Of all racial and/or ethnic groups in the United States, black people have the worst economic outcomes. A litany of statistics indicate that blacks are the most likely to be unemployed, underemployed, and living below the poverty line.
The diagnosis of these problems often leads to a prescription for black-owned businesses. From this perspective, white people control the wealth necessary for survival. The economic fate of black folks, then, depends upon the objectives of another group. Black people are forced to beg for vanishing jobs with stagnant wages. As Dr. Boyce Watkins declares, black people must “escape the corporate plantation” by going into business themselves.
While I am sympathetic to this argument, it fails to grasp the structure of capitalism. In capitalist societies, businesses are hierarchical arrangements that exploit the labor power of those at the bottom for profit. That stated, the problem is not simply who owns the businesses, but the way those businesses are organized. Capitalism with a black face does not ameliorate or resolve the fact of exploitation – it exacerbates the matter.
The Means of Production, Surplus-Value, and Exploitation
There are at least two preconditions for the survival of a human society: 1). a group of workers, and 2). a means of production. Workers utilize their brains and muscles to transform nature into products that can be used by others. Laborers work, for instance, to transform plants into food and trees into shelter. But this is impossible without a means of production: land, natural resources, and factories.
The problem is: a small group owns the means of production necessary for the survival of everyone. This class of people are known as ‘business-owners’. The masses who do not own the means of production have only their labor power to offer. This class of people are known as ‘workers’. Business-owners want to expand their enterprise and compete with other business-owners in the marketplace. Such a goal is only accomplished through higher profit margins. What is the source of value and profit? Labor. When the owner of a business pays the worker an hourly wage, they are only being paid a small fraction of the wealth they produced. For instance, let’s say a McDonald’s employee can assemble 60 burgers in an hour. The cost of each burger is $1. During that hour, McDonald’s makes $60 in sales off one employee. However, that employee is paid only $9. This means that the employee is compensated for only the first 9 minutes of the hour, the 51 remaining minutes were free. The employee is a wage-slave. The profit margin, or surplus-value (the $51 accrued) is appropriated by the owner and distributed to various sources: shareholders, vendors, CEOs so they can buy bigger yachts, etc.
The issue is not the surplus per se. Every society needs a surplus to offset those who are not in the workforce: the young, the disabled, the elderly, etc. The main question is: who produces, appropriates, and distributes the surplus? When the group of people who produces the surplus is different than the group of people who appropriates and distributes it, there is exploitation. Capitalism is exploitative because workers produce the surplus that is appropriated and distributed by owners. Workers have no say-so in the direction of the corporation, what is invested in, etc. To end exploitation, those who produce, appropriate, and distribute must be the same group of people. Having black owners who hire and exploit their black employees is still exploitation.
There are only two ways to organize an economy: totalitarian or egalitarian (Jackson, 1971). The former is based on competition and exploitation, the latter is based on cooperation and communalism. The fourth principle of Kwanzaa is ujamaa: to build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and profit from them together.
“We Finally Got a Piece of the Pie”
A common belief is that the Civil Rights Movement toppled the remaining barriers to racial and economic freedom. This misguided contention became widespread in the early 1970s. The most notable example is the iconic black sitcom The Jefferson’s. The main character of the series is a black man who owns a dry-cleaning business and lives with his wife and maid. Consider the lyrics for the theme song:
“Well, we’re movin’ on up (movin’ on up)
to the east side (movin’ on up)
to a deluxe apartment in the sky
movin’ on up (movin’ on up)
to the east side
we finally got a piece of the pie!
Fish don’t fry in the kitchen
beans don’t burn on the grill
took a whole lotta tryin’
just to get up that hill!
Now we’re up in the big leagues
gettin’ our turn at bat
as long as we live, it’s you and me baby
there ain’t nothin’ wrong with that”
(repeat first stanza one time until fade)
This song is a progress narrative and celebration of black exceptionalism. Of course, the metaphorical pie referenced here is none other than the American Dream – financed through capitalism. Instead of clamoring to be ‘up in the big leagues, gettin’ our turn at bat’ we need to expose the fraudulent ethics of that game and start playing a new one.
