This article aims to demonstrate the need for a new Enlightenment project to end the calvary in which humanity is subjected throughout history that reached its highest level during the existence of capitalism in the contemporary era, striving for the construction of a new model of society that provides benefits for all human beings. Calvary means martyrdom, suffering. An observer attentive to what happens in the world realizes the calvary suffered by humanity throughout history. This calvary is characterized by the exploitation of man by man with slavery during Antiquity, serfdom during feudalism in the Middle Ages and wage labor during capitalism from the 12th century to the contemporary era that contributes to the growth of social inequalities, the increase in crime and violence among human beings, the restriction of political freedoms in many countries and the escalation of international conflicts and terrorism.
Feminist Economics, Finance and the CommonsConor McCabe
The document discusses the history of capitalism and its relationship to social reproduction. It argues that the witch hunts in Europe helped lay the foundations for capitalist society by weakening peasant resistance to privatization of land and the imposition of state control. This destroyed old belief systems and practices that were incompatible with capitalism. The document also discusses Fernand Braudel's analysis of different sectors in pre-industrial Europe, with capitalism existing in a narrow zone alongside a market economy and non-market sectors. Social reproduction, including unpaid domestic work, was considered unproductive and outside the realm of economics. The creation of export-oriented industries employing women in developing countries in the 1960s-80s is also mentioned.
This document provides an overview of a lecture on the debate over an integrated world system. It discusses arguments for and against world integration from economic and moral perspectives. Supporters of free trade argue nations should specialize in what they produce best and trade freely. Others argue weaker economies need protection initially and prefer regulated cooperation between developed and developing regions. Critically, some argue European domination and imposed economic systems historically disadvantaged developing areas due to exploitation and failure to respect local laws and peoples. Overall, the lecture frames the debate between full integration versus regulated independence in international political economy.
Spring 2013, Social Movements - Primitive accumulation, capitalist developmen...Stephen Cheng
This was a final term paper that I wrote during the Spring 2013 semester at CUNY for Professor Frances Fox Piven. I focus on developments in the Brazilian countryside during the twentieth century and, in the process, trace the evolution of the Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST) (Landless Workers' Movement). Along the way, I write about the economic modernization of Brazil and the situation of the country's peasantry.
This document summarizes key points from Marxism regarding population theory:
1) According to Marxism, the "reserve army" of unemployed workers created by machines keeps wages low and condemns workers to poverty.
2) Rulers are not concerned with limiting population growth that could threaten their rule. However, as colonies gained independence, rulers feared a rise in "costly" partial subjects seeking rights.
3) One day, according to Marxism, wealthy countries may need to organize deliveries of goods to growing poorer populations, dramatically changing global power dynamics with wealthy peoples becoming smaller minorities.
1) Marx rejected Malthus' theory that population growth itself caused poverty and famine. Instead, Marx argued that poverty under capitalism was caused by unequal distribution of wealth and lack of jobs, not overpopulation.
2) According to Marx, a well-ordered socialist society could support population growth through increased production and wealth, unlike capitalism which creates a "reserve army of labor" and unemployment.
3) Key differences between Marx and Malthus include Marx's view that poverty is caused by the contradictions of capitalism rather than natural population pressures, and his theory that technological changes under capitalism displace workers rather than Malthus' belief that population naturally outstrips food production.
CAPE Sociology Marx theory of_population-1capesociology
Marx believed that population growth is tied to the economic system and the two cannot be separated. To Marx, poverty and unemployment were caused not by overpopulation itself, but by the failure of the capitalist system to provide enough jobs. Surplus population was the consequence of real production and the uneven distribution of wealth under capitalism. Marx also argued that under socialism, reproductive behavior would develop in full harmony with society. However, critics note that communist countries still saw the need to check population growth, contrary to Marx's assumptions, calling into question his view that economic inequality is the sole cause of differences in birth rates.
This document summarizes John D. Breen's study on poverty in Argentina. It discusses how poverty has historically been defined through famine, population growth theories, and income inequality. However, it argues that free market policies best alleviate poverty by allowing markets to efficiently allocate resources, create wealth, and increase wages. While income inequality exists in countries like Argentina, the true cause of poverty is government intervention and restrictions on capital that hinder free market mechanisms.
How to eliminate the causes of violence in brazil and the worldFernando Alcoforado
This document discusses perspectives on human nature and the causes of violence from various religions, philosophies and thinkers. It outlines views that human nature is originally good but corrupted by ignorance, or that humans have an innate tendency towards both good and evil. Eastern religions generally believe human nature is intrinsically good but corrupted, while Christianity, Judaism and Islam see humans as inherently capable of both good and evil. The document also discusses perspectives on human nature from Freud, Rogers, Hobbes, Rousseau, Marx and others. It suggests education can transform human weaknesses and help eliminate the causes of violence.
Feminist Economics, Finance and the CommonsConor McCabe
The document discusses the history of capitalism and its relationship to social reproduction. It argues that the witch hunts in Europe helped lay the foundations for capitalist society by weakening peasant resistance to privatization of land and the imposition of state control. This destroyed old belief systems and practices that were incompatible with capitalism. The document also discusses Fernand Braudel's analysis of different sectors in pre-industrial Europe, with capitalism existing in a narrow zone alongside a market economy and non-market sectors. Social reproduction, including unpaid domestic work, was considered unproductive and outside the realm of economics. The creation of export-oriented industries employing women in developing countries in the 1960s-80s is also mentioned.
This document provides an overview of a lecture on the debate over an integrated world system. It discusses arguments for and against world integration from economic and moral perspectives. Supporters of free trade argue nations should specialize in what they produce best and trade freely. Others argue weaker economies need protection initially and prefer regulated cooperation between developed and developing regions. Critically, some argue European domination and imposed economic systems historically disadvantaged developing areas due to exploitation and failure to respect local laws and peoples. Overall, the lecture frames the debate between full integration versus regulated independence in international political economy.
Spring 2013, Social Movements - Primitive accumulation, capitalist developmen...Stephen Cheng
This was a final term paper that I wrote during the Spring 2013 semester at CUNY for Professor Frances Fox Piven. I focus on developments in the Brazilian countryside during the twentieth century and, in the process, trace the evolution of the Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST) (Landless Workers' Movement). Along the way, I write about the economic modernization of Brazil and the situation of the country's peasantry.
This document summarizes key points from Marxism regarding population theory:
1) According to Marxism, the "reserve army" of unemployed workers created by machines keeps wages low and condemns workers to poverty.
2) Rulers are not concerned with limiting population growth that could threaten their rule. However, as colonies gained independence, rulers feared a rise in "costly" partial subjects seeking rights.
3) One day, according to Marxism, wealthy countries may need to organize deliveries of goods to growing poorer populations, dramatically changing global power dynamics with wealthy peoples becoming smaller minorities.
1) Marx rejected Malthus' theory that population growth itself caused poverty and famine. Instead, Marx argued that poverty under capitalism was caused by unequal distribution of wealth and lack of jobs, not overpopulation.
2) According to Marx, a well-ordered socialist society could support population growth through increased production and wealth, unlike capitalism which creates a "reserve army of labor" and unemployment.
3) Key differences between Marx and Malthus include Marx's view that poverty is caused by the contradictions of capitalism rather than natural population pressures, and his theory that technological changes under capitalism displace workers rather than Malthus' belief that population naturally outstrips food production.
CAPE Sociology Marx theory of_population-1capesociology
Marx believed that population growth is tied to the economic system and the two cannot be separated. To Marx, poverty and unemployment were caused not by overpopulation itself, but by the failure of the capitalist system to provide enough jobs. Surplus population was the consequence of real production and the uneven distribution of wealth under capitalism. Marx also argued that under socialism, reproductive behavior would develop in full harmony with society. However, critics note that communist countries still saw the need to check population growth, contrary to Marx's assumptions, calling into question his view that economic inequality is the sole cause of differences in birth rates.
This document summarizes John D. Breen's study on poverty in Argentina. It discusses how poverty has historically been defined through famine, population growth theories, and income inequality. However, it argues that free market policies best alleviate poverty by allowing markets to efficiently allocate resources, create wealth, and increase wages. While income inequality exists in countries like Argentina, the true cause of poverty is government intervention and restrictions on capital that hinder free market mechanisms.
How to eliminate the causes of violence in brazil and the worldFernando Alcoforado
This document discusses perspectives on human nature and the causes of violence from various religions, philosophies and thinkers. It outlines views that human nature is originally good but corrupted by ignorance, or that humans have an innate tendency towards both good and evil. Eastern religions generally believe human nature is intrinsically good but corrupted, while Christianity, Judaism and Islam see humans as inherently capable of both good and evil. The document also discusses perspectives on human nature from Freud, Rogers, Hobbes, Rousseau, Marx and others. It suggests education can transform human weaknesses and help eliminate the causes of violence.
Utopia and dystopia in confrontation troughout the historyFernando Alcoforado
Faced with the failure of the Enlightenment, Marxism and Modernity in the construction of human happiness, it is an immense challenge for contemporary thinkers to establish new paradigms and new values of rational behavior to be formulated for society in the present era. Contemporary thinkers need to mobilize in the reinvention of a new Enlightenment project of society as did eighteenth-century thinkers in order to construct the utopia of a new world that will bring to an end the ordeal of humanity.
New program of_the_communist_party_usa-19th_convention-1970-131pgs-polRareBooksnRecords
This document outlines the program of the Communist Party USA from 1970. It describes the state of American society as one in crisis, with mounting economic insecurity, persistent poverty and unemployment despite the ability to produce abundance. It analyzes the US as a capitalist society divided between the exploiting capitalist class and the exploited working class. While technology has advanced production, it has led not to greater prosperity but intensified exploitation of workers and growing unemployment. The document argues this crisis can only be resolved by replacing the private ownership of industry with social ownership, establishing a socialist system where production is motivated by public need rather than private profit.
This document discusses several theories of population:
1. Malthusian theory argues that population grows geometrically while food production grows arithmetically, leading to population pressing against the food supply. Checks on population growth include preventative checks like birth control and positive checks like famine.
2. Marxist theory critiques Malthus, arguing poverty is caused by unequal distribution of resources under capitalism, not overpopulation.
3. Neo-Malthusian theory revives Malthus' ideas in the 20th century, promoting family planning over famine/war as population controls.
