Feminism & Capitalism

Again, a common theme throughout many (but not all) feminist works is the call for an eradication of capitalism.

OTHER THAN a sex-based division of labor which forces women into the home to reproduce the laborer, I do not see capitalism as being particularly anti-feminist. That is to say, if women and men participated equally in the workforce (and clearly were encultured to have professional aspirations), capitalism does not disadvantage women. Actually, I am re-thinking my feelings on capitalism altogether.

Here's the thing: the problem with capitalism is not necessarily that money is the ultimate goal--the issue is that consumers just pour money into anything.

I will elaborate. The end goal of creating profit is not inherently problematic because money is a medium of exchange for other goods and services that are essential to living. Transitively, money can represent the same thing that it affords. Therefore, X amount of dollars equals roof, clothes, food, et cetera.

So if the problem is not accumulating profit, what is it? It is accumulating profit at the expense of, say, workers and the environment. And this is where I will say THE REAL PROBLEM is that consumers view a purchase solely as a product-based transaction, instead of seeing the reality: when I buy something, I not only receive a product, I finance a series of processes that create an operating business.

So if those processes are creating dangers in the workplace, violating human rights, or ejaculating toxins into the water, the fact that a consumer is blindly supporting such things is the problem.

Even if our economic model was called treeism and businesses competed to plant more trees instead of make more money, it would still be destructive if the most trees were being planted by a company that exploited the most workers. CONSUMERS WOULD STILL HAVE TO VOTE WITH THEIR DOLLARS. In the way that restaurants have ratings based on cleanliness, so too should businesses be graded on adherence to human rights and environmental standards.

I am not convinced that if we went back to the barter system and I took some persian tea leaves to get a loaf of bread that the bakery wouldn't try to get as much of my exotic persian elixir as possible.

Thoughts?