Black-owned businesses have a ‘piece of the pie’ – but fail to consider the recipe for that pie. Black slaves were the first form of capital in the world (Marx, 1867; Farley, 2008), and although Africa is the most resourceful continent, centuries of exploitation have rendered its people the poorest on Earth. This means that anti-black violence is the main ingredient for the pie we want. Black-owned businesses follow the same recipe with a different chef. This is not liberation, this is re-packaged oppression. Capitalism has devoured black people with death and destruction since it began – so when we get ‘a piece of the pie’ we are killing and eating ourselves. It’s economic cannibalism.
We do not need pie. We need to bake a cake!
References:
Farley, Anthony. 2008. The Colorline As Capitalist Accumulation
Jackson, George. 1971. Blood in My Eye
Marx, Karl. 1867. Das Kapital: A Critique of Political Economy
Prompt: Successful
December 26, 2016 at 5:30 pm
Fred told Lamont: “I’ll Oo-jee-ma all over this place if you buy me a color TV!”
ROTFLMAO!
You know Lady G had to make you laugh a little.
But seriously, Darryl, this is a very important piece and you make some VERY strong points here.
It is easy to tell black people that starting a business is the way out of poverty but that becomes difficult when many of us lack basic education-not to mention-business building skills. And let’s now even discuss the concept of cooperation and communalism (Or as Fred Sanford calls it, “O0-jee-ma!) which we seem NOT to ascribe to.
Anyway, I think that once we can get those things stabilized, we do need to considered alternatives to capitalism as we know it.
Always a pleasure Darryl!
Keep posting topics to “stimulate and activate the left and right brain..”
LOL!!!
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December 26, 2016 at 5:43 pm
Lmao – I never peeped that scene! I’m over here in the YouTube search box trying to find the episode lol. Lamont was always on some uplifting political stuff lol. His character was kinda like that dude Michael Stivik (aka “meathead”) from All in the Family – who would always hit Archie with liberal messages lol.
Thank you for reading Lady G! We definitely need to consider alternatives. Today is the first day of Kwanzaa but, sadly, I don’t know many black folks who even know about its principles – let alone celebrate it! I think education, or lack thereof, is a huge part of it. The word “property” didn’t even exist in Eastern African languages before white intervention – the idea of privatized anything was unthinkable. We should consider alternatives where we don’t have to step on each other’s toes, you know?
How was/is your holiday season?! I hope you got a lot of family time in! I have been off WP for a minute to get my mind right so I am on my way over to your page to catch up =D Always a joy!
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December 26, 2016 at 5:46 pm
Check this out while I read your response:
I’ll be right back:
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December 26, 2016 at 5:47 pm
ahhhhh Lady G came through clutch with the link! Thank you!
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December 26, 2016 at 5:53 pm
No worries! It’s what I do 🙂
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December 26, 2016 at 5:51 pm
I really enjoyed reading this 🙂
And YAAASSS! Perfect comparison between Lamont and Michael Stivick! They were very similar! The liberal voices of reason on 1970’s TV!
LOL!
Yes, I feel you on Kwanzaa and people not knowing anything about it. I mean, you know some black folks was gonna scoff at the idea of foregoing capitalism for making gifts! LOL!!
“I don’t want that handmade mess!”
Can’t you hear them?
LOL!
Lady G need to stop her jive!
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December 26, 2016 at 6:02 pm
Lol @ “Lamont Goes African”. I swear the script writers always pose a voice of reason for the pure sake of shutting them down lololol. I remember an episode of Fresh Prince when Ashley got on her feminist horse and started talking about the Equal Rights Amendment – a law that would’ve mandated equal pay and treatment for women. It failed to pass in Congress. Ashley brought it up like 5 times throughout the episode and everyone just looked at her and kept saying “shut up!” and that was the punchline. But we never actually considered the sound argument she was making — we just laughed it off!
Lmao @ handmade mess. I can definitely hear it now, from folks in my family especially lol. People can envision the end of the world before the end of capitalism! When I was telling one woman about cooperative economics and how we shouldn’t have private property at the societal level, she straw-man’d my argument to mean that I want everyone in the community to use a single toothbrush. LOL, a community toothbrush!!! Definitely not what cooperative economics is talking about lol – but these are the typical arguments/jokes they come up with to dismiss reasonable perspectives Fred Sanford style lol
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December 26, 2016 at 6:09 pm
Excellent point!