4. Demographic transition theory describes countries transitioning from high birth/death rates to low as they develop,
Feminist Economics, Finance, and the CommonsConor McCabe
The document discusses the history of capitalism and its relationship to non-capitalist systems. It argues that capitalism in the past only occupied a small part of the economy and existed alongside much larger non-capitalist systems. It also discusses Fernand Braudel's distinction between the economy, capitalism, and a lowest non-economic stratum. The document advocates understanding capitalism in relation to the surrounding non-capitalist context from which it was defined.
This document summarizes an article that discusses the continued crisis of men in America, as represented by Hillary Clinton's "basket of deplorables" comment and the appeal of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders to the poor and working class. It argues that class divisions and a "white trash" underclass have existed in America for over 400 years and discusses how poverty, inequality, and the "culture of poverty" perspective have shaped social discourse. The article advocates for a critical social theory approach to better understand the sociology of inequality and the perpetuation of class divisions in America.
This document discusses three modes of production: domestic, tributary, and capitalist. The domestic mode is organized through kinship relations and family labor for subsistence. The tributary mode involves classes where producers give tribute to rulers. The capitalist mode private ownership of production by capitalists who profit from worker labor. It provides examples of each, including indigenous subsistence corn farmers who also grow coffee for sale, and secondhand clothing vendors in Zambia's informal economy.
This document discusses why democratic socialism has failed to materialize despite attempts. It argues that the complex, hierarchical nature of industrial societies powered by fossil fuels is inherently resistant to bottom-up, democratic control and management. Multiple explanations are examined for why revolutions and reforms failed to establish worker-run socialism, but the most comprehensive is that large-scale industrialism is structurally incompatible with nationally confined economic democracy. History shows it fosters corporatist or statist systems rather than genuine democratic socialism.
The document discusses the influences on Latin America from Europe, Spain, and Portugal including their governments, languages, religions, and customs. It also discusses how racial diversity developed from relations between European colonizers and the local populations. Latin America gained independence in the 1820s but European philosophies still shaped their new schools and universities. Later, powerful leaders known as caudillos rose to political dominance in some Latin American countries through military force and populism. Finally, the document examines how European settlement and trade introduced new plants, animals, and diseases to the Americas, which devastated the native populations.
This document provides an overview of Marxism and key Marxist concepts. It begins by explaining Marx's view of class society as divided between the bourgeoisie (the ruling capitalist class) and the proletariat (the working class). It describes how the capitalist class owns the major means of production and exploits the labor of the working class to generate profits. It then discusses the concept of capital and capitalism, explaining how capitalism emerged through the "primitive accumulation of capital" via colonialism, slavery and violence. The document establishes Marx's view that the working class creates all wealth through their labor, while the capitalist class concentrates wealth in their hands through exploitation.
American Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development is indexed, refereed and peer-reviewed journal, which is designed to publish research articles.
Global Finance, Money and Power - Lecture 11: AlternativesConor McCabe
The document discusses the concept of social reproduction and its importance in feminist theory. It argues that social reproduction, which includes activities that renew and maintain people's lives like childcare, housework, and caring for the sick, is as fundamental to society as productive labor but is often devalued and privatized. While social reproduction has historically been performed unpaid by women in the home, it is essential to capitalist systems. Examining social reproduction illuminates power dynamics between labor and capital and possibilities for transformation.
WAYS OF THE WORLD POWERPOINT ASSIGNMENT #2 PART 1bergie2613
1. The document provides summaries of chapters from two books that discuss major historical events and developments from the 18th century to the early 20th century.
2. Key topics covered include the Enlightenment, the American and French Revolutions, the Industrial Revolution, colonialism, World War I, the rise of communism, apartheid in South Africa, and globalization.
3. Major figures discussed include Voltaire, James Madison, Robespierre, and Nelson Mandela.
The document discusses three different sources that analyze perspectives on government involvement in the economy.
Source 1 supports modern liberalism and Keynesian economics, arguing that government must fund social programs and intervene occasionally in markets to prevent poverty and ensure individuals can pursue happiness.
Source 2 criticizes socialism, arguing that hierarchical systems and human labor are necessary for production, supporting minimal government involvement.
Source 3 depicts wealthy capitalists questioning an economic boom's importance if everyone benefits, including the poor, implying support for classical liberalism and capitalism based on competition and individualism.
The document provides an overview of social and cultural contexts during the Victorian period in Britain from 1837 to 1901. Some key points covered include:
- The British Empire expanded greatly under Queen Victoria's rule, making Britain the world's most powerful nation.
- The Industrial Revolution transformed Britain's economy and society, leading to overcrowded cities with poor living conditions for many workers. Child labor was also common.
- Cultural influences included Adam Smith's laissez-faire economic ideas, Darwin's theory of evolution, and John Stuart Mill's advocacy for individual liberty and women's rights.
- Victorian literature often addressed social issues and protested problems caused by industrialization. Major novelists included Dickens, the B
This document summarizes the key topics and readings covered in a class on globalization and culture. The class will discuss chapters 4-5 from Marks examining why the Industrial Revolution first occurred in Europe, specifically England, and the role of colonialism and slavery. It will also cover Marx and Engels' Communist Manifesto, specifically their view that history is defined by class struggle between oppressors and oppressed, including the bourgeoisie and proletariat emerging from the Industrial Revolution. Marx and Engels argued capitalism created massive productive forces but also globalized production and consumption, exploited workers, and lowered their quality of life.
The document summarizes Karl Marx's view of the obstacles to the rise of capitalism and how they were overcome according to his work Capital Volume I. One obstacle was the economic structure of feudal society, which was overcome as elements of feudalism disintegrated. Another was the guild system, which people escaped from. As a result of these changes, people's means of production and guarantees under feudalism were taken away, harming many individuals. The rise of capitalism also involved the enslavement of workers and a change from feudal to capitalist exploitation. The disintegration of bands and monasteries pushed many into the proletariat while the theft of common lands increased the size of farms and the agricultural proletariat
Historical and geographical influences on the jungle Alvie1999
Upton Sinclair's 1906 novel The Jungle describes the harsh conditions faced by immigrant workers in Chicago's meatpacking industry in the early 20th century. Based on Sinclair's undercover investigation of the industry, the book tells the story of a Lithuanian immigrant family seeking the American Dream but finding poverty, oppression, and spoiled meat. The novel brought attention to issues like long work hours, low pay, and unsanitary practices and helped pass new food safety laws, though Sinclair primarily aimed to promote socialism. The Jungle was influenced by the large wave of European immigration to the U.S. at the time and tensions between social classes that led to the growth of socialism as a movement advocating for workers' rights and reforms.
Capitalism relies on and benefits from unpaid labor primarily performed by women in households. Women face economic, political, and cultural discrimination and oppression. They are undervalued and their domestic and care work is not counted or compensated. Capitalism hides this exploitation by relegating reproduction to women and only valuing production. The household and commodity chains connect local economies to the global system, enabling unequal exchange that drains resources from the periphery to enrich the core, as households subsidize capitalists through unpaid labor.
The document discusses several issues with the current global system including rising organized violence, wealth disparity, poverty, and environmental degradation. It argues that the system has been manipulated over time to serve elite interests and control the means of production. The extreme form of capitalism in recent decades has led to a debt-based system rather than free markets. This has negative consequences like job losses. Terrorism is driven by deprivation of resources and destruction of livelihoods. The clash of civilizations will be a major source of conflict. Real reforms are needed in financial systems and addressing injustice to reduce terrorism. An individual cannot change the whole system but dedicating oneself to a cause and gaining self-knowledge is important.
The ending of capitalism have been subject to predictions that anticipated an end, but it has prevailed and has strengthened; apparently has more strength and staying power now than before
THE GENESIS OF WEALTH AND POVERTY IN THE CONTEMPORARY AGEFernando Alcoforado
This article aims to demonstrate that wealth and poverty cannot be treated in isolation, since they are the sides of the same coin forming an irreducible set. The analysis of wealth cannot be dissociated from poverty, as the concentration of wealth generates exploitation, which is a founding element of poverty. This means saying that the dogma that promoting the concentration of wealth and income would be the means for economic development and overcoming poverty is a capitalist fallacy. There is a general thought that the causes of misery and poverty are linked to family maladjustments, the individual's educational unpreparedness for the world of work and the individual's lack of capacity to undertake. The causes of poverty are related to social inequalities resulting from the concentration of wealth in capitalism. Is there a solution that leads to the reduction of social inequality? The answer is that the end of social inequality will only be achieved when the Welfare State is implemented along the lines of that practiced in Scandinavian countries with the necessary adaptation to each country, because it is the most successful social system ever implemented in the world because embodies the most positive elements of both socialism and capitalism.
Karl Marx argued that a society's economic structure determines its social and political structures. He believed that in capitalist societies, there are two main classes - the bourgeoisie who own the means of production, and the proletariat who must sell their labor. A society's mode of production shapes its social relations, politics, and people's consciousness. Globalization today is facilitated by international agreements and organizations that promote free trade between nations through reducing trade barriers. While free trade aims to improve living standards, critics argue it can negatively impact poorer countries.
Utopia and dystopia in confrontation troughout the historyFernando Alcoforado
Faced with the failure of the Enlightenment, Marxism and Modernity in the construction of human happiness, it is an immense challenge for contemporary thinkers to establish new paradigms and new values of rational behavior to be formulated for society in the present era. Contemporary thinkers need to mobilize in the reinvention of a new Enlightenment project of society as did eighteenth-century thinkers in order to construct the utopia of a new world that will bring to an end the ordeal of humanity.
New program of_the_communist_party_usa-19th_convention-1970-131pgs-polRareBooksnRecords
This document outlines the program of the Communist Party USA from 1970. It describes the state of American society as one in crisis, with mounting economic insecurity, persistent poverty and unemployment despite the ability to produce abundance. It analyzes the US as a capitalist society divided between the exploiting capitalist class and the exploited working class. While technology has advanced production, it has led not to greater prosperity but intensified exploitation of workers and growing unemployment. The document argues this crisis can only be resolved by replacing the private ownership of industry with social ownership, establishing a socialist system where production is motivated by public need rather than private profit.
This document discusses several theories of population:
1. Malthusian theory argues that population grows geometrically while food production grows arithmetically, leading to population pressing against the food supply. Checks on population growth include preventative checks like birth control and positive checks like famine.
