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Therapist Explains How Capitalism Affects Your Mental Health
Interview With Author
Ever catch yourself feeling anxious and burned out—like there’s no good left in this world? Well, you’re definitely not alone. It can be hard to grasp the cause behind all this but thanks to TikTok user pearcetherapy, we can learn about one possible explanation—capitalism.
Therapist, writer, and educator L.S. Pearce went viral after creating part 2 of her “Capitalism Is Bad For Mental Health” video series, in which she points out how this system is deteriorating our emotional well-being. Her post went viral, collecting more than 124K views and 2.1K comments in just a few days. “It’s really no surprise that mental health issues are exploding in [the US] especially,” the creator of this video said.
Eventually, the clip made its way to the Anti Work subreddit, a community dedicated to those who mildly dislike or straight-up loathe the idea of overworking or working in general. Check out the full video below and make sure to share your thoughts in the comment section.
“You know it’s funny; I almost didn’t even make that TikTok because I thought it was too obvious. And I still think it’s obvious to people but maybe they hadn’t heard it articulated in that way before,” L.S. Pearce told Bored Panda. Read on for the whole interview.
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L.S. Pearce is a therapist, writer, and educator who has over a decade of experience working in mental health and addiction
Image credits: pearcetherapy
The therapist has been working in the mental health field for about 15 years: “I started my career at a homeless shelter, and later supportive housing for people with mental illness, chemical dependency issues, and HIV, so I’ve seen a lot.”
“And I think I can safely speak for all social workers when I say that we understand that stability is fundamental, and you can’t really help anyone with anything until they have a safe, warm place to sleep, the medical care they need to treat their mental or physical ailments, and so forth.”
Pearce mentioned that it’s remarkable “how much a person who has spent years on the streets and may be dealing with serious issues around drug addiction or mental illness can grow and heal just by having some stability, by having their basic needs met. Now take that scenario and apply it to 320M Americans, most of us struggling to exist in this system.”
She continued: “In my current work as a therapist, I see how much people suffer and how much of their time and energy is spent just on the most basic things like trying to keep a roof over their head. Can you imagine the potential unleashed by human beings who didn’t have to spend all their time and mental energy on just existing?”
In her viral TikTok video, she breaks down how capitalism plays a big role in deteriorating our mental health
Image credits: Nik Shuliahin (not an actual photo)
“People like to joke that we’d have flying cars by now, but I honestly think that’s understated; we’d have far more advancement across every field, not just technology or transportation. Not to mention that the level of peace and happiness experienced by every person would shoot up into the stratosphere.”
Pearce asks you to imagine having the time to pursue what you’re actually passionate about: “How much amazing art, how many life-changing inventions have we missed out on because their creators are too busy flipping burgers for 60 hours a week?”
Image credits: Ryoji Iwata (not an actual photo)
The creator of this video didn’t expect it to receive so much attention: “Lately, I’ve just been using my TikTok to vent about societal issues in a satirical way! Most of my videos just get a few thousand views. But I think that people connected with this one because they see their lives in it.”
“Let’s be honest; this world isn’t working for most of us,” she told us. “It’s not even working for the world itself, as modern man has existed for 300,000 years and with just 200 years of capitalist, imperialist expansion we’ve managed to bring the planet to its knees with climate change, pollution and deforestation.”
According to L.S. Pearce, there are microplastics in everything, and “we’re draining the oceans of fish faster than they can replenish and the fish we do catch are choked with chemicals, there’s an enormous island of plastic garbage in the Pacific, and eventually, every coastal city will be underwater when the ice caps melt.”
“The society we’ve built makes the vast majority of us miserable,” that’s why so many people wake up in the morning “filled with dread because they have to go to a job they hate and that sucks the life out of them just so they can keep their healthcare. Many others are trying to earn a living out of a hodge-podge of several gig jobs, none of which offer any benefits. Wages have been suppressed for so long that everybody’s living off credit, which doesn’t allow you to get ahead.”
The therapist continued by saying that many are glorifying “van life” as a way to live within your means, trying to keep a positive outlook on living out of your car: “To make things worse, homeownership has always been one of the few paths to creating financial stability, and now that’s quickly vanishing into the distance as these investment firms are swooping in and buying up entire neighborhoods to make America a nation of permanent renters, flushing our money down the drain (or rather, into their pockets) indefinitely.”
Just that phrase—’earn a living’—“none of us asked to be here, so why do we have to ‘earn’ the right to stay alive?” Pearce continued by saying that it would be one thing if we were cavemen, scraping by on nuts and berries, “but we solved for starvation with the agricultural revolution and productivity with the industrial revolution.”
“In 1930, economist John Keynes predicted we’d have advanced in technology enough by now to be working 15-hour weeks. And we could all be working far less, but that’s not in the interest of the powers that be,” she explained.
Watch the full clip right here
@pearcetherapy Coming off a posting ban so lemme keep it mellow for a while. #eattherich #blackleftists #leftist #therapytiktok #mentalhealth ♬ original sound – Pearce Therapy
When asked if our current economic system is the main reason behind our mental health issues, Pearce thinks that it’s many things, but capitalism is certainly a big one. “Just speaking from personal experience, I’ve suffered from terrible mental health for most of my life. From high school through my late 30’s, I was regularly depressed and often suicidal.”
