When Life Becomes a Commodity

Modern capitalism celebrates efficiency and productivity at the expense of quality human experiences. Essential services such as healthcare, education, and social interaction are increasingly reduced to market transactions. This commodification strips away inherent dignity and leads to a social fabric that values output over the well-being of individuals. For children—whose formative years deserve nurturing, creativity, and care—the impacts of such a system can be particularly devastating. Rather than planting seeds for flourishing future lives, the relentless pursuit of profit risks turning these seeds into mere investment units, sidelining the true potential and value of human life.

The Unifying Power of Games: A Metaphor for Humanity

Consider the world of games—where players and spectators, despite their different roles, unite in pursuit of a shared goal. Whether on the field, in the arena, or behind the screen, games symbolize collaboration, passion, and a common purpose. In sports or board games alike, the rules may be strict, but the ultimate objective is to create a collective experience that transcends individual competition. This idea offers a striking metaphor for reimagining our economic and social systems.

Imagine an economy where every stakeholder—be it a worker, business leader, policymaker, or community member—plays a role in a grand game. In this game, no one is judged solely by individual scores or material gains. Instead, the real victory lies in achieving well-being for all; in fostering environments where children grow up in supportive communities and every citizen is valued for their unique contributions. Just as games bring together disparate roles to celebrate collective victories, our society could be retooled to measure success not only through financial indicators but through the strength of community bonds and the flourishing of human potential.

Human Rights Over Market Rights

To challenge the commodification of life, we must reset our societal compass. Rather than allowing financial metrics to define success, we should prioritize well-being and social solidarity. A reformed system would place human rights at its heart, emphasizing that every individual—especially our children, the bearers of future hope—has intrinsic worth that goes beyond economic output. Measuring success by quality of life, mental health, educational access, and community resilience would honor the unique contributions of every person, fostering an inclusive society that stands united in its diversity.

Ubuntu: Embracing Our Shared Humanity

The ancient African philosophy of Ubuntu—”I am because we are”—provides a profound counterpoint to the isolating tendencies of commodification. Ubuntu reminds us that our collective identity and prosperity emerge when we recognize the interconnectedness of all lives. Integrating Ubuntu into our economic thinking could shift public policy toward universal healthcare, accessible education, and robust social services that support every community member. This approach honors both the individual and the community by ensuring that no one is left behind while pursuing collective progress.

Charting a New Path for Economic Renewal

Creating an economy that prioritizes humanity over commodities calls for transformative strategies:

• Redefining Success: Shift your focus from profit margins to metrics that value mental health, environmental sustainability, and community well-being.
• Protecting the Vulnerable: Institute policies that keep essential services as public goods, safeguarding the nurturing environment our children need.
• Fostering a Game-Like Spirit: Emulate the unifying dynamic of games where diverse roles coexist to achieve collective success. This outlook can inspire corporate responsibility, where profit-sharing and ethical practices replace ruthless competition.
• Cultivating Social Solidarity: Strengthen community participation and social initiatives that prioritize public interest over short-term monetary gains.

A Call for Transformation

At the crossroads of economic policy and social justice lies an opportunity to redefine how we measure prosperity. Confronting the notion that life is merely a commodity, we must reclaim its human essence—celebrating the beauty of teamwork, unity, and the intrinsic worth of each individual. Just as games unite players and spectators around goals that transcend individual achievement, our society can embrace policies that ensure a future where human dignity supersedes market values. For the sake of every child and every human life, it is time to realign our priorities and reshape our economy around the principles that bind us as a shared, interdependent community.

This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Sammy Attoh.

“It’s pretty ridiculous,” said Kira Amdahl, who works there. Chicks typically spend days, if not weeks, at the store before finding a home. “Now people are coming in and [we are] selling out within an hour.”

Murdoch’s isn’t the only place turning people away. Nationwide, the demand for chickens has far outstripped supply, leaving would-be poulterers scrambling to find baby birds. But, experts say, the chick crunch is not directly linked to the avian influenza — also known as bird flu — that’s plagued the country. For the most part, the number of chicks on offer to hobby farmers hasn’t dipped. 