But sadly, Fred is saying all of the same things that older Black folks have been conditioned to think.
Do you remember the episode of Good Times where Florida pitched a bitch because JJ made a painting depicting a black Jesus?
They tried to soften it by saying that she was upset because JJ based the painting on the Woody the Wino.
Naw, it was because he was Black!
Many of our older relatives bought into that conditioning that everything good is White and anything Black is sacrilegious.
But to your other point. I hate straw-man arguments–honestly, they piss me off!
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December 26, 2016 at 6:15 pm
Exactly! Even though I can appreciate that the arguments are getting some air-time, they always write them off with jokes or with a lame counter.
I remember that episode of Good Times! True story … definitely because Jesus was black. Stuff like that is hard to watch. Thing is Norman Lear directed ALL of these shows: All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Good Times and Sanford & Son. At minimum, we get a glimpse into his perspectives on race. They were doing black folks dirty with the constant representations of poverty and stupidity … and that’s why James left/got his character killed off.
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December 26, 2016 at 6:17 pm
Precisely!
You and I both know that there is NO way that these shows would play well in America if they actually made a strong argument for TRUTH!
LBVS!
Hell, we can’t even do that on so-called Black networks! SMH!
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December 26, 2016 at 6:23 pm
Agreed! Its like the minstrel shows – black folks can make quick little arguments about freedom but only if they are caricatured or made into a cartoon somehow. And you are spot on: so-called black networks (I am glad you use the ‘so-called’) make the same arguments with a different representative. There is no way black folks can get up on TV and talk that real shit unless they are dismissed as a joke, or violent. As NaS said “they monopolize and use your views, and the channels you choose, propaganda, visual cancer ….. they own YouTube, and MySpace … when this ignorant shit gon stop!”?
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December 26, 2016 at 6:25 pm
AMEN!!!
And you already know that Lady G calls it like she sees it! LOL!
and NaS? YAAAAASSSSS!
LOL!!!
Take care Bro! I’ll talk to you later!
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December 26, 2016 at 5:32 pm
Quote: “…the problem is not simply who owns the businesses, but the way those businesses are organized. Capitalism with a black face does not ameliorate or resolve the fact of exploitation – it exacerbates the matter.”
The problem is capitalism, as you state, not who owns the business. We’ve seem similar exploitation of established immigrants towards new immigrants from the home country. Quite often the exploitation is worse because the exploiters know the people they exploit, they know which buttons of fear and insecurity to push to get the maximum results.
Yes, an entirely new system is needed, one transcending race, gender, nationality, language, etc. A truly just system. The problem is, the “human” race does not possess the mindset that would support true justice. The human race itself is a failed race, from a global perspective. Too negative a view? I’m still waiting for someone to prove me wrong; to show me I’m wrong in how I see the big picture. I’m way past the age for wishful thinking.
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December 26, 2016 at 6:52 pm
Great perspective as always Sha’Tara! You make a great point about how in-depth knowledge and similar racial/ethnic backgrounds are used to maximize profits. Its even more dangerous, right? Because now people of color are being dressed up and put on display as if THAT is what we should be emulating – even though the system itself is corrupt. The slave master always puts the “good” slaves on display to keep the masses in check.
As for proving you wrong about the human race itself being a failed race from a global perspective – I await someone to prove that vantage point wrong as well. I don’t think its too negative – I think it is realistic. We have all heard the myth of Midas – everything he touched turned to gold. Well, humans have the exact opposite effect: everything we touch is destroyed, and everywhere we go we end up raping, murdering, enslaving, etc. We need to completely re-think our way of being in the world so that our perspective is truly just.
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December 26, 2016 at 8:19 pm
On the point of the slave owner putting the “good” slave in the window as an example, has there ever been a greater example of the truth of what you say than Barack Obama? A complete corporate shill and war-monger of the highest order… but he got a Nobel peace prize. It should have come with a chain necklace holding the sign: “Award for Best Slave of the Decade”
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December 26, 2016 at 8:25 pm
Great point about Obama. See, capitalists do not even bother to switch up methods of controlling the population. They have been implementing the advice from the same “How To” guide for hundreds of years. And we still take the bait. As his term comes to a close, Obama is worried about his legacy. His legacy is the fact that 95% of the jobs created in his administration were part-time or contract labor; his legacy is the fact that millions of people are still without affordable insurance; his legacy is the fact that he deported more people than any other president; his legacy is the war-torn Middle East. He is a slave to those who allowed him to tap dance on stage for 8 years; and most people are slaves to the propaganda that he reads off his teleprompter.
