Crony capitalism

rationality and capitalism. These readings, in some extent, deliberates on how capitalist societies have evolved (and survived) through modern times. The neo-Marxist perspective heavily influenced this analysis. However, there is a contradiction that was not solved before: despite of the revolutions and crisis, the capitalism has found ways to not only to survive but also to legitimize itself. Some may argue that original Marxist ideas are obsoleted with the evolution of capitalism. However,…

Sociology theories can be viewed from all parts of life, including movies. In Time, a science-fiction film released in 2011 is a great example of not only sociological theories at play, but for specifically spotting themes that Karl Marx and Max Weber wrote about in their writings. To better understand the movie first, before diving into an analytical look at the film, I will give a small narration of the plot. The citizens in the movie including the main characters, Will Salas and Sylvia Weiss…

including cheap labour (Shangquan 2000: 1). As part of the drive towards ‘modernisation’ and global economic integration, many female workers are relocating around the world, following the promise of better work opportunities. However as the nature of capitalism inevitably involves the exploitation of workers for increased profit (Marx in Robinson 2004: 3), many of these women are then trafficked into the profit-rich sex industry, currently the third most profitable illegal industry in the world…

The underlying problem of the prison industrial complex will be defined through the prison industrial complex to exploit lower class citizens through capitalism, yet within the context of spiritual liberation of vipassana mediation as defined in Changing from Inside, Dhamma Brothers, and Doing time, Doing Vipassana. The film Dhamma Brothers, the internal spiritual freedom of Buddhism is analyzed within the context of prisoners of the prison industrial complex as a form of capitalistic…

The sky-rocketing consumer demand in the United States throughout recent years has led to world financial domination by enterprises such as Microsoft, Apple, Disney, Time Warner, etc. Historically, United States businesses have sought innovative ways of maximizing profit while minimizing production cost. It is a concept that has been continually exploited by numerous entrepreneurs. As businesses have persistently pushed for new ways of keeping low production costs, they have exploited the…

Ted Builder is an Orthopedic surgeon who runs a successful medical practice in Park City, Utah. He works 60 to 70 hours during the ski season and afternoons during the rest of the year. He earns $200,000 a year. Over the last 20 years, Ted as acquired 316 acres in and around Eden, UT. These properties were purchased because Ted believed that Powder Mountain would become a high-end resort and make the land more valuable. Ted has not actively developed any of the parcels of land. He currently…

Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle is an accurate presentation of United States history during the early twentieth century because it correctly depicts the exploitation of the poor working class and eventual shattering of dreams by the wealthy capitalists through: the political corruption such as the party bosses’ constant rigging of elections, the harsh labor conditions and cheating of wages put on workers, and the constant injustices and swindling that the working class endured. Sinclair…

The hallmarks of capitalism include access to private property and the freedom to act in one’s self interest. Socialism has the interests of the collective group at heart and provides that the basic needs of citizens are met. The key to linking these two is government regulation…

What is the origin of the wealth of nations? This question posed by Adam Smith, the architect of classical economics, is appropriate starting point to understand how economic systems are essential to understanding national development. The wealth gap between countries can be attributed to the divergent national economic histories each nation possesses. Smith equates wealth with economic growth that arises from a growing source of labour and capital stock, increased efficiency in the use of…

Zahiedieh’s article provides insight into how the background of merchants triggered the growth of mercantilism. Both Zahedieh and The Atlantic World discuss the expansion of mercantilism. The Atlantic World, however, focuses on the growth of merchant capitalism while Zahedieh centers…