During this period, she was also working at least two jobs at a time, sometimes three, and was still dumpster diving for food. “I took out loans for grad school but they weren’t enough, and I was selling my blood plasma two or three times a week to buy groceries.”
Also, she had to keep terrible jobs just because she needed them: “I’ve spent many a lunch break quietly sobbing in a bathroom stall. For two decades, I was working my butt off just to tread water, every single unexpected car repair or veterinarian bill was a financial crisis, and I couldn’t see any way out.”
She added: “So imagine my surprise when I landed a stable, decent-paying career and—POOF!—my lifelong depression was gone almost overnight! I’m working *one* job and have the time now to pursue hobbies, I can take breaks when I need to and even travel, a lifelong dream!”
The therapist also mentioned that she’s not even living a lavish lifestyle, “just not having to worry about every single little thing has made such a huge difference.”
Here’s part 1 of her “Capitalism Is Bad For Mental Health” video series
@pearcetherapy Capitalism causes brain-worms. #queertherapist #ihatecapitalism #leftist #capitalismsucks #blacktherapists #mentalhealth ♬ original sound – Pearce Therapy
Talking about capitalism, it harms us in other ways too: “Human beings are a naturally social and cooperative species. We’re hairless, we don’t have big sharp teeth or claws, we’re not especially fast or strong in comparison to other animals. The way we’ve been able to survive and build everything we have is by banding together and working together.”
Capitalism “incentivizes selfishness and callous disregard for others. Rather than dog-eat-dog, it’s exploit or be exploited, and the person who is willing to do the most harm to others is the one with the opportunity to gain the most riches.”
Pearce thinks that most people now know about “Amazon workers (allegedly) urinating into bottles, dying on the warehouse floor while the others are told to keep working, or being taken away in ambulances with heatstroke because it was cheaper for Bezos to pay to keep an ambulance on-site than just install air conditioning.”
“This is clearly sociopathic behavior, but under capitalism, people like this are elevated to the status of gods,” she said. “We’re not meant to live like this, to see each other in these terms, looking for ways to wring every penny of profit out of each other, out of another human being. Yet, here we are.”
People had a lot to say about the video, here are some honest responses:
However, it’s possible to heal both ourselves and the Earth. “We all know how that needs to happen, it’s just that right now it’s only the people on the fringes, the outskirts, that are saying it out loud.”
“We need systemic change, a massive overhaul of our systems, and a redistribution of power and resources,” Pearce suggested. “And that feels scary to many people because change is scary, new things are scary. Many people would rather stay the same—even if that ‘sameness’ is suffering and misery—than take a risk on something new.”
The therapist continued: “The current system only works for a tiny handful of people on the top, people who’ve made it clear that too much is never enough, and they’ll never stop in their accumulation of more and more of the world’s resources. I, for one, would rather take a chance on something new, something that has a chance of improving everyone’s life.”
Pearce told us that people shy away from the idea of systemic change because it feels too big, and even if these ideas appeal to them, they don’t know where to begin. She suggested a starting place: “Start with yourself and your own communities. Our current system promotes tying one’s personal self-worth to our earning power and status, so for people struggling to make it, it can be hard to feel good about ourselves.”
“I’m telling you right now that you matter—and the world would be a worse place without you in it. You have some wonderful gifts to contribute beyond whatever money you’re making for your boss; what is it? You may already know what it is, or maybe you need to take some time to find it.”
“Furthermore, this system encourages isolation, encourages people to depend on the system itself rather than each other so that we have no hope of breaking out of it,” she explained. In her grandmother’s era, people would borrow cups of sugar from their neighbors, or keep an eye on each other’s kids while they played in the street: “Do you know your neighbors? Do you know what’s going on in your community?”
The creator of this video said that you might feel more connected to the people around you if you found ways to get involved. For example, “beach cleanups, getting together with other tenants to petition your landlord for improvements to the building, making sack lunches for the unhoused in your neighborhood, even running for city council.”
“During times of emergency, we humans are known for our generosity and selflessness, stepping up to help dig others out of the rubble of an earthquake, rescuing each other from floods or offering our homes to evacuees of a fire. We can expand that community mindset into daily life rather than reserving it only for crises. Wouldn’t that be nice, to both support and be supported by your community?”
What do you think ?
Ozacoter 2 years ago (edited)
I also feel that a big part of our mental health problems is the fast pace of our society. Cars, telephones, internet... they are all wonderful. But they made a society where everything needs to happen instantaneously. Before it would take a letter or a person a long period of time to get somewhere, now its in an instant. So you must work, quick quick, be on time, wake earlier, leave work later... Its too fast paced for our monkey brains.
Leo Domitrix 2 years ago
We have instant gratification. Bad for monkey brains. They freak out. They binge. IMHO
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Mike Crow 2 years ago
Capitalism today is very different to what it was when I was a kid, and keeps getting worse.
