Soul

I keep writing "sould." I think that was, or "Soul'd Out" was the title.. of an R&B album, once, some time back.

OK. Here goes the post. It's about the tendency to organize society, or to favor the idea of it, which is perhaps a little different.

     Some persons may in different ways like organizational things and some persons may see an increase in this aspect of life. The conservative view points to this. They talk about "liberals," or "big government."
     And  that's just who we are talking about-----those guys. The aim of such persons is to increase the organizedness of stuff.
     Socialists (whatever they are) do generally advocate more organization.
     But it is hard to see how we can intentionally make society more, or less, organized. Whether we have a position on this --- whether we want the society to be more, or less, organized we should accede to the fact that it is organized.
      Some may want more of that organization.
      Well, I do not say that. I am more saying that like societies have organization --- this exists --- let's admit it! And ours should be called "capitalist," or capitalism. Therefore it is a capitalist society. It is a capitalist-ic society if you like. I am cool with either of those two formulations: capitalist, capitalistic --- either of those two are fine. And so are you, if you are from Alaska and your name starts with "P."
     So, capitalism is the form of "social organization." Got it? It is not only a formal, or business system though. Oh no. It is organized on the cultural level, the social, informal level. And of course it is also organized on a more formal level, the business level. So, you have a society and it is both formal and informal, cultural and "economic" or "market." It has business and politics and society. Society works as a whole. It cannot work any other way. Any attempt to make it work any other way is doomed; these are not choices that the Bank of International Settlements can make (those people are fools; I do not even pay any attention to that).
     There may, I will accede, be a variety of subjective viewpoints and approaches to this matter of society and whether it should be the main topic for conversation. But here we are speaking (openly) about that, and I admit it. We are discussing the matter of human social organization, or society.
     We are more and more integrated, globalized, or "interdependent." The social basis has been capitalism, or has been expressed through capitalism. And the interdependence has been increasing ---- with globalization.
     Capitalism, i.e. business, needs to be guided (when I say "guided" I am thinking "regulated," so this is the pro-regulation or "mixed economy" position) in ways both formal and informal
     But (to change the subject a little) how does the system exist? How does it "actually" exist? It exists in cultural terms, and, in cultural terms, it exists as a system where action, or freedom, is expressed in terms of the commercial activities of work and entrepreneurship. At the same time, in the system as it is now, the actual qwuantity of money/goods is increasing all the time. That spells trouble! It means that capitalism no longer supports social values; conversely, social values no longer support capitalism. The essential "socialist" core of capitalism is torn out. The system loses its heart. The system becomes "mere money-making" ---- a hollow, empty ritual.
     When capitalism loses its soul we all die.

(Greider's simple phrase, "Soul of Capitalism," tends to come to mind lately)