2. Marxist theory critiques Malthus, arguing poverty is caused by unequal distribution of resources under capitalism, not overpopulation.
3. Neo-Malthusian theory revives Malthus' ideas in the 20th century, promoting family planning over famine/war as population controls.
4. Demographic transition theory describes countries transitioning from high birth/death rates to low as they develop,
Feminist Economics, Finance, and the CommonsConor McCabe
The document discusses the history of capitalism and its relationship to non-capitalist systems. It argues that capitalism in the past only occupied a small part of the economy and existed alongside much larger non-capitalist systems. It also discusses Fernand Braudel's distinction between the economy, capitalism, and a lowest non-economic stratum. The document advocates understanding capitalism in relation to the surrounding non-capitalist context from which it was defined.
This document summarizes an article that discusses the continued crisis of men in America, as represented by Hillary Clinton's "basket of deplorables" comment and the appeal of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders to the poor and working class. It argues that class divisions and a "white trash" underclass have existed in America for over 400 years and discusses how poverty, inequality, and the "culture of poverty" perspective have shaped social discourse. The article advocates for a critical social theory approach to better understand the sociology of inequality and the perpetuation of class divisions in America.
This document discusses three modes of production: domestic, tributary, and capitalist. The domestic mode is organized through kinship relations and family labor for subsistence. The tributary mode involves classes where producers give tribute to rulers. The capitalist mode private ownership of production by capitalists who profit from worker labor. It provides examples of each, including indigenous subsistence corn farmers who also grow coffee for sale, and secondhand clothing vendors in Zambia's informal economy.
This document discusses why democratic socialism has failed to materialize despite attempts. It argues that the complex, hierarchical nature of industrial societies powered by fossil fuels is inherently resistant to bottom-up, democratic control and management. Multiple explanations are examined for why revolutions and reforms failed to establish worker-run socialism, but the most comprehensive is that large-scale industrialism is structurally incompatible with nationally confined economic democracy. History shows it fosters corporatist or statist systems rather than genuine democratic socialism.
The document discusses the influences on Latin America from Europe, Spain, and Portugal including their governments, languages, religions, and customs. It also discusses how racial diversity developed from relations between European colonizers and the local populations. Latin America gained independence in the 1820s but European philosophies still shaped their new schools and universities. Later, powerful leaders known as caudillos rose to political dominance in some Latin American countries through military force and populism. Finally, the document examines how European settlement and trade introduced new plants, animals, and diseases to the Americas, which devastated the native populations.
This document provides an overview of Marxism and key Marxist concepts. It begins by explaining Marx's view of class society as divided between the bourgeoisie (the ruling capitalist class) and the proletariat (the working class). It describes how the capitalist class owns the major means of production and exploits the labor of the working class to generate profits. It then discusses the concept of capital and capitalism, explaining how capitalism emerged through the "primitive accumulation of capital" via colonialism, slavery and violence. The document establishes Marx's view that the working class creates all wealth through their labor, while the capitalist class concentrates wealth in their hands through exploitation.
American Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development is indexed, refereed and peer-reviewed journal, which is designed to publish research articles.
Global Finance, Money and Power - Lecture 11: AlternativesConor McCabe
The document discusses the concept of social reproduction and its importance in feminist theory. It argues that social reproduction, which includes activities that renew and maintain people's lives like childcare, housework, and caring for the sick, is as fundamental to society as productive labor but is often devalued and privatized. While social reproduction has historically been performed unpaid by women in the home, it is essential to capitalist systems. Examining social reproduction illuminates power dynamics between labor and capital and possibilities for transformation.
WAYS OF THE WORLD POWERPOINT ASSIGNMENT #2 PART 1bergie2613
1. The document provides summaries of chapters from two books that discuss major historical events and developments from the 18th century to the early 20th century.
2. Key topics covered include the Enlightenment, the American and French Revolutions, the Industrial Revolution, colonialism, World War I, the rise of communism, apartheid in South Africa, and globalization.
3. Major figures discussed include Voltaire, James Madison, Robespierre, and Nelson Mandela.
The document discusses three different sources that analyze perspectives on government involvement in the economy.
Source 1 supports modern liberalism and Keynesian economics, arguing that government must fund social programs and intervene occasionally in markets to prevent poverty and ensure individuals can pursue happiness.
Source 2 criticizes socialism, arguing that hierarchical systems and human labor are necessary for production, supporting minimal government involvement.
Source 3 depicts wealthy capitalists questioning an economic boom's importance if everyone benefits, including the poor, implying support for classical liberalism and capitalism based on competition and individualism.
The document provides an overview of social and cultural contexts during the Victorian period in Britain from 1837 to 1901. Some key points covered include:
- The British Empire expanded greatly under Queen Victoria's rule, making Britain the world's most powerful nation.
- The Industrial Revolution transformed Britain's economy and society, leading to overcrowded cities with poor living conditions for many workers. Child labor was also common.
- Cultural influences included Adam Smith's laissez-faire economic ideas, Darwin's theory of evolution, and John Stuart Mill's advocacy for individual liberty and women's rights.
- Victorian literature often addressed social issues and protested problems caused by industrialization. Major novelists included Dickens, the B
This document summarizes the key topics and readings covered in a class on globalization and culture. The class will discuss chapters 4-5 from Marks examining why the Industrial Revolution first occurred in Europe, specifically England, and the role of colonialism and slavery. It will also cover Marx and Engels' Communist Manifesto, specifically their view that history is defined by class struggle between oppressors and oppressed, including the bourgeoisie and proletariat emerging from the Industrial Revolution. Marx and Engels argued capitalism created massive productive forces but also globalized production and consumption, exploited workers, and lowered their quality of life.
The document summarizes Karl Marx's view of the obstacles to the rise of capitalism and how they were overcome according to his work Capital Volume I. One obstacle was the economic structure of feudal society, which was overcome as elements of feudalism disintegrated. Another was the guild system, which people escaped from. As a result of these changes, people's means of production and guarantees under feudalism were taken away, harming many individuals. The rise of capitalism also involved the enslavement of workers and a change from feudal to capitalist exploitation. The disintegration of bands and monasteries pushed many into the proletariat while the theft of common lands increased the size of farms and the agricultural proletariat
Historical and geographical influences on the jungle Alvie1999
Upton Sinclair's 1906 novel The Jungle describes the harsh conditions faced by immigrant workers in Chicago's meatpacking industry in the early 20th century. Based on Sinclair's undercover investigation of the industry, the book tells the story of a Lithuanian immigrant family seeking the American Dream but finding poverty, oppression, and spoiled meat. The novel brought attention to issues like long work hours, low pay, and unsanitary practices and helped pass new food safety laws, though Sinclair primarily aimed to promote socialism. The Jungle was influenced by the large wave of European immigration to the U.S. at the time and tensions between social classes that led to the growth of socialism as a movement advocating for workers' rights and reforms.
Capitalism relies on and benefits from unpaid labor primarily performed by women in households. Women face economic, political, and cultural discrimination and oppression. They are undervalued and their domestic and care work is not counted or compensated. Capitalism hides this exploitation by relegating reproduction to women and only valuing production. The household and commodity chains connect local economies to the global system, enabling unequal exchange that drains resources from the periphery to enrich the core, as households subsidize capitalists through unpaid labor.
The document discusses several issues with the current global system including rising organized violence, wealth disparity, poverty, and environmental degradation. It argues that the system has been manipulated over time to serve elite interests and control the means of production. The extreme form of capitalism in recent decades has led to a debt-based system rather than free markets. This has negative consequences like job losses. Terrorism is driven by deprivation of resources and destruction of livelihoods. The clash of civilizations will be a major source of conflict. Real reforms are needed in financial systems and addressing injustice to reduce terrorism. An individual cannot change the whole system but dedicating oneself to a cause and gaining self-knowledge is important.
The ending of capitalism have been subject to predictions that anticipated an end, but it has prevailed and has strengthened; apparently has more strength and staying power now than before
THE GENESIS OF WEALTH AND POVERTY IN THE CONTEMPORARY AGEFernando Alcoforado
This article aims to demonstrate that wealth and poverty cannot be treated in isolation, since they are the sides of the same coin forming an irreducible set. The analysis of wealth cannot be dissociated from poverty, as the concentration of wealth generates exploitation, which is a founding element of poverty. This means saying that the dogma that promoting the concentration of wealth and income would be the means for economic development and overcoming poverty is a capitalist fallacy. There is a general thought that the causes of misery and poverty are linked to family maladjustments, the individual's educational unpreparedness for the world of work and the individual's lack of capacity to undertake. The causes of poverty are related to social inequalities resulting from the concentration of wealth in capitalism. Is there a solution that leads to the reduction of social inequality? The answer is that the end of social inequality will only be achieved when the Welfare State is implemented along the lines of that practiced in Scandinavian countries with the necessary adaptation to each country, because it is the most successful social system ever implemented in the world because embodies the most positive elements of both socialism and capitalism.
Karl Marx argued that a society's economic structure determines its social and political structures. He believed that in capitalist societies, there are two main classes - the bourgeoisie who own the means of production, and the proletariat who must sell their labor. A society's mode of production shapes its social relations, politics, and people's consciousness. Globalization today is facilitated by international agreements and organizations that promote free trade between nations through reducing trade barriers. While free trade aims to improve living standards, critics argue it can negatively impact poorer countries.
Transition of capitalism for post capitalist society in mid century 21Fernando Alcoforado
We all have a tendency to imagine that the society in which we live will endure forever, forgetting or not knowing that there have been other economic systems that have come and gone, as is the case of slavery in ancient times in Greece and in the Roman Empire and feudalism in the Middle Ages in Europe. Unlike the transition from slavery to feudalism which was characterized by the forcible overthrow of the Roman Empire by slaves and dispossessed people barbarians, the passage from feudalism to capitalism took place with virtually no violence except for France with the French Revolution in 1789. Why capitalism would not have the same fate of slavery and feudalism? Just as slavery and feudalism had a beginning and an end, capitalism which had its beginning in the 12th century in Europe will follow the same trajectory culminating with an end in the mid-21st century. Faced with the collapse of the world capitalist system perspective in the mid-21st century, it is imperative the invention of new models of society on a global and national level to be able to rationalize the process of growth and economic and social development to ensure economic and social progress for the benefit of people of all the countries of the world.
SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIOLOGYAGENDAS FOR THETWENTY-FIR.docxpbilly1
SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIOLOGY:
AGENDAS FOR THE
TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
JOE R, FEAGIN
University of Florida
The world's peoples face daunting challenges in the
twenty-first century. While apologists herald the globaliza-
tion of capitalism, many people on our planet experience
recurring economic exploitation, immiseration, and envi-
ronmental crises linked to capitalism's spread. Across the
globe social movements continue to raise the issues of
social justice and democracy. Given the new century's
serious challenges, sociologists need to rediscover their
roots in a sociology committed to social justice, to cultivate and extend the long-
standing "countersystem" approach to research, to encourage greater self-reflection
in sociological analysis, and to re-emphasize the importance ofthe teaching of soci-
ology. Finally, more sociologists should examine the big social questions of this
century, including the issues of economic exploitation, social oppression, and the
looming environmental crises. And, clearly, more sociologists should engage in the
study of alternative social futures, including those of more just and egalitarian soci-
eties. Sociologists need to think deeply and imaginatively about sustainable social
futures and to aid in building better human societies.
WE STAND today at the beginning ofa challenging new century. Like
ASA Presidents before me, I am conscious
of the honor and the responsibility that this
address carries with it, and I feel a special
obligation to speak about the role of sociol-
ogy and sociologists in the twenty-first cen-
tury. As we look forward, let me quote W. E.
B. Du Bois, a pathbreaking U.S. sociologist.
In his last autobiographical statement, Du
Bois (1968) wrote:
Direct correspondence to Joe R. Feagin, De-
partment of Sociology, Box 117330, University
of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, (feagin®
ufl.edu). I would like to thank the numerous col-
leagues who made helpful comments on various
drafts of this presidential address. Among these
were Hernan Vera, Sidney Willhelm, Bernice
McNair Barnett, Gideon Sjoherg, Anne Rawls,
Mary Jo Deegan, Michael R. Hill, Patricia
Lengermann, Jill Niebrugge-Brantley, Tony
Orum, William A. Smith, Ben Agger, Karen
Pyke, and Leslie Houts.
[TJoday the contradictions of American civi-
lization are tremendous. Freedom of politi-
cal discussion is difficult; elections are not
free and fair. . . . The greatest power in the
land is not thought or ethics, but wealth. . . .
Present profit is valued higher than future
need. . . . I know the United States. It is my
country and the land of my fathers. It is still
a land of magnificent possibilities. It is still
the home of noble souls and generous
people. But it is selling its birthright. It is
betraying its mighty destiny. (Pp. 418-19)
Today the social contradictions of Ameri-
can and global civilizations are still im-
mense. Many prominent voices tell us that it
is the best of times; other voices insist that it
is the worst of t.
It is time for humanity to provide the urgently as possible tools needed to take control of their destiny and put in place a democratic governance of the world. This is the only means of survival of the human species and to halt the decay of humanity. Because there is no other means capable of building a world in which every woman, every man of today and tomorrow have the same rights and the same duties, and in which the interests of the planet and of all nations, of all forms of life and future generations would be finally taken into account, in which all the sources of growth would be used for environmentally and socially sustainable way.
Capitalism, socialism and social democracy throughout historyFernando Alcoforado
This article aims to make a comparative analysis between capitalism, socialism and social democracy throughout the history of humanity from the economic, social and political point of view.
This document summarizes a Marxist critique of the English III course materials. It discusses key Marxist concepts like historical materialism, the idea that economic systems and class struggles drive history. It analyzes the progression from slave societies to feudalism to capitalism, noting how the state serves ruling economic classes. It also discusses how ideas are shaped by economic conditions and how capitalism inevitably creates tensions that will lead to its destruction and replacement by socialism, as the working class gains power and abolishes private ownership and class exploitation. The summary concludes by briefly describing Dr. Seuss's book "Horton Hears a Who" as an example of literary text covered in the course.
How to prevent humanitarian debacle in the contemporary worldFernando Alcoforado
The document discusses the current humanitarian crisis as a result of capitalism, imperialism, and lack of global governance. It argues that wars and military interventions by Western powers like the US and EU in countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria have devastated societies and displaced millions of refugees. It calls for replacing capitalism with a model like Scandinavian social democracy and establishing democratic global governance to prevent war, terrorism, and further humanitarian crises.
How to prevent humanitarian debacle in the contemporary worldFernando Alcoforado
The document discusses the need to prevent a humanitarian crisis in the contemporary world. It argues that the current refugee crisis is the result of criminal wars and military interventions by Western powers like the US and EU in countries in the Middle East and Africa. It claims that rampant violence and crises around the world are caused by the failing capitalist system and ungovernable international system. It calls for replacing capitalism with a model like Scandinavian social democracy and establishing democratic global governance to ensure world peace and humanity's progress.
Historically, all the wars that have taken place throughout the history of mankind shows that one of its consequences is the emergence of refugees from conflict areas such as occurred during the Second World War in Europe. The recent wave of refugees has as Western powers most responsible led by the United States that occupied and disrupted Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, in addition to the attempted military intervention in Syria, among other countries. This makes it becomes imperative the end of disorder, of chaos that has characterized international relations throughout history.
Urges the creation of a new world order to be able to prevent wars and international conflicts which result in major humanitarian crises such as those that occur at this time.
Oleg S. Chenin,
2001
President of the Soviet of the Union of the Communist Parties - Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
Contribution to the International Communist Seminar
"The World Socialist Revolution in the Conditions of Imperialist Globalization"
Brussels, 2-4 May 2001
How to build a world of peace among nations and of human progressFernando Alcoforado
The document discusses the failures of capitalism and socialism to achieve the goals of the Enlightenment and human progress. It argues that humanity must now build a new sustainable global society with a democratic world government that can regulate the global economy and natural resources to build world peace and ensure humanity's survival. A world government would aim to defend planetary interests, prevent global risks, avoid the empire of one nation, and require all countries to respect individual rights. It would require a new global social contract allowing development while rationally using nature for all people. Establishing such a world order is now urgent.
Project of new model of society to be built in the futureFernando Alcoforado
Article published by the magazine 2015 IGHB- Geographic and Historic Institute of Bahia. This article aims to formulate a new social model as an alternative to neoliberal capitalism that prevails in the world today.
The document discusses various economic systems throughout history and their impacts on governments and societies. It describes how feudalism was replaced by capitalism during the Industrial Revolution, leading to new social classes. Socialism emerged as an alternative to capitalism, advocating for public ownership and equal economic status. However, examples like the Soviet Union and Venezuela show that centrally planned socialist economies can fail to support citizens' needs. While capitalism has enabled economic growth, it also causes issues like inequality, exploitation of workers, and environmental damage. The document examines different perspectives on economic systems and their real-world consequences.
The failure in the conquest of liberty equality and fraternity in the worldFernando Alcoforado
The Enlightenment provided the motto of the French Revolution (Liberty, Equality and Fraternity) to its followers who opposed to injustice, religious intolerance and the privileges of absolutism. However, from the French Revolution in 1789 to the present moment, the political promises of the Enlightenment were abandoned throughout the world with the adoption of inhuman practices increasingly sophisticated by governments and imperialists by the great capitalist powers, the unleashing of 3 world wars (World War I, World War II and the Cold War), the advent of Fascism and Nazism, the carrying out of coups d'état and the establishment of dictatorships in various countries around the world.
Great holiness- Great unity society doctrinethienton2008
1. The document outlines the inevitable evolution of humanity towards a communist society according to laws of the universe and human history.
2. It discusses how early human societies were essentially communist before the rise of class divisions and private property, and argues we are evolving back towards this.
3. The communist society is presented as the only system that can solve issues like inequality, poverty, war and environmental destruction, and create conditions for human dignity and self-cultivation.
Similar to In defense of a new enlightenment project to end the human calvary in the world (19)
Este artigo tem por objetivo demonstrar que o povo brasileiro vive o inferno representado pelas catástrofes políticas, econômicas, sociais e ambientais que estão conduzindo o País a um desastre humanitário sem precedentes em sua história de gigantescas proporções. A catástrofe política no Brasil poderá ocorrer com o fim do processo democrático resultante da escalada do fascismo na sociedade pela ação do presidente Jair Bolsonaro que busca colocar em prática sua proposta de governo tipicamente fascista baseada no culto explícito da ordem, na violência de Estado, em práticas autoritárias de governo, no desprezo social por grupos vulneráveis e fragilizados e no anticomunismo. Soma-se à catástrofe política, a catástrofe econômica caracterizada pela estagnação da economia brasileira que amarga uma recessão em 2020 agravada pela pandemia do novo coronavirus porque o PIB caiu 4,1% em relação ao de 2019, a menor taxa da série histórica, iniciada em 1996, bem como com a taxa de desemprego em patamar recorde de 14,8 milhões de pessoas em busca de emprego no País. A catástrofe social se manifesta no fato de o governo Bolsonaro nada fazer para reduzir as taxas de desemprego reativando a economia, atuar em prejuízo dos interesses dos trabalhadores promovendo medidas contra os direitos sociais da população e contribuir para o número elevado de infectados e mortos pelo coronavirus no Brasil ao sabotar o combate ao vírus. Finalmente, a catástrofe ambiental se manifesta no fato de o governo Bolsonaro contribuir para a inação de órgãos governamentais responsáveis pela fiscalização contra as agressões ao meio ambiente, abrir caminho para atividades de mineração, agricultura, pecuária e madeireira na Floresta Amazônica e afastar o Brasil do Acordo do Clima de Paris.
