Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Does Prince Charles hate Capitalism?

Tell me how you can read the words of Prince Charles at the Inclusive Capitalism Initiative and not think that he hates Capitalism.  He said:
The primary purpose of capitalism should surely be to serve the wider, long-term interests and concerns of humanity rather than the other way around. So critically, it would require the incorporation of environmental externalities. We would have to account properly for carbon dioxide emissions, the use of water and fertilizer, the pollution we produce, and the biodiversity we lose. All of these would have to be comprehensively considered in our economic and national decision making because inclusive capitalism cannot be truly inclusive if our dependence on natural capital, the economic invisibility of nature is not also included in our calculation.
He also said:
We stand at a pivotal moment in history. Either we continue along the path we seem collectively determined to follow, apparently at the mercy of those who so vociferously, aggressively deny that our current operating model has any effect upon dangerously accelerating climate change -- which I feel will bring us to our own destruction -- or we choose to act now before it is finally too late; using all of the power and influence that each of you, ah, can bring to bear to create an inclusive, sustainable, and resilient society. 
In other words, he does not like capitalism at all, and wants every nation to endorse socialism (notice he used the word "collectively," which is another way of saying socialism).  The way to do this is by supporting the notion that modern, man made technology is causing global change, and therefore destroying the planet. The only way to "change" this is to give up some of our liberties (i.e. capital) and except national laws for the good of the collective.

That's what he is saying here.  He believes that unfettered capitalism is destroying the planet, and socialism (or liberalism or progressivism or Marxism or whatever you want to call it) is the only way to save the planet.  Capitalists are selfish, and socialists care.

Essentially, while he's trying to say it in a way that makes him look smart, Prince Charles is saying that we need to give up capitalism in order to save the planet.

Of course, as Rush Limbaugh says, this all makes sense.  He said:
The royal family is the biggest welfare case in the UK. Of course he's going to like socialism. All monarchs do. It's how they survive.
But now Prince Charles is out there attacking capitalism as the root of all evil in the world, and I'm not just gonna sit idly by when I know it to be false.
Look, neither Rush nor I have anything against Prince Charles.  After all, it's not our money that puts food in his mouth.  We're merely criticizing words that came out of his mouth.

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