Power to the Workers: Out with the Capitalists

Abstract

The criticism of a system, which is getting out of hand, has its reasons. Some people believe that they can plunder entire economies. Speculations of every form were hardly subjected to restrictions. Global coherences and their deficits have become extremely transparent since the financial crisis. Investment and real estate speculators have not been the only ones to be shaken; on the contrary, it has affected all of us in some way or another. Globalization, the merger between the global economy and the global capital, has made this possible. Mr Marx had prophesied 150 years ago that ‘the entwinement in the net cast by the global market and with it the international character of the capitalist regime is what is in store for us’. But with all respect for Karl Marx’ analyses, we do not want to have the spectre of communism back. Our social market economy needs to be organized so that it takes on a more social form once again. This is better than the old dream of nationalization as a panacea, which is being dreamt of at some universities and which is again being warmly recommended to some politicians. Our current economic crisis is overshadowed by dozens of negative economic news items and that, every day. That is not all─ we Germans seem to enjoy wallowing in these negative headlines and complaining. Instead of seeing a crisis as also being a chance, one merely complains together with the masses. Many people repeatedly make demands on the state. The demand that the state should support the majority of the ailing companies is wrong, however. We should beware of interfering in the free and social market economy in a regulatory manner. It has always been the case that the wheat always separates from the chaff in such a situation, and this will result in a healthy and future-oriented adjustment. Those who have worked well and kept house throughout the years, those who make use of globalization and those who use modern business processes will remain successful – even if the markets are slightly weaker at the moment.