Das Kapital Mistake

Marx titled his magnum opus Das Kapital, yet he completely botched what capital actually is. Here's the real definition: capital is the power to influence the behavior of others—and it's generated not by factories or machinery but by converging desires. The moment two people want the same fish, that fish becomes capital. If Elon Musk survives nuclear apocalypse alone in a bunker with mountains of gold and machines, his capital is exactly zero—because capital exists in relationships, not objects. This is why Marx, the ultimate "supply guy," couldn't see that the dainty lady shopping for dresses and the factory owner exploiting workers are caught in the same mimetic web. In this episode, I argue that capital has existed "since the monkeys," that both capitalists and communists worship the same materialist idol, and that the real escape isn't revolution or free markets—it's walking away from the fascination entirely.

Part 4 in a 5-part series.