Capitalism and its Self-destruction
Hello Readers,
How are you all? Had your bread butter in the morning? Or was it too expensive for you to afford. Wait! Wait! I am not calling you poor. I was just using offensive humour in an attempt to get you focused. You see, focus requires drive. One should be driven enough to accomplish something to get the laser sharp focus necessary for achieving success in life. There are different things in this world that can make a person find within themselves the drive to work hard. To sacrifice the “rest” in the attempt to get to the “One Piece”, a big dream. Have you ever heard of the “American Dream”?
“American Dream” is a patriotic sentiment, or rather a propaganda (I believe the concept of Patriotism, in its inherent state, is a propaganda, not meaning it in a bad way though, I like patriotism, but with rationality), where people strive to make America, that is the United Nations of America, great. This patriotic fervour asks for people to run after wealth.
Now if you are not a very smart reader and by any bizzare chance, if it happens to be that, You!, yes You!, are unaware of this term ‘Capitalism’, yours truly here is your saviour. “Capitalism” is an economic system where private individuals or organizations own and control the means of production, and market determines prices and distribution of goods. If we define it as per our convenience and understanding, it is a society where people run after wealth. Director Martin Scorsese’s exploration of the capitalist culture leads them to the story of Jordan Belfort- The Wolf of Wall Street.
Based on the true story of the famous stockbroker and owner of Stratton Oakmont brokerage firm, the film Wolf of Wall Street, presents a vivid portrayal of unrestrained greed and excess within the world of finance. Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, the film chronicles his rise to wealth through dubious practices and a hedonistic lifestyle that ultimately leads to his downfall. It exposes the moral decay that can accompany the relentless pursuit of wealth. Belfort’s insatiable appetite for money, power, and indulgence serves as a cautionary tale about the seductive nature of capitalism and its ability to corrupt even the most ambitious individuals. While the film revels in the excesses of its protagonist, it also offers a critical examination of a system that rewards unethical behaviour and prioritizes profit over integrity. As Belfort's empire crumbles, “The Wolf of Wall Street” highlights capitalism's self-destructive tendencies, prompting viewers to reflect on the consequences of a system that glorifies greed and fosters a culture of consumption.
Yet another film, Parasite, delves into this idea of moral compromise as a byproduct of capitalist society, serves a dreadful fate to a whole family. In the movie, a marginalized family decisively takes over every part of the household work of a rich family, making way into their lives. As the story progresses, the film chronicles the journey of this marginalized family as a depiction of how a parasite slowly infects and consumes the healthy tissues soon taking down the body. Parasite reflects the economic paradox of a society where one can put the rich families with big bellies against the marginalized one struggling to make a living. The film explores the idea of the limit of moral compromise metamorphosed through the fire of capitalism. The fire which takes down with it everything and everyone.
The idea of capitalism, as it magnifies and quantifies leads to the chain reaction of moral compromise and slaughter of ethics, ultimately corrupting the virtues on which a society stands making it detrimental to the binding blocks of society.
You can also watch Fight Club to get more food for your brain and to explore this idea further.
Adios.