Cet article vise à démontrer que le peuple brésilien vit l'enfer représenté par les catastrophes politiques, économiques, sociales et environnementales qui conduisent le pays à une catastrophe humanitaire sans précédent dans son histoire aux proportions gigantesques. La catastrophe politique au Brésil pourrait survenir avec la fin du processus démocratique résultant de l'escalade du fascisme dans la société par l'action du président Jair Bolsonaro, qui cherche à mettre en pratique sa proposition de gouvernement typiquement fasciste. fondée sur le culte explicite de l'ordre, la violence d'État, les pratiques gouvernementales autoritaires, le mépris social pour les groupes vulnérables et fragiles et l'anticommunisme. Outre la catastrophe politique, la catastrophe économique caractérisée par la stagnation de l'économie brésilienne après une récession en 2020, aggravée par la nouvelle pandémie de coronavirus, car le PIB a baissé de 4,1% par rapport à 2019, le taux le plus bas du série historique, commencée en 1996, ainsi qu'avec le taux de chômage à un niveau record de 14,8 millions de personnes à la recherche d'un emploi dans le pays.La catastrophe sociale se manifeste par le fait que le gouvernement Bolsonaro ne fait rien pour réduire les taux de chômage en réactivant la économique, agissant au détriment des intérêts des travailleurs, promouvant des mesures contre les droits sociaux de la population et contribuant au nombre élevé de personnes infectées et tuées par le coronavirus au Brésil en sabotant la lutte contre le virus. Enfin, la catastrophe environnementale se manifeste par le fait que le gouvernement Bolsonaro contribue à l'inaction des agences gouvernementales chargées de surveiller les agressions contre l'environnement, ouvrant la voie aux activités minières, agricoles, d'élevage et d'exploitation forestière dans la forêt amazonienne et retirant le Brésil de l'Accord de Paris sur le climat.
Cet article a pour objectif de présenter et d'analyser le rapport du Groupe d'experts intergouvernemental sur l'évolution du climat (GIEC), agence liée à l'ONU, rendu public le 9 août 2021 à travers lequel il montre l'ensemble des connaissances acquises depuis la publication de son précédent rapport en 2014 sur le climat de la planète Terre. 234 auteurs de 66 pays ont examiné plus de 14 000 études scientifiques et leur travail a été reçu avec plus de 78 000 commentaires et observations de chercheurs et d'experts qui travaillant pour les 195 gouvernements auxquels ce travail est destiné. Ce rapport révèle une connaissance approfondie du climat passé, présent et futur de la Terre. Le résumé de ce rapport est à lire dans l'article Selon le GIEC, le changement climatique est irréversible, mais peut encore être corrigé disponible sur le site <https://www.sciencesetavenir.fr/nature-environnement/climat/selon-le-giec-le-changement-climatique-s-accelere-est-irreversible-mais-peut-etre-corrige_156431>. Alors que peut-on faire pour éviter cette catastrophe climatique ? La solution est de réduire de moitié les émissions mondiales de gaz à effet de serre d'ici 2030 et de zéro émission nette d'ici le milieu de ce siècle pour arrêter et éventuellement inverser la hausse des températures. La réduction à zéro des émissions nettes consiste à réduire autant que possible les émissions de gaz à effet de serre en utilisant les technologies propres et les énergies renouvelables, ainsi que comme capter et stocker le carbone, ou l'absorber en plantant des arbres. Très probablement, le monde ne réussira pas à empêcher d'autres changements climatiques en raison de l'absence d'un système de gouvernance mondiale capable d'empêcher l'augmentation du réchauffement climatique et le changement climatique catastrophique résultant de l'impuissance de l'ONU.
AQUECIMENTO GLOBAL, MUDANÇA CLIMÁTICA GLOBAL E SEUS IMPACTOS SOBRE A SAÚDE HU...Fernando Alcoforado
Este artigo tem por objetivo apresentar os impactos do aquecimento global e da consequente mudança climática sobre a saúde humana e as soluções que permitam evitar suas maléficas consequências contra a humanidade. Para alcançar este objetivo, é necessário promover uma transformação profunda da sociedade atual que tem sido extremamente destruidora das condições de vida do planeta. Diante disso, é imprescindível que seja edificada uma sociedade sustentável substituindo o atual modelo econômico dominante em todo o mundo por outro que leve em conta o homem integrado com o meio ambiente, com a natureza, ou seja, o modelo de desenvolvimento sustentável. Foi analisado o Acordo de Paris com base na COP 21 organizada pela ONU através do qual 195 países e a União Europeia definiram como a humanidade lutará contra o aquecimento global nas próximas décadas, bem como foi analisada literatura relacionada com o aquecimento global e a mudança climática para extrair as conclusões que apontam como substituir o modelo de desenvolvimento atual pelo modelo de desenvolvimento sustentável.
GLOBAL WARMING, GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS IMPACTS ON HUMAN HEALTHFernando Alcoforado
This article aims to present the impacts of global warming and the consequent global climate change on human health and the solutions to avoid its harmful consequences against humanity. In order to achieve this goal, it is necessary to promote a profound transformation of current society, which has been extremely destructive of the planet's living conditions. Therefore, it is essential to build a sustainable society, replacing the current dominant economic model throughout the world with one that takes into account man integrated with the environment, with nature, that is, the model of sustainable development. The Paris Agreement was analyzed based on the COP 21 organized by the UN through which 195 countries and the European Union defined how humanity will fight global warming in the coming decades, as well as was analyzed literature related to global warming and climate change to extract the conclusions that point out how to replace the current development model with the sustainable development model.
LE RÉCHAUFFEMENT CLIMATIQUE, LE CHANGEMENT CLIMATIQUE MONDIAL ET SES IMPACTS ...Fernando Alcoforado
Cet article a pour objectif de présenter les impacts du réchauffement climatique et du changement climatique qui en découle sur la santé humaine et les solutions pour éviter ses conséquences néfastes contre l'humanité. Pour atteindre cet objectif, il est nécessaire de promouvoir une transformation profonde de la société d'aujourd'hui qui a été extrêmement destructrice des conditions de vie sur la planète. Il est donc essentiel de construire une société durable, en remplaçant le modèle économique actuel dominant à travers le monde par un autre qui prenne en compte l'homme intégré à l'environnement, à la nature, c'est-à-dire le modèle de développement durable. L'Accord de Paris a été analysé sur la base de la COP 21 organisée par l'ONU à travers laquelle 195 pays et l'Union européenne ont défini comment l'humanité luttera contre le réchauffement climatique dans les prochaines décennies, ainsi que a été analysée la littérature liée au réchauffement climatique et au changement climatique pour extraire les conclusions qui indiquent comment remplacer le modèle de développement actuel par le modèle de développement durable.
Cet article a trois objectifs : 1) démontrer qu'il y a un changement drastique du climat de la Terre grâce au réchauffement climatique, qui contribue à la survenue d'inondations dans les villes aux effets de plus en plus catastrophiques ; 2) proposer des mesures pour lutter contre le changement climatique mondial ; et 3) proposer des mesures pour préparer les villes à faire face à des événements météorologiques extrêmes. Récemment, des inondations se sont produites qui exposent la vulnérabilité des villes d'Europe et de Chine aux conditions météorologiques les plus extrêmes. Après les inondations qui ont fait des morts en Allemagne, en Belgique et en Chine, le message a été renforcé que des changements importants sont nécessaires pour préparer les villes à faire face à des événements similaires à l'avenir. Les gouvernements doivent admettre que les infrastructures qu'ils ont construites dans le passé pour les villes, même à une époque plus récente, sont vulnérables à ces phénomènes météorologiques extrêmes. Pour faire face aux inondations qui deviendront de plus en plus fréquentes, les gouvernements doivent agir simultanément dans trois directions : la première est de lutter contre le changement climatique mondial ; le second est de préparer les villes à faire face à des événements météorologiques extrêmes et le troisième est de mettre en œuvre une société durable aux niveaux national et mondial.
This article has three objectives: 1) to demonstrate that there is a drastic change in the Earth's climate thanks to global warming, which is contributing to the occurrence of floods in cities that are increasingly catastrophic in their effects; 2) propose measures to combat global climate change; and 3) propose measures to prepare cities to face extreme weather events. Recently, floods have occurred that expose the vulnerability of cities in Europe and China to the most extreme weather. After the floods that killed people in Germany, Belgium and China, the message was reinforced that significant changes are needed to prepare cities to face similar events in the future. Governments need to admit that the infrastructure they built in the past for cities, even in more recent times, is vulnerable to these extreme weather events. To deal with the floods that will become more and more frequent, governments need to act simultaneously in three directions: the first is to combat global climate change; the second is to prepare cities to face extreme weather events and the third is to implement a sustainable society at the national and global levels.
Este artigo tem três objetivos: 1) demonstrar que está havendo uma mudança drástica no clima da Terra graças ao aquecimento global que está contribuindo para a ocorrência de inundações nas cidades que se repetem de forma cada vez mais catastrófica em seus efeitos; 2) propor medidas para combater a mudança climática global; e, 3) propor medidas visando preparar as cidades para enfrentar eventos climáticos extremos. Recentemente, ocorreram enchentes que expõem a vulnerabilidade das cidades da Europa e da China ao clima mais extremo. Depois das enchentes que mataram pessoas na Alemanha, Bélgica e China foi reforçada a mensagem de que são necessárias mudanças significativas para preparar as cidades para enfrentar eventos similares no futuro. Os governos precisam admitir que a infraestrutura que construíram no passado para as cidades, mesmo em tempos mais recentes, é vulnerável a esses eventos de clima extremo. Para lidar com as inundações que serão cada vez mais frequentes, os governos precisam agir simultaneamente em três direções: a primeira consiste em combater a mudança climática global; a segunda consiste em preparar as cidades para enfrentar eventos extremos no clima e a terceira consiste em implantar uma sociedade sustentável nas esferas nacional e global.
CIVILIZAÇÃO OU BARBÁRIE SÃO AS ESCOLHAS DO POVO BRASILEIRO NAS ELEIÇÕES DE 2022 Fernando Alcoforado
Este artigo tem por objetivo demonstrar que as eleições de 2022 são decisivas para o futuro do Brasil porque que o povo brasileiro terá que decidir entre os valores da civilização e da democracia ou os da barbárie e do fascismo defendidos pelos candidatos à Presidência da República. É preciso observar que a Civilização é considerada o estágio mais avançado que uma sociedade humana pode alcançar do ponto de vista político, econômico, social, cultural, científico e tecnológico. O contrário de civilização é a Barbárie que é a condição daquilo que é selvagem, cruel, desumano e grosseiro, ou seja, quem ou o que é tido como bárbaro que atenta contra o progresso político, econômico, social, cultural, científico e tecnológico. A barbárie sempre se caracterizou ao longo da história da humanidade por grupos que usam a força e a crueldade para alcançar seus objetivos.
