很有意思的公眾意見調查,"資本主義是否適合你?"
原文的句子可以解釋成"資本主義適合你"; 或是"資本主義為你服務.",一語雙關,令人玩味
This was an open survey just in a southern city of the Netherlands. "Capitalism works for you." I just did a bit "googling" on internet, figuring out that this project is done by Steve Lambert in United States. Interesting enough, it comes to Europe now, at this peak of financial crisis sweeping through the old-continent.It allows people to express themselves, and also to have some firsthand on-site observation. The survey number is not clearly shown from this photo, but true is outnumbered by false, with some 1:2 ratio.
This shows how people "perceive" Capitalism as a system. However, does the world they live in is a Capitalism world? Does Capitalism, as a concept, really match what people "feel" about it?
or even, a more fundamental question should be asked,
"What is Capitalism anyway?"
People could have their very own definition about it. The link above presents a lot of different perspectives: some say capitalism as synonym of free markets, allowing people to compete on the same grounds with their own endowments, wealth or talents alike. Some see capitalism is a exploitation system; those who have all ruthlessly take the fruits of those who has not. Some even see capitalism as a sibling of democracy: a free market economy could only be achieved well with a liberal political system.
My recent readings have a lot to do with Capitalism system, especially about how financial markets in global settings may (or may not) benefit people. For me, capitalism is a system design for people to "exchange" things. You trade something you do have for something you do not. Of course we could argue whether the current system now is good or bad, yet we cannot ignore the fact that "market" exist long ago before any "-ism" comes out. In other words, Capitalism, as a systematic way to study how market function, should have been exist long ago.
True is that Capitalism may create problems. Therefore, alternatives should be considered. However, I continuously wondering, before holding a strong opposition stance, we shall consider:
"What people hate, or say, what they should hate, about Capitalism, should not be Capitalism itself as a economic system. They should think of the ' imperfection' in the markets and those who cause it. Market Imperfection exists everywhere. Some are naturally there, yet others are created by government, corporate, or even individuals. "
Market imperfection is an interesting topic. Economic theories impose a few strong assumptions, which means, the theoretical world could be quite different from day-to-day reality. So, we could hardly expect the optimal is reachable. What we can do is, understand where the imperfections are and try to avoid it, especially for those are made by governments. That is why people would say democracy should go hands-in-hands with market economy, or so-called capitalism.
However, that is not easy for everyone to see, or, that is not easy to explain for all people how it works and how our collective behaviors might help to eliminate the market imperfection. In fact, lots of things around us are about elimination of market imperfect. Take "information technology" for example. In financial markets, modern technology allows us to spread information and execute orders faster. Therefore, we could bring the price closer to its efficient target. It also helps people on their day-to-day economic decisions, i.e. buying healthier groceries, with better information disclosure. Going even further, combined the fundamental "freedom of speech" political philosophy and information technology, we could prevent the powerful holding their position too long and abuse their privileges to harm others. Another example is promotion of competitions and the anti-trust system, that can actually bring a great deal of welfare to consumers to buy good quality of goods and services with better prices. All these are a part of Capitalism/free market system. When people see the headline of all these bad news, they probably do not think of all these are also benefits from Capitalism system.
So, we might take for the next step of this statement. If Capitalism doesn't work for you, why? :)
當晚近的金融危機占據大部分的新聞頭條的同時, 大部分的人對於"資本主義"這四個字的負面印象過於正面印象, 不難理解. 上面的街頭民調也反映了這樣的狀況, 認為資本主義對自己有好處的人與感覺到資本主義不適合自己的人的比率, 大概呈現1: 2的狀況.
最近也閱讀了許多相關於金融危機的處理, 資本主義, 以及其他可行替代方案的文獻. 不難發現, 對於一般大眾來說資本主義事實上的理解或許跟資本主義的概念有相當的距離.
對我來說, 資本主義只是一種系統性研究交換的過程,或者是說,形塑市場的過程. 事實上, "市場"這個機制比任何"主義"存在的時間都還要長久. 而資本主義只是其中一種機制設計的方式.
資本主義的主要概念: 相信市場交易的機制與市場自由化的推動, 促成更有效率的市場以增進市場參與者的福利(Welfare). 市場是可以用各種不同面貌呈現的: 包括商品與勞務市場, 勞動市場, 資本市場, 甚至每個人跟朋友ask for favor,也可以做為是一種市場的交換.
資本主義也的確創造了許多問題.以久遠的歷史觀點來看, 左派人士對於資本主義最大的攻擊在於定價與剝削的問題. 他們不認為每個市場的參與者具有同樣的權力, 在相同的規則下參與交易. 然而,我們必須要承認, 這些所謂的"剝削"問題,與市場經濟存在的時間一樣長久. 回到我上述的, 在任何主義出現之前, 市場就已經存在了. 在歷史上, 市場的交易者每人都是並非站在對等的角度上, 有些是被社會所普遍認知的階級結構所束縛(貴族v. 平民; 種性制度); 有些是被國家跟國家之間的國際政治結構所束縛, 這些, 都在資本主義存在之前就已經存在了. 這些都不是新的問題.
如果單以經濟學的角度來看, 我們可以用市場失靈的狀況來解釋部分的現象, 市場失靈的狀況很多, 然而, 要對於市場失靈負起責任的人卻並非是單一個體. 是參與市場中的每一個份子. 其中包括: 政府,廠商, 甚至於一般民眾. 我們需要對於資本主義抱有怨恨嗎?
與其說是單純的抱怨市場經濟, 我們有兩種做法: 找出這套體系不管用的原因, 然後fix it, 或者是設計另外一種制度,試圖去執行他. 我傾向的是前者, 畢竟沒有一個體系設計出來就是完美的. 發掘彌補市場不足的地方, 找出失靈的原因, 促進市場交易的效率, 填補市場經濟的不足. 很多人也提出許多不同的概念.如: George Soros在上世紀末提到的open society, 或者是過去歐洲所混合的, 社會主義與市場經濟綜合的做法, 都可以攤開來做完整的討論.
接下來這一系列的文章主要還是會環繞在資本主義跟其他相信的體系作為討論,試圖給予讀者不同的角度來看待資本主義,或者是市場經濟給我們帶來的問題. 我會用Capitalism Work for you?作為系列標題, 給予這串討論延續性.
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