planet because it's only got finite resources and can only cope with finite amounts of waste.

That's why the Greens are one of the most radical parties around.

[patterkiller]

I love a bit of localism, mine's the Dog and Duck.

[HoneyDragon]

Ok. I'll shut my factory immediately. Pesky old me employing people and making stuff. Sorry.

[NewFlipFlops]

People might destroy the earth. The more people there are, the more capitalism is needed to feed them and pass their time. If we could make fewer people we could look for equilibrium or even a reversal of growth. But no-one will even discuss it, particularly not the Greens.

Or war or meteorite strike might destroy earth but no, not capitalism. We'd be in a worse condition without it really.

[Quiero]

It's not capitalism itself that's the problem, it's the scale and lack of responsibility of some of the giant corporations that are the problem.

HoneyDragon unless you are Montesanto, I think you're probably doing ok, and if I'm remembering rightly; you pay a living wage so in my book you're one of the good guys!

We need responsible capitalism and more accountability. And yes I agree that it would be better to source and manufacture more things locally. It's a lovely idea.

[Justanotherlurker]

Good luck finding those rare earth metals that have built your laptop/iPhone tv locally OP

[HoneyDragon]

Yup, I'm plagued by the ethics I am

[ImprobableBee]

Oh, bless you, OP. Did you just join some holier than thou smell your own farts societies at Universiteeee?

YABU for making hollow statements like this.

[iamEarthymama]

It seems like an unavoidable truth to me, but maybe I am holier than thou?
Why resort to that level of sarcasm rather than consider the implications of unrestricted growth and the power of global corporations?
I am not being nasty, just wondering why so few people engage with these concepts?

[silverstreak]

YANBU. I worry about this also (particularly in the shower for some reason)...... And some of the flippant smart-aleck responses here are prime examples of exactly why we are in the state we're in. And why it's unlikely to change....

[Mistigri]

The earth is going to be just fine. It might not be a very pleasant place for humans to live though, especially if projections of sea level rise turn out to be true.

It's not just the fault of rampant capitalism of course - in fact it's fair to say that many developed economies are more corporatist than capitalist, and that this is part of the problem (big business buys the government and makes it very hard to tackle vested interests).

[fluffybunnies246]

YANBU I worry about this too. If all the people in the world consumed like we do then there would be nothing left. But is it capitalism itself or 'unbridled' capitalism…as if you think about it we all live longer and are healthier because of capitalism in the first place! There just isn't a balance. It's consumption that I have the problem with, which capitalism encourages. Selling us things that we don't need.

Unfortunately I don't know of any solutions.

[ImprobableBee]

Oh I do apologise. I thought if the OP wanted to engage seriously with this subject, then the OP might perhaps have made some points, said some things, instead of these meaningless strings of letters. My mistake.

[Atenco]

To my mind it is the banks and usury (I use this word in the old-fashioned sense of interest, not in the modern sense of extreme interest) that is destroying the planet, not the factory as such but the need to pay back the interest on loans on mortgages. The banks are more the owners of factories, businesses and homes than the supposed owners.

It is said that a dollar lent at 1% annual interest 2000 years would now be worth three times everything on earth.

[Atenco]

And I, personally do not think than the only alternative to capitalism has to be communism. I find it something of an anachronism that people keep on bringing out that old chestnut.

[silverstreak]

It's not capitalism per se that's the problem - surely capitalism is just an abstract political system that these days can only exist in theory for the sake of debate? What's really the problem in my opinion (& obviously I'm no expert ) is that people across the board are way more greedy and selfish than back in day, and that those traits are also now far more socially acceptable - even admirable?? Makes me start to feel all biblical....