CIVILISATION OU BARBARIE SONT LES CHOIX DU PEUPLE BRÉSILIEN AUX ÉLECTIONS DE ...Fernando Alcoforado
Cet article vise à démontrer que les élections de 2022 sont décisives pour l'avenir du Brésil car le peuple brésilien devra trancher entre les valeurs de civilisation et de démocratie ou celles de barbarie et de fascisme défendues par les candidats à la Présidence de la République. Il convient de noter que la civilisation est considérée comme le stade le plus avancé qu'une société humaine puisse atteindre d'un point de vue politique, économique, social, culturel, scientifique et technologique. Le contraire de la civilisation est la barbarie, qui est la condition de ce qui est sauvage, cruel, inhumain et grossier, c'est-à-dire qui ou ce qui est considéré comme barbare qui attaque le progrès politique, économique, social, culturel, scientifique et technologique. La barbarie a toujours été caractérisée tout au long de l'histoire de l'humanité par des groupes qui utilisent la force et la cruauté pour atteindre leurs objectifs.
CIVILIZATION OR BARBARISM ARE THE CHOICES OF THE BRAZILIAN PEOPLE IN THE 2022...Fernando Alcoforado
This article aims to demonstrate that the 2022 elections are decisive for the future of Brazil because the Brazilian people will have to decide between the values of civilization and democracy or those of barbarism and fascism defended by candidates for the Presidency of the Republic. It should be noted that Civilization is considered the most advanced stage that a human society can reach from a political, economic, social, cultural, scientific and technological point of view. The opposite of civilization is Barbarism, which is the condition of what is savage, cruel, inhuman and coarse, that is, who or what is considered barbaric that attacks political, economic, social, cultural, scientific and technological progress. Barbarism has always been characterized throughout human history by groups that use force and cruelty to achieve their goals.
COMO EVITAR A PREVISÃO DE STEPHEN HAWKING DE QUE A HUMANIDADE SÓ TEM MAIS 100...Fernando Alcoforado
Este artigo tem por objetivo apresentar o que foi dito pelo falecido cientista Stephen Hawking que afirmou em 2018 que a espécie humana poderia ser levada à extinção em 100 anos e que, devido a isto, forçaria os seres humanos a saírem da Terra, bem como demonstrar que as ameaças de extinção da espécie humana citadas por Hawking podem ser enfrentadas sem que haja a necessidade de fuga de seres humanos da Terra.
COMMENT ÉVITER LA PRÉVISION DE STEPHEN HAWKING QUE L'HUMANITÉ N'A QUE 100 ANS...Fernando Alcoforado
Cet article vise à présenter ce qu'a dit le regretté scientifique Stephen Hawking qui a déclaré en 2018 que l'espèce humaine pourrait être amenée à l'extinction dans 100 ans et que, de ce fait, il forcerait les êtres humains à quitter la Terre, ainsi que démontrer que les menaces d'extinction de l'espèce humaine citées par Hawking peuvent être affrontées sans que les êtres humains aient besoin de s'échapper de la Terre.
Today the French Revolution is commemorated, which was a dividing mark in the history of humanity, starting the contemporary age. It was such an important event that its ideals influenced many movements around the world.
On commémore aujourd'hui la Révolution française, qui a marqué l'histoire de l'humanité en commençant l'ère contemporaine. C'était un événement si important que ses idéaux ont influencé de nombreux mouvements à travers le monde.
Hoje é comemorada a Revolução Francesa que foi um marco divisório da história da humanidade dando início à idade contemporânea. Foi um acontecimento tão importante que seus ideais influenciaram vários movimentos ao redor do mundo.
O TARIFAÇO DE ENERGIA É SINAL DE INCOMPETÊNCIA DO GOVERNO FEDERAL NO PLANEJAM...Fernando Alcoforado
O documento discute a incompetência do governo federal brasileiro no planejamento do setor elétrico nacional que levou à crise energética atual. A estiagem histórica reduziu a produção de hidrelétricas, forçando o uso de termelétricas mais caras e aumentos nas tarifas de energia. O governo sabia dos riscos da estiagem mas não tomou medidas preventivas, ameaçando racionamentos.
LES RÉVOLUTIONS SOCIALES, LEURS FACTEURS DÉCLENCHEURS ET LE BRÉSIL ACTUELFernando Alcoforado
Cet article vise à analyser les facteurs déclencheurs des révolutions sociales qui se sont produites tout au long de l'histoire de l'humanité et à évaluer la possibilité de leur occurrence dans le Brésil contemporain.
SOCIAL REVOLUTIONS, THEIR TRIGGERS FACTORS AND CURRENT BRAZILFernando Alcoforado
This article aims to analyze the triggering factors of social revolutions that have occurred throughout human history and assess the possibility of their occurrence in contemporary Brazil.
The Biggest Threat to Western Civilization _ Andy Blumenthal _ The Blogs.pdfAndy (Avraham) Blumenthal
Article in The Times of Israel by Andy Blumenthal: China and Russia are commonly considered the biggest military threats to Western civilization, but I believe that is incorrect. The biggest strategic threat is a terrorist Jihadi Caliphate.
Youngest c m in India- Pema Khandu BiographyVoterMood
Pema Khandu, born on August 21, 1979, is an Indian politician and the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh. He is the son of former Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Dorjee Khandu. Pema Khandu assumed office as the Chief Minister in July 2016, making him one of the youngest Chief Ministers in India at that time.
Essential Tools for Modern PR Business .pptxPragencyuk
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Your Go-To Press Release Newswire for Maximum Visibility and Impact.pdfPressReleasePower4
This downloadable guide explains why press releases are still important for businesses today and the challenges you might face with traditional distribution methods. Learn how [Your Website Name] offers a comprehensive solution for crafting compelling press releases, targeting the right media outlets, and maximizing visibility.
Acolyte Episodes review (TV series) The Acolyte. Learn about the influence of the program on the Star Wars world, as well as new characters and story twists.
Here is Gabe Whitley's response to my defamation lawsuit for him calling me a rapist and perjurer in court documents.
You have to read it to believe it, but after you read it, you won't believe it. And I included eight examples of defamatory statements/
El Puerto de Algeciras continúa un año más como el más eficiente del continente europeo y vuelve a situarse en el “top ten” mundial, según el informe The Container Port Performance Index 2023 (CPPI), elaborado por el Banco Mundial y la consultora S&P Global.
El informe CPPI utiliza dos enfoques metodológicos diferentes para calcular la clasificación del índice: uno administrativo o técnico y otro estadístico, basado en análisis factorial (FA). Según los autores, esta dualidad pretende asegurar una clasificación que refleje con precisión el rendimiento real del puerto, a la vez que sea estadísticamente sólida. En esta edición del informe CPPI 2023, se han empleado los mismos enfoques metodológicos y se ha aplicado un método de agregación de clasificaciones para combinar los resultados de ambos enfoques y obtener una clasificación agregada.
In defense of a new enlightenment project to end the human calvary in the world
1. 1
IN DEFENSE OF A NEW ENLIGHTENMENT PROJECT TO SOCIETY TO END
THE HUMAN CALVARY IN THE WORLD
Fernando Alcoforado*
This article aims to demonstrate the need for a new Enlightenment project to end the
calvary in which humanity is subjected throughout history that reached its highest level
during the existence of capitalism in the contemporary era, striving for the construction
of a new model of society that provides benefits for all human beings. Calvary means
martyrdom, suffering. An observer attentive to what happens in the world realizes the
calvary suffered by humanity throughout history. This calvary is characterized by the
exploitation of man by man with slavery during Antiquity, serfdom during feudalism in
the Middle Ages and wage labor during capitalism from the 12th century to the
contemporary era that contributes to the growth of social inequalities, the increase in
crime and violence among human beings, the restriction of political freedoms in many
countries and the escalation of international conflicts and terrorism.
1. The calvary of humanity.
The calvary of humanity begins with slavery in Antiquity, evolved into serfdom in the
Middle Ages that were maintained in various forms in various parts of the world until the
contemporary era. Slavery is an “institution” of the oldest in human history, and at the
same time a problem of the present. Slavery operated in the early civilizations (such as
Sumer, in Mesopotamia in 3500 BC). It became common in much of Europe during the
early Middle Ages and continued into the following centuries. Slavery occurred with
prisoners of war, for debt, punishment for crime, abandoned children and the birth of
slave children born to slaves. Slavery arose in Antiquity due to the labor needs created by
the invention of agriculture, when certain groups began to apply to slaves the same
processes and the same instruments that they already used not only to control animals,
such as the corral, the collar, the halter, the whip and the castration, but also to distinguish
the possession, as the brand with burning iron and the cut in the ear.
With the end of slavery with the fall of the Roman Empire, there was a consolidation of
the feudal system in the High Middle Ages in Europe in which the new social class that
was emerging at that time - the great landowners - created the financial dependence of a
lower class which was subordinate to these owners: the serfs who were workers on the
large lands commanded by the “feudal lords” and lived in the vicinity of the property.
They were linked to land through work and had no right to wages or benefits; they worked
to live there and received the necessary supplies to feed themselves and survive. Unlike
slaves, serfs could not be sold by feudal lords. They were responsible for the labor of the
property, taking care of the agricultural part. Some women took care of the owner's
domestic service and, at the same time, the local plantation.
Although slavery was abolished in Europe in the Middle Ages, the use of slavery is
observed during the colonization of the Americas with the African slave trade, the starting
point for the formation of modern overseas states and empires. From the 18th century
until the end of the First World War, a second structural period in the history of slavery
in the West was established, characterized by the development of imperialism,
particularly the British, and industrial capitalism, marked by the shadow of slavery that
contradicts the ideologies of free labor and of European civilization mission. In Brazil,
2. 2
the signing of the Áurea law, on May 13, 1888, decreed the end of the right of property
of one person under another, but the work similar to the slave was maintained in another
way. The most found form after slavery in Brazil is that of servitude, or "peonage", for
debt. In it, the person put his own ability to work or that of people under his responsibility
(wife, children, parents) to settle an account. About 40.3 million people worldwide were
subjected to activities similar to slavery in 2016, according to the 2018 Global Slavery
Index report, published by the Walk Free foundation and presented at the UN. In Brazil,
almost 370 thousand people are subjected to activities similar to slavery.
