Diagnostics of Our Times: Where Is the 21st Century Heading? World Economy And Society on the Road Towards Megacapitalism

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    • Presentation speakers
      • Dragoljub Stojanov, Faculty of Economics, University of Rijeka, Croatia

    Abstract:
    “Mega-capitalism” we see as the next stage in the development of capitalism, which will be dominated and led by both mega-corporations and mega-banks. This, in turn, will result with global cybernetic robotization of workers. This process might be supported by neuro-economics, which we would define as cybernetisized neoclassical economics applied under imperfect market conditions.Sure, the process will be followed by the death of the “territorial” state. This process reflects the centralization of capital on a global scale. This process, however, is evolutionary and repetitive since the beginning of the capitalistic way of production. A man-worker is no longer a mere factor of production on the labour market (as stated in the neoclassical theory). A man-worker becomes cybernetisized object (a robot) which contributes to the morbid maximization of the first principle of capitalism: profit. Krugman in The New York Times (posted in March 25, 2012) sees the world as a corporate world dominated by: lobbyists, guns and money. Of course,there is a possibility for a different scenario of the future that is ahead. That scenario depicts a path that is leading towards the so-called cybernetic post-capitalism,depending on whether the evolution of development of capital (capitalism) will occur spontaneously or will it be partially regulated by different interest groups.Evolutionary transformation of capitalism would give the right to Marx (1962) and Keynes (1932) and their visions of a new society as they expressed in the “Capital” and in the “Economic possibilities for our grandchildren”. The first principle of the welfare society is to become global citizens, and that means the elimination of the “market”state. Hilferding’s(1952) fate of the world has been similar except the fact that the path towards post-capitalism is paved by the “expropriation of expropriators”. If, however, the process becomes retrograde and the “territorial” state overthrows the “market” state, then the thoughts and reflections of the French School of economic war (which is these days advocates the socalled “intellectual protectionism”) might become very realistic and attractive. We think that modern technology and cybernetisation of the economy and civilization might not survive this retro course of events without global social, economic and political earthquake a few degrees stronger than that of 1929.Taking everything in consideration, we are left to conclude that the process of globalization of the world economy and therefore world politics is not only heading towards an unknown future but also it lacks any significant economic and theoretical explanation.