Capitalism On Both Ends Of The Stick: My Two Cents Worth

What this article is about, and is not about. This article highlights all sides of capitalism. It is a political and tender subject, yet needless to say, it is not a criticism or a complaint of any politician who was and is in power, as at the time of writing this. This article is about the system created by Adam Smith, author of The Wealth of Nations, and that the system as a whole is a complex machine; where creativity should (and I am not saying this lightly) trump over rigidity and linear ways of thinking. Again, what this article is about is sharing some recent perspectives of capitalism; both the joys and the constructive criticisms of such, of which some of these concepts could be quite personal in nature; simply to illustrate a point. It is not a full rundown or debate on this system; otherwise this article would be a thesis in and of itself; and quite frankly, I do not have the time or inclination for that right now. It is encouraging you to think a little deeper if you so choose to, in order to be aware, and to make your own decisions.

Think about it. Regardless of who you are and where you come from; we are all bred with different upbringings and life experiences, and therefore none of us should just fit into one box (heart shaped or otherwise). Debate reigns supreme as to whether capitalism is better than communism, as each economic backbone of a system has its own flaws and positives...not that I am a history buff or an economist by any means; although I did gain a distinction in two units of the subject at University. (College in the USA.)

I was (and still am) grateful to have been on the receiving end of some delicious capital gains from the risk taking venture of being an investor, which is a transfer of wealth in its own right. Investing and wealth creation is likened to money exchanging hands from the uninformed and well educated, to the well informed and educated. That does not always go according to plan. Capitalism says that houses (for example) double every seven (7) to ten (10) years, yet that is actually subject to the cycle in which you brought said property. Perhaps if you buy such an investment at the beginning of a boom period, then bobs your uncle. If not, you could be in for a capital loss. On the side of becoming wealthier and/or making a gain from such an investment; it can be easy to enjoy a little bit of guilt for being the chosen one to enjoy some extra abundance in your life; possibly at the expense of someone else's loss, from a "donation" to the stock market or otherwise. It is just a tough world out there.

The surprise pandemic of 2020 - 2022 gave us bouts of communism through government stimulus payments and other little windfalls from meal vouchers and the like, which (in disguise) is a form of crony capitalism, where airlines and the big banks (for example) get a bail out from the Government to keep them afloat in keeping the system alive. Us individuals had a taste of being 'bailed out' in exchange for staying at home so that the virus does not spread, and hence overwhelming health systems. It seemed too good to be true to be paid $750 AUD a week tax free to stay at home, and do whatever the hell you want, provided you followed the "rules" in order to keep yourself and others "safe." Passive income yes, but seriously of the wrong type, yet nearly all us enjoyed it at the time. Staying home, and getting paid to do so, while watching Netflix while eating a hot, cheesy pizza was (and still is) too good to be true. We enjoyed that cycle while it lasted.

There are no surprises to say that capitalism is better than communism, and with the unfairness and injustice that can come from capitalism; it is still a better system. Then again, could a UBI work in a capitalism like way, without writing it off as communistic? For example, to continue receiving the payment; people can provide evidence of their activity/tasks accomplished towards a passion project, and/or in building a new business for that money? Or even doing some meaningful volunteer work, where dull economic times would prevent such in the first place? That could take a lot of stress and pressure off a lot of people, and therefore burn out would decrease dramatically. Or would it be a recipe for laziness?

Firstly, we definitely have choices in life. It is up to us on how much money we want to make, and to enjoy the luxuries of such. There are winners, and there are losers unfortunately. In communism, we are all protected with a safety net that is liveable, without having to push and stretch yourself in order to do so, without needing to fight for the work that happens to be available. In communism (as opposed to capitalism), it does not matter if you are the last in, and the worst dressed. Everyone is truly on a level playing field, with barely any biases.

