It’s an incredibly disturbing realization that this does nothing to benefit society and it’s just literally created to keep the economy afloat. The mantra of the relentless pursuit of growth, under the guise that it betters the economy, is frankly absurd. The idea that our entire system’s survival hinges on a never-ending increase in outputs and a relentless reduction of inputs—working more, working faster—is irrational and cruel at its core.

The so-called competition is, in essence, conflict. It’s built on the premise that for someone to win, others must lose, embedding a sense of malicious intent from the very beginning. And this isn’t just some abstract concept, it’s a reality that permeates every facet of our lives, including our workplaces. Here, employers are incentivized to cut corners, deceive, and make decisions that directly undermine the interests of their workers. In societies where technological advancements and employment rates are high, the simplest way to keep the economic machine humming is by suppressing wages. Remember the mantra—more output, less input. Maximizing profits, increasingly year after year, becomes the sole objective, supposedly in pursuit of growth.

Consider the stock market, arguably one of the most powerful and profitable systems in existence, yet it creates nothing. It’s a clear manifestation of capitalism’s evolution, when developed countries exhaust traditional means of growth, they turn to the commodification of finance, among every other thing one can think of. Slap a dollar sign on it, and suddenly, abstraction becomes reality, with little consideration for the real-world impacts on people, especially in less affluent countries (e.g.: shorting a currency of a less fortunate country).

The promise of technology as a savior is a recurring theme, yet time and again, this promise falls short. The internet, artificial intelligence—each heralded as revolutionary, with the potential to transform health, education, and eradicate poverty. However, in reality, these advancements have often served to enrich and empower the elite further, deepening the economic disparity between classes. The notion that technology alone can uplift society without a fundamental shift in economic priorities and structures is a flawed one.

Our planet’s resources are finite, yet it’s conceivable to have abundance in the essentials for life without economic enslavement. Unfortunately, the current business model thrives on scarcity. The pollution of the water supply, for example, becomes a windfall for bottled water companies. It’s a system where sustainability, efficiency, and preservation are penalized rather than rewarded—an inherent contradiction.

Imagine if we directed the collective intellect of the world’s leading universities and businesses towards solving global issues—developing the most efficient energy systems, eradicating poverty, and addressing inequality. These groups could feasibly produce viable solutions within months. So, why don’t they? The harsh reality is that success in these endeavors would render many existing business models obsolete. In a world where energy and food can be produced and distributed equitably at near-zero cost, traditional capitalistic enterprises would face existential threats.

This scenario highlights the perverse incentives at the heart of our current economic system, where poverty, inequality and conflict are maintained for the benefit of the powerful elite. It begs the question: who is truly served by such a system? The stark reality is that as long as capitalism prioritizes profit over people, the rationality and humanity of our economic practices will remain in question.