Who is going to save the world? Capitalism or Communism?
As the first decade of the 21st century quickly approaches we are seeing an ever strengthening argument for global cooperation; climate change, Iran and North Korea, the Global banking crisis, all of these things need action on a world-wide scale. So what does this mean for the battle lines of old? Capitalist countries should surely be calling for the market to decide, while Communist countries push forward state led plans to combat these crises. Instead we have seen America agree to a $700 billion Wall street bailout plan and the U.K government has taken majority shareholdings in Lloyd's and HBOS.
The Capitalist way would have been to allow bad banks with toxic debt to go under while good banks flourished, as appeared to be the case when the economic crisis started with the death of Lehman Brothers. Instead the ‘answers’ to these global problems appear to be left wing in nature. Climate change for example should already be solved, given the demand there is for cleaner energy and less waste why has no company stood in to supply? Hundreds of companies are willing to pay lip service to green, just look at bags for life, but very few have made radical overhauls to their structures or practices to be truly green and very few new companies have provided a viable green alternative. I think many would agree that, while we all can and should do our bit, it takes concerted global action to combat climate change, governments promising and acting to cut carbon emissions, to pressure and provide incentives to car manufactures to produce electric or hydrogen cell vehicles and improving public infrastructure to get cars off the road. So if it is left wing politics, massive government planning and international cooperation that are going to get us out of this mess then what are the Communist countries doing to help?
China if we look at the CIA World Factbook, America’s guide to the countries of the world (the U.K is poetically described as ‘slightly smaller than Oregon’), we see that America still regards China as a Communist State and a recent ‘World in 50 years’ report by the CIA warned America of a resurgent China. When it comes to Global issues China should be well placed to provide ‘concerted global action’ just look at the Beijing Olympics where the Chinese government shut down half of the factories surrounding Beijing in order to improve the air quality within the city. China is seen as a key player in talking to North Korea and when it comes to the financial crises it is Chinese production and American consumption that provide the engine that powers international economic growth.
However the reality doesn’t quite match up. Over international climate action China has dragged it’s feet, while opening coal fired power stations at a rate never before seen. In terms of nuclear nations China while participating in disarmament talks has been increasing it’s conventional weapons rapidly with the launch of a Chinese built aircraft carrier and associated ships by 2015. The one hope is that China has gotten on board with the rest of the G20 and created it’s own stimulus package to boost it’s economy although many nations, especially America, still hold grudge over the way the Chinese government has purposely under-valued the Yuan keeping Chinese exports cheap.
If we look at it on the face of things the Capitalist’s are international communists each aware that we are all in this together, while the Communist in the room, with the ability to do a lot, is dragging it’s feet and trying to look out for number one. What has the world come to?
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