For a long time I've been aware of the Jubilee Centre in Cambridge, but only recently have I started to delve more deeply into their resources.

Tonight's reading was a Cambridge Paper from September 2009 by Michael Schluter, entitled Is Capitalism morally bankrupt? Five moral flaws and their social consequences.

My immediate reaction to that kind of question is "Yes, probably, but I think we're stuck with it." Now, according to the Jubilee Centre, there is an alternative towards which we can move; that will have to wait for another day. Until then, here are some reasons why we might dream of finding an alternative. First, the five moral flaws of capitalism that Michael Schluter identifies:

  1. An exclusively materialistic vision
  2. Reward without responsibility
  3. Limited liability of shareholders
  4. People disconnected from place
  5. Inadequate social safeguards

and then the two social consequences:

  1. Family and community breakdown
  2. Giant government and giant corporates

Definitely worth reading.