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| Pic Credit: StethNews |
At first glance, capitalism seems to be the opposite of addiction. The capitalist is supposed to be enriching himself whereas the addict is clearly robbing himself of vitality. Yet, the two exhibit startling similarities.
It takes all kinds of people to make the world. Neither the addict nor the capitalist is a monolith. Having acknowledged that, let us try and explore the comparison by taking the typical, pure addict and the typical, pure capitalist.
1) Both claim that their behaviour is crucial for their survival
Let us remember that addiction comes in various flavours - one can be addicted to substances, emotions, relationships and activities. It's perhaps reasonably accurate to state that all of us are addicts in one way or another. And we claim to find raison d'être - meaning, purpose, joy and whatnot via our addictions. Nowhere is this more obvious than in work addiction.
Similarly, the capitalist believes that it is this economic model alone makes existence not just viable but also pleasurable. As an added bonus, the capitalist will point to the animal kingdom and misquote Charles Darwin. Survival of the fittest. Civilization cannot deviate from the natural order of things, s/he would say, oblivious of the irony.
2) Short-term matters more than long-term
An addict jouncing for a fix does not care whether s/he will suffer serious health implications. All that matters is the next shot of dopamine. A modern business enterprise is similarly interested only in the next quarterly results, totally mindless of the impact of rampant consumerism on the planet's ecology.
The capitalist and addict are like Nero fiddling on the roof, like the rats following their distinct Pied Pipers to their doom.
3) In a crises, both behave
When the addiction lands the addict in hospital, fear overpowers desire. The addict will follow the doctor's orders, keep a check on cravings and make a sincere attempt to turn over a new leaf. This healthy attitude can quickly dissipate when the danger has passed and the hazard retreats into the horizon.
Exactly the same thing happens when a mammoth business enterprise that has gorged on dollars finds itself in a financial crises. At that time, the capitalist will willingly stop believing that markets must self-regulate. For a brief period, the enterprise will even listen to the government bailing it out. And once the crisis becomes history, so does the changed behaviour.
Perhaps both the capitalist and the addict know deep in their hearts that their transformation is only for the audience.
4) Both tend to inherit behaviour
Neither money nor addiction is inevitable for the next generation. But there is a fair chance that both will be inherited. A second-generation addict becomes numb to the artificial nature of addiction even before experiencing their first fix. Similarly, the second-generation capitalist has grown up believing that there is only this one healthy way to look at the creation of wealth, never mind how artificial the notion of wealth has become in mainstream society.
5) Both rationalize their behaviour
We've already covered this, but let us get into some specific dope, pun intended. The addict will point to people who have not been killed by their addiction, just as the capitalist will point to victors of the model. Both will stoically ignore fatalities. The difference is that there are fewer victims of second-hand addiction than of second-hand capitalism. Disempowered children of addicts die in fewer numbers than disempowered people who lose their resources and livelihood to the march of capitalism.
I leave you with a question. Does addiction create capitalists? Is our dependence on substances, emotions, relationships and activities creating our dependence on money?
Does addiction subsume the capitalistic model? Or does the consumeristic mindset of capitalism foster addictions?
The only thing we can be certain about is that together, addiction and capitalism create one potent monster.
