❖ The Connection Between Market Systems and Crime
In the modern age, there is a significant correlation between the rising rate of crime and the market-based (liberal capitalist) system. This relationship becomes evident through three primary factors:
❖ Promotion of Unlimited Desires
The market order turns every individual into a servant of personal interests, compelling them to strive for wealth accumulation. In this race to fulfill unlimited desires, people abandon moral and social values, focusing solely on personal gain. This unchecked pursuit fosters an environment conducive to immorality, selfishness, and ultimately, crime.
❖ Breakdown of Collective Structures
The market society disintegrates traditional familial and community bonds. Upbringing and moral reform — once nurtured through love and kinship — are now delegated to impersonal institutions, such as daycares, media, and self-serving educational systems. As a result, individuals are left isolated, deprived of strong social ties and ethical training.
❖ Absence of Traditional Checks and Balances
In traditional social systems — such as tribal or community networks — crime rates are lower due to a built-in system of mutual oversight. In contrast, the market system renders individuals solitary, and crime becomes easier due to the absence of social boundaries and surveillance.
As a consequence, the market society becomes a breeding ground for crime. The state attempts to control crime through intense surveillance and coercion, yet complete success remains elusive. In this system, individuals rely solely on the state for protection, but the state cannot safeguard everyone at all times. Unlike traditional systems, no secondary layer of protection exists.
❖ The Spectrum of Crime and Corruption
Crime in a market system is not limited to robbery, murder, rape, etc. — it also manifests as corruption on various levels. Bribery, adulteration, fraud, and exploitation become common. Every individual is trained to use others for personal gain. The society lures people into a cycle of endless desires, where harming others becomes an accepted means of survival and success.
If state regulation were removed from this system — from doctors, lawyers, educational institutions, multinational corporations, and banks — the true face of exploitation and corruption would become glaringly evident.
❖ Coercion of State and Market
A major contradiction lies in how the market system deceives the individual into believing that he does not need the state to fulfill his personal goals. In reality, however, each individual is dependent on the state for protection and provision. The system thrives on constant state intervention and coercion, even as it preaches individual freedom.
✿ Summary
❶ The market system fuels personal ambition and endless desire, resulting in rising crime and corruption.
❷ Traditional social systems, such as tribal or communal frameworks, reduce crime by embedding individuals within strong relational and moral structures.
❸ Despite state surveillance, crime persists in the market system because it is built on unrestricted freedom and personal interests.