“It’s not necessarily a chick shortage as there is increased demand,” said Tom Watkins, the President and co-owner of Murray McMurray Hatchery in Webster City, Iowa. Where he usually sees a two or three week wait for chickens, he’s sold out for the rest of the year.  “I went into last fall thinking we’d have a slowdown. By the end of January, I knew it was going to be one of those different years.”

Why? Because the bird flu outbreak has raised the price of eggs. According to Federal Reserve Economic Data, a dozen eggs cost $3.37 in October. They crossed the $5 mark in January, and, last month the price was up to $6.23. As costs have ratcheted up, so too has the appeal of raising layers at home. A Reddit post about the run on chicks has hundreds of upvotes, while other folks are getting around the problem by trying to hatch their own birds at home. 

“Every time we have a downturn in the economy, people turn to self-sufficiency,” said Scott Beyer, an assistant professor and poultry expert at Kansas State University. Such was the case during the Great Recession, and again during the pandemic. This time it’s egg prices, and Beyer said it could take months, if not years, for commercial flocks to recover enough to stabilize the market. But, he said, that recovery will happen, and an over-correction could even mean that “soon they’ll be discounted.” 

Such swings worry Amdahl. Her store sells chicks for about 11 weeks every spring, and it is going through almost a dozen birds per customer. Last time she saws a boon like this, during COVID, it was only a few months before customers started posting flyers and Craigslist ads looking to rehome their rapidly growing chickens. Some birds got abandoned, or killed. 

“It’s just sad,” said Amdahl, explaining that many people don’t realize what it takes to raise chickens. While their food might be affordable, the startup costs can be significant — from coops and shavings to feeders and potentially vet bills. Then winter comes, and there’s insulation, heat lamps and warming strips to keep water from freezing. “It’s a lot of work.” 

When done right, however, Beyer says that raising chickens can be economical and environmentally friendly. “Eggs from home are  one of the easiest ways to grow protein for your plate,” he said. “We need more people to have experience with growing food and keeping animals.” 

The one curveball currently, Beyer said, is the price of the chicks, which have spiked along with the surge in interest. That could make the payback period unrealistically long. But Watkins says he’s seen the demand start to ease and “at some point you will serve all the people who will keep chickens.” 

For now, though, the race for chicks continues.

“We’ve been maintaining 2,000 phone calls a day for the last couple months,” said Watkins, of a volume that is at least triple what it usually is. “The demand is hard to keep up with.”

This story was originally published by Grist with the headline How baby chickens became America’s hottest commodity on Apr 18, 2025.

This content originally appeared on Grist and was authored by Tik Root.

As much of the world reeled from high energy and food prices that left millions struggling to heat their homes and feed their families, commodity trading firms that benefit from extreme market volatility brought in record-breaking profits in 2022, capitalizing on chaos spurred by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Citing new research from the consulting firm Oliver Wyman, the Financial Timesreported Sunday that the commodity trading industry "made record gross profits of more than $115 billion from trading activities last year."

That total is up 60% compared to 2021, with the independent trading houses Trafigura, Vitol, and Glencore among the biggest beneficiaries, the Financial Times noted.

"Financial players such as hedge funds also enjoyed big gains, earning an estimated $12 billion from trading activities in 2022 compared with less than $3 billion the year before," the newspaper added.

Ernst Frankl, a partner at Oliver Wyman and one of the report's authors, told the Financial Times that 2022 "was a bit of a perfect storm across all the commodities, from a trading opportunity perspective."

"Volatility is the lifeblood of what traders need in order to trade," Frankl said.

Nick Dearden, director of the U.K.-based advocacy group Global Justice Now, expressed disgust at traders' booming profits in the midst of worsening cost-of-living crises.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine wreaked havoc on global energy and food markets, disrupting the supply of wheat and other key crops for countries that rely heavily on Ukrainian exports.

Negotiators are currently working to extend a United Nations-backed agreement that has allowed Ukraine to export grain from key ports that Russia blockaded. The initiative is set to expire on March 18.

