socialism versus capitalism?

I believe that only socialist man is truly human because only socialist man dominates things, while in other regimes, things dominate man.
-Jean-Paul Sartre (1905 - 1980)

It is not very well known that Karl Marx was well aware of the power of capitalism to break down barriers and that he knew that one day capitalism will win over socialism. He just wanted to delay it since the world did not seem to be ready for capitalism yet and because among other things national and religious boundaries would be overrun too*.

Socialism/communism/Marxism was adopted by a few Eastern block countries, it thrived there for a while, and crumbled partly due to the artificially rigid structure given to it and partly against the capitalistic forces of free trade. Countries like China, India and Brazil are reaping rich rewards of the globalised markets. Notice that these three countries are as different in their temperaments as can be. Yet, they are all gaining due to the flattening of the world. India as a country stands to advance through this process of openness.

Globalization is in fact a global process of socialism. Earlier only a few western countries controlled the wealth of earth. That is now spreading to many countries. It is not spreading to all countries just because the populace or leaders there are not taking the right steps e.g. some Islamic countries still choose to look at non-muslims as
infidels and would want to eliminate them rather than collaborate with them for mutual good.

True, the advantages of this globalization, socialism is not reaching all strata of our society (yet). But the raised standard of living of the select few who are benefiting does allow them to spend more and the benefit of that reaches other trades and occupations. Within the country too it becomes important for people to collaborate and open boundaries rather than look at their neighbors through tainted glasses. That will help everyone progress. Socialism is like utopia. You have to want to get there. You need to compete. You must need to want a car,
a new house, habits that you could only dream of earlier. Everyone must want that. Then we will approach the global socialist dream asymtotically (the beauty being that it will never be reached).

All this seems to contradict what Sartre says above about humans dominating things in a socialistic world. But what is important is to be able to buy things, but not be dominated by them. It is perhaps owing to such inherent contradictions and possible Utopian predicaments that many intellectuals turned towards socialism for a time and then turned away. These included such names as Sartre, Vinda Karandikar ** and Bhagat Singh.

In our current situation I will equate our local/regional governments to the anti-progress Islamic governments (e.g. they remain stuck in partisan politics for petty gains) and the muslim/christian haters in India to people in those countries who hate non-muslims. These are the people who seem to miss the bus, stay stuck in a rut and also try to pull others with them.

* From the Communist Manifesto, 1848
** See, for example, बहुपेडी विंदा by Vijaya Rajadhyaksha

Whether you choose to be a socialist or a capitalist (both are the same) try to be a humanist.