Capitalism and Caste System Work Together to Keep Dalits and Shudras Poor – (Powerful Critique of Capitalism)

Capitalism and the caste system are linked. In India, capitalists (rich businessmen and landlords) were mostly from upper castes, while workers were Dalits, Shudras, and backward castes. – (Powerful Critique of Capitalism)

📜 Ambedkar’s Words:
“Caste is not only a division of labor but also a division of laborers. It fixes people into permanent economic positions.”
(Annihilation of Caste, 1936)

🔹 Meaning:

• The caste system ensures that only certain groups (Brahmins, Vaishyas, and landlords) control wealth.
• Dalits and backward castes are forced to remain in low-paying jobs like manual labor, farming, or cleaning.
• Capitalism exploits the poor economically.
• Brahmanism keeps Dalits and Shudras at the lowest social level.
• Together, they prevent the lower classes from progressing.

Example:

• Even after independence, Dalits continued to work as landless laborers and manual scavengers, while upper-caste landlords controlled land and money.

Why Ambedkar Saw Capitalism and Brahmanism as the Same

• Both systems exploit the poor: Brahmanism controls people socially, while capitalism controls them economically.
• Both systems prevent equality: Caste denies social equality, capitalism denies economic equality.
• Both systems benefit the upper castes: Brahmins control religion, while capitalists control the economy.

Capitalism Threatens Democracy – (Powerful Critique of Capitalism)

Rich capitalists would control politics and destroy democracy. Capitalism is a danger to true democracy because it allows wealthy businessmen to control politics. In a capitalist system, money decides elections, policies, and laws, making democracy meaningless for the poor and marginalized.

🔹 Meaning:

• If businessmen fund politicians, those politicians will work for the rich, not the poor.
• True democracy is possible only if economic power is shared equally.
• Big corporations own news channels, newspapers, and social media, so they control what people think.
• This means the rich & politicians decide what information is shared, weakening democracy.
• This creates a government that serves the rich, while the poor are ignored.
• The real power is not in the hands of voters but in the hands of industrialists, landlords, and business tycoons.

Example:

• In capitalist countries, rich people fund elections, and politicians make laws that benefit the rich, not the poor.
• Ambedkar wanted equal economic opportunities for all, so that everyone had a real voice in democracy.

Uncontrolled Capitalism Would Lead to Social Collapse

If capitalism was not controlled, it would lead to a situation where a few rich families owned everything, and the poor would never escape poverty. If capitalism was not controlled, it would create massive inequality, making the rich even richer while the poor remained trapped in poverty. This, he warned, would eventually lead to social unrest, conflicts, and the collapse of society.

🔹 Meaning:

• Rich and poor people will always be in conflict.
• Big businesses will compete wastefully, causing instability.
• Workers will struggle for basic rights, leading to economic crises.
• Capitalism promotes fierce competition among companies.
• Instead of working for the common good, businesses destroy small industries, exploit natural resources, and create artificial shortages to increase prices.
• This causes economic crises and financial crashes.

Example:

• In the British colonial period, the British used capitalism to exploit Indian farmers and workers while making themselves richer.
• Even after independence, Indian landlords and businessmen continued the same capitalist exploitation.

Capitalism Exploits Workers and the Poor

Capitalism is an economic system where private individuals or companies own and control land, factories, and businesses. This system allowed rich capitalists and landlords to make huge profits, while workers and farmers remained poor and powerless.

🔹 Meaning: Landlords (who own land), moneylenders (who give loans at high interest), and industrialists (who own factories) work together to keep poor people in poverty while they become richer.

Poor farmers work hard but most of their crops go to the landlord as rent.

Farmers remain in lifelong debt and cannot escape poverty.

Factory owners hire poor workers but pay them very low wages.

The rich keep all the profits, while workers barely survive on their small incomes.

Example:

• A rich factory owner hires workers but pays them very low wages while keeping most of the profits for himself.
• A landlord forces poor farmers to work on his land but takes most of their crops as rent.
• A moneylender gives loans at high interest, and poor people can never repay, keeping them trapped in debt.

Capitalism Leads to Environmental Destruction

Economic system focused only on profit would ultimately exploit not just workers but also natural resources, leading to severe environmental damage.

• Capitalist companies prioritize profits over sustainability.
• They cut down forests, pollute rivers, and overuse land for quick financial gain.
• Once resources are exhausted, they move to a new area, leaving behind destruction.
• Capitalist economies focus on mass production and mass consumption, leading to excessive waste and pollution.
• Companies produce goods that break easily (planned obsolescence) so that people keep buying more, increasing pollution.
• Factories release toxic gases, causing air pollution and climate change.
• Factories attract large populations to cities, creating overcrowding and pollution.
• Slums develop because businesses focus on profits, not workers’ well-being.
• More cities means more deforestation, loss of biodiversity, and higher energy consumption.
• Fossil fuel companies pollute the air with carbon emissions, causing global warming.
• Corporations ignore climate change because fixing it reduces their profits.
• Governments protect business interests, even when it harms the environment.

Capitalism Turns Humans into Rivals, Not Friends

• Capitalism forces people to fight for survival, making them see each other as enemies rather than friends.
• A society filled with envy and frustration can never have true happiness.
• In a capitalist society, people respect you only if you have money.
• Money should be a tool for survival, but in capitalism, it becomes the only thing that matters.
• Corrupt businessmen and politicians flourish, while honest workers struggle.
• Capitalism divides people into different economic classes, making true fraternity impossible.