Now the Lydians have very nearly the same customs as the Hellenes, with the exception that they prostitute their female children; and they were the first of men, so far as we know, who struck and used coin of gold or silver; and also they were the first retail-traders. And the Lydians themselves say that the games which are now in use among them and the Hellenes were also their invention.
- Herodotus Histories Book 1, 94
I’ve been meaning to write on this topic for a week, but wanted to follow that country road on community to it’s natural end.
Well, just as I did, what do I see but multiple posts on a related topics - capitalism and materialism.
One, on how capitalism and mormonism are ponzi schemes by
- even going so far as to call the latter a spiritual ponzi scheme. (To which I’d agree)The second, on how we shouldn’t blame Capitalism for the materialism we see in our nation today by
.But, I tell you, dear reader, that we absolutely should.
Right in the source texts of Ricardo, he assumes and demands free movement of labor, capital, and goods.
Saying that if France can make wine cheaper, and Britain textiles, it is more moral and better for them to stop competing and do so.
He ignores the plight of workers,
cost of capital investment,
destruction of towns,
geopolitics of dependency,
loss of culture,
And so much more.
The same was true of Adam Smith.
He was against any sort of protectionism, a horde of gold to for the country, he was the one who coined the phrase ‘invisible hand’ of laissez faire capitalism. Which, seeing as we talk about it as if it were a being, treat it like a being, and act like it’s a being, I argue is, in fact a being.
But, capitalists being materialists, would deny such a claim.
Though, it might be ironic that the very first culture to make precious metal coins, were prostitutes, retailer traders, and had a good bread and circus going…
Woo-hoo, free market!
Kind of like us, hmmm…..
Little have its advocates looked at the destruction of religion in the French Revolution
The shattering of Christendom that came with the Enlightenment.
The loss of spiritual family with angels and saints.
A battle with the demonic.
We lost that, friends.
And, looking at the ruins, we’re just now realizing how poor we are for it.
How broken.
Lost,
Scared,
Beset on all sides.
Capitalism might be the cause of the ails of materialism, the stones that weigh on us…
But what if a higher cause of our daily woes…
Are demonic tormenters?
Whipping both us,
And those that hurt us?
Just a thought to contemplate,
Before you defend the system that put those very real material chains on your life
And [Croesus] said: “Master, you will do me the greatest pleasure if you permit me to send to the god of the Hellenes, whom I honoured most of all gods, these fetters, and to ask him whether it is accounted by him right to deceive those who do well to him.”
- Herodotus Histories Book 1, 90
Thanks for the shout out! Capitalism ignores the Earth too, abusing it as if it was that horror poem The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. I would not be shocked if future humans rooted out capitalism via harsh methods, like in John Michael Greer's Star's Reach where a guy finds forbidden petroleum to power a motor (forbidden technology in the Earth-religion ruled world of the future) and is put to death by being buried alive while his son watches.