Jace 2 years ago
Yes, capitalism wasn’t entirely laissez-faire. Now we barely have any actual regulation and what regulations there are have been utterly gutted or worked around via corruption and lobbying.
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M M 2 years ago
We already have it. It's called social security. Most European countries have it. And manage to have capitalism as well. The problem is american kind of early capitalism every-man-for himself. The capitalism itself isn't the problem, people are.
RedMarbles 2 years ago
Yeah, people seem to think it's not a spectrum for some reason and that the US is 100% capitalist with no socialism. Apparently Finland is a great example of a better balance, being rated as more business-friendly than the US while still caring for its people with plenty of social programs. There clearly can be both but the colossal collective greed of those with wealth and power have gaslit people to believe it's either-or. So frustrating to watch so many take up their rally cry against anything not purely capitalist when they're just hurting themselves and society as a whole, while those who benefit laugh all the way to the bank.
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Aeon Flux 2 years ago
I'm all for Universal Basic Income. I think we all should have housing, food, and healthcare. Those seem like basic rights to me.
Josy Bannon 2 years ago (edited)
Universal Basic Income is a very interesting concept. They figured out how to finance it, please read into it. Its not communism, so no need to have a communism vs capitalism debate, its actually quite clever.
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Mazer 2 years ago
Pretty ironic considering 99% of all therapists charge waaaaay too much per hour and keep bankers hours. I challenged our local public radio to attempt to get an appointment (pre-pandemic) with a therapist that was immediately available, affordable and had hours after 5pm. They failed
Phil Vaive 2 years ago
Why do you get to determine what is "too much" for them to charge? Maybe their costs would go down if schooling was less expensive (a problem with capitalism) or if mental health care was not treated as a luxury (a problem of capitalism) or if the government helped to cover the costs (a problem of capitalism). Therapists aren't just pocketing that money - they have to pay back their student loans, pay their staff, pay their rent, etc. etc. etc. And as for the hours, maybe if people got more than 0-5 sick days a YEAR, they could take some time off work during the actual day time to get the mental health care they require (again, a problem caused by capitalism). Why should psychologists and therapists have to work ridiculous hours because your company won't allow you to take 2 hours off in the middle of a work day once every few weeks?
Load More Replies... Pete Simms 2 years ago
Yes, capitalism has lots of problems, but how about the countless legions of ordinary people who have terrible lives in socialist or communist countries? And, no, I'm not against public spending - I live in Canada and because of our social programs we're a lot better off then are Americans
Mewton’s Third Paw 2 years ago
Governments are almost always bad and corrupt. That’s all there is to it under any system. That’s why it’s important to function as best as possible within whatever system you live.
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François Carré 2 years ago (edited)
Please upvote, share, translate into all other languages of the world and share again.
Leo Domitrix 2 years ago
The only -ism that works is humanism. There. Now can we get over all the labels? B/c I'm pretty sure every system exploits people, no matter what -ism it's called, so let's start with humanism (yes, I know what it really means) and go from there. Just a thought.
Spikey Bunny 2 years ago
The commoditization of our healthcare in the US has made affording any healthcare an impossiblity
Mike Crow 2 years ago
I would suggest that it would be a good idea for the government to control the means of production, however after witnessing what is happening to the USAs politics since 2016, I don’t think that would be a good idea either. The level of greed and corruption going on is horrifying.
WilvanderHeijden 2 years ago
What I've been reading: If you want a healthy, happy life, move out of the USA.
Incitatus 2 years ago
It's just impossible to move out. Can't get a work visa, almost impossible to gain citizenship, etc. I think a majority of us would move if we could.
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Ladedah 2 years ago
Personally, I'm annoyed by the fact that there isn't a social program for college these days. Yeah, sure, a high school education used to amount to livable wages... but when college is required for most good jobs these days, we're charging people obscene amounts of money to gain skills? If you're childless or married, you can forget about any kind of financial help... even if you're having to choose between paying electric and buying food. So you get a loan. And, yes, maybe some of it goes bills you struggle with due to minimum wage and loss of work time. And interest keeps compounding as you go to school for an eternity. You finally get a job as a nurse, and your student loan payment is more than your mortgage, putting you pretty damn close to where you were before you started... for the next 20 years. I'm one of the few nurses remaining on my unit after it transitioned to the primary covid unit at my hospital for the past 2 years. And we wonder why there's a nursing shortage.
King Joffrey 2 years ago
As much as I agree with her, she doesn't offer a solution as to how all of this would be funded. I just came back from work after 11 hours and, sure, I'd much rather have spent this time with my wife or riding my motorbike but so far I haven't found anyone who would pay my bills...
Josy Bannon 2 years ago
Its a start to acknowledge whats wrong I guess, like in all life areas. And then we are more open and capable to find solutions.
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Jude A 2 years ago (edited)
The issues facing individuals in the world are complex. While simple approaches such as blaming capitalism are appealing; these approaches lack any kind of meaningful depth or insight. Alternative approaches to structuring society include monarchies, socialism, communism, as well as increasingly extreme versions of governance. The overconcentration of power seems to be the issue (rather than capitalism specifically). Giving too much influence to any one entity tends to result in odd outcomes. Mega corporations with deep financial influence certainly cause harm at times. Alternatively, giving more influence to governments via socialism, communism, or any other mechanism leads to great harm as well. Historically, the alternatives to capitalism have often been presented with the best of intentions though fail to deliver. The rise of the socialist workers party certainly didn't go down favorably in history. Lets stop blaming capitalism (or others) and instead be accountable to ourselves.
