“The End of Capitalism” and Power Structures: Economics and Politics

Abstract

Intellectuals have been predicting a near historical turning point, a sharp change in the entire world life since the beginning of the XXI century, often linking it with the end of capitalism. During the era of capitalism, processes took place that made modern society and the economy fundamentally different from the usual picture of the capitalist structure of society. This familiar picture emerges in the theories of mainstream economics, i.e. in the theories of neoclassics. The need for security and the need to identify oneself with a large stable community and its value-sense attitude came to the fore. Political and ideological factors become no less significant engines of history than financial and industrial ones. As the main factor demonstrating the difference between one socio-economic formation and another, it is proposed to use the method of realizing the power of the ruling class (stratum), the way it affects society. Under capitalism, this factor is realized through the accumulation of capital provided by private property rights and free market rules. With the monopolization of control over the media and social networks, the creation of a network of “think tanks” and the development of information and psychological technologies among the ruling elite of Western countries, along with the main capitalist way of realizing power, a “new” way appeared and became comparable to it in importance – ​the impact on consciousness, priorities and behavior (in particular, and direct impact) both large populations and organized communities. This method can become dominant for the post-capitalist formation. The sense attitudes and institutional mechanisms of capitalism will not disappear, but they will cease to be dominant. For the coming decades, the main contradiction of the historical process remains the confrontation of civilizations. An important factor is the strengthening of the second, invisible, “shadow” center of power (except for official states). The advantage of Russia and China is to consolidate in the “code of civilization” the idea of the state as a representative of the people, responsible for the fate of the people as a whole and each member of society.