Capitalism is Slavery

"Even a woman is good and so is a slave, although it may be said that a woman is an inferior thing and a slave beneath consideration."

-Aristotle

Capitalism is Slavery

I used to think that the key to freedom was private property and capitalism was the economic system that fell in-line with that idea. But, capitalism must maintain a class of owners and a class of the owned, or workers. The class of owners are not workers, they can use workers like a resource, and they do.

The foundation of "civilization" was, and is, slavery. It was present in the first civilizations and is even condoned and endorsed by the Bible, the most widely accepted religious text... The society in which we live is widely considered a "free society," and private property is the foundation of that "freedom."

In order for this system to be maintained there must be an owning, or ruling, class. And, conversely, there must be an owned, working, or slave class. Why would a slave owner want to own slaves when it is far cheaper and more economical for a slave owner to allow his slaves to believe they are "freemen" who must "make their own way" inside of his system?

The only thing that has substantially changed throughout history in the social structure is that now the slaves think they are free. Most cannot see the chains holding them in bondage, or feel the whip cracking on their back, so they experience an illusory state of "freedom." So much do they hold this idea, that they will fight to maintain the system that enslaves them.

Even the most aware and "awake" individuals seem to still be clinging intellectually to the system that enslaves them, not looking deeply enough to see that they are supporting that system with idealistic hubris.

In closing, capitalism is based on property and ownership, which invariably lead to slavery. Whether "voluntary" or involuntary, the capitalist system cannot exist without a class of rulers and a class of the ruled.

Stop clinging to what your culture tells you is the only way. The is no "one right way" for all people to live. And any idea that maintains that it's the only way is definitely going to be tyrannical to those upon whom it is imposed.

Ishmaelby Damiel Quinn

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Comments and Reviews of Ishmael
"From now on I will divide the books I have read into two categories -- the ones I read before Ishmael and those read after."
-- Jim Britell, Whole Earth Review

"A thoughtful, fearlessly low-key novel about the role of our species in the planet... laid out for us with an originality and a clarity that few would deny."
-- The New York Times Book Review

"Wonderfully engaging... Think of Robert Pirsig in Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, or B.F. Skinner in Walden Two..."
-- Los Angeles Times Book Review

"Quinn entraps us in the dialogue itself, in the sweet and terrible lucidity of Ishmael's analysis of the human condition... It was surely for this deep, clear persuasiveness of argument that Ishmael was awarded its prize."
-- The Washington Post

"... unusual, even eccentric enough to place Quinn on the cult literal map... both Socrates and King Kong might be pleased."
-- Kirkus Reviews

"...Suspenseful, inventive and socially urgent as any fiction or nonfiction book you are likely to read this or any other year."
-- The Austin Chronicle

"... fascinating... Quinn's smooth style and his intriguing proposals should hold the attention of readers interested in daunting dilemmas that beset our planet."
-- Publishers Weekly