Democracy and Capitalism

In my limited understanding, the basic idea of democratic principles and the democratic process is this: "People with differing wants, needs, and opinions all meet together to make a decision that affects the entire group. Each person pleads their case and shares their viewpoint. Then, the group votes to establish a new rule, classification, or decision that all in the group agree to accept and abide by."

 In contrast, a capitalist enterprise is an organization where a small number of people "own" everybody and everything in the company. These are the shareholders. They elect a board of directors to run the company. The employees are hired to perform a specific task. The employees have almost no say in how the business is run, how the work is done, or what their own responsibilities will be. They do what they are hired to do and if they cannot perform the task adequately (or for any reason at all) then they are dismissed and released from employment. When the company dismisses them, then they have no legal relationship with the company, or their former coworkers at all. They are not a part of the group. They never were a part of the group (the shareholders). They were employed servants. They had almost no control over what tasks they would perform or at what hours these tasks would be required to be performed. The company has absolutely no obligation to the employees except to pay them the money for their services rendered.


Originally written in a youtube comment response to the comment "Capitalism is abstracted Slavery"


copyright (c) 2018
William Schaeffer