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One of the last lines of defense against critiques of capitalism is that despite all of its flaws & shortcomings, at least capitalism fosters unprecedented innovation.
But, as we will prove in this thread, the truth is capitalism inherently STIFLES creativity & innovation 1/33
But, as we will prove in this thread, the truth is capitalism inherently STIFLES creativity & innovation 1/33
The drive to create is part of the human experience.
What could be more human than curiosity, creativity, innovation, imagination & self-expression? Our inner drive to create defines who we are & brings meaning to our lives. 2/33
What could be more human than curiosity, creativity, innovation, imagination & self-expression? Our inner drive to create defines who we are & brings meaning to our lives. 2/33
So, the real question is: do the defining institutions of capitalism inherently nurture our creative & innovative potentials? Or do they inherently stifle & curtail them?
We will show decisively that they do the latter. 3/33
We will show decisively that they do the latter. 3/33
1st, let’s start by looking at capitalist workplaces. Capitalist workplaces feature a Corporate Division of Labor, which economists break down into three basic classes or roles: Capitalist/Investor Class, Managerial/Coordinator Class & Working Class. 4/33 https://twitter.com/ArashKolahi/status/1217917226797322240?s=20
Capitalist workplaces are top-down authoritarian enterprises where the Working Class, approx. 80% of workers, have little to no say in any decisions.
This creates an environment of alienation, where workers are disengaged & cognitively uninvested. 5/33 https://twitter.com/ArashKolahi/status/1212842818286211072?s=20
This creates an environment of alienation, where workers are disengaged & cognitively uninvested. 5/33 https://twitter.com/ArashKolahi/status/1212842818286211072?s=20
Multiple studies have found alienation pervasive in capitalist enterprises, including one of the largest studies of its kind: State of the Global Workplace by Gallop Press. 6/33 https://twitter.com/ArashKolahi/status/1212843134784159744
Additionally, the dynamics of capitalism create an environment where all three classes are constantly vying for bargaining power against the other two, incentivizing the further stifling of the Working Class – the class with little to no say in workplace decisions. 7/33
Compare this with participatory democratic workplaces where ALL workers participate & are engaged, and the creative & innovative potentials of ALL workers are valued & nurtured.
Since all voices matter, the inherent incentive is to nurture everyone’s full potential. 8/33
Since all voices matter, the inherent incentive is to nurture everyone’s full potential. 8/33
Any economic system puts systematic pressure on its complimentary educational system to prepare the next generation for the available role slots the economy provides. 9/33
With capitalism, there are three main slots & the largest one: the Working-Class requires approximately 80% of the population to primarily submit to following orders & enduring mind-numbing boredom & alienation. 10/33
On the other hand, democratic workplaces would necessitate an educational system that prepares EVERYONE for full engagement, critical thinking & self-management.
The systematic pressure on educational institutions would be to nurture EVERYONE’S full potential. 11/33
The systematic pressure on educational institutions would be to nurture EVERYONE’S full potential. 11/33
Thus, capitalism creates an environment that stifles the creative & innovative potential of the Working Class: approximately 80% of the workforce are alienated & cognitively disconnected at work.
How much creative & innovative potential have we lost due to this classism? 12/33
How much creative & innovative potential have we lost due to this classism? 12/33
For the educational system to be cohesive with the available roles of the economy, capitalism creates a tendency for an educational system that, at least for the Working Class, puts obedience over critical thinking and enduring boredom & alienation over relentless curiosity.13/33
40% of the population are one paycheck or medical emergency away from financial ruin. For millions, mere day-to-day survival consumes our lives. The stress of poverty is consuming & severely limiting.
How much creative & innovative potential have we lost due to poverty? 14/33
How much creative & innovative potential have we lost due to poverty? 14/33
Institutional racism systematically under-develops & under-nurtures communities of color. From underfunding of schools, to police repression, from environmental racism to economic injustice – how many geniuses & how much potential have we lost due to racism? 15/33
We live in a highly sexist society with gendered boxes of what it means to be a ‘man’ or ‘woman’ that we contort our true selves to fit into. From a young age, girls & boys are tracked along highly gendered trajectories.
How many woman engineers have we lost due to sexism? 16/33
How many woman engineers have we lost due to sexism? 16/33
How many Einsteins & Frida’s have we lost to poverty? To war? Imperialism? How much wisdom & collective creativity have we lost to colonialism & genocide? How much creative & innovative potential have we lost to genocide & occupation? 17/33
We're supposed to be in awe of shitty smartphones as the apex of human achievement, built at the exclusion of the creative & innovative potential of the vast majority? Fuuuck that!
