- Capitalism and the Alternatives -
Selfishness and capitalism
Posted by: Jim Soldini on May 02, 1996 at 11:20:21:
It is good to be selfless. Selflessness is at the core of heroism,
kindness, love and manners. I am willing to be selfless to those who
are selfless to me. People who are selfless to me are friends, lovers
and family - less so strangers; even less competitors. Masochists are
able to be selfless to those indeferent or even unkind to them. Alas,
the world is too short on masochists to allow selfless alternatives
to capitalism to work.
The selfish underpinnings of capitalism is what makes it practical.
In a world of stangers you can rely on selfishness when all else
fails. Everybody understands selfish rules even if they disagree with
them. You can rely on selfishness, but alas you cannot rely on
kindness.
For this reason I believe we must count on capitalism to organize
humanity best. Other systems are more aesthetic, apealing, beautiful,
hopeful and inspiring, but they work less well in the actual world.
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