Capitalism commodifies, alienates the individual from those things in which she has interests and then forces her to buy these things. It's an immoral system and ironically, it conflicts with the ethical/ spiritual beliefs that most of us claim to embrace. ~ Gary Francione
Capitalism "forces" people to buy things? This sounds like Francione is giving people a moral pass on the terrible decisions they make. It certainly doesn't bode well for the chances of a few people on the internet convincing the world to go vegan.
ReplyDeleteWhy does he assume others to be too weak to make informed and educated decisions about their purchasing choices? Shouldn't individuals take responsibility for their own actions?
ReplyDeleteIf capitalism "forces" people to buy things, does that mean that working on eliminating the demand for products is a waste of time?
humans are weak and cannot make informed decisions when they are glued to a television watching adverts every single day of their lives...
ReplyDeletecapitalism is one fish being eaten by a bigger fish being eaten by a bigger fish, until it's one big fish who is accountable to no one. we are forced, yes, if we wish to not live in the woods naked.
"Forces" may be too strong a word, but capitalism does put an emphasis on individual gain over collective good. The evidence of commodification and alienation can be seen in the depersonalization of the animals used for food, clothing, and entertainment.
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