Over the years I have noticed that the intellect is also becoming like a commodity which is to be marketed to generate maximum income (profit). The present capitalist Globalization can be considered the highest state of imperialism in which the capitalist consumer culture has become the dominant culture. People’s existence has been mostly downgraded mainly to just being merely consumers. The only purpose of life for most of the people is to try to make maximum money in the minimum time and try to buy comforts and conveniences with that money. The intellectuals are no exception to this trend. Role of the intellectuals has also changed.
In the nineteenth and the earlier part of the twentieth century many intellectuals sided with the people against the capitalist exploitation. However, in the later part of the twentieth century and in the twenty first century many intellectuals are objectively siding with the capitalist policies. These intellectuals not only include the conservatives and the neo-conservatives, they include the liberals and the neo-liberals. Even many so called leftists and progressives and even many pseudo Marxists are also objectively siding with capitalism.
Let us look at the works of two very well known intellectuals Fukuyama and Samuel P. Huntington. Fukuyama is known all over the world for his book the End of History and Huntington became famous for his book The Clash of Civilizations. Both these intellectuals sided with the policies of capitalism. Fukuyama tried to present American capitalism as the highest historical evolution of the modern society. Therefore, there is no further scope of historical evolution of this society. In other words, the society has entered a new phase called post modern society. The good thing about Fukuyama is that he himself admitted that his thesis was wrong after he saw how America attacked Iraq. Fukuyama opposed this war. The rise of China also made Fukuyama reconsider his thesis.
Samuel P. Huntington gave the thesis that the main conflict in the present world is between the different civilizations, primarily between the western and the Islamic civilizations. However, this thesis has already proved wrong. Instead of the conflict between Islam and the west, the conflict between the west and China-Russia alliance seems to be the main conflict now. The likelihood of a Third World War is also between these forces. The Islamic world is divided with some like Iran, Turkey, Syria and Pakistan leaning toward China-Russia alliance whereas, Saudi Arabia and its allies leaning toward the west. India, a Hindu majority country, is leaning toward the west also. Therefore, it has become clear that the world is not divided according to civilizations but is divided more on the basis of national interests.
Let us look at another very important global issue, migration. As the fertility rate of many capitalist countries is falling, they all need immigrants to run their system. Migration under capitalism does not take place according to the natural laws and it is not primarily in the interest of the people but mainly serves the interests of the capitalist class which tries to maximize its profit from this phenomenon. By increasing the supply of the work force it keeps the cost of labor down. Moreover by bringing in fully grown, partially or completely trained people, the capitalists save their money in raising and training people. In the new pattern of migration, the number of the young people coming for higher education is continuously increasing. These students pay big fees which can sometimes be three times more than the local students. Parents n Punjab are selling their land or other property or spending their life time savings to pay for their children’s education in Canada. Now there is a net out flow of capital from Punjab associated with migration. In spite of this, many intellectuals, including many pseudo Marxists have continued to support migration. Even if the immigrants gain economically yet many of them have to pay tremendous price in terms of loss of culture and values and disintegration of family. Large number of people moving from one society to another society in a short time creates social instability in both the societies. Again, the intellectuals have rarely talked about these problems and are most faithfully toeing the line of the capitalists on migration.
Many intellectuals have not only become enthusiastic and faithful followers and admires of consumerism, they are also actively promoting the capitalist consumer culture. Instead of Marxism they have become advocates of economism which is the philosophy bourgeois liberalism. No matter how hard the intellectuals corrupted by consumerism try they cannot change the course of history. They may not like it but the western capitalism has already outlived its life span and a new world order, a multipolar world is around the horizon.
