While capitalism is easily comparable to—and perhaps worse than—the human slavery system, capitalism also perpetuates the numerous inequities of an unethical social hierarchy. In an ideal economic system, carbon emissions would be as close to zero as humanly and reasonably possible; however, the current economy allows the people who hoard and exploit resources to absorb nearly all the wealth within the system and providing for selfishness. Unfortunately, since modern-day career interests can rarely ever pay living wages, society is quickly falling apart, and numerous countries, particularly the United States of America, are actively in decay as a direct result.
Cult of “Personal Responsibility”
The old adage of “you get what you pay for” is quite outdated. While capitalism promises individual duties as successes, every transaction is a collective failure in return. The more one pays, the more damage they cause to the environment, particularly because the higher price tiers often involve more carbon emissions than the lower price tiers. Apart from the old adage being untrue, the implied use of the singular “you” also unfortunately reinforces hyper-individualism. Since capitalism is the root cause of nearly every local, regional, national, and global crisis, including the loneliness epidemic, capitalism as a system is, by itself, a crisis. Plus, the loneliness epidemic is a direct consequence of the nature of the phrase “personal responsibility,” which also results in unethical corporations promoting unethical and oversized automotive devices and oversized roads built to excessive standards, further entrapping and isolating community.