Is There An Alternative to Capitalism?

[sean]

[thelerner]

Communism has left a pretty bad taste in humanities collective mouth. What with Stalin killing off maybe 30 million of his own, Mao w/ a death toll in the 10's of millions, and a well deserved reputation for gravest forms of repression.

 

But, but but, you don't really want to picture heaven as Capitalistic. If there's a heaven you kind of hope its more communistic. Israel had some of the most pure communistic experiments in some of its kibbutz's. Some had collectives so 'pure' that even the children were raised communally, separate from there parents.

 

Even w/ a small system of zealots, Kibbutz's have pretty much faded, most relying heavily on almost free labor from visitors.

 

Socialism gets bloated. The U.S. isn't all that socialistic, but we're going to be feeling its pain soon enough. Europe is feeling the pain and its probably going to go from bad to intense in the next two decades.

 

In Illinois we have a long history of utopitarian towns that either went bust or were wiped out by there less then tolerant neighboring villages. The Mormons in Nauvoo being the best example.

 

As I see it the best alternative to capitalism, isn't another economic system, indeed its indepedant of economics and government. Its got to be people, ourselves forming smaller, tighter bonds of sharing. I see the answer as Small Connectedness.

 

There are neighborhoods here that meet regularly, plan events, sponsor things, get together. Thats it, no biggie, If not loving, then caring for your neighbors and neighborhood enough to plan, and know each other, and support each other. Literally.

 

We moved to our current suburb from down town Chicago where we barely knew our neighbors names. We have sponsored and planned the block party each year. Paying for a moon walk and doing the paper work to close down the streets. We invited everyone to our house to our house when two homes were robbed to listen to the invited policeman speak about what we could do about it.

 

I'm not christian, but I'd like to set up some kind of house to house caroling this winter.

 

The good life, or something close to it will only come when we're connected to people. Not through things and certainly not from the government. Simple friendship, knowing, caring, planning is where I think a difference can be made.

 

Michael