For some people, that is sweet, while for some of us, that life will get mundane and sour, as quickly as soap removes dirt. This is why there are mixed opinions on a UBI style payment coming out, whether or not that will truly happen. The effects of being given 'free' handouts in lockdown seemed sweet at the time, yet those payments are far from free. We are paying the price now with inflated prices, possibly higher taxes, and with the rising cost of credit that determines what interest we pay on any debt. There is where capitalism can suck, unless you are found on the sweeter end of the stick with ample amounts of cash in the bank, combined with earning passive income as an investor with low or no debt ideally.

It is nice to be able to choose what we want to eat every day, as well as where to go, what cell phone to use, and to who we catch up with to name. Freedom is bliss, yet it does come with a gamble, as we need money to be able to enjoy all of these pleasures; from the little to the high end, unless you are a super strong barterer. It is like the luck of the draw as to the timing of starting a new business, and your results based on your output. Not only do you need thick skin, and to cope with rejection swiftly, and move on; you need to be able to solve a pressing problem, and to successfully find the people that need your services. That is exciting, yet ever so scary. Capitalism is truly up to us.

If entrepreneurship is not your cup of tea; then you are left with the only option to get out there, and to get a job. Therefore, you apply for jobs, and hope for a fantastic employer, of who ends up holding their end of the deal in return. It is like we are at the mercy of other people; yet on the other hand, we are not, unless you were one of the unlucky bunch who recently got laid off with no warning from a few different tech giants. What happened to being informed face to face that your position is no longer available? Instead you find out by getting your logins cut off. Yet we have to give an employer at least two weeks notice (or some form of notice) if we want to leave???

It just goes to show that capitalism can be a sweet world, as well as a mean world. Being wealthy (not to brag, but from first hand experience) does not protect you; and neither does it keep you immune from the downright mean and cruel in the workplace, and/or even in your own business.

Simply put, if your reflexes are not quick enough at the time to respond by saying a bit fat YES to a text message from a recruiter offering some extra work on a project, for which limited positions are available; you miss out in a first to respond situation. At what time after that message was sent does the cut-off point end? No different to saying that you are in a "talent pool" with no offer in place, even though your application for a multiple position role was stellar.

That talent pool terminology could mean rejection/we are just hedging our bets; or it could just be a little waiting game for an offer to come through from a recruiter for some temporary or permanent role. It is hard to tell. It feels like you have to climb a steep mountain with a lot of processes for a two-week temporary position, than you would for a permanent role on some occasions, depending on the agency of course. This is where creative solutions would help people. For example, for a business owner, who is happy to return to the workforce briefly, and enjoy the best of both words; maybe a reference check from a "previous employer" would be inappropriate. But instead...

How about looking up their business number on a business register; and if they have held that business number for greater than a year; then isn't a true testament to someone's "performance" and "character" - as opposed to someone else's written and/or verbal opinion of them? Just saying.

Welcome to capitalism. It is no different to a rides operator telling its patrons on the scariest "roller coaster ride" to fasten their seatbelts, and then hope for the best.

There you go. There is a time to love capitalism, and there are other times to criticise it, and hold it to account in harming us humans. Case in point; first there was quiet-quitting; now there is an anti-work movement, even though people deep down really want to work, and to do what is meaningful and community orientated.

Unless you are wealthy enough to go through the motions, yet even so; it is an expectation that the moment you are "ok" after an illness, you are expected to head straight back to work. Consider yourself lucky if you can have a vacation as well. Let alone needing some time out to recover from some unexpected trauma, and/or the loss of a loved one.

If only capitalism came with some instructions, or a success manual. Yet that is the system. Capitalism might have gone away briefly during the pandemic, yet it was still alive and well, humming along in the background, as people could still make some empowering choices for themselves, depending on their personal situation.

It is only appropriate to end this article with a nostalgic song about learning from our experiences, as well as from our mistakes. That is something else that capitalism allows, and is a form of energy, in an of itself. You live. You learn. Circle of life. Deals open up, and they close. Same with negotiations and circumstances in a capitalistic world...