What Does It Mean to Be Dependent in a Capitalist System - Assignment Example

Running head: Poliical1 Poliical1 Insert Insert Grade Insert 7 March What does it mean to be ‘dependent’ in a capitalist system? Introduction Capitalism refers to a system where a small group of people own the means of production and distribution of goods and services. This group of people is called the capitalist class. The working class works for the capitalist class in return for wages. The capitalist class exploits the working class by paying them for their labor for the production of goods. These goods are sold at a profit that the capitalists reinvest and continue accumulating wealth. This discussion explores the dependence of the working class on the capitalists. Dependence in Capitalism The term ‘dependent’ is used to refer to the relationship between the capitalists and the working class. The working class relies on the capitalists to earn their living. The workers sell their manual and mental labor to the capitalists in order for them to survive. By working for wages, the workers sell all their rights to the goods and services that they produce to the capitalists. The capitalist pays the workers less than what their labor produces. They pay the workers just enough to meet their basic needs and keep the rest to expand their production means. The main aim of production of goods and services in capitalist systems is not for the satisfaction of human needs but to make profits. Most of the benefits of the workers’ labor go to the capitalists (Lebowitz 3). The capitalist is the intermediary between the working class and their ability to meet their needs. Therefore, the workers need the capitalists. The workers are not worried about their exploitation by the capitalists but the inability to find a capitalist to buy their labor. In the absence of capitalists willing to buy their labor, there is no survival for the working class. The labor power of the working class is useless if they do not sell it to the capitalists who own the means of production. These means of production include factories, transport system, land and technology. Therefore, in a capitalist system the workers are totally dependent on the capitalists (Lebowitz 10). Conclusion From the above discussion, it is clear that a capitalist system divides the citizens into classes. The two major classes are the working class and the capitalists. The capitalists exploit the working class as they are involved in the production of goods and services in exchange for wages. The working class in a capitalist system cannot meet their needs without the capitalists. Therefore, they are dependent on them. Works Cited Lebowitz, Michael. What Keeps Capitalism Going? Monthly Review, Volume 56, Issue 02, 2004. 2. What is ‘hegemony’ and does it accurately describe contemporary international politics? Introduction Hegemony refers to the wielding of power and dominance by one entity, state or country over others. The word hegemony comes from the Greek word “hegeisthai” which means “to lead”. It refers to the ability of one group in the society or country to dominate and lead other groups or countries. Such dominant groups have a lot of influence on government leaders, voters, and means of communication. These groups have the ability to influence government policies in their favor. This discussion discusses the concept of hegemony and its application in contemporary international politics. Hegemony The term hegemony was originally used to describe the domination of one group over others without causing fear. Hegemonies did not use coercion or force but influenced the politics and economy of the society through manipulation of institutions like the media. Hegemony in the contemporary international politics means the domination of one country over a region or over the whole world in terms of economic development and cultural influence. Russia is a regional hegemon while China dominates the South-east Asia. The United States is dominant in Central America and Canada. Countries can be hegemons if they have the ability to influence the affairs of other countries. Hegemons have several characteristics. Countries that become hegemons must have sufficient security and the determination to lead other countries. Moreover, such countries should be capable of leading others and imposing the rules. Hegemons that lack the capability to lead other countries end up failing. For instance, Great Britain was determined to lead other countries after World War I but its lack of leadership capability and the inability to enforce rules led to its failure to stop the occurrence of World War II and the Great depression. The hegemon should also be able to convince other nations that the hegemonic system is beneficial to them. The hegemon should also have great political and economic strength. France was a hegemon in the 17th century and imposed cultural, economic, and military domination over Europe. Several countries sought hegemony in the 20th century including the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, and the Unites States. World War II broke out as a result of the attempts by the Nazi German to become a hegemon by dominating Africa and Eurasia. The Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States was as a result of their desire to dominate other nations after Europe was weakened in World War II (Mandelbaum 25). In the 21st century, the United States has been regarded as a hegemon because of its military intervention in other countries such as Iraq, among other reasons. The United States is leading in military strength. The United States is determined to remain as the hegemony and therefore spends on the military more than any