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wryme  ·  4780 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Is Capitalism the Villain?
The problem with capitalism is that it very detached from the actual resources available in a given environment. In fact, capitalism thrives on the rapid depletion of natural resources because such a strategy is profitable. This is the classic tragedy of the commons.

Let's keep the larger picture in mind, here: we live on a finite planet with finite resources. Therefore the goal of any economy should be to effectively and efficiently make use of said resources -- to "economize." Embracing an economy which is built on the principle of increasing profits at any cost, especially environmental costs, is suicide on a global scale.

As a side note, the greatest and most creative minds on the planet (Friedman mentioned Einstein) were not inspired or motivated by profit. Curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge and creative expression are more potent motivators than any amount of money could be.