Human needs are but natural in terms of the history of
civilization. From hunter and gatherer, we as human race survive in our ever
exploding population to the civilization of farming and the industrialized
world. The book of Frank Trentmann
portrays the evolution of the Empire of Things and how humans was enlightened
with the art and science of consumption. In this blog article the writer will
refer its implications as well as the referred book “Empire of Things” by Frank
Trentmann. Frank Trentmann based much of
his academic discussion in his book from the theories of Adam Smith of
Capitalism in which in the succeeding chapters of the book it will reveal the
negative effect of competition and the system of capitalism that the later
practitioner of capitalism find it more abusive to the general public by which
the theories of Karl Marx is appreciated by the working class in Germany during
the industrial revolution that labor unions and middle class revolution invaded
the many types of ideologies being practiced around the world.
The famous socialism and communism were later
practiced and activated more by Lenin but exaggerated by Hitler and Benito when
they lean more to the ideology of fascism and totalitarianism. In terms of the consumption of commodities by
the people after the Frank Trentmann carefully portray the narratives of the
evolution of world commodity consumption abiding by the known practiced
ideology from the past and until today.
According to Trentmann that consumption of commodities of the human race
allow the bigger transportation in terms of the bulk to cater the ever-increasing
demand of the general public. All of
these activities create a negative effect to the carbon or CO2 emission in our
environment. So, what is really the
science and art of consumption and the whole economic system of Adam Smith
called Capitalism that Frank Trentmann always use in his discussion. The system
of capitalism that brought riches to the Great England and United States
followed the invisible hand of capitalism that by then Adam Smith use the term
“invisible hand” to give meaning of the political mechanism that will fuel the
movement of goods and business by following the “free market” system of
capitalism.
The technology of money and
banking help a lot to the mobility of goods and products before the industrial
revolution. Later years of socialism and
communism practice in Europe specifically Germany and Soviet, one of the
practitioners of socialism visited England to explore the community of London
practicing the system of Capitalism. And
one funny story that allow China and the rest of the world that admired socialism
to shift in an integrated system of socialism and capitalism that is deemed
suited to the present China is the story of the leading socialist people in
Europe who visited England and ask why the “BREAD” industry in London is everywhere
and they cannot find any people lining up to get “BREAD” for dinner.
According to the story the core socialist
people from Germany ask their friends in London to bring them to the man who
manufactured the BREAD so that they can ask how they created the system of mass
production of BREAD to feed the whole city of London. But the Londoner friend of the socialist man
from Germany answered that the invisible hand of capitalism fueled with the
system of “FREE MARKET” allowed the bread industry to compete among themselves creating
an industry competition and allow innovation and technology to advance product
quality according to the demand of the consumer or the whole market
segment. In a greater context of
capitalism applied to government the case of China and Hong Kong for example is
a simple but concrete example of how Capitalism work effectively in a
country. Long time ago Hong Kong is very
poor the same with mainland China.
But with the colonization with the British, the man who
started the economic revolution in Hong Kong named Milton Friedman practiced
Capitalism and the theories of Adam Smith.
As a great believer of Smith, Friedman and other economist in Hong Kong
at that time changed the lifestyle and the economic status of Hong Kong into a
modern city. A city with a more relax
taxation, good security, and a free market to compete and innovate each and
every segment of business. All of the
above is the fundamental definition of capitalism. But on the contrary I also admired the
cleverness of mainland China in the 70 and 80’s that they experience poverty
and overpopulation that during that time the teachings of Mao started to
deteriorate in the midst of the socialist hotbed of Asia. Instead, they allow
competition in their market allowing more players and more business competition
and innovation and technology that as we refer to the fundamental concepts of
both socialism and capitalism China is becoming more of a Capitalist in terms
of their business industry. I would say
that China is gradually integrating Capitalism with the thought that they try
to protect their socialist values protected by the economic system of
Capitalism.
Just consider the mass FDIs
of many American and European conglomerates in China that allow all these big
companies to create jobs of the country and start to move the machine of the
economy. If you go to China now the
place is more free compared to America.
I would say free because their economic system is more patterned to the
free economic system of capitalism. One
good example that China is good in mimicking everything and add more innovation
that annoys America is the scenario when the American Navy Seals captured Ben
Laden in Afghanistan. After the SEAL
TEAM neutralized Ben Laden the US NAVY SEAL lost one of their black hawks due
to some difficulties during the military operation. Now, this is the funny
side. Instead for the Afghan military
will go after the American team who neutralized Ben Laden they rather get the
remains of the Black Hawk helicopter knowing that the technology of the
helicopter is having the stealth technology that you can only find with the
F35s aircrafts. Furthermore, they send the remains of the
body of the helicopter to China for technology analysis and probably
replicating and mimicking the same technology forgetting all the patents in the
international markets.
And that is how
clever China is doing now. They try to
integrate both socialism and capitalism to gain advantage in the world of
business and arms race. For the Chinese
government, why only drink tea or rather why only drink milk when you can drink
both milk and tea at the same time to achieve outmost taste and aroma of both. Today mainland China is busy making business
around the world and creating political scenario of debt trap around its region
without giving concern about the old ideology that Karl Marx and Adam Smith are
preaching during their times. China
knows that these political ideologies will become obsolete and come up with the
integrated type of political economy. Thus, most of the American and European
companies like MG rover, Ford and many more are all made in China and giving
their tax in China with a lower rate that also Adam Smith is defining in his
theory of Capitalism. The negative said
of Hitler and Benito at that time is that they did not cleverly reinvent their
ideas in terms of socialism. Note that socialism radiate around the world due
to the hiccups of Capitalism.
