The Unfree Market and the Law by Koen Byttebier

Author:Koen Byttebier
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9783319973821
Publisher: Springer International Publishing

4.2.3 The Low Societal Position of the Working Classes

A further expression of the subordination of labour to capital within modern-day societies forms the lower social position the working classes hold as compared to the rich classes.

Although the liberal and neo-liberal state organisation takes place under the flag of a presumed equality, in reality this equality is far from real. (See already above, under Sect. 3.​1.)

In a world where, in accordance with the capitalist principles and ideals, (almost) everything can be purchased with money, it is evident that those who are rich are able to buy more (luxury) goods than those who are poor. In the same world where someone’s value is to a large extent measured by external signs of luxury and wealth, it is not a great mystery that the rich get more prestige than the poor.

It is, however, even worse that financial success has become more and more decisive for government participation. Where in theory (most) capitalist countries claim to be democratic, in reality it appears that the rich classes have a much greater impact on governmental authority than may be considered legitimate from a democratic point of view. Already for decades now, prominent economists have exposed the mechanisms of “corporatocracy”, a government model characterised by large enterprises (and their stakeholders) strongly determining the outcome of political decision making.29

It has already been indicated earlier in this book that this method of having the outcome of public policy determined by the agendas of the rich and powerful within society is probably most present in the fiscal policy of a large majority of the countries in the world. As a consequence of this, the fiscal policy of most countries is characterized by the fact that governments obtain their fiscal income mainly from the poor and middle classes and leave the rich class practically untouched.30

As has also already been mentioned earlier, there are moreover numerous other methods by which the rich all over the world influence governments, such as lobbying, claiming bailouts when they are in trouble, obtaining subsidies when in need…

According to some, the capitalist socio-economic order, especially to the extent that it is more and more recreated under the doctrines of economic neo-liberalism, shows all the characteristics of a contemporary feudal system.31 Anthropologist Rik Pinxten has in this regard even claimed that because of this, the neo-liberal socio-economic order implies a break with the enlightenment concepts of “freedom”, “equality”, and “fraternity/solidarity” which were intended to lie at the basis of the liberal societies.32

As a result, the neo-liberal socio-economic order to an ever growing extent resembles the description George Orwell made in his famous short story “Animal farm”. In the mean time, it also becomes ever clearer that capitalism does not meet up to its underlying promise that it provides for the highest possible prosperity for everyone.33

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