Capitalism is an Oppressive Economic and Social System

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Recommended: Stratification in capitalist societies

Imagine a society where a small minority of people have absolute control over masses. In such a society, mass media and institutions are the major means of spreading messages of false hope and promises. Through the mass propaganda machines of mass media and popular culture, a state of group think and conformity is established where a set of values is enforced so that a few may benefit immensely at the expense of many. One would think that such a tale is told only in dystopian fiction but the truth is that we live in such a society and the main cause of this oppression of the masses is our economic and social system, Capitalism.
Capitalism is an oppressive economical and social system. It serves as a tool used by the rich minority to oppress, divide and control our society, our relationships and our governments. These divisions created by the capitalistic economic and social system have been blamed for many of the disparities in our society by conflict theory philosophers such as Karl Marx. These philosophers state that since groups are in a power struggle, the needs of all will not be met and will result in the exploitation and oppression of disadvantaged individuals [1].
Capitalism is a system based on exploitation. It creates class divisions between the few that have capital and control the means of production and those that do not [2]. These divisions serve as a means of exploitation so that individuals without power and wealth are forced to run on a perpetual “hamster wheel” chasing the false dreams of opportunity while those that have wealth and control the means of production may keep becoming even wealthier. This system perpetrates the myth that through hard work one may achieve great wealth. Without much invest...

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...m meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices.”[9].
Capitalism has proven itself to be a corrupt, unjust and exploitive system which favors the rich and powerful over others and creates social and economic divides. It erodes our basic democratic principles that many of the founders of our nations strived for. Through class divisions, capitalism keeps the poor and rich separate and ensures that the social mobility of hard working individuals is prevented. It causes rifts in relationships between men and women and through control of our mass media and institutions; it perpetrates false dreams in order to keep the masses oppressed. However, revolutionaries like the “Arab Spring” protestors, Che Guevara and Betty Friedan have worked to stop this oppression.

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