IN THE NAME OF GOD, MOST GRACIOUS, MOST MERCIFUL Capitalism, as an overall economic system, is unsuitable for the new Africa. The reason is simple: The people are trying to free themselves from colonialism. Colonialism is capitalism, a fact that should not be forgotten for a single moment. The whole history of colonialism makes it quite clear that European governments took over only after the economic conquests, and then only to protect and strengthen these important sources of raw materials that had become the life blood of Europe and America. It will be a colossal joke of history if Africans whole-heartedly reject political domination and at the same time whole-heartedly embrace the very economic system that enshackled them in the first place. This, it seems to us, would be reason enough for not embracing capitalism as their principal economic way of life. Yet there are other reasons far more important than the fact that colonialism is capitalism in disguise. One is that the very nature of capitalism is incompatible with the developmental needs of underdeveloped peoples. For capitalism very definitely is not a socio-economic system concerned with social and economic advancement of all the people. Both the philosophy and practice of capitalism oppose the fundamental basis of African life, its urgent need for united socio-economic programs for the entire population, its need of a system of production primarily for use, not profits, and of distribution guided by a philosophy of social justice that is quite different from that derived from Darwin and Spencer: “the survival of the fittest.” We agree, rather with Huxley that the direction of civilization is to help the unfit to become more fit for survival. The socialist theory of distribution is also contrary to basic native concepts which we consider more in line with social justice. For the African would say, if he follows his own traditional concepts, “from each according to his ability, and to each according to his needs, qualified by his efforts.” This qualification took care of any possible drones in the society, but the philosophy behind it ran much deeper: All men must do their best, but the total results of one’s efforts are due to aids, circumstances, and powers entirely beyond one’s own control. All of the success of the successful, therefore, is not all his success; nor is all of the failure of the less successful his failure if he has done his best. In economic distribution this means that one who actually contributes all that he is able to contribute, he will receive according to his needs and efforts. Kofi is secure as long as he does not loaf in the shade while the others toil. Production for use should be the prime economic objective of African society. Profits should mean that there is a surplus after all human needs are satisfied. This should be particularly true of food, clothing and housing. Every human being should be entitled to adequate food, clothing and a decent home in which to live. This is about the same as saying that every human being has a right to live, the poor and deserving have the right to live better; and where the drive for profits conflicts with this, as under capitalism, we say, “profits be damned.” Here the humane is actually inseparable from the economic. A society’s real prosperity depends upon the general well-being of all its members, not the wealth of a few. That well-being can be assured by adequate production and an equitable system of distribution. Who can produce? How much can production be increased? How made more efficient? These are crucial questions. They are as social as they are economic, for they bring to the fore, straight-away, the basic question of social justice which involves the basic question of equal contribution. And very simple economic commonsense leads us directly back to the condition of the masses of Africans. Can we expect the highest standard of productive efficiency from the illiterate? Can we expect increased production and a high level of efficiency from the undernourished and diseased?
Posted on: Mon, 02 Dec 2013 06:28:53 +0000
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