[Buddha-l] Karma and capitalism

[Chan Fu]

On 10/4/05, curt <curt at cola.iges.org> wrote:
> Chan Fu wrote:
>
> >I beg to differ.
> >Capitalism is no more than a revitalization
> >and reorganization of the feudal system. I believe
> >Vic Stenger (http://www.colorado.edu/philosophy/vstenger/)
> >in one of his papers referred to the "self"ishness that's
> >inherent in it.
> >
> Stenger is one of those intellectual midgets who tries to make a name
> for himself by cranking out cartoonish critiques of ideas that were more
> than adequately dealt with already by Voltaire some time ago. He is
> obsessed with critiquing religion - about which he knows absolutely
> nothing. His notion of Religion is narrowly defined by
> worst-case-scenario Christianity. In other words, the man wouldn't know
> subtely if it bit him in the arse. Why anyone would take his views on
> economics seriously is beyond me. In fact, I seriously doubt that anyone
> does.

I wasn't aware that Vic ever had any "views on economics",
but calling the Professor Emeritus of Physics and Astronomy,
University of Hawaii, and Adjunct Professor of Philosophy,
University of Colorado an "intellectual midget" doesn't seem
very "buddhist".  As I remember, his reference to "self"ishness
was right in line with buddhist understanding.

As far as religion goes, he tackles the idea of "god" (and
creationism) from a physics p.o.v. rather than a philosophical
or personal one. Does quite a good job, too.

> Besides, I never claimed that there weren't ninkompoops who peddled
> theories according to which Capitalism is nothing new.

You're aware that in this statement, you're implying that
you believe that "capitalism is new"?

> My claim was that
> the newness of Capitalism was not an idea of my own invention (and that
> simply to score debating points against Dan Lusthaus) but that it is
> rather an old idea quite clearly espoused by both Karl Marx and Adam Smith.

And that you just reversed yourself here?

Make up your mind.

The "newness" of capitalism wasn't a Marx or Smith idea at all.
It was practiced in many forms, long before either of them
commented on it, Marx on the ethos and Smith on the economics.

So, your point was...?