other country. It ensures that its military power greatly exceeds that of potential competitors. In addition, many countries in the world have American military bases. The United States also exudes great economic power. The United States is leading in economic development and the dollar is dominant as the world’s currency. In addition, the United States is dominant in many international organizations such as the United Nations and NATO. The United States is one of United Nations’ five nations with vetoing power and therefore is highly influential in the organization. The United States also influences the alignment of other states for its gain. For instance, it promoted economic and political reform by influencing the candidacy of Turkey for membership in the European Union. The United States also intervenes in the development of other countries’ social and political systems. For instance, the United States influenced the development of constitutional systems in Japan in 1947 and Germany in 1949. United States is also culturally dominant. The culture and ideas of the United States have spread rapidly and are dominant in the contemporary world (Mandelbaum 37). Conclusion This discussion has expounded on the origin of the concept of hegemony and its use throughout history. Hegemony in the contemporary world has been explored. The United States is the contemporary world’s hegemony because of its economic power, military strength, domination of international organizations, intervention in the affairs of other nations and its cultural dominance. Works Cited Mandelbaum, Michael. The Case For Goliath: How America Acts As The Worlds Government In The Twenty-First Century. New York: PublicAffairs, 2006. Print 3. The main roles of the United Nations and the barriers or restrictions that currently prevent it from fulfilling this mandate. Introduction The United Nations (UN) is an international body whose main role is to maintain peace among the member states. The United Nations has five branches, each with distinct functions. These branches include the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly, the International Court of Justice, the Economic and Social Council, and the Secretariat. This discussion explores the roles of the United Nations and its current hindrances to the fulfillment of its mandate. Roles of the United Nations The branches of the United Nations have several functions. The General Assembly is involved in decision-making and formulation of policies and recommendations to ensure that the principles of the United Nations are upheld. The Security Council has the authority over security matters and can approve military deployment or an end to fighting between warring nations. Nations that fail to obey the Security Council’s directives are penalized by the Security Council. The International Criminal Court is concerned with the enforcement of the international law and the judicial affairs of the United Nations. On the other hand, the Economic and Social Council promotes the cooperation of the states as well as their social and economic development. The Secretariat supports other United Nations’ branches by providing the data and information that they need (Adams 6). The United Nations has several roles. The chief role is ensuring that there is peace and security in the member states. The United Nations has peacekeeping forces in all member states and these forces are sent to make peace in warring regions all over the world. Another role of the United Nations is to safeguard human rights and offer charitable support to those in need. It provides food, shelter, and other necessities to victims of natural disasters and other needy people all over the world. The United Nations also ensures the social and economic development of member states through grants and organizations such as World Health Organization, UNAIDS, among others (Adams 7). The United Nations faces many barriers in performing its functions. Firstly, there is the barrier of inadequate resources. The United Nations mainly depends on contributions from member states and donors’ funds to perform its functions. The United Nations’ mandate to promote the development of member states is limited by lack of sufficient funding by donors. The United Nations is also unable to protect the civilians in conflicting regions due to lack of sufficient funding for the UN missions and insufficient number of troops. In addition, the UN is constrained by the limitations of its mandate. The United Nations Charter promoting the protection of human rights is not easy to enforce and the United Nations is restricted by the sovereignty of the member states to intervene in certain matters. Moreover, the Human Rights Committee does not have the authority to enforce its decisions. It does not also have the capacity to conduct autonomous fact-finding. This prevents the committee from monitoring the activities of member states effectively and therefore limits it in fulfilling its mandate. Another hindrance is that the United Nations does not have complete authority as an organization and needs support from member states to take action. Therefore, lack of support from the member states will limit the UN in fulfilling its functions. Conclusion The above discussion outlines the various branches and functions of the United Nations. The United Nations is concerned with maintaining peace and security, promoting human rights and fostering social and economic development. However, various hindrances such as insufficient funds, state sovereignty, and lack of sufficient authority limits it in performing its roles. Work Cited Adams, Simon. The Role of the United Nations. 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