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December 26, 2016 at 6:53 pm
Great insight from Lady G hahahahaha. Yea I think if you look at us getting back to our roots will help out alot. Unfortunately it’s an uphill battle. Today is the first day of Kwanzaa as you mentioned but alot of us don’t care. I care but it’s sad that we know more about other cultures celebrations than we do ours. Sad but true.
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December 26, 2016 at 6:59 pm
Very true! Truth be told: I did not learn about capitalism in school. The education system has strategic silences around stuff that truly matters: economics and politics, right? There were no civics classes in K-12. Its a shame.
And we seem to know more about other cultures for the sake of commodifying them. We take other cultures seriously as long as they are “cool” and detached from social implications.
I agree: it is an uphill battle. I can dig the idea of a “Black Wealth Bootcamp” (Boyce Watkins) at some level – but at what point do we realize that the system is flawed by design? And can we imagine another design? Black businesses are a bit like re-arranging chairs on the deck of the Titanic.
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December 26, 2016 at 7:05 pm
Great analogy it’s like Dr. Claud Anderson said about the Democratic party. Exactly. I honestly feel that we have to go through an exodus of just everything. It’s hard because as a human you want everyone to get along, but everyone has benefitted of the backs of Blacks except for Blacks. There’s an article I was reading about black families in the south homeschooling their children and I was amazed. They don’t watch TV nor interact too much with the Internet. You think that’s a start?
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December 26, 2016 at 7:17 pm
“Everyone has benefited on the backs of blacks except for blacks”! Great way of putting it! So true!
I feel you about the exodus of everything. I think that black nationalism – the idea that we should own and control our political, economic, and social destinies – might be a necessary start. We need to rid ourselves of the teachings of this civilization. But at the same time, we are confronted with a contradiction: we still need to feed ourselves and our families. So even though we are trying to rid ourselves of the system, we are still having to depend on it, while teaching the need to move beyond it. You feel me? This seems to be a huge stumbling block. I think Dr. Watkins has a good handle on this stuff, but black owned businesses should not be THE goal. At most, it should be used as a transitional stage to make ends meet and raise consciousness for a little bit. But he seems to be arguing that this is the goal … in general.
Homeschooling children sounds like a good idea – as schools brainwash the kids, as you know. But there are two sides to that coin: how will children learn to socialize with other children? Granted: schools are indoctrination centers but they, somehow, have a shred of community that is necessary. So my only issue with homeschooling would be that the children are confined to the home – and may, as a result, grow to be isolated. Do you think it would be a good idea to homeschool AND make sure that the children somehow meet up with other children at the recreation center, the Boys n Girls Club, the YMCA, etc – to make sure they don’t miss out on that community aspect?
As for TVs and the Internet, the phrase “everything in moderation” comes to mind. Do you know of the effects of this kind of exodus? Very interesting, I would like to hear more about it..
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December 26, 2016 at 7:46 pm
If I could do it over,I would of homeschooling my children. Kids are social creatures by nature so I wouldn’t be to worried about children becoming anti social. Yes in that article the parents and teachers go to the zoo and parks once a week and interact with other kids. I think Boyce Watkins is on the right path even if I disagree with some of his lectures and philosophies but getting our money recycled in the black community is a start. Yes we as black people are faced with the “keeping it real” vs paying the bills dilemma but honestly, alot of it can be fixed. That’s where reconnecting with our roots comes into play and dare I say it becoming a minimalist. I’ve dated women from Kenya, Tanzania, and Nigeria, and they were all shocked at how we African Americans interact with each other. Part of that is because growing up black in America, you’re already at a huge disadvantage than anyone else. But we don’t want to do hard work anymore. Complaining is at an all time high in our community. We are seeking leaders but don’t want to lead. Blogs like this is very helpful because they provide a blueprint of how we can do it, but a lot of us don’t want to do anything.
