Mark Bunster wrote: > We do not, as people, generally walk around executing perfect theoretical capitalism. My boss > may be working (and thriving) under capitalist principles, but he's not using a playbook. Did > the owner of the lunch kitchen in Greensboro say to himself, "By golly, it just doesn't make > good capitalist SENSE to turn away business! Here, sit right down and have some coffee! What > can I get you?" I agree with both Mark and David, sort of. Mark is correct that pure supply and demand capitalism only exists in theory. Capitalism's operations are conducted in the real world by slabs of meat with gooey grey matter in their skulls and odd impulses inherited via natural selection. So it would be facile to say that since we exist in a capitalistic economy, voila, no discrimination is possible since it is not logical. We are not Mr. Spocks. On the other hand, I would guess David's broader point is that the creative/destructive aspect of capitalism may have played, and continues to play, a significant role in the movement toward "equality". We flatter ourselves to think that our noble motives are divorced from history. In fact, good Marxists must certainly agree that capitalism's force puts pressure on cultural values to reorder themselves to suit its demands. Sometimes it's violent video games for ten year olds; sometimes it's a cry for justice that seems on its face divorced from the world of filthy lucre. Jeff Apfel
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