Capitalism Quote by Michael Burawoy
““...I take as a point of departure the possibility and desirability of a fundamentally different form of society--call it communism, if you will--in which men and women, freed from the pressures of scarcity and from the insecurity of everyday existence under capitalism, shape their own lives. Collectively they decide who, how, when, and what shall be produced.””
About This Quote
Burawoy envisions a society where scarcity and capitalist insecurity are eliminated, allowing people to collectively decide production and shape their lives without economic pressure.
In simple terms: A post‑scarcity, collectively planned society frees people to shape their lives.
Key Takeaway
Eliminating scarcity enables collective self‑determination.
Themes
political theory
economics
collective decision‑making
utopianism
Mood
hopeful
critical
Type
political manifesto
philosophical speculation
When to use this quote
- community‑run cooperatives
- universal basic income pilots
- participatory budgeting
Key Concepts
post‑scarcity economics
democratic socialism
Practical Applications
- Design local resource‑sharing platforms
- Facilitate inclusive deliberative forums
Questions to Reflect On
- What mechanisms could prevent power concentration in a collectively planned economy?
- How might scarcity‑reduction coexist with individual incentives?
A Different Perspective
Achieving true scarcity‑free conditions may be technologically and politically unrealistic, risking new forms of inequality.
![“Neither Italian fascism nor German national "socialism" have anything in common with such a [Soviet socialistic] society, primarily because private ownership of factories, plants, lands, banks, means of transportation, etc., remain untouched there, and, therefore, capitalism in Germany and Italy…” quote by Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/411/joseph-stalin-1734_capitalism_neither-italian-fascism-nor-german-natio_1430.jpg)
