From the study of history we know that the Soviet system turned into a
disaster for its citizens, but that doesn’t mean that capitalism is all good either.
It’s a system built on greed, and the people within society are just supposed to
server the system as workers and consumers.
An important question must be asked in connection with this:
Should the people serve their civilization or should a civilization
serve its people?
My feeling about this is that a society should be a means by which we all work
together to solve problems, and not an oppressive power controlling our lives
(whether that power is a totalitarian government or the power of high finance).
Art is a thing, like religion, that can exist because it has a social meaning.
If capitalism struggles to stimulate people to work themselves up within this system
by appealing to their greed and egotism, then art, and the artist,
struggle to unite people and helping them understand each other. So we can say:
Art works in the opposite direction from capitalism.
If greed and egotism is one of the coordinates that keep up a civilization,
the idealistic struggle for a social union between people
(the high goal of art and religion) is the other coordinate,
and these lines must be considered to be of equal importance in
maintaining our civilization (there has to be room for both).
But capitalism gives greed the upper hand,
and this makes it very hard for those of us who want to do something other
than just serve the greed.
Thank you for reading my words.
Ulf Åkerhielm