[XingDaorong]

[QUOTE=CanadaSteve;2915111]Funny, I remember posting a "critique of capitalism" about two years ago, for which I got RIPPED by many, some I respect, some I don't.

In it, I talked about these types of flaws, that greed cannot, and is not regulated...in the sense that we try and protect the whole system from greed because it does exist and will always exist.

Then I mentioned how tribalism has been, and still is, the most successful means for humanity to live...and of course, I was ripped.

Yet here we are, talking about a Jew who broke 'the code' of the Jews. People thought, and many still do, think I meant we should all take our clothes off, put animal skins on, and go live in caves. That is NOT what tribalism is. Try this for a definition:

[B]The other concept to which the word tribalism frequently refers is the possession of a strong cultural or ethnic identity that separates oneself as a member of one group from the members of another. This phenomenon is related to the concept of tribal society in that it is a precondition for members of a tribe to possess a strong feeling of identity for a true tribal society to form.[/B]

THIS is what I was talking about all along. There is something very very "right" about the Jewish culture and how they live, and it is very true for many 'tribes' in the world today. However, we could harness this idea of tribalism and bring it into the current economic structure.

HOWEVER, this then becomes an issue of die-hard capitalists shooting down the concept for it resembles 'communism,' and die-hard social activists shoot it down because they believe it is 'selling out.' Perhaps the one thing society needs is to throw away their extremist mentalities, and start thinking outside the box.[/QUOTE]

In the sense of unity I agree with you it would stifle some of the selfishness that pervades everyday life but Jews did not and would not have developed that sense of community without enduring centuries of oppression from every government or people that they were ruled by. Jews have no mission of conversion and view themselves as the chosen people, that greatly contributes to a sense of community as well, something other religious peoples and the non-religious could never hope to recreate. Most people distrust and dislike things or people they don't know and how many of us would be willing to give a homeless man lodging for a night with our children in the house? It's the mentality we have that private property, choice, and privacy are sacred things that are simply unquestionable, and with that comes the need to benefit one's self before anything else.

There's nothing wrong with that so long as you aren't hurting anyone but as Maddoff's actions have shown, the mentality can lead to greed of excessive and dangerous proportions.