Kuthula Matshazi

Capitalism is sold to people as the ultimate solution to this world's problems. An economist who works for an African development bank says that “capitalism has spectacularly performed”. He was referring to the fact that the capitalist system has managed to generate a lot of wealth and build affluent nations like the United States, Britain and Australia.

What the economist and many other like minded people forget, conveniently or otherwise is that capitalism has to a great degree spectacularly failed. However, that failure has not been made apparent by its advocates who always tend to show the bright side.

To realise that capitalism has failed, one has to go back to the origin of capitalism in Britain at the start of the industrial revolution. The ability for wealth or money to purchase labour power was a pre requisite for capitalists to exist. However, as long as people had access to the means of production like land, raw materials, etc, there would be no reason for them to sell their labour rather they could sell the products of their labour. So for capitalism to exist and grow, the means of production and labour had to be separated. The peasants were to lose control of their land and the artisans control of their tools. Having being disenfranchised of the means of production, the peasants and the artisans had to negotiate with those who then controlled the means of production to sell their labour to them in return of a wage. Subsequently, the peasants and artisans sold their labour to the capitalists to produce goods for them and also, in the process became consumers of these goods.

Once the system was established, the working conditions for the workers were horrible and their pay was very low. The capitalists were not worried about improving the working conditions and wages because they wanted to maximise profits from their business enterprises. Workers unions were outlawed and troops were sent to deal with workers who were demanding better working conditions and realistic wages.

The situation I have described above has progressed lockstep with the development of capitalism. The capitalist mode of production still retains the same ideological order although in different time and space. The capitalists have disenfranchised the majority of the people of the right to own and control their destinies by consolidating the means of production and establishing their dominant ideological perspectives, which legitimises our exploitation by them.

To protect their interests and further exploit the rest of us, they have consolidated capitalism as a dominant ideological perspective. This ideological perspective is being promoted by its beneficiaries and advocates like media moguls Rupert Murdoch the owner of Fox News Corporation and Ted Turner who founded CNN and many more other capitalists. They have defended their turf ruthlesslesly as evidenced by clandestine moves that they undertake against anyone who does not subscribe to capitalism or dare to challenge it. A perfect example is the Zimbabwean government which has flatly refused to be pulled by its nose by capitalists. An international assault was organised by the capitalists to try and reverse the decision of President Robert Mugabe to make us owners of the means of production (land) instead of being farm labourers/employees.

Some governments have supported the consolidation of the capitalist sytem. It is interesting to note that even the governments who are supposed to be protecting and acting on behalf of the majority of the people, who subsequently become victims of this system, still go on to strongly adopt and defend it.

Britain's Labour Party failed to beat the Conservatives until current Prime Minister Tony Blair took over leadership of the party, changed the ideological direction of his socialist party and renamed it New Labour, which would pursue the so-called “forward-looking, European-style democratic socialist party”.

Since then, they have abandoned their original workers union members' ideals and embraced capitalism. It was after these changes that capitalists media like Murdoch's The Sun newspaper, which is the largest selling daily in Britain started spreading propaganda about their suitability to rule that country. On the contrary, they were not suddenly suited to govern their country but that they were prepared to embrace capitalism and therefore protect the interests of capitalists.

As events have unfolded, the capitalists have taken away people's institutions. In Britain, parts of the education system has been parcelled out to capitalists to administer it. Strategic businesses like transportation had also been given away to capitalists until the government of Blair took it back (re-nationalised) after the capitalists failed to run it efficiently. Also, the train fares are expensive and trains are always running late. The aged train fleet is embarassing for an imperialist power which looted other countries of their labour in the form of slaves and other resources. In America, people no longer own their healthcare or education. These have been commodified by capitalists with the help of the state.

Capitalism supposes unlimited economic growths and promises rewards for those who work hard. Unlimited economic growth is a myth. And those who work hard barely perceive the fruits of their efforts except for severe consequences like work related injuries and illnesses. Workers are forced to work long hard hours to enable them to earn the bare minimum to keep them alive.

They assume heavy workloads resulting from cut backs in staff in order for capitalists to save money. A job that is supposed to be done by two or more people is suddenly downloaded to one person. Also, there are high levels of uncertainties pertaining to job security as companies tend to cut back or engage people on rolling contracts. A Business Software Centre study conducted in Britain found out that one in four Britons has taken sick leave because of stress, with long hours and excessive workplace pressure the main causes.