Jarrod Nichols 2 years ago
Totally ignores the fact that socialism/communism doesn't work. Venezuela isn't the top of the list of happy countries. The problem isn't even the economic system we choose. The struggles we face now, and the reason socialism fails every time are the same. Greed. You can believe bullshit like this woman spews, or you can fix the problem, not a symptom. Figure out how to curb the greed of our leaders, and whichever system we have will flourish. Make no mistake, they aren't going to voluntarily give up being greedy. It will have to be forced by the people.
Mike Crow 2 years ago
And they will be replaced by people who would be worse. Always is.
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Beatrice Multhaupt 2 years ago
This is so right on that I have absolutely nothing to add. That's a first for me!
Cory Tollman 2 years ago
This made me think of the movie "In Time". Where everyone has a counter on their arm that count's down after they become and adult and no one ages physically past 25. Time can be added or removed for various reasons. The ultra rich are essentially forever immortal and have stockpiled endless amounts of time. Meanwhile the workers have to scrimp and save and work themselves to death in factories belong to the rich. If the time runs out on their counter they just stop (die). There are a few other interesting nuances to the movie but it essentially is what this article is talking about. Time is money and money is time. In the movie, a bunch of poor people get a lot of time given to them so they don't go to work and go see some other parts of their world. The rich are freaking out because not only are the factories not running but the poor are coming into their spaces now that they can afford to.
Amy Broderick 2 years ago
I am always going from one toxic relationship to another because where I live and work I just cannot afford a place on my own on a decent waged job's paycheck. I have to rely on help either from family (toxic) to a boyfriend (toxic). I know I would be better suited being on my own, but I just cannot make that happen.
Mark Burke 2 years ago
In case anyone is wondering what it is all about. The-Master...908eb2.jpg 
Mark Burke 2 years ago
"Capitalism" is a loaded term, much as "Socialism" versus "Democratic Socialism." Instead of "Capitalism," I wish people would use the term, "Parasitic Capitalism," in order to more accurately describe the abuses of the system.
Jace 2 years ago
Each arriving generation is beaten down even more because they start with less and are expected to do more, and is mocked by those older. I don’t think we are going to end up with a truly politically motivated populous. I hope I’m wrong. I assume nothing will change for the better in my remaining life (I’m in my 40s). I really hope I’m wrong about that too. I live in poverty, and yet I’m one of the “lucky” ones who has shelter and disability income keeping me fed and clothed (well, also with some help from my parents, but they’re in their 70s now). Laissez-faire capitalism is a disease and we are in the end stages of it. Political revolution or not, s**t’s going to change. It would be nice if it changed for the better. Not holding my breath or holding out hope, though.
MyOpinionHasBeenServed 2 years ago
Corporations definitely exploit a person's desire for a good life, their willingness to cooperate, and definitely our conditioned tendency to be obedient and not question authority. This is what school is teaching kids to be, mainly. To be of a free mind, living to your own schedule and rules is considered radical and "rebellious", and society associates rebellion with disobedience and anti-social behaviour. We're distracted with these terms and labels, and do whatever we can to maintain an acceptable reputation within society. We're also distracted with the rat race and worrying about the next paycheque. We think as long as we make money we're okay. If I become homeless I will not be okay and potentially die from the elements or starvation, and we believe homelessness lasts forever. Everyone can help by lessening or stopping their patronization of businesses that use exploitive labour and consumerism, as customers are exploited just as much.
Leo Domitrix 2 years ago
Apparently, yes? .... People need to clarify their -isms, is my guess.
Load More Replies... Joseph rick 2 years ago
the means by which the slavery described is enacted to all of us every day of our lives, is external to our free will and consciousness. And this is the root of the problem. The tiny 10 percent who own all the earths wealth producing mechanisms exploit us the 90% to produce values we don't own and they in turn maintain that hegemony by the state and all its apparatus. The first step we can do to change this unfair arrangement Marx called 'class consciousness' that simply means make your self aware of how the exploitation works (like the writer has done with this item) with all the ins and outs of it. The second step is written in stone on Marxs grave - 'CHANGE IT'. and for added emphasis he says don't philosophise about it - change the ownership papers over ASAP.
Ozacoter 2 years ago (edited)
Sadly Marx was too naive to understand that replacing "high class" people with "working class" people and giving them all the power would result in the same abuses and atrocities as always. Humans are horrible and cannot handle that much power. Communism is great in theory but it doent work (not that capitalism is better).
