Saga I: Capitalism has made it this way....

As we venture further into the depths of modern disgust and misfortune, it becomes necessary to distance ourselves (at least momentarily) from abstraction for the sake of diagnosis and understanding. Simply put: It only suffices to discuss a new beginning if we understand how to maintain this new beginning in such a way as to avoid it evolving back into the here and now. Of course, there are no fewer opinions concerning the causes of popular America than there are Americans; so humor me if you will and allow me to divulge my theory.

cap·i·tal·ism noun
\ˈka-pə-tə-ˌliz-əm, ˈkap-tə-, British also kə-ˈpi-tə-\
Definition of CAPITALISM

: an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined by private decision, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market

Let me preface my treatise by first pointing out that I'm in no way a sociologist and that I know nothing at all about formal anthropology: The assumptions I'm about to make are based solely on logical deductions and are in no way meant to be exhaustive or of textbook-quality.

Having said that: It's my firmly-held belief that early man was not Capitalist. Besides the fact that currency (in the form of official legal tender) has only been in existence for about 4,000 years, it also stands to reason that the lack of capital goods, investments and a free market virtually characterizes the absence of a Capitalist system (unless vacuously Capitalistic suffices advocacy of the Devil). So, from here on, we're operating on the assumption that the nature of humankind is intrinsically non-Capitalist.

So let's rewind to the days of early man - to the days of hunters and gatherers - and let's try to convince ourselves that things then were even remotely the same as they are today. Assuming you constructed your images logically and with any sort of intuition, I imagine you can't.

All of the things that are so disgusting about these days would likely be eviscerated during those days: We're talking, of course, about a time when dieting meant you were unable to attain food, not unwilling to do so for superficial reasons like envy and pride: We're talking about a time when popular music meant listening to the echoing sounds of slate tools chiseling survival mechanisms in the distance and had nothing to do with wearing too much makeup or making trendy, synthesized melodies.

The short-story version is basically this: Survival in those days was actually a privilege, and attainment of that gift actually required being among the fittest. This is the part of the story I'm most certain about.

It seems logical to deduce that, at some point within just a few generations, mankind must have developed some rudimentary form of labor specialization: Maybe there was a guy was an exceptional hunter and couldn't grow crops well; maybe his neighbor was possessive of a genuine green thumb but had no animalistic tendencies. Hence, from even the most simplistic of two-person scenarios, the barter system would present society with an entirely new sort of convenience.

If we inductively expand our two-person simplistic society described above into a multi-person populous, we'll naturally introduce more skills into the system which will, by default, require an expansion of bartering: Hunters and farmers need tools, and so blacksmithing became a viable contribution; everyone decided to utilize cloth to cover (and eventually to adorn) their bodies, so needlework also became viable; expanding these ideas, we eventually "evolve" into a society where our essential survival requirements (i.e., hunting and gathering) are augmented with a variety of others and hence the ability to perform any number of trades are seen as feasible and worthy.

At the core of this entire expansion, however, is the idea of convenience.

con·ve·nience noun
\kən-ˈvēn-yən(t)s\
Definition of CONVENIENCE

2. a : something (as an appliance, device, or service) conducive to comfort or ease

So, in a way, the very foundation of human interaction is greed. My labor is specialized in one particular field, and it's just not convenient for me to have to build/create/design everything I need for my field. So, at the very cornerstone of an expanding society is the idea interrelatedness, and at the very foundation of our interpersonal relationships is our need to benefit ourselves.

Of course, it wasn't until generations later in our expanding interrelated system of human variables that currency was introduced, and currency - as an ideal - represents the embodiment of convenience. Currency allows any one member of the ever-growing system of interrelatedness to completely and entirely refuse to perform meaningful tasks under the simple guise that he/she can instead purchase necessary utensils from others within the system who are willing to perform the labor necessary at the price offered.

And here - simultaneously, I argue - enters the concept of Capitalism. Hence, even though it's publicized in a way that makes it appear a rudiment of liberty and freedom, it seems more probable that the one idea standing at the cornerstone of Capitalism is greed. Of course, as the system of human interactions grew larger, governing bodies were formed; as the desire for currency was spread among the have-nots, the governing body began to oversee its production/distribution; hence, almost for free, the desire for convenience birthed the need for currency and the need for control birthed the ideas of private ownership and a free market.

So, with nothing further being introduced, naive ambition among primitive peoples becomes equivalent to Capitalism as soon as seeking survival gives way to wanting convenience. Or, to quote someone who certainly knows better:

If history could teach us anything, it would be that private property is inextricably linked with civilization.
          -Ludwig von Mises, the "original free-market libertarian".

Tune in next time to see one pathetic soul's theorizing about how the development of free enterprise escalated into the MTV generation.

Citations: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/capitalism?show=0&t=1288622507; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Currency; http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/convenience