Everything for Sale versus Cultural Contradiction of Capitalism - Admission/Application Essay Example

By this he further suggests that political power and economic power must be redistributed through a tax system which is fair for all. In his book (Kuttner, 1997), Kuttner criticizes the sale of public offices and the deregulation of telecommunication services. Cultural contradiction of capitalism is written to change our thinking about how we relate social change, economics and culture (Bell, 1976). Bell argues that modern capitalism undermines the moral foundations of the original capitalism.

Bell outlines that he believes in conservation because he believes in culture and respects tradition. To him individual achievement is better than allocated or inherited social positions therefore different skills and efforts should be rewarded differently. Bell argues that there is a real distinction between a social decision and individual decision. He gives an example of a society that tries to reduce deficit by conserving oil but in the end individual needs may lead to increase in the purchase of oil.

Bell further argues that in the past one had to save in order to buy but with the modernization and the rise of the credit cards there is mass consumption and production due to instant gratification. In the past economics was to provide basic needs but now economics has been geared to the demands of the culture which is the life style. Section 2 The advantage postulated by Kuttner in the free market is the determination of prices without the interference of state where the forces of supply and demand determines the price of a commodity.

Free market is not very productive for developing countries since in case of increase in demand the economies are not able to cope with increased prices. Unemployment in developing countries, gross pollution and depletion of natural resources are also as a result of free market. On the other hand Bell attributes the disadvantages of wastes and pollution as a result of change in culture with active advertisement enticing the consumer to buy more and the producer to produce more leading to waste and pollution.

An advantage associated to cultural change is the flexibility and capacity to assimilate more alien change (Bell, 1976) . The demand of culture has geared a mass scale of production. Both Kuttner and Bell rejects the idea of human labor being used as a commodity. Kuttner and Bell also agrees that efforts and skills should be rewarded differently and no political or economical power should equate wants and needs in the society but should make people equal. The two activists also share a cultural concern when (Kutnner, 1997) says that market norms drives out non market norms.

This is similar to Bell’s concern of how cultural change has led to increased demand. Bell’s concern is more cultural than economical while Kuttner’s concern is more economical. According to Bell, capitalist society is facing problems of unemployment, high rate of inflation and how to maintain economic growth without interfering with natural resources. The same is voiced by Kuttner. A sharp contrast is created when Bell suggests that as people tend to be more luxurious they become lazy and stop working while in free market this increases competition and leads to new innovations.

Section 3 A free market (Seabury, 2009) is a market that operates under