The Role of Capitalism. Business & Marketing Essay

Chen Zeng (176003198)
Prof. Valentin
01:355:101: QH
Paper 2 Rough Draft
9/26/2019
The Role of Capitalism
Capitalism refers to the political and economic systems that value private ownership, wealth accumulation, and the maximization of profits. Capitalists do not care about the harm they do to the environment when they are implementing strategies to optimize business operations. That is the reason why many companies today continue to participate in activities that contribute to global warming as they pretend to come up with solutions for such problems. In other terms, what matters the most to them is increasing their profit margins without minding the adverse consequences emanating from their production processes. For instance, despite numerous firms persuading countries to sign the Kyoto Protocol, only a few of them do what it takes to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. For this reason, the carbon footprint continues to rise even after many nations pretend to have taken the appropriate measures to eradicate global warming. By using Naomi Klein and Anand Giridharadas’ articles, the paper focuses on the roles of capitalism and how capitalist logic coerces people into practices that sustain their oppression.
Giridharadas and Klein portray that economic structures shape morality in which people exist. In particular, Giridharadas argues that “public intellectuals pose a genuine threat to winners; thought leaders promote the winners’ values, talking up ‘disruption, self-empowerment, and entrepreneurial ability’” (Giridharadas 92). In other terms, the author means that people who should be committed to making necessary changes to save society are significantly manipulated by capitalists. The author also asserts, “As American politics has grown more tribal, people have become more interested in hearing confirmation of their views, by whoever will offer it, than in being challenged by interesting, intellectually meandering thinkers” (Giridharadas 92). For this reason, it seems that intellects do not want to be criticized, which makes them thought leaders whose work is to confirm the ideas of capitalists who are focused in making the world a better place. Giridharadas says that thought leaders comply with requirements of plutocrats. Therefore, it has become hard to find a person criticizing the actions of capitalists since these individuals alter the ideas of intellect to meet their goals. That is the reason why many people who are capable of changing society for the better have turned to speakers in TED talks since they do not want to be rebutted. These individuals prioritize hopeful solutions, but they are afraid of systemic change. Klein argues that it is hard to transition from the focus of maximizing profits to a caring economy that improves the quality of people’s lives (Klein 205). The author argues “neoliberalism’s commitment to ‘indiscriminate economic growth’ encourages a ‘frenetic’ competitive consumption that not only degrades the environment but also unravels the social fabric” (Klein 205). Klein means that the commitment by neoliberalism toward economic growth encourages competitive consumption, which degrades the environment and destroys human morals. As such, many people do not care whether their actions have adverse consequences to the surroundings as far as they can generate revenues from them. Moreover, the article says, “about three years ago, I started to notice that green energy programs – the strong ones that are needed to lower global emissions fast – were increasingly being challenged under international trade agreements” (Klein 207). At this point, it is clear that plutocrats do not support any initiative that eradicates the emission of greenhouse gases since it will limit the rate of production, hence reducing their profits.
When Giridharadas and Klein mention freedom, they mean the ability of intellects doing something that improve the quality of people’s lives without manipulation by capitalists. Neoliberal developments have created a vicious cycle of exploitation that makes it hard for good people to implement projects that would save the world. Klein uses an example of an Italian businessman, Paolo Maccario, to show how it is difficult to win a battle against capitalists. The author says, “Paolo Maccario, an elegant Italian businessman who moved to Toronto to open a solar factory, has the proud, resigned air of a captain determined to go down with his ship” (Klein 207). Here, Klein wants to portray how it is difficult to change how things work due to the influence of capitalists who are ready to use their money to hinder any project meant to conserve the environment. Specifically, the use of solar panels is one of the most effective solutions to climate change. Although Maccario is determined to overcome the tides that might arise in his journey, it becomes extremely hard for him to start the company. Capitalists use their resources to spread propaganda that Maccario’s products are not the best and that people should keep away from them. Specifically, Klein asserts, “old customers are convinced the factory is going to close down and won’t be able to honor the twenty-five-year warranty on the solar panels they purchased” (Klein 207). Although Maccario is focused on changing society for the better by reducing the emission of greenhouse gases, he does not have the freedom to run his company without capitalists’ interference.
Furthermore, Giridharadas makes it clear tha...