I educated myself today on the benefits of global capitalism after reading Paul Smith's essay, "Tommy Hilfiger in the Age of Mass Customization". The essay mainly focuses on the fashion industries need for a high rate of productivity along with constant changes in the goods themselves. Smith says, "However, it is open to question whether the industry is in fact responding to cultural demand or whether it is producing that demand as a way of itself responding to the changing conditions of global capitalism." The sparked my interest in the term and I went digging for something like this.

My interpretation, of course, went something along the lines of that childhood tale Robin Hood. Not necessarily steal from the rich and give to the poor, but allow the poor to produce goods that the rich will buy.

Whole Foods Market sponsors a charity called the Whole Planet Foundation which gives small loans to small private businesses in places like South America, Thailand and Indonesia. By allowing those less fortunate than many of us here in the land of the free the opportunity to produce goods and services to those in their own communities and supply to global investors the spread of wealth spans further than simply our American economy.

I am by no means an expert on the topic, and this didn't even have a lot to do with technology, but all I'm saying is an open market isn't such a bad idea. Although it's nearly unattainable according to the economics professors I've had, I feel like if people themselves were not so selfish, this type of marketing solution could be highly beneficial.

In Paul Smith's essay there seems to be a discussion of individuality in a world of mass production. Allowing private businesses to establish their creative fashion revelations into the industry would create an even greater since of individuality. Just think, if Tommy Hilfiger loaned out money to small fashion designers what that could mean for your closet?