LET'S FIGHT BACK

LET'S FIGHT BACK
GOD BLESS AMERICA

Monday, April 15, 2019

Capitalism as an Attitude


the AZEL

PERSPECTIVE

Commentary on Cuba's Future, U.S. Foreign Policy & Individual Freedoms - Issue 174
 

The Young, and Capitalism as an Attitude

Share
Tweet
Forward
Capitalism may be defined, as Carl Marx did, by its labor system, where the workers do not own their own means of production. It may also be defined by the metaphorical ‘market’ where the buying and selling takes place, or by private ownership of the means of production rather than government ownership. But my interest here is to describe capitalism as an attitude. That is, as a mental state connecting a person to a proposition. Consider:
When a socialist sees a luxurious expensive home, the reaction may be one of disgust - “No-one should be allowed to live like that,” or perhaps one of envy - “If I cannot live like that, no-one should live like that.” In contrast, someone with a capitalist attitude might instead think - “Everyone should have the opportunity to work towards buying a house like that.”

Capitalism also expresses a willingness to take entrepreneurial risks.  A centerpiece of capitalism is the modern corporation which facilitates, thru the sale of stock to the public, the concentration of large sums of capital in support of an enterprising idea. Without this ability to concentrate capital, national economies are limited to small scale businesses, or to rely on government for business operations requiring large sums of capital.

Critics of business corporations point to the diffusion of responsibility among professional managers, directors, and shareholders, as a fatal flaw of corporations. Yet, the alternatives are to be a primitive economy, or to let government undertake all business activities requiring large sums of capital. This entails even greater diffusion of responsibilities and inefficiency. Why then, do some, and in particular young people, seem to hate capitalism so much?

Opinion polls suggest that young people do not think highly of capitalism. A 2016 Harvard University poll of 18 to 29 year-olds found that 51 percent of respondents do not support capitalism. Another poll, by YouGov, found that 44 percent of American millennials claimed they would prefer to live in a socialist country, compared to 42 percent who would prefer to live in a capitalist country. These attitudes beg the question: If young people dislike government so much, why would they want more of it in the form of greater government control of our economic lives?

One easy conclusion would be to echo the judgement attributed to Winston Churchill that: “If a man is not a socialist by the time he is 20, he has no heart. If he is not a conservative by the time he is 40, he has no brain.”

But there is more to this attitude about capitalism, and the results of these surveys are difficult to interpret because capitalism can mean different things to different people. Moreover, this negative attitude is not unique to today’s youth. Young people, across generations, have typically shown less support for their official political and economic systems than their elders. It is also clear that they tend to change those views as they age.

Most of the youthful objections seem directed at crony capitalism where businesses thrive, not as a result of risk-taking, but through a nexus between the business class and the political class; or to situations where state power is used to suppress genuine competition. We should all share in that disgust.

Interestingly, in follow up surveys young participants strongly favor ideas such as employee-owned companies, and profit-sharing plans rather than advocating for state ownership of the enterprises.  These are capitalist ideas used by modern companies to improve profitability.

Today’s youth rejects capitalism without a clear idea of what should replace it. When the ideas of young protesters are intellectually unpacked, they actually want more capitalism not less. The concerns of protesting millennials are mostly related to fairness, and not to an ideological belief in state ownership of the means of production.

Young people are adamant about having control over their activities. They do not favor a heavy government presence in their personal lives. These are capitalist attitudes. These young protesters are capitalists; they just do not know it yet.

Please let us know if you Like Issue 174 - The Young, and Capitalism as an Attitude on Facebook this article.
We welcome your feedback.
Abrazos,
 
Lily & José
 
(click on the name to email Lily or Jose)
José Azel, Ph.D.
José Azel left Cuba in 1961 as a 13 year-old political exile in what has been dubbed Operation Pedro Pan - the largest unaccompanied child refugee movement in the history of the Western Hemisphere.

