[extropy-chat] Democracy + Capitalism

[Brett Paatsch]

Natasha wrote:

> I've been working on an article on the culture of globalization,
> democracy + capitalism.  From my research, democracy and
> capitalism lean toward compatibility and could be helpful
> advocates of human rights.
>
> Does anyone think that the democratic interconnected financial
> relations between nations could be a driving force behind 
> advancing worldwide human rights?


I'm sceptical but I'd be interested to hear why you think so and I think
the area you are choosing to explore has merit. 

If you write an essay on this I will read it and give you some feedback
on or offlist as you prefer, you can then take that feedback or leave
it as you prefer. 

When capitalism and democracy don't map to the same geographical
spaces I think capitalism can hurt human rights as human rights are
not equivalent in different locations and people are not competing on an
even footing. 

But democracy, capitalism and human rights are all pretty substantial
terms and probably need to be defined pretty carefully to ensure that
anything sensible is said about them at all.

I see some sort of international law as essential to human rights if 
capitalism is going to apply internationally or capitalism will work 
against human rights by seeking our the cheapest labour wherever it
can get it on any terms that it can get it.  

Capitalism is as happy to supply weapons as medicines, happier
if the margins are bigger. 

Brett Paatsch
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