Capitalism as an economic system has had and continues to have its share of criticism, blame, and even hatred. While the case for opposing positions toward Capitalism is strong, we cannot rule out that Capitalism, for the most part, actually works better than any other economic system in harnessing the best of man's potential and creating better living standards.
However, there is a solid need to advance Capitalism in a way that acknowledges the voices of the critics and embraces the participation of those left out but without hampering the basic principles which make Capitalism effective in fostering innovation and development.
This very difficult, somewhat oxymoron task has been achieved through the Compassionate Capitalism economic system created by the innovator King Charles N. Lambert. These are some key ways this new system advances Capitalism to a much higher place.
INDIVIDUALISM versus COMMUNAL GAIN
Capitalism believes that only individual gain can drive economic activities and hence appeals to the worst human vices in selfishness, promoting individualism and self-centeredness. These create an endless rat race for all, breeding crime, destroying empathy as a value, and simply multiplying man's inhumanity to man.
Compassionate Capitalism promotes communal gain as the secret to sustainable individual growth. CC is an economic system that anchors on public enlightenment, which educates the public that the basic safety of their prosperity lies in the well-being of their neighbors and that the joy of the harvest is best experienced when shared by a community of people.
HIGHEST ASPIRATIONS versus CONTENTMENT
Capitalism inherently seeks to inspire man's most incredible capacity by pointing to the pursuit of the highest aspirations. These aspirations become unreachable for most people, creating frustrations, depression, disillusionment, and a total lack of satisfaction with life. Pursuing these mostly unfounded highest aspirations leads to the worst display of human vices invoking greed, envy, exploitation, fraud, corruption, deception, oppression, anger, hate, murder, and every other horrific trait known to man.
Compassionate Capitalism believes in and promotes the satisfaction that comes from contentment as a more sustainable catalyst for the inspiration of man to strive. Contentment goals are much easier to achieve, giving the individual a sense of value and the desire to continue participating in the economic system. Contentment also significantly reduces the application of vices bringing more peaceful societies where love triumphs over hate.
CREATE MORE WANTS versus MEET BASIC HUMAN NEEDS
Capitalism thrives so much on "make-belief" and the creation of wants through needless innovations backed by endless commercials and marketing schemes, leaving consumers feeling exploited, deceived and abused by the communication channels and brands they trusted. The creation of wants also accounts for gross inequality in access to basic needs as consumer priorities become twisted, abandoning essentials for luxuries.
Compassionate Capitalism calls for focus by all participants, from producers to communicators and consumers, on increasing access to basic human needs and living standards. CC advocates for empathy-driven innovations, need-centered solutions, and informative communication messages through public education that empowers the consumer and the measurement of corporate value by impact in increasing access to basic needs.
MAXIMIZE PROFITS versus EMPOWER THE CONSUMER
One of the worst effects of Capitalism on humanity is the doctrine of maximizing profits to the detriment of everyone, from consumers to the government. It should be enough to make a profit, but maximizing profits brings out all the vices a corporation can exhibit, from deception to exploitation and everything else in between.
Compassionate Capitalism avoids this very myopic view and believes that the most significant investment the corporation can make is in the consumer since the corporation needs the consumer to earn more tomorrow. This ideology borrowed from nature in "grazing and then milking the cow" promotes the revolutionary concept of "Investment Points."These are discounts on product purchases issued by producers and can be used on the Compassionate Capitalism Investments platform to invest in commercial projects for financial returns or in career advancement through payment for training in certificates to earn.
ASSIGN BLAMES TO THE GOVERNMENT versus
ASSIGN BLAMES TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE WELL-BEING OF THE MARKET PARTICIPANTS
The government is the most extraordinary victim of the pure capitalist system, and countless governments have been toppled or lost credibility with their citizens because of the menace of Capitalism in their societies. This is quite simply because the producers' nefarious and exploitative activities leave the public in financial ruins, and they simultaneously work with the media they mostly own to assign blame to the government. Producers' endless tax evading schemes also starve the governments of much-needed public investment funds, which subsequently accounts for failure in public service delivery by governments and citizens' outcry.
Compassionate Capitalism acknowledges the very influential position and power of corporations in the well-being of the public hence promoting more responsible work on issues. This comes from the belief that only corporations which take responsibility for the well-being of the market participants have a long-term future in that market.
