Decadence, some may say, is a vice. I would argue that it is the grandest of virtues. Capitalists rely on decadence to keep the economy moving. An increase in spending may mean a shift towards poverty for some and enslavement to mortgage brokers for others. This is not necessarily the case for everyone. Even if this were true for everyone, the worst case scenario is that everyone lives a happy life, even though it is centered around the bank rather than society, community and family. Happiness is achieved, even if it is a faux-happiness. Happiness is, by definition, happiness.
The critique of Capitalism that it disenfranchises the poor, creates more poor, and harms everyone except the top five percent is unfounded. If Capitalism increases the so-called gap between the rich and the poor by creating more poor then (even though this is entirely false) it is doing a tremendous service to all of humankind. Tragedy, poverty, and death bring friends and family together. This creates community and binds people together. And other people, people that would be otherwise overlooked, are brought into the picture and completing it. People such as the local Loans Officer and the community Collections Personnel. These are, as Sesame Street aptly would define them, people in your neighbourhood.
Socialists want to devour this picture and demonize those within it. Socialists want to eradicate the cycles of supply and demand; of wage-earning and property-ownership. Socialists glorify and idolize the poor all the while vilifying and demonizing the rich. At the same time as they are worshipping the poor they are demanding that we all be rich together. To be rich, much like the very few they loath and despise.
Socialists state that Capitalism will crush under its own weight and then Socialism will fill the void. They, however, insist on preempting this process, which they declare is inevitable, by bringing out the imminent prematurely. Karl Marx believed in progress and process. Step-by-step we will achieve our goals, and society will achieve its goals. You Socialists must wait.
In the Interim, Socialist of every stripe should declare decadence for yourselves and for everyone for at least three reasons. Firstly, this would appease your Capitalist enemies and lull them into a false sense of security. Secondly, this would expedite the crush of Capitalism and make it a much grander and diabolical spectacle for everyone with a Hammer and Sickle branded on their backside. And lastly, this would make the journey to your utopian world that much more enjoyable.
“Climate Change” is a much discussed feature of decadence and is something which almost everyone can subscribe to. This, for everyone, is not a tragedy but the greatest achievement of humankind in all of history. Millions of people will die. Land and property will be destroyed. The world will erupt in warfare and many more will be lost. Economies will crumble. Empires will be eradicated. Through all of this all of humankind will be united as one force; United by a common misery and a common goal. The global community will, for once, actually act as a community.
The environment, once destroyed and on life-support, will be a masochist’s wet-dream, yet the remaining humans will rebuild and start anew. The problems of war and poverty will be removed due to their new-found commonalities. The world’s ecosystem will begin to repair itself and, as the world becomes stable once again, the people of earth will repopulate.
This is a call for everyone, everywhere, to purchase more goods, become a greater consumer and an even greater polluter. Use but don’t reuse. Reduce your recycling. And recirculate your income as quickly and fully as possible. No matter how things play out happiness is assured; the Capitalists are happy that the economy is moving; the Socialists are happy when they will see the cracks begin to appear; and the environment will erase all of our mistakes in one massive, impressive and very broad stroke, thereby ensuring future happiness.
This is a call for Decadence; the earth will not destroy itself, and Capitalism needs help reaching critical mass.