He is currently dedicated to the in-depth analyses of Cuba's economic, social and political state, with a keen interest in post-Castro-Cuba strategies. Formerly, a Senior Scholar at the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies (ICCAS) at the University of Miami, Jose Azel has published extensively on Cuba related topics.

In 2012 and 2015, Dr. Azel testified in the U.S. Congress on U.S.-Cuba Policy, and U.S. National Security.  He is a frequent speaker and commentator on these and related topics on local, national and international media.  He holds undergraduate and masters degrees in business administration and a Ph.D. in International Affairs from the University of Miami.

José along with his wife Lily are avid skiers and adventure travelers.  In recent years they have climbed Grand Teton in Wyoming, trekked Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and Machu Pichu in Peru.  They have also hiked in Tibet and in the Himalayas to Mt. Everest Base Camp.

They cycled St. James Way (
El Camino de Santiago de Compostela) and cycled alongside the Danube from Germany to Hungary. They have scuba dived in the Bay Islands off the Honduran coast and in the Galapagos Islands.

Their adventurers are normally dedicated to raise funds for causes that are dear to them. 
Watch Joe & Lily summit Kilimanjaro.

Books by Dr. José Azel
"Liberty for beginners is much more than what the title promises. It is eighty themes touched with the wisdom of a master, and the charm of an excellent communicator. Anyone that wishes to understand why countries do, or do not progress, will find in this book the best explanations.
If it was in my power, this work would be required reading for all college and university students, and I would recommend its reading to politicians, journalists, and policymakers. With this book Azel accomplishes what was achieved in France by Frédéric Bastiat, and in the United States by Henry Hazlitt: brings together common sense with intelligent observation, and academic substance. Stupendous"
Carlos Alberto Montaner
"Libertad para novatos es mucho más de lo que promete el título. Son ochenta temas tocados con la sabiduría de un maestro y la amenidad de un excelente comunicador. Cualquier adulto que desee saber por qué progresan o se estancan los pueblos aquí encontrará las mejores explicaciones.
Si estuviera en mis manos, esta obra sería lectura obligatoria de todos los estudiantes, tanto de bachillerato como universitarios, pero, además, se la recomendaría a todos los políticos y periodistas, a todos los policy makers. Azel logra con este libro lo que Frédéric Bastiat consiguiera en Francia y Henry Hazlitt en Estados Unidos: aunar el sentido común, la observación inteligente y la enjundia académica. Estupendo."
Carlos Alberto Montaner
In Reflections on FreedomJosé Azel brings together a collection of his columns published in prestigious newspapers.  Each article reveals his heartfelt and personal awareness of the importance of freedom in our lives.  They are his reflections after nearly sixty years of living and learning as a Cuban outside Cuba. In what has become his stylistic trademark, Professor Azel brilliantly introduces complex topics in brief journalistic articles.
En Reflexiones sobre la libertad José Azel reúne una colección de sus columnas publicadas en prestigiosos periódicos. Cada artículo revela su percepción sincera y personal de la importancia de la libertad en nuestras vidas. Son sus reflexiones después de casi sesenta años viviendo y aprendiendo como cubano fuera de Cuba.  En lo que ha resultado ser característica distintiva de sus artículos, el Profesor Azel introduce con brillantez complejos temas en  breves artículos de carácter periodístico.
Mañana in Cuba is a comprehensive analysis of contemporary Cuba with an incisive perspective of the Cuban frame of mind and its relevancy for Cuba's future.
Pedazos y Vacíos is a collection of poems written in by Dr. Azel in his youth. Poems are in Spanish.
To friend, follow or email author click on the icons below:
Click here to:
View this email in your browser

Access past issues
Access automated translations
Facilitate sharing
Print from your browser
Copyright © 2019 Azel & Associates, All rights reserved.
If you are receiving this email it is because we met you at some point on an adventure.

Our mailing address is:
Azel & Associates
440 Sawgrass Parkway, Suite 106
Sunrise, FL 33325

No comments:

Post a Comment