Slavery and serfdom are forms of exploitation of man-by-man that have been replaced by
wage labor since capitalism came into existence in the 14th century. The calvary of
mankind continued, too, under capitalism. According to Marx, all wealth in society is the
product of work, created by the physical and mental efforts of the working class. Profits,
which mean return on capital, are how Marx explained nothing more than unpaid labor
to the working class, that is, the difference between the value that is produced and the
value that reverts to workers in the form of wages. An increasing rate of profit, therefore,
only implies an increasing exploitation of the working class, which necessarily means a
greater part of the wealth in society accumulating in the hands of the capitalists - a small
elite of exploiters. Marx demonstrated in his three volumes of Capital (Boitempo
Editorial, São Paulo, 2013) how, by various means, capitalism can exploit the working
class for greater profits: 1) extending the working day, through an intensification of work
within a given time; and, 2) increasing the efficiency and productivity of workers, by
replacing work with machines, etc. All of this is reflected in the increase in the proportion
of unpaid work in relation to the value of what is produced by workers.
This type of exploitation is inherent to capitalism. If workers do not get back the full value
of their labor - which is necessarily the case in a system of private ownership and
production for profit - then they cannot buy back all the goods they produce. This situation
tends to create situations of overproduction that, historically, have resulted in a fall in
production and an increase in unemployment, which inevitably leads to crises tending to
depression like the one we experienced in 1929 and today, in which all the accumulated
contradictions in the world capitalist system are getting worse. Marx shows the real
causes of social inequalities that are related to the expropriation of workers' income by
capitalists who own the means of production. To overcome this problem, Karl Marx
defends the end of capitalism with the implantation of socialism and, later, communism
to end social inequalities.
Social inequalities have been increasing across the globe. Thomas Piketty states in his
book Capital in the Twenty-First Century, published by The Belknap Press of Harvard
University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2014, that free market capitalism has
tended, throughout history, to produce increasing levels of inequality. This is exactly
Marx's theoretical conclusion, in the first volume of his version of Capital. In Marx's
Capital, inequality is seen not as the result of the distribution of wealth as Piketty's Capital
in the 21st Century presents, but as an inevitable result of the production of wealth under
capitalism.
The increase in crime and violence among human beings is increasing worldwide.
Violence kills more than 1.6 million people worldwide each year, according to a report
released by the World Health Organization (WHO). Today, violence is the main cause of
deaths of people between 15 and 44 years old, accounting for 14% of deaths for men and
3. 3
7% of deaths for women [See the article Violência no mundo mata 1,6 milhão de pessoas
por ano (Violence in the world kills 1.6 million people per year) published on the website
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/portuguese/notícias/2002/021003_violenciamv.shtm>]. In the
past 30 years, homicide victims in Brazil have reached more than 1 million people [See
the article Violência no Brasil: pior que Iraque, Angola e Afeganistão (Violence in Brazil:
worse than Iraq, Angola and Afghanistan) published on the website
<http://blogdotas.terra.com.br/2011/12/28/violencia-no-brasil-pior-que-iraque-angola-e-
afeganistao/>].
Political freedoms are being curtailed in many countries. Currently, 49 countries in the
world live under a dictatorial regime - according to a survey by Freedom House, an
American NGO that annually monitors democracies around the world. The NGO's 2018
report informs that there is a global democratic crisis - since, for the 12th year in a row,
Freedom House found a “negative balance”: the number of countries that suffered from
turns towards authoritarianism was greater than that of nations that have had positive
developments in their democratic systems. These nations do not allow periodic popular
voting to choose the rulers, nor do they allow freedom of expression. In some of them,
governments say they are democratic and even organize elections. However, opposition
candidates are always threatened and end up giving up or dying "mysteriously" just before
the election and there are several accusations of fraud in the elections.
The escalation of international conflicts is increasing worldwide. There are several
countries that can become the focus of international conflicts in the world, especially
Syria, Palestine, Israel, Iran and North Korea. Igor Gielow, an expert in international
journalism who covered conflicts in Lebanon, Israel, Algeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan,
among other countries, made a prognosis about the main risks of international conflict
that humanity would run in 2018, presented in the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo. The main
risks of conflict in the world in 2018 were evaluated by analysts from consultancies and
institutions such as the Council on Foreign Relations (USA), Geopolitical Futures (USA),
International Institute for Strategic Studies (United Kingdom), the Analysis Center
Strategies and Technology (Russia) and others. A war between the US and North Korea,
involving South Korea and Japan, confrontation between Iran and Saudi Arabia following
a missile attack by Shi'ite rebels in Yemen against Riyadh, a new intifada, coupled with
a coordinated attack of Hizbullah against Israel, civil war in Venezuela, Islamic terrorism
in Europe and North America and widespread cyber attacks are some of the risks that
threaten humanity [GIELOW, Igor. Saiba quais são os principais riscos que a
humanidade corre em 2018 (Find out what are the main risks that humanity runs in 2018).
Available on the website <http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/mundo/2017/12/1946506-
saiba-quais-sao-os-principais-riscos-que-a-humanidade-corre-em-2018.shtml>, 2017).
The escalation of terrorism tends to grow in the world. Any act or organization that uses
violent or threatening methods to achieve a particular political objective can be
considered as terrorists. Thus, kidnappings, attacks on public and private places, air
strikes, murders or other forms of aggression can be related to terrorism. The world is
currently experiencing two types of globalized terrorism: 1) State terrorism practiced by
the great capitalist powers, especially by the ruling sectors of the United States and their
allies aimed at the conquest of natural resources and the domination of the markets of the
peripheral capitalist countries; and, 2) the terrorism practiced by organizations that react
to imperialist action all over the world, especially Arabs, fighting the military occupation
of their countries by the western powers, as occurs in Iraq and Afghanistan, or acting in
4. 4
the central capitalist countries, as evidenced by the attack on the World Trade Center in
New York.
2. The failure of the Enlightenment, Modernity and Socialism to change the world
for the benefit of humanity
There were three major events in the history of humanity that brought much hope that
building a world and a new man would begin with the removal of the chains of oppression
in thought, the elimination of social inequalities and restrictions on the process of
development. The first major event concerns the Enlightenment, the second, the birth of
Modernity and, the third, the construction of Socialism. With the Enlightenment,
tolerance, humanism and respect for nature were expected to prevail and the right to
freedom and equality between men would be affirmed. With Modernity, it was expected
that society would, in turn, achieve uninterrupted progress for the benefit of humanity
thanks to science and technology. With Socialism, the emancipation of humanity was
expected with the end of the exploitation of man by man, the elimination of social
inequalities and the achievement of happiness for all human beings in an egalitarian
society.
It should be noted that the Enlightenment is the name given to the ideology that was being
developed and incorporated by the bourgeoisie in Europe from the revolutionary struggles
of the late 18th century whose themes revolved around Freedom, Progress and Man. The
purpose of the Enlightenment was to correct society's inequalities and guarantee the
individual's natural rights, such as freedom and the free possession of goods. The
eighteenth-century Enlightenment humanism already proposed that the human being and
his dignity be the center and fundamental value of all sciences, thus also imposing that he
should be the utmost concern of every legal system.
The Enlightenment provided the motto of the French Revolution (Freedom, Equality and
Fraternity) and fertilized it as its followers opposed injustices, religious intolerance and
the privileges of absolutism. The political theses of the Enlightenment were driven by the
ideal of freedom, equality and fraternity that never happened anywhere in the world. Since
the American Revolution of 1776 and the French Revolution of 1789 until the present
moment, the political promises of the Enlightenment have been abandoned throughout
the world with the adoption of imperialist practices by the bourgeoisies and the
governments of the great capitalist powers associated with them, the triggering of 3 world
wars (1st World War, 2nd World War and the Cold War), the advent of fascism and
Nazism, the realization of military interventions and the support of coups d'état in several
countries on the capitalist periphery.
The failure of the Enlightenment paved the way for the advent of Marxist ideology around
the world that proposed to take a step forward with the construction of Socialism seeking
the end of the exploitation of man by man with the reduction of economic inequalities
between social classes and , in the future, its complete abolition. The facts of history show
that the Enlightenment theses that guided the bourgeois revolutions in the 18th century
and the Marxist theses on the basis of which the socialist revolutions were carried out in
the 20th century failed because they did not fulfill their historic promises to achieve
human happiness.
5. 5
Socialism failed in the Soviet Union and other countries throughout the twentieth century
because the holders of power had their historic opportunity based on a two-step strategy
to transform the world (take over state power, then transform it ), and who had not
fulfilled their historic promise. Socialism failed in the world because it did not adopt the
universal motto of “freedom, equality and fraternity” aiming at achieving the happiness
of human beings, seeking only the equality that has not been achieved in practice
anywhere, not even with the implantation of dictatorships and the terror regime. Socialism
failed because it did not provide the happiness for human beings that can only be obtained
insofar as the motto "Freedom, Equality, Fraternity" as an inheritance of the
Enlightenment at the end of the 17th century and invoked for the first time during the
French Revolution be placed in practice. This motto is universal because it reflects the
desires of all human beings, becoming the cry of activists in favor of democracy and the
overthrow of oppressive governments and tyrants of all kinds and which, erroneously,
was only associated with the bourgeois revolutions that occurred in history , and it was
not adopted in the socialist revolutions that occurred in the world, but only the search for
equality. This was one of the main factors responsible for the failure of socialism in the
world. Therefore, the search for equality is not enough to win the people's happiness (See
the article The causes of failure in the construction of socialism and its future by us on
the website
https://www.academia.edu/44220949/THE_CAUSES_OF_FAILURE_IN_THE_CONS
TRUCTION_OF_SOCIALISM_AND_ITS_FUTURE).
Modernity, in its turn, was born in the 18th century with the 1st Industrial Revolution
meaning an extraordinary intellectual effort by Enlightenment thinkers to develop science
and reason and discover universal laws. Science has acquired a fundamental importance
for human progress, through continuous technological innovations. The idea was to use
the accumulation of knowledge generated in pursuit of human emancipation and the
enrichment of daily life. Modernity is also defined as a period identified with the belief
in the progress and ideals of the Enlightenment. However, what was observed was that
the expectations regarding the fruits of science were painfully interrupted by events that
marked today's society. The main one was undoubtedly the catastrophes of World War I
and II. In fact, science contributed to the barbarism of two world wars with the invention
of powerful and destructive weapons. Science and technology came to be used for good
and for evil.