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jpaul 2 years ago
the eternal topic, i want a revolution, i want to eat the rich. the thing is all these is totally disconnected from reality. there's always a way to be happy. just learn to rest. learn to be happy with a book rather than a 100€ jewerly, or 1000€ smartphone. yes capitalism is not perfect, but there's nothing better. those who'd say otherwise are liars. the alternative is dictatorship. capitalism is here since the beginning of the world, because there's no other way. so i think instead for evocating a revolution that will end in huge pain for humankind, try to think about how to change the system. but in a democratic way. the system can be changed, but not with a guillotine
Salty Baritone 2 years ago
For f***s sake, no. Capitalism was and is the force that pulled me out of poverty. It has allowed me, through hard work and sacrifice, to find purpose in my life. Through purpose we strip away anxiety and depression, not the removal of it. Accepting that life is always going to have a certain amount of suffering prepares us for those unexpected moments and provides resilience. Not having any real cares or responsibility leads us down a dark path. Besides, Capitalism is merely a reflection of what it means to live in a world of merit. This therapist, who needs their own therapy, would have us repeat the atrocities of the 20th century to gain the kind of “freedom” from not having to pay for anything. But we’d give up everything and become a slave to the state as a result. Foolish.
Vera1 2 years ago
Capitalism makes us poor in the first place. Capitalism was designed to award 99% of everything to 1% of the population. Capitalism will keep us poor. A system where gaining more money is no longer the end all be all, will allow us all to live. Not just slave away in the hopes to ever achieve something that should've been given to us in the first place. Safety, food, housing, water are literally the things we all need to survive. They should not be a way of gaining profits by exploiting people
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Mewton’s Third Paw 2 years ago
That’s all well and good but people do still need to exist. If we are honest with ourselves, this issue isn’t going to change and all the talking in the world won’t make us have universal basic income tomorrow morning. This means that we are all kind of trapped in the system and your only options are A) spend your entire life trying to change it, which is miserable and fruitless. B) spend time hating it but doing nothing to advance yourself or change the system. C) spend time hating it but learn to work within it and exploit its plot holes where you can. I chose C. I do agree capitalism needs to be regulated. But I also live in capitalist society and I cannot change it and I fùcking refuse to even try, because my life wouldn’t be happy and if I were to manage to make something change (which you can’t / I can’t), the people who would benefit from that change are all horrible too. Most people are awful. Most people don’t deserve the efforts it would take. And you’d lose your life trying.
Mewton’s Third Paw 2 years ago
The reality is we can’t change it no matter what we think or do. If you’re a teen or a dreamer, you might not believe it. But you cannot fix this. All you can do, besides waste your life trying, is operate within it. As best you can. Will I ever be a billionaire? Probably not. But being a millionaire isn’t as hard as they LIE and tell you it is. Everyone is sold this story that they’re poor and it’s the fault of the system. Sure it is but so what? We still have to eat and live and thrive if we can. It’s more important to rewrite your own story than to rewrite the rules of capitalism. 100%, money solves the problem of not having money. Don’t believe them when they lie and say money is bad, the love of money is bad, only bad people have money. This is something you CAN change if you try to be a good person with money rather than expecting the world to no longer have capitalism.
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Andrew P Jump 2 years ago
First world problems, seriously. If this therapist wants us to live in a communist or socialist country, I can guarantee our mental state would be way worse. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our great war is a spiritual war. Our great depression is our lives.
T. D. Bostick 2 years ago
You know what's worse for your mental health? Communist dictatorships. Capitalism isn't perfect, and governments could do a lot more to rein in the companies and CEOs abusing their workers, but capitalism is by far the freest and most just economic framework.
Naesil 2 years ago
Well even if americans think that us finns are communist because we have social services, we are actually free market capitalist country, with some social policies. It definitely is not perfect, not by a long shot... but honestly it gives comfort to know that even if s**t hits the fan I will probably always have at least health care that keeps me alive, some form of housing and food even if I never could work again.
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RedMarbles 2 years ago
Associate Clinical Social Worker (ACSW) and Master of Social Work (MSW).
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Phil Vaive 2 years ago
Why would nobody work to produce or maintain food or shelter? There are a lot of people out there who genuinely love farming, construction, etc. Nobody is saying "don't work", we're just saying that the style of "live to work", and making work your entire identity, and devoting your life to making someone else rich is a bullshit system that necessitates the privileged few taking advantage of the majority of people.
Load More Replies... Leo Domitrix 2 years ago
Read a book, please. Read several. You're confusing several -isms.
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Leo Domitrix 2 years ago
Wow that was a lot of ignorance in one statement. "Unless you are a coal miner..." .... wow. Just... Wow.
Load More Replies... Martha Meyer 2 years ago
You realize it's illegal these days to make a 12 year old work? And that wages these days haven't kept up at all with inflation?
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Mike Crow 2 years ago
The USA can end up just like Venezuela without switching to socialism because it was poor government decisions that killed it not socialism.
Load More Replies... Ozacoter 2 years ago (edited)
I also feel that a big part of our mental health problems is the fast pace of our society. Cars, telephones, internet... they are all wonderful. But they made a society where everything needs to happen instantaneously. Before it would take a letter or a person a long period of time to get somewhere, now its in an instant. So you must work, quick quick, be on time, wake earlier, leave work later... Its too fast paced for our monkey brains.