"To all the leaders in the world, we need to renew the Black Sea Grain Initiative," World Food Program (WFP) executive director David Beasley said last month. "It must be renewed at all costs. Ukraine alone feeds 400 million people around the world."

The WFP projects that more than 345 million people will be "food insecure" this year, more than double the 2020 number.

Experts have argued that commodity speculators are not only benefiting from extreme market volatility—they're to some degree causing major price swings that have real-world consequences.

"We're in a market where speculators are driving prices up," Michael Greenberger, former head of the Division of Trading and Markets at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, toldMongabay last year.

In an October letter to the head of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Sens. Elizabeth Warren(D-Mass.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) wrote that "while American families are struggling with rising prices, Wall Street traders are raking in record profits trading these very commodities."

"This kind of speculation in the commodities markets," the lawmakers warned, "has a direct impact on everyday people."

This content originally appeared on Common Dreams and was authored by Jake Johnson.

Most North Koreans do not own vehicles, but most of those who do drive cars made in China. 

Imports of Chinese auto parts stopped when Beijing and Pyongyang shut down the border and suspended all trade at the beginning of the pandemic in January 2020. 

As supplies inside North Korea dwindled, parts available for purchase have become rarer and rarer. Opportunistic thieves are looking to cash in on the shortage.

In some cases, car owners have to steal parts just to keep their own vehicles running, a resident of Chongjin in the northeastern province of North Hamgyong told RFA’s Korean Service on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

“Thievery of auto parts is rampant downtown,” said the source. “New parts are almost impossible to find, and even used ones are hard to get, so the thieves steal other people’s auto parts to repair their own cars.” 

Sometimes the thieves steal the entire car.

“Last week in Sunam district, a car owner parked his car in front of his house. A short while later, while he was eating dinner, his car disappeared,” the source said. “The next day, the car was found … only the shell remained, with all the main components torn off.”

A black market of stolen auto parts has developed as the parts become more and more valuable, the source said.

“Car parts are as precious as food, and they can be sold to make money at any time. There are many cases where cars that are parked at night on the roadside or in villages are hauled to a remote place so the thieves can steal the parts,” he said. 

“The vicious cycle continues when the victims of theft steal parts from others to fix their own cars,” the source said.

Businesses have begun to ramp up security to protect the vehicles they depend on to make money, he said.

“This can disrupt production and business operations, so drivers are sleeping in their cars to protect them when they travel to other regions.”

Protecting cars has become a struggle in South Hamgyong province, a resident there told RFA, on condition of anonymity to speak freely.

“Most companies that own cars do not have dedicated garages and they park their cars outside,” he said. 

“There are two security guards on a shift at night in my company. Even though the car was parked in front of the well-lit security office, auto parts were still stolen multiple times,” the second source said.

The second source’s company is holding drivers responsible for all vehicle expenses, so the drivers are getting creative to deter thieves.

“One driver built a garage out of plastic film in his yard at his own high-fenced house. He guards the car by sleeping in it at night with two ferocious dogs,” he said. 

“Due to the (COVID-19) pandemic, many thieves are active because there is not enough food to eat and clothes to wear. Nevertheless, the Workers’ Party has no interest in resolving the suffering of the people, and they are telling us to overcome economic difficulties, armed only with ideological training,” he said, referring to propaganda lessons that tell the people to solve their own problems in line with the country’s founding Juche ideology of self-reliance. 

Translated by Claire Shinyoung O. Lee. Written in English by Eugene Whong.

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Chang Gyu Ahn for RFA Korean.

Capitalism marches on. And thus housing, because it is a capitalist commodity, has resumed its upward cost, putting ever more people at risk of homelessness, hunger, inability to access medical care and medications, or some combination of those.

There had been a temporary dip in the costs of rentals in 2020 as the pandemic threw a spanner into the economy, but the dynamics of capitalist markets have reasserted themselves. Rent is not only too damn high but getting higher, fast. And almost everywhere, not just in your city.

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The post As Long as Housing is a Commodity, Rents Will Keep Rising appeared first on CounterPunch.org.

This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Pete Dolack.