Capitalism, Communism or Glocalism? Why capitalist jack ma is a ‘communist’?
Editorial in New Indian Express
29th November 2018
Note: There is a distorted assumption, also wide spread, that to be a communist is to be in the wrong. Why? On two points: 1. That they bring about human equality through the barrel of the gun(force); 2. That they don’t believe in God.
Yes there are elements of truth in both, but not the whole truth. Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, Unity, were the famous war cry of the French revolution. Its main aim was to bring about economic equality, as a result of the revolt of the poor down trodden against the super-rich.
Central to all
Similar was the Russian Communist revolulution, which lost its teeth by the advent of Garbachove. Now the main stream economic stystems are the mellowed Capitalism, Communism and Socialism, which overlap into each other in different countries. CENCRAL to all is Equality, Fraternity, Unity and Non-violence, allowing people to live and let live, at least to tolerate.
Such was the community of the immediate followers of Jesus of Nazareth, till the advent of Constantine in the third century. What ruled the Jesus community was the principle: ‘To each according to his needs and from each according to his capacities.’ That was the short-lived Communism, with rare flaws like ‘Anania and Saffira’. That would make JESUS and his true followers the ideal Communists, world has ever seen.
Jesus: true Communist!
What the Nazarene stood out and stands out for, is his total Self-emptying and foot-washing: option for the poor, readiness to take the last place to serve the least, last and lost. That is what prompts Pope Francis to say: the new name or our God is: MERCY, COMPASSION, equaling that of the Prodigal Father and the Good Samaritan.
True, the Church also preached anti-Communism for long due to its atheistic ideology. Does it do that even now? How could it, when Francis himself asserts, there are many Communists who are much better than Catholics? Besides, is not believers in a living God, fast declining? Some are even rewriting the Bible saying: “The fool alone says in his heart: there is a God!” This started with the ardent religious person like Fredriche Nietche who wrote “God is dead”, there was only “one Christian in the world and he died on the cross.”
Today what do the thinking section of people, starting with Sri Narayana Guru say: “It doesn’t matter which organized or scattered religions one belongs by birth, one must become a brotherly, loving human being, even if he happens to be “not lovable literally” This is the substance also of our refrain that we all should hasten to become WORLD CITIZENS combining the extremes, individual and Catholic, local and universal, GLOCAL.
Bread and Brotherhood
Jesus said: “For the rich man to enter heaven is like the Camel passing through the needl’s eye.” He also said: ‘Man does not live by bread alone” meaning he needs money as well to buy bread. That makes, Jack Ma and his enormous wealth, the subject of the article below legitimate, if he is sharing his wealth liberally to uplift the needy.
Extreme Capitalists led by USA, bat for the TRICKLE EFFECT theory of Renold Regon, sharing with the hungry and needy only what over-flows down after all their cups are full, even if the size of their cup is always on the increase. That is extreme form of selfishness.This is in total conflict with our stand for a COMMUNITY OF CATTLE CLASS(Company of the homeless one borne in a cattle shed.)
Need vs. Greed!
It is here the teaching of the Man from Nazareth becomes relevant: “it is in giving that we receive, it is in dying we are born to life unending; bear the cross and wear the crow!” and of Gandjiji: “There is enough and more for every body’s need, not GREED,” here below provided one is ready to practice the principle of equitable distribution, fully aware none of us have a lasting city here below (Non habemus, hic manentem civitatem.) What we have today would be some one else’s tomorrow!
What would be mor fruitful to reflect upon would be St.Paul’s rhetorical question: “What have you, which you have not received, and if you have received, why do you glory as if you have not received?”james kottoor, ccv editor.
Please read below editorial on Communist capitalist jack ma
The corporate world has been in shock ever since Chinese state media revealed that Jack Ma, founder of e-commerce giant Alibaba, is a member of the Chinese Communist Party.
The corporate world has been in shock ever since Chinese state media revealed that Jack Ma, founder of e-commerce giant Alibaba, is a member of the Chinese Communist Party. The People’s Daily, the ruling party’s official voice, said the 54-year-old entrepreneur was being honoured as one of the 10 people who have made ‘outstanding contributions’ to the country’s economic transformation. Besides the world stumbling on a not-very-well-known truth that China’s richest man is a Communist, the official announcement is also a signal of Beijing’s tightening control over China’s large and prosperous private sector.
It is not for nothing that what Jack Ma does makes waves. He has a personal net worth of $30 billion, and Alibaba, his New York Stock Exchange-listed company, is valued at over $400 billion today. His shopping platform Taobao is estimated to have generated 37 million jobs. Yet, one can imagine the discomfort of the West, when one of the largest international business investors says he is a Chinese Communist!
Successful Chinese businesses are viewed with concern as they are perceived as being too close to the ruling party; and the next step: they are seen as a ‘threat’ to national security.
However, if the West fears Jack Ma the ‘Communist’ is going to upset the world capitalist applecart, its concerns are misplaced. After the days of Mao and the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s, ‘Revolution’ is but a memory in China, and the Communist Party is ‘Communist’ in name alone. Chinese companies function as other ‘capitalist’ entities on the world stage, albeit using sharper practices compared to competitors.
As US President Trump uses his heft to push Harley Davidson, Chinese President Xi Jinping bats for Huawei and Alibaba. The level of integration of China’s state and party institutions with corporate entities is worrisome, but it is not something that cannot be dealt with. All that China is signalling is Jack Ma may be the wealthiest, but he is still a vassal of the Communist Party.
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