According
to the writings of Frank Trentmann that during the industrial revolution rich
people in England specifically London created more factories to manufacture
more basic commodities for everyone.
This is also the dream of Adam Smith that all the people not only the
rich can avail the comfort of life.
Thus, with Capitalism and the free market everyone can eat Bread in
London without standing in long ques in the supermarket. Everyone is fat and satisfied even though the
population in London and Paris are increasing.
Likewise, big business people are also in the level of “Cash Cow” equal
of marketing that they want more production not only to satisfy London and
Europe but the world. As such, mobility
and commerce prospered, and the system of Capitalism captivated many national
economies around the world. America on
the other hand is enjoying the new technology of COTTON industry that by then
silk is expensive and the production is very slow since the source of the kind
of textile is rare. Compared with cotton mass production is enormous that
America can further export cotton products in the international market.
India on the other hand has a big role in
adding value to the cotton industry of US by dying the white cotton with
different colors for the rich natural resources of India. In Europe the Renaissance
shopping made the many elites in Europe specifically Italy and Paris to compete
each other that the value of the commodity did not jive to the vision of Adam
Smith in terms of the product for all.
Rich people race their money power to compete with other rich people
that during that time more production is required and more slavery is needed
from Africa and other colonial countries of England and America. Industries grow bigger and more powerful in
terms of technology speed and capacity to produce the goods needed to race in the
free economy. More carbon is wasted in
the air that the result of the industrialization of the past created the biggest
problem of climate change. But the
argument of many economist that if industrialization and Capitalism is not also practiced in the big
economies at that time like London and America many will get starved and many
will die of famine and hunger. But on
the contrary many philosopher are also giving their insights that we do not
need to farm and reproduce the food and commodities of the people granting that
the equilibrium of supply of food and the number of population of the given nation
must always in balance. Thus, if the
population will need more and the capitalism in terms of the free market will
create more industries it will allow people to eat more and produce more offsprings
knowing that good food is to good health and the capacity to multiply in
population is easy. Moreover, during the
renaissance products like porcelain from Asia started with not so expensive
value but when Capital and the free market came to control the international
trade the innovation of porcelain started to increase in value depending on the
different designs that they painted in each selected porcelain item. Meaning and value of products are already
added on every product in the market that the increase of marketing strategies
explored to the very point of touching the emotions and psychological wants of the customers.
The company Dutch East India tried to order
at that time 100,000 Chinese porcelain from China that you can only imagine how
the Chinese culture in India is also being practiced by the people and of course
less to forget the many intermarriages and migrants from China to India will
need more porcelain product granting the notion that the culture of Chinese
porcelain use are also being practiced in India. But that is only the example from the author
of the book. But how about other
countries who also buying same product commodity. I am very sure that the mass
product in China is enormous when it comes to porcelain production. But then again porcelain business products
has its own segment of prices that the elites in Europe would try to auction
and try to show their ego and money power in terms of the product
porcelain. The dream of Adam Smith that
everyone will enjoy the wealth of nations did not push through when the big
capitalist tries to monopolize the market.
The biggest example when capitalism is not effective in the economy is
the housing market crisis in US around 2007.
It clearly showed to the world that capitalism that is controlled by few
players is subject to economic abuse. Though
the economy is a free market but the requisites to run the business is high
that only big players can only lobby in the white house for approving their business
deals. Adam Smith did not know what is the
extent of his created theory of capitalism will result to the centuries to come. Marx also did not know that his socialism
will result to dictatorship that many suffered during the time of Benito and
other fascist follower. But the book of
Frank Trentmann, Peter Frankopan, and Lizzie Collingham only relates to the timeline
when the industrial revolution and its effect in the general public’s consumer
needs and the relative production innovation at that time. But if you consider the writings of Yuval and
Kaku you can analyze the importance of AI and internet as the subject for the
new world order.
If you consider the utmost motives of socialism and Fascism
that it should be unilateral kind of governance the AI system can answer that kind
governance need. By combining the bio and
the technology humans can have AI machines in their bodies or their brains that
mankind can be ruled into one command of AI system allowing the concepts of fascism
to be practiced through AI system. On
the contrary Capitalism can also be practiced using AI knowing that mobility
and the wealth of nation can be realized through the use of internet and
AI. As of today the use of Ebay and
Amazon online stores are the ultimate dream of capitalism that world became
small in terms of the business communication. Mobility in the highest speed is
now when internet and AI is starting to invade the world market. Thus, Internet
and AI will cater the core definitions of both fascism and capitalism.
What would happen to the world order when fascism and
capitalism are both innovatively practiced in the modern AI and internet system
in our public governance both private and public entities? Do you think that
the value of votes is still sensible, or the fascist AI system will only decide
everything for national and international governance?
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/augmented-reality-everywhere/
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/are-digital-devices-altering-our-brains/
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/what-worries-people-about-future-science-and-tech-innovations/
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