We want innovation, art & technology that comes from the nurturance of EVERYONE’s potential. 18/33
We want innovation, art & technology that comes from the nurturance of EVERYONE’s potential. 18/33
True, some of these forces that curtail our potentials are outside the realm of the economic. But as we’ve seen, Corporate Division of Labor, poverty, economic injustice are all features of capitalism. And capitalism either perpetuates or reinforces those other forces 19/33
Some point out that there are examples of a lucky few who have been able to succeed regardless. Perhaps. But for every 1 how many millions don’t?
And even for those who do, how much further could they have gone had their potentials been nurtured, rather than stifled? 20/33
And even for those who do, how much further could they have gone had their potentials been nurtured, rather than stifled? 20/33
So, the first problem with capitalism is that its inherent institutions stifle and curtail the creative & innovative potentials of the vast majority: the Working Class & marginalized.
That brings us to the second reason capitalism stifles creativity & innovation: 21/33
That brings us to the second reason capitalism stifles creativity & innovation: 21/33
As anyone who works in science, technology, or art knows creativity, innovation & advancements are ALWAYS built upon the shoulders of previous achievements.
Science & discovery flourish in an open & free environment where information is transparent & openly shared. 22/33
Science & discovery flourish in an open & free environment where information is transparent & openly shared. 22/33
But capitalism is incapable of creating such a fertile environment. This is because capitalism rewards bargaining power & the only way for those doing scientific or creative work to receive compensation is by monopolizing & holding secret their information & discoveries. 23/33
Capitalism requires patents & patents are antithetical to progress.
Capitalism is a system that can’t properly reward the hard work & sacrifice of those doing important research & development that is socially valuable.
Capitalism is so broken we have to horde progress! 24/33
Capitalism is a system that can’t properly reward the hard work & sacrifice of those doing important research & development that is socially valuable.
Capitalism is so broken we have to horde progress! 24/33
In a good economy, everyone who works at a societally valued job would be paid equitably for their hard work, effort and duration of work. There would be no need for anti-progress patents. There would be no benefit to holding progress secret from others! 25/33
In a good economy, creativity, innovation & progress would flourish in an open & sharing environment. Information & innovation would be liberated from the grips of secrecy made necessary by capitalism's inability to remunerate properly. 26/33
The third problem with capitalism is the inherent incentives of profit maximization distort the TYPES and QUALITY of innovations we get.
Rather than incentivizing technology and innovation that maximizes our fulfillment – we only get those that maximize profits. 27/33
Rather than incentivizing technology and innovation that maximizes our fulfillment – we only get those that maximize profits. 27/33
Capitalism has an inherent bias because of what economists call Externalities. This leads to under-investment in technologies that benefit workers, society & the environment. Instead, we only get technologies that can be individually commodified. 28/33 https://twitter.com/ArashKolahi/status/1222960371171872769?s=20
Capitalism inherently stifles & limits our creative potentials by:
1 Robbing the Working Class, poor & marginalized of their full potential
2 Patents: creating an environment not conducive to advancement
3 Prioritizing profit maximization over fulfillment maximization. 29/33
1 Robbing the Working Class, poor & marginalized of their full potential
2 Patents: creating an environment not conducive to advancement
3 Prioritizing profit maximization over fulfillment maximization. 29/33
A fair, equitable, and democratic economy would nurture & liberate the full creative & innovative potentials of EVERYONE.
For the vast majority, capitalism does the opposite. 30/33
For the vast majority, capitalism does the opposite. 30/33
A good economy would create a free, open & transparent environment where information and innovation are shared openly and built upon.
Capitalism does the opposite of that. 31/33
Capitalism does the opposite of that. 31/33
A good economy incentivizes technology and innovation that maximizes human fulfillment, rather than only incentivizing profits.
Capitalism does the opposite of that. 32/33
Capitalism does the opposite of that. 32/33
To be curious is to be human. To create & innovate is to be human. Self-expression is human.
It's not capitalism that's giving us these things. It's being human that does.
And rather than nurture these potentials, capitalism stifles & curtails them. We can do better. 33/33
It's not capitalism that's giving us these things. It's being human that does.
And rather than nurture these potentials, capitalism stifles & curtails them. We can do better. 33/33
Cross posting additional thoughts on patents & intellectual property here for reference: https://twitter.com/ArashKolahi/status/1226587667250311168?s=20
