“To make a thief, make an owner; to create crime, create laws.” Ursula Le Guin, ‘The Dispossessed’
The capitalist system has subjected people all over the world to racism, poverty, inequality, ecological devastation, and militarism. Globally, government have introduced policies to fatten the pockets of those who can’t fit any more money in their already over-stuffed pockets. Meanwhile there is enough food, enough clean water and sufficient resources for every human being on our planet to live with dignity. People are being neglected and abandoned amid abundance. Who’s getting more than their share of that abundance? The never-ending wars and the never-ending flood of resources into armament production. There’s always money for a bigger military but never enough for education and healthcare. 54 cents of every discretionary federal dollar goes to the military, while just 15 cents goes to anti-poverty programs.
Poverty that is harsh, degrading, and indecent offends dignity. Unnecessary poverty, on the backs of the powerless and to the benefit of the powerful, is unjust. The everyday living conditions of the poor demands the same drastic political and economic responses as the pandemic crisis yet it is not defined as a national emergency. The world of the poor does not feature on prime time television as a catastrophe. Their situation and suffering do not qualify as a national crisis. FEMA is not mobilised for the homeless. When politicians declare that all people matter and that we are “all in this together” it is a lie.
Socialism means unifying, standing shoulder to shoulder empowering each other. Socialism is a people’s movement for a humane and fair society. We have no choice but to dismantle this ridiculous social system and replace it with one that reflects decency and empathy. What comes next? Where we all become more human, equal and free, or the continuance of exploitation.
Sharing the planet’s resources will lead to a better tomorrow.
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