Leo Domitrix 2 years ago
We have instant gratification. Bad for monkey brains. They freak out. They binge. IMHO
Load More Replies... Mike Crow 2 years ago
Capitalism today is very different to what it was when I was a kid, and keeps getting worse.
Jace 2 years ago
Yes, capitalism wasn’t entirely laissez-faire. Now we barely have any actual regulation and what regulations there are have been utterly gutted or worked around via corruption and lobbying.
Load More Replies... M M 2 years ago
We already have it. It's called social security. Most European countries have it. And manage to have capitalism as well. The problem is american kind of early capitalism every-man-for himself. The capitalism itself isn't the problem, people are.
RedMarbles 2 years ago
Yeah, people seem to think it's not a spectrum for some reason and that the US is 100% capitalist with no socialism. Apparently Finland is a great example of a better balance, being rated as more business-friendly than the US while still caring for its people with plenty of social programs. There clearly can be both but the colossal collective greed of those with wealth and power have gaslit people to believe it's either-or. So frustrating to watch so many take up their rally cry against anything not purely capitalist when they're just hurting themselves and society as a whole, while those who benefit laugh all the way to the bank.
Load More Replies... Aeon Flux 2 years ago
I'm all for Universal Basic Income. I think we all should have housing, food, and healthcare. Those seem like basic rights to me.
Josy Bannon 2 years ago (edited)
Universal Basic Income is a very interesting concept. They figured out how to finance it, please read into it. Its not communism, so no need to have a communism vs capitalism debate, its actually quite clever.
Load More Replies... Mazer 2 years ago
Pretty ironic considering 99% of all therapists charge waaaaay too much per hour and keep bankers hours. I challenged our local public radio to attempt to get an appointment (pre-pandemic) with a therapist that was immediately available, affordable and had hours after 5pm. They failed
Phil Vaive 2 years ago
Why do you get to determine what is "too much" for them to charge? Maybe their costs would go down if schooling was less expensive (a problem with capitalism) or if mental health care was not treated as a luxury (a problem of capitalism) or if the government helped to cover the costs (a problem of capitalism). Therapists aren't just pocketing that money - they have to pay back their student loans, pay their staff, pay their rent, etc. etc. etc. And as for the hours, maybe if people got more than 0-5 sick days a YEAR, they could take some time off work during the actual day time to get the mental health care they require (again, a problem caused by capitalism). Why should psychologists and therapists have to work ridiculous hours because your company won't allow you to take 2 hours off in the middle of a work day once every few weeks?
Load More Replies... Pete Simms 2 years ago
Yes, capitalism has lots of problems, but how about the countless legions of ordinary people who have terrible lives in socialist or communist countries? And, no, I'm not against public spending - I live in Canada and because of our social programs we're a lot better off then are Americans
Mewton’s Third Paw 2 years ago
Governments are almost always bad and corrupt. That’s all there is to it under any system. That’s why it’s important to function as best as possible within whatever system you live.
Load More Replies... François Carré 2 years ago (edited)
Please upvote, share, translate into all other languages of the world and share again.
Leo Domitrix 2 years ago
The only -ism that works is humanism. There. Now can we get over all the labels? B/c I'm pretty sure every system exploits people, no matter what -ism it's called, so let's start with humanism (yes, I know what it really means) and go from there. Just a thought.
Spikey Bunny 2 years ago
The commoditization of our healthcare in the US has made affording any healthcare an impossiblity
Mike Crow 2 years ago
I would suggest that it would be a good idea for the government to control the means of production, however after witnessing what is happening to the USAs politics since 2016, I don’t think that would be a good idea either. The level of greed and corruption going on is horrifying.
WilvanderHeijden 2 years ago
What I've been reading: If you want a healthy, happy life, move out of the USA.
Incitatus 2 years ago
It's just impossible to move out. Can't get a work visa, almost impossible to gain citizenship, etc. I think a majority of us would move if we could.
Load More Replies... Ladedah 2 years ago
Personally, I'm annoyed by the fact that there isn't a social program for college these days. Yeah, sure, a high school education used to amount to livable wages... but when college is required for most good jobs these days, we're charging people obscene amounts of money to gain skills? If you're childless or married, you can forget about any kind of financial help... even if you're having to choose between paying electric and buying food. So you get a loan. And, yes, maybe some of it goes bills you struggle with due to minimum wage and loss of work time. And interest keeps compounding as you go to school for an eternity. You finally get a job as a nurse, and your student loan payment is more than your mortgage, putting you pretty damn close to where you were before you started... for the next 20 years. I'm one of the few nurses remaining on my unit after it transitioned to the primary covid unit at my hospital for the past 2 years. And we wonder why there's a nursing shortage.
King Joffrey 2 years ago
As much as I agree with her, she doesn't offer a solution as to how all of this would be funded. I just came back from work after 11 hours and, sure, I'd much rather have spent this time with my wife or riding my motorbike but so far I haven't found anyone who would pay my bills...
Josy Bannon 2 years ago
Its a start to acknowledge whats wrong I guess, like in all life areas. And then we are more open and capable to find solutions.
