‘Whatever ism, we learn from mistakes’

I WRITE further to the letter, headlined ‘Undermining fight against capitalism’. (Sentinel, April 10).

Dr D. Green puts it as if capitalism and greed go hand in hand. He takes us back to the original hunter-gatherers and the fundamental sharing of amenities. (I don’t see that in all the hunter-gatherers of the Serengeti).

He describes entrepreneurial greed as a premise for the supremacy of an individual, but isn’t that individual’s greed enabling the rest of the tribe to survive by creating industrial expansion?

Though the circumstances have changed, the format stays the same. We are no different now to the time of the hunter- gatherers, it just appears that way.

Each premise gives purpose, not only to the gatherer, but to all the tribe, because without purpose no one would survive.

I agree that capitalism has resulted in some things that are abhorrent, such as slavery. But slavery was a result of religion; capitalism just engaged with the times of that age.

We still have many things that need to be addressed, such as the poor and the inequalities of some parts of the world, but it is only by understanding a problem will we ever be able to solve it.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s capitalism, communism or any other ‘ism’, the human traits that have been passed down to us are there for a purpose, and that purpose is gradually leading us to a light at the end of the tunnel – we can only learn by our mistakes.

We do things instinctively

because of our indoctrination. The emotion of love can lead to jealousy, anger, deceit, betrayal and even to kill when protecting our offspring from predators or indeed rivals. Do we have to say that love is a negative emotion?

Only by understanding our emotional status will we ever come to some understanding of the mountains we have yet to climb.

DEREK PAYNE MILTON