Add the fact that science has lost its value because of disillusionment with the benefits
that associated with technology has brought to humanity. All of this scientific
development has culminated in the current era with a global ecological crisis that can
result in catastrophic global climate change. In this sense, one can doubt the real benefits
brought by scientific and technological progress. In their work A Dialética do
Esclarecimento (The Dialectic of Enlightenment), Zahar Editora, 1985, Theodor Adorno
and Max Horkheimer deconstruct the myth that the Enlightenment would bring freedom
by investing men in the position of masters, for overcoming domination itself, which was
replaced by the reason of market capitalism. In turn, control over nature had been
maintained, but worsened in the form of domination over men. And market capitalism
has become the privileged instance of this type of control. Being global and ubiquitous,
market capitalism has the necessary technique, provided by science, to make men cogs in
its engine, canceling them out, through the economic principle of total competition. The
totalitarianism of market capitalism extinguishes autonomous thinking and reinforces
6. 6
uniformity and unanimity in a mass, amorphous society as we live in the contemporary
era in the world.
Associated, distant from individuals, capitalism, science and technology, now merged as
if they were a single instance, they consolidate their supremacy over contemporary
society, determining their directions with the same boldness and impersonality of an
invisible hand, according to Adorno and Horkheimer. Michael Lowy, a Franco-Brazilian
sociologist and philosopher, says that modern barbarism or “barbarism generated within
so-called civilized societies” is characterized by the use of modern technical means
(industrialization of homicide, mass extermination thanks to cutting-edge scientific
technologies), for the impersonality of the massacre (entire populations - men and
women, children and the elderly - are "eliminated", with the least possible personal
contact between decision makers and victims), bureaucratic, administrative, effective,
planned, "rational" management (in instrumental terms) of barbaric acts and the use of
legitimizing ideology of the modern type: biological, hygienic, scientific [See Barbárie e
modernidade no século 20 (Barbarie and modernity in the 20th) century by Michael
Lowy, published in Brazil by the newspaper "Em Tempo" - emtempo@ax.apc.org and,
originally in French, in the magazine "Critique Communiste" nº 157, hiver 2000].
3. How to change the world to end human calvary
How to build a new society that contributes to the end of capitalism to end the human
calvary represented by the exploitation of man-by-man, social inequalities and violence
against human beings to enable the use of science and technology for the benefit of all
humanity and the achievement of happiness for all human beings? The solution proposed
by Karl Marx to bring an end to capitalism is the implantation of socialism and, later,
communism, which is considered utopian by many analysts in view of the failure of real
socialism implanted in the Soviet Union and other countries. Eric Hobsbawn offered an
answer to this dilemma in an article published in the British newspaper The Guardian on
16/04/2009, under the title Pressupostos teóricos da "economia mista" (Theoretical
assumptions of the "mixed economy"), when he stated that we know two practical attempts
to realize both the socialist and capitalist systems neoliberal, in its pure form: on the one
hand, the centrally planned, Soviet-type economies of state planning; on the other, the
free-market capitalist economy is exempt from any restriction and control. The first came
down in the 1980s, and with them the European communist political systems; the second
is decomposing before our eyes in the biggest crisis of global capitalism that occurred in
2008.
Hobsbawm said the future belongs to mixed economies in which the public and the
private are mutually linked in one way or another. This means that Social Democracy
with the welfare state, the most successful system ever implemented in the world, which
incorporates the most positive elements of both socialism and capitalism, especially in
Scandinavian countries, where the aim is to put into practice the universal motto of
freedom, equality and fraternity, could be the solution to the problem of restrictions on
the exercise of freedom in various countries of the world, the growing social inequality
that overwhelms the planet on which we live and the lack of fraternity among human
beings.
Social Democracy with the welfare state, which incorporates elements of both socialism
and capitalism, the most successful system ever implemented in the world, especially in
7. 7
Scandinavian countries, is an example of a mixed economy suggested by Hobsbawn that
could be adopted in the future after the neoliberal “tsunami” that dominates the planet we
live on. Scandinavian countries are those with the best economic and social indicators in
the world. In 2013, The Economist magazine stated that the Nordic countries are probably
the best governed countries in the world. The UN's World Happiness Report 2020 shows
that the happiest nations are concentrated in Northern Europe. Nordics have the highest
ranking in real GDP per capita, the highest healthy life expectancy, the greatest freedom
to make life choices and the greatest generosity.
From 2013 to today, whenever the UN World Happiness Report (WHR) publishes its
annual country ranking, the five Scandinavian or Nordic countries - Finland, Denmark,
Norway, Sweden and Iceland - are all in the top ten first in the world, with the Nordic
countries occupying the first three places (See the website
<https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2020/the-nordic-exceptionalism-what-explains-why-
the-nordic-countries-are-constantly-among-the-happiest-in-the-world/>). The highest
measure of happiness achieved by Scandinavian countries results from the fact that they
have practice a high level of democracy and respect for political rights, the absence of
corruption, trust among citizens, security felt by the population, social cohesion, gender
equality , equal income distribution and high Human Development Index. These
indicators place the Nordic countries in the top global positions.
Scandinavian social democracy can be considered as a paradigm of a new model of
society to be built in substitution of capitalism because the social democracy built until
today in Scandinavian countries is the only model of society that allowed simultaneous
economic, social and political advances. The Nordic or Scandinavian model of social
democracy could best be described as a kind of compromise between capitalism and
socialism. It is neither totally capitalist nor totally socialist, being the attempt to merge
the most desirable elements of both into a "hybrid" system.
In addition to building Scandinavian social democracy to replace capitalism in every
country in the world, it is necessary to establish a world government to promote progress
in international relations aimed at eliminating chaos in the world economy, guaranteeing
world peace and preventing the degradation of the environment. planet's environment.
The world government should be elected by the world parliament to be constituted with
the participation of countries around the world. World government is necessary because
the world economy operates chaotically without any planning and control, international
relations do not have a global body capable of mediating conflicts, preventing wars,
guaranteeing world peace and the planet's environment is threatened by the depletion of
natural resources and climate change that can be catastrophic for humanity. Current
international organizations, such as UN, IMF, World Bank, World Trade Organization,
among others, do not have the power to promote progress in international relations on the
planet.
As long as humanity does not build a common world power, the law of the jungle will
prevail, this is the state of nature at the international level. Until the emergence of a world
government, international relations will be governed by the law of the strongest. And this
is the worst scenario because no country, no matter how powerful, will be able to build
world peace or solve the planet's problems. The main cause of international insecurity is
the lack of a common world power and the only way to do that is for all national states to
consent to share their sovereignty with a world government. This means that national
8. 8
governments would continue to exercise full powers in their territory, but, in terms of
international relations, they would accept the decisions taken by the world parliament
representing all the countries in the world that would have the world government as
executor.
The economic, financial, ecological, social and political crises, the development of
current illegal and criminal activities and the advance of terrorism show that they are
insoluble without the existence of a world government. It is necessary to understand that
the problems that affect the world economy and the global environment and those that
contribute to the advance of terrorism can only be solved with the existence of a truly
democratic world government representative of all the peoples of the world. International
law cannot be applied and respected without the presence of a world government that is
accepted by all countries and ensures their governability.
4. Conclusions
From the above, the bases of a new model of society are established that would make it
possible to build a world of peace and progress for humanity. The disappearance in
today's world of the last reserves of critical rationality advocated by the Enlightenment
and the failure of Modernity and Socialism, which have degraded in successive processes
of self-destruction over time, require contemporary thinkers to mobilize themselves in the
reinvention of a new project Enlightenment as the eighteenth century thinkers did based
on what we have just proposed aiming at the construction of a new world that brings to
an end the calvary of humanity.
To enable the construction of social democracy in Scandinavian molds in every country
in the world and a world government we must adopt the strategy proposed by us in our
book Como inventar o futuro para mudar o mundo (How to invent the future to change
the world), published by Editora CRV de Curitiba in 2019, which considers it is
necessary, at the outset, to establish a World Forum for Peace and the Progress of
Humanity by civil society organizations from all countries of the world. In this Forum,
the objectives and strategies of a world movement for the construction of social
democracy in Scandinavian molds in each country of the world and for the constitution
of a government and a world parliament should be discussed and established in order to
sensitize the world population and national governments in order making a world in which
freedom, equality and fraternity prevail in every country in the world and international
peace and progress for all humanity. This would be the path that would make it possible
to transform the utopia of universal fraternization into reality and end humanity's calvary.
* Fernando Alcoforado, 80, awarded the medal of Engineering Merit of the CONFEA / CREA System,
member of the Bahia Academy of Education, engineer and doctor in Territorial Planning and Regional
Development by the University of Barcelona, university professor and consultant in the areas of
strategic planning, business planning, regional planning and planning of energy systems, is author of the
books Globalização (Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 1997), De Collor a FHC- O Brasil e a Nova (Des)ordem
Mundial (Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 1998), Um Projeto para o Brasil (Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 2000), Os
condicionantes do desenvolvimento do Estado da Bahia (Tese de doutorado. Universidade de
Barcelona,http://www.tesisenred.net/handle/10803/1944, 2003), Globalização e Desenvolvimento (Editora
Nobel, São Paulo, 2006), Bahia- Desenvolvimento do Século XVI ao Século XX e Objetivos Estratégicos
na Era Contemporânea (EGBA, Salvador, 2008), The Necessary Conditions of the Economic and Social
Development- The Case of the State of Bahia (VDM Verlag Dr. Müller Aktiengesellschaft & Co. KG,
Saarbrücken, Germany, 2010), Aquecimento Global e Catástrofe Planetária (Viena- Editora e Gráfica,
Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo, São Paulo, 2010), Amazônia Sustentável- Para o progresso do Brasil e combate
9. 9
ao aquecimento global (Viena- Editora e Gráfica, Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo, São Paulo, 2011), Os Fatores
Condicionantes do Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2012), Energia no
Mundo e no Brasil- Energia e Mudança Climática Catastrófica no Século XXI (Editora CRV, Curitiba,
2015), As Grandes Revoluções Científicas, Econômicas e Sociais que Mudaram o Mundo (Editora CRV,
Curitiba, 2016), A Invenção de um novo Brasil (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2017), Esquerda x Direita e a sua
convergência (Associação Baiana de Imprensa, Salvador, 2018, em co-autoria) and Como inventar o futuro
para mudar o mundo (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2019).