<\/p>\n
Polyani describes the Pendulum like swing between embedded in culture and unembededness in his work The Great Transformation in his chapter Swings of the pendulum after World War One, page 276. [1]<\/p>\n Part 2 \u2013 What Clarks says\u2026<\/p>\n In last week\u2019s class Dr. Clark said something that caught my attention.\u00a0 He said something about \u201cCapitalism being unsustainable (in its current form).\u201d\u00a0 I believe he mentioned that there comes a time when \u201cthe have nots\u201d will rise up against the \u201chaves\u201d (my words).\u00a0 This rising up could result in violence. Not to oversimply, I see the Palestinians (have not\u2019s) rising up against the Israelis (the haves).\u00a0 Histories of injustices notwithstanding, the Palestinian identity has been \u201cshaped by shared memory and experience (trauma).\u201d [2]<\/a><\/p>\n Dr. Clarks words caused me to hunt for articles on the sustainability of capitalism.<\/p>\n Klaus Schwab of Foreign Affairs writes, \u201cBut in its current form, capitalism has reached its limits. Unless it reforms from within, it will not survive.\u201d[3]<\/a>\u00a0 Schwab makes a recommendation that, \u201cTo start, companies and their shareholders must agree on a long-term vision of their objectives and performance, rather than let quarterly results dictate everything. From there, companies must make more concrete commitments to pay fair prices, salaries, and taxes wherever they operate. And finally, we have to integrate environmental, social, and governance measurements into formal business reporting and auditing systems.\u201d[4]<\/a><\/p>\n The Economist reviews Net Positive.\u00a0<\/strong>By Paul Polman and Andrew Winston.\u00a0Harvard Business Review Press.\u00a0 <\/em>They write, “One figurehead of this movement, dubbed sustainable capitalism, is Paul Polman, ex-chief executive of Unilever, the consumer-goods giant. In that role he unveiled Unilever\u2019s sustainable-living plan, which made commitments to cut its environmental footprint by half and help a billion people improve their health. Together with Andrew Winston, a writer, he has produced a book on his approach, defining \u201cnet positive\u201d, the catchphrase of the title, as \u201ca business that improves well-being for everyone it impacts and at all scales\u201d.[5]<\/p>\n Critics call this “woke capitalism”\u00a0 giving it a negative context for some.\u00a0 However, in the spirit of changes perhaps this is step in the right direction.<\/p>\n For a local response, I spoke with the Vice President of Client services (automotive) for Epsilon (subsidiary of Publicis – a French company) Rhonda Kai, I asked the question is “capitalism sustainable.”\u00a0 She asked how I defined capitalism and then proceeded to say that perhaps the question is “how is capitalism changing now.”\u00a0 Kai stated that, Capitalism will survive in some form or another, however, there are new forces in today’s world that can help reshape capitalism.<\/p>\n Enter the Generation Y (30 somethings) and Z (20’s) .\u00a0 These generations, said Kai, consume global information at a “staggering” pace.\u00a0 The consumer power they wield is tremendous and through the power of social media than can expose “industry dirty laundry” to millions of other consumers globally.\u00a0 Kai added that these and future generations are intensely aware of climate change, work force conditions and other socially conscious issues which impact their purchasing choices – one power.\u00a0 The power of “cancellation” is the other power.\u00a0 An example comes to mind of the “transgender” blunder of Bud Light.\u00a0 Through the power of social media, Budweiser has taken a major financial hit as mainstream males disengaged from the cheap (and arguably bland) beer.<\/p>\n Capitalism, says Kai, will have to “Grow, Learn and give back to society.<\/p>\n Part 3 \u2013 What my peers say\u2026<\/p>\n Jennifer Vernam<\/u> writes, \u201cPolanyi\u2019s repeated highlighting that a market-based society has built in a reinforcement of working towards one\u2019s self-interest above all else.\u201d<\/p>\n I remember hearing some say that capitalism with out a moral direction (like Russia) can create massive drives to earning and in a dog-eat-dog world, oligarchs, mafia bosses, corrupt politicians rise to the top. <\/strong><\/p>\n Jonita Payton<\/u> and Jennifer both mentioned Polanyi\u2019s statement\u2026 \u201cThe crucial point is this: labor, land and money are essential elements of industry: they also must be organized in markets: in fact, these markets form an absolutely vital part of the economic system.\u201d[5]<\/a><\/p>\n I am new to the concept of Labor, Land and Money as the essential elements of Industry.\u00a0 These building blocks are then organized into what we call markets. (Small threshold experience here). <\/strong><\/p>\n In regard to Labor, Jonita homed in on the \u201cpoorhouses\u201d which upon investigation revealed one aspect of robber barons exploiting child labor.\u00a0 I wish I could say those days Amid a child labor crisis, U.S. state governments are loosening regulations, May 4, 2023.\u00a0 <\/strong>https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2023\/05\/04\/1173697113\/immigrant-child-labor-crisis<\/strong><\/p>\n Kim Sanford<\/u> writes\u2026 \u201cmodern individualism pulls us away from the communal nature of our faith. In its very essence, the Christian faith is meant to be lived together in a way that I fear modern, western evangelicalism misses completely. In the New Testament, notably in Acts 16.