Load More Replies... Jude A 2 years ago (edited)
The issues facing individuals in the world are complex. While simple approaches such as blaming capitalism are appealing; these approaches lack any kind of meaningful depth or insight. Alternative approaches to structuring society include monarchies, socialism, communism, as well as increasingly extreme versions of governance. The overconcentration of power seems to be the issue (rather than capitalism specifically). Giving too much influence to any one entity tends to result in odd outcomes. Mega corporations with deep financial influence certainly cause harm at times. Alternatively, giving more influence to governments via socialism, communism, or any other mechanism leads to great harm as well. Historically, the alternatives to capitalism have often been presented with the best of intentions though fail to deliver. The rise of the socialist workers party certainly didn't go down favorably in history. Lets stop blaming capitalism (or others) and instead be accountable to ourselves.
Jarrod Nichols 2 years ago
Totally ignores the fact that socialism/communism doesn't work. Venezuela isn't the top of the list of happy countries. The problem isn't even the economic system we choose. The struggles we face now, and the reason socialism fails every time are the same. Greed. You can believe bullshit like this woman spews, or you can fix the problem, not a symptom. Figure out how to curb the greed of our leaders, and whichever system we have will flourish. Make no mistake, they aren't going to voluntarily give up being greedy. It will have to be forced by the people.
Mike Crow 2 years ago
And they will be replaced by people who would be worse. Always is.
Load More Replies... Beatrice Multhaupt 2 years ago
This is so right on that I have absolutely nothing to add. That's a first for me!
Cory Tollman 2 years ago
This made me think of the movie "In Time". Where everyone has a counter on their arm that count's down after they become and adult and no one ages physically past 25. Time can be added or removed for various reasons. The ultra rich are essentially forever immortal and have stockpiled endless amounts of time. Meanwhile the workers have to scrimp and save and work themselves to death in factories belong to the rich. If the time runs out on their counter they just stop (die). There are a few other interesting nuances to the movie but it essentially is what this article is talking about. Time is money and money is time. In the movie, a bunch of poor people get a lot of time given to them so they don't go to work and go see some other parts of their world. The rich are freaking out because not only are the factories not running but the poor are coming into their spaces now that they can afford to.
Amy Broderick 2 years ago
I am always going from one toxic relationship to another because where I live and work I just cannot afford a place on my own on a decent waged job's paycheck. I have to rely on help either from family (toxic) to a boyfriend (toxic). I know I would be better suited being on my own, but I just cannot make that happen.
Mark Burke 2 years ago
In case anyone is wondering what it is all about. The-Master...908eb2.jpg
Mark Burke 2 years ago
"Capitalism" is a loaded term, much as "Socialism" versus "Democratic Socialism." Instead of "Capitalism," I wish people would use the term, "Parasitic Capitalism," in order to more accurately describe the abuses of the system.
Jace 2 years ago
Each arriving generation is beaten down even more because they start with less and are expected to do more, and is mocked by those older. I don’t think we are going to end up with a truly politically motivated populous. I hope I’m wrong. I assume nothing will change for the better in my remaining life (I’m in my 40s). I really hope I’m wrong about that too. I live in poverty, and yet I’m one of the “lucky” ones who has shelter and disability income keeping me fed and clothed (well, also with some help from my parents, but they’re in their 70s now). Laissez-faire capitalism is a disease and we are in the end stages of it. Political revolution or not, s**t’s going to change. It would be nice if it changed for the better. Not holding my breath or holding out hope, though.
MyOpinionHasBeenServed 2 years ago
Corporations definitely exploit a person's desire for a good life, their willingness to cooperate, and definitely our conditioned tendency to be obedient and not question authority. This is what school is teaching kids to be, mainly. To be of a free mind, living to your own schedule and rules is considered radical and "rebellious", and society associates rebellion with disobedience and anti-social behaviour. We're distracted with these terms and labels, and do whatever we can to maintain an acceptable reputation within society. We're also distracted with the rat race and worrying about the next paycheque. We think as long as we make money we're okay. If I become homeless I will not be okay and potentially die from the elements or starvation, and we believe homelessness lasts forever. Everyone can help by lessening or stopping their patronization of businesses that use exploitive labour and consumerism, as customers are exploited just as much.
Leo Domitrix 2 years ago
Apparently, yes? .... People need to clarify their -isms, is my guess.
Load More Replies... Joseph rick 2 years ago
the means by which the slavery described is enacted to all of us every day of our lives, is external to our free will and consciousness. And this is the root of the problem. The tiny 10 percent who own all the earths wealth producing mechanisms exploit us the 90% to produce values we don't own and they in turn maintain that hegemony by the state and all its apparatus. The first step we can do to change this unfair arrangement Marx called 'class consciousness' that simply means make your self aware of how the exploitation works (like the writer has done with this item) with all the ins and outs of it. The second step is written in stone on Marxs grave - 'CHANGE IT'. and for added emphasis he says don't philosophise about it - change the ownership papers over ASAP.
Ozacoter 2 years ago (edited)
Sadly Marx was too naive to understand that replacing "high class" people with "working class" people and giving them all the power would result in the same abuses and atrocities as always. Humans are horrible and cannot handle that much power. Communism is great in theory but it doent work (not that capitalism is better).
