“…the promise of global capitalism, much like the promise of communism before it, ultimately demands an act of faith: that if we permit the destruction of certain things we value here and now we will achieve a greater happiness and prosperity at some unspecified future time.” What things is he talking about? Trust, transparency, community, and a sense of working together rather than working to get ahead of everyone else.
So what is out there that can replace global capitalism? I propose micro-capitalism – a return to a truly local economy (with its inherent transparency and prerequisite trust). Perhaps (and this is me being optimistic here) progress does not anymore need to involve centralization and commoditization at the global level.
Here’s where I’m torn: I love certain things about the “local economy” vision, however I do not have faith in the overall ability of people to remain transparent and trustworthy/trusting. I tend to agree with Slavoj Zizek who says that where localized democracies flourish, there is a centralized superstructure that makes this possible. What happens when one of the micocapital contingents decides it needs what its neighbors have, and it doesn’t want to pay?
This is not to say that I heart centralization, or even want to accept it as a necessary evil. I just haven’t heard an alternative that I can trust . . .
Yes, I agree that the centralized structure must exist in some form. And to the extent my proposal relies on humans being trustworthy, it certainly walks a fine line, or precipice really. Clearly I need to read some Zizek. I will throw this out there: perhaps an alternative that does require trust is the only one that can be trusted.