\u201d<\/p>\n Kim refers to Dr. Clark who says, \u201cPolanyi sees a move from a Christian society with a responsibility to others, which limited the effects of markets, ultimately replaced by a turn to the self that \u201crenounces human solidarity\u201d with the development of the \u201csecular religion\u201d of the market.\u201d [6]<\/a> If we allow this to happen, individualism has become our idol.<\/p>\n I loved Kim\u2019s image of a tug of war between individualism and Christian fellowship. She has taken Polanyi\u2019s embedded versus unembedded markets, fellowship (capitalism with moral\/social guardrails = Acts fellowship versus individualism (every man does as he desired =Judges)<\/strong><\/p>\n From DLGP01, Caleb Lu<\/u> writes, \u201cThe market economy was supposed to bring newfound wealth and prosperity but seemed to leave a majority of society behind. Polanyi identifies the idea that the self-regulating market is \u201cnatural\u201d [7]<\/a> as a main problem. He makes clear that not only is it unnatural for an economic system to be disembedded from social relationships, it\u2019s also impossible.[8]<\/a><\/p>\n Like an unbridled horse, bereft of guidance or direction.\u00a0 Capitalism careens forward into the future with no reins and the hands to guide it, it is a wild horse answerable to no one.\u00a0 Capitalism leaves it\u2019s riders behind in the dust.\u00a0 Dr. Clark\u2019s comment that capitalism is unsustainable.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n I take his warning to mean that unless enough of those riders rise up to bridle the horse,\u00a0 that the distribution of wealth will remain in the hands the few rather than the many.<\/strong><\/p>\n Part 4 \u2013 What Russ learned\u2026<\/p>\n A long time ago in a land far away, my folks got divorced.\u00a0 As a young single U.S. Army Captain, I started paying half of my mother\u2019s mortgage.\u00a0 I remember being chastised by peers who didn\u2019t understand the commitment. Two houses and two apartments later my goal of keeping my mom safe and secure in Hawaii was acheived.<\/p>\n In 2000 I finally got married and started my family (age 40).\u00a0 I really didn\u2019t have savings, or grand mutual fund plans.\u00a0\u00a0 When time came to move to Hungary to work as a vocational missionary, my family lived on a U.S. retirement pay which was stretched as we adopted two Hungarian children (plus one biological).\u00a0 Life on a budget in a 2nd<\/sup> world country can be done. But all aspects of spending were scrutinized.\u00a0 Ready to take out a mortgage to finance the Hungarian House I was building, my mom visits and drops \u00be of the money I needed (no need for nasty mortgages).<\/p>\n Trudy and I always saw it as a gift from God and when I sold the house last year, we created a fund that will take GoodSports International into the next 10 years working with 8 orphanages. \u00a0I think God forced me out of my capitalist thinking during my time in Hungary.\u00a0 We never cancelled a children\u2019s summer camp in 25 years due to lack of funds. (the same in GoodSports Slovakia for 27 years). We always plowed on knowing that God would provide.<\/p>\n Lesson learned\u2026you can\u2019t outspend God.\u00a0 He gives you need, when you need it.\u00a0 To make matters sweeter, he allows you to do the thing with the \u201ctalents.\u201d\u00a0 Matthew 25:14-30.<\/p>\n Jennifer Vernam\u2019s post got me thinking along these lines.\u00a0 It is really HARD to trust God in the U.S. market system in 2023.\u00a0 War, rumors of wars, taxes, gas prices, and college costs all pile on in uncomfortable ways.<\/p>\n But we can trust Him.\u00a0 I may not be a lily in the field, more like a geranium\u2026still Matthew 6:28 applies.<\/p>\n Shalom\u2026<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [1] Karl Polanyi, The Great Transformation the Political and Economic Origins of Our Time, 2nd Beacon Paperback ed. (Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 2001),<\/p>\n [2]<\/a> “England Swings” is a 1965 country music song written and performed by Roger Miller.<\/p>\n [3]\u00a0 <\/a>Fukuyama, Francis. Identity<\/i>. S.I.: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2018, 10.<\/p>\n [4]<\/a> Schwab, Klaus. \u201cCapitalism Must Reform to Survive.\u201d Foreign Affairs, January 16, 2020. https:\/\/www.foreignaffairs.com\/articles\/2020-01-16\/capitalism-must-reform-survive.<\/p>\n [5]<\/a> Ibid, Schwab.<\/p>\n [6] The Economist. \u201cAn Advocate of Sustainable Capitalism Explains How It\u2019s Done.\u201d Accessed October 27, 2023. https:\/\/www.economist.com\/books-and-arts\/2021\/10\/09\/an-advocate-of-sustainable-capitalism-explains-how-its-done. [7] Karl Polanyi, The Great Transformation the Political and Economic Origins of Our Time, 2nd Beacon Paperback ed. (Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 2001), 75.<\/p>\n [8]<\/a> Clark, Jason. Evangelicalism and Capitalism: A Reparative Account and Diagnosis of Pathogeneses in the Relationship. London School of Theology, 2018. 143.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Polanyi-300x230.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/barefootchildpoorhouseUK-1-243x300.jpg\")
<\/a> are done, but just this year, underaged unaccompanied immigrant children were found to be working for \u201ccleaning\u201d companies that took on cleaning contracts with major businesses. The big businesses had no idea that these cleaning companies were using under aged immigrant children (so they say).\u00a0 I repeat, capitalism without moral guard rails (like Russia, China and Hungary) gives rise to oligarchs, mafia bosses and corrupt politicians.\u00a0 Sigh, nothing is new under the sun. <\/strong><\/p>\n
\n<\/a><\/p>\n