Load More Replies... jpaul 2 years ago
the eternal topic, i want a revolution, i want to eat the rich. the thing is all these is totally disconnected from reality. there's always a way to be happy. just learn to rest. learn to be happy with a book rather than a 100€ jewerly, or 1000€ smartphone. yes capitalism is not perfect, but there's nothing better. those who'd say otherwise are liars. the alternative is dictatorship. capitalism is here since the beginning of the world, because there's no other way. so i think instead for evocating a revolution that will end in huge pain for humankind, try to think about how to change the system. but in a democratic way. the system can be changed, but not with a guillotine
Salty Baritone 2 years ago
For f***s sake, no. Capitalism was and is the force that pulled me out of poverty. It has allowed me, through hard work and sacrifice, to find purpose in my life. Through purpose we strip away anxiety and depression, not the removal of it. Accepting that life is always going to have a certain amount of suffering prepares us for those unexpected moments and provides resilience. Not having any real cares or responsibility leads us down a dark path. Besides, Capitalism is merely a reflection of what it means to live in a world of merit. This therapist, who needs their own therapy, would have us repeat the atrocities of the 20th century to gain the kind of “freedom” from not having to pay for anything. But we’d give up everything and become a slave to the state as a result. Foolish.
Vera1 2 years ago
Capitalism makes us poor in the first place. Capitalism was designed to award 99% of everything to 1% of the population. Capitalism will keep us poor. A system where gaining more money is no longer the end all be all, will allow us all to live. Not just slave away in the hopes to ever achieve something that should've been given to us in the first place. Safety, food, housing, water are literally the things we all need to survive. They should not be a way of gaining profits by exploiting people
Load More Replies... Mewton’s Third Paw 2 years ago
That’s all well and good but people do still need to exist. If we are honest with ourselves, this issue isn’t going to change and all the talking in the world won’t make us have universal basic income tomorrow morning. This means that we are all kind of trapped in the system and your only options are A) spend your entire life trying to change it, which is miserable and fruitless. B) spend time hating it but doing nothing to advance yourself or change the system. C) spend time hating it but learn to work within it and exploit its plot holes where you can. I chose C. I do agree capitalism needs to be regulated. But I also live in capitalist society and I cannot change it and I fùcking refuse to even try, because my life wouldn’t be happy and if I were to manage to make something change (which you can’t / I can’t), the people who would benefit from that change are all horrible too. Most people are awful. Most people don’t deserve the efforts it would take. And you’d lose your life trying.
Mewton’s Third Paw 2 years ago
The reality is we can’t change it no matter what we think or do. If you’re a teen or a dreamer, you might not believe it. But you cannot fix this. All you can do, besides waste your life trying, is operate within it. As best you can. Will I ever be a billionaire? Probably not. But being a millionaire isn’t as hard as they LIE and tell you it is. Everyone is sold this story that they’re poor and it’s the fault of the system. Sure it is but so what? We still have to eat and live and thrive if we can. It’s more important to rewrite your own story than to rewrite the rules of capitalism. 100%, money solves the problem of not having money. Don’t believe them when they lie and say money is bad, the love of money is bad, only bad people have money. This is something you CAN change if you try to be a good person with money rather than expecting the world to no longer have capitalism.
Load More Replies... Andrew P Jump 2 years ago
First world problems, seriously. If this therapist wants us to live in a communist or socialist country, I can guarantee our mental state would be way worse. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our great war is a spiritual war. Our great depression is our lives.
T. D. Bostick 2 years ago
You know what's worse for your mental health? Communist dictatorships. Capitalism isn't perfect, and governments could do a lot more to rein in the companies and CEOs abusing their workers, but capitalism is by far the freest and most just economic framework.
Naesil 2 years ago
Well even if americans think that us finns are communist because we have social services, we are actually free market capitalist country, with some social policies. It definitely is not perfect, not by a long shot... but honestly it gives comfort to know that even if s**t hits the fan I will probably always have at least health care that keeps me alive, some form of housing and food even if I never could work again.
Load More Replies... RedMarbles 2 years ago
Associate Clinical Social Worker (ACSW) and Master of Social Work (MSW).
Load More Replies... Phil Vaive 2 years ago
Why would nobody work to produce or maintain food or shelter? There are a lot of people out there who genuinely love farming, construction, etc. Nobody is saying "don't work", we're just saying that the style of "live to work", and making work your entire identity, and devoting your life to making someone else rich is a bullshit system that necessitates the privileged few taking advantage of the majority of people.
Load More Replies... Leo Domitrix 2 years ago
Read a book, please. Read several. You're confusing several -isms.
Load More Replies... Leo Domitrix 2 years ago
Wow that was a lot of ignorance in one statement. "Unless you are a coal miner..." .... wow. Just... Wow.
Load More Replies... Martha Meyer 2 years ago
You realize it's illegal these days to make a 12 year old work? And that wages these days haven't kept up at all with inflation?
Load More Replies... Mike Crow 2 years ago
The USA can end up just like Venezuela without switching to socialism because it was poor government decisions that killed it not socialism.
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