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December 26, 2016 at 8:04 pm
I feel you! Thanks for the insight bro! I know of three people (they are white and siblings) who were homeschooled. I always thought it was weird as a kid, but they interacted with other kids frequently, and today, they are well-adapted. The greater wisdom seems to be that we need to take a more actional approach to education and not relying on the State.
Thanks for saying the blog is helpful. Why do you say we don’t wanna do hard work anymore? Are the complaints justified or no? What do you propose as good first steps or a long term plan to the issues confronting us?
I dig what you say about seeking black leaders. Reminds me of Nas song “Black Zombies” where he says “fuck black leaders because whites ain’t got none leading them, the rhythm is cosmic..”. Do you agree or disagree with Nas, that we do not need black leaders – a movement can be more spontaneous?
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December 26, 2016 at 11:15 pm
A lot of us do not want to out work others. A lot of us play into the “Lazy Negro” stereotype. The “Well I’m black so you know” mantra. I always say that we should be a credit to our race and pay it forward, instead of being a debt to our race and making us work harder. How many of us do not read nor care about their ancestry? I hold our people to high standards so I’m at a point where I feel like there’s no excuses. I’m all for helping each other 100%, but I’m not for people being lazy. The complaints are case by case and are subjective. Who is stopping us from going to the Library and reading about Langston Hughes? Or who is stopping us from buying black owned products who REINVEST into their communities? Everyone is happy when their race succeeds but us. And succession to me means that you are able to pass down your business or business philosophies to the next of kin, or next generation. A good longterm plan is honestly we have to detox ourselves of western philosophies. We have to get back to our barter systems. Filipinos do it, Chinese do it, the Jews do it, russians, mexicans etc. We have to see our money exchange black hands. Protest not only police brutality, but protest the fact of it being a Popeyes chicken, mcdonalds, liquor stores, etc in our communities. I would love to look at my PPO network and see black doctors. Or go to get my oil changed by black mechanics. Or have black lawyers in the neighborhood. The problem with what I’m saying is trust. Imagine, how many of us have been swindled by our own kind? There is always fear when change is knocking at the door. Yes, I agree with Nas’ black zombie song. I feel that the movement needs to be ancestral. Just do what our ancestors would do. Everyone is going to have a difference of opinion, but at the end of the day, we have to do what’s best for US and US only.
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December 27, 2016 at 1:24 am
I can dig it! That is a key point about black-owned businesses: are they re-investing in the community? We should definitely buy black. But I am more interested in where the products our brothers and sisters are selling to us came from to begin with. Whenever we look at the tag on a shirt, it says “Made In China” or another foreign land where there is an abysmal minimum wage, and no worker protections. Our cellphones and computers use coltan exploited from the Congo – a resource needed to make batteries. When black folks go into business and start profiting, do you think it is a problem that they are relying on foreign labor at dirt-cheap wages to make that profit possible? Should we condemn the ethics of “re-investment” in the black community if it is made possible by de-stabilizing other communities around the globe?
I agree that we should protest a lot more than police brutality. Police brutality is not THE problem – it is an outgrowth of the problem. It is the tip of the iceberg. We should be protesting, as you said, the fact that any ol’ body can come into black neighborhoods and open up shop, even though they do not invest in the black community.
Your point about trust is accurate. There is a researcher at Harvard named Nathan Nunn – and he did work on the levels of trust in the African nations that had the most slaves kidnapped. As you know, black folks “sold out” other black folks to the slave traders (this is how Henry Louis Gates would put it!). Nunn found that the nations where the most slaves were kidnapped, to this day, have lower levels of trust. I say that to say this: slavery still has an impact on us. In our desire to get our act straight, we behave in maladaptive ways, no doubt. But if you rob an entire people of their name, body, labor, language, land, religion, God, culture, and families for 400 years and then turn them loose in a distant place – it is going to be a disaster. We are still trying to undo the impact of slavery; and yet, we are still haunted by it. I see black people’s distrust of others and seeming inability to be happy for others as a symptom of the disease, not the disease itself, you know what I mean?
I feel you … black people need to get some money in their hands. Black capitalism might be a good idea to raise consciousness – as long as it does not become the ultimate be all, end all. That is what frightens me. We have to evolve beyond black businesses to a point where we no longer distribute goods based on race at all.
I think its easier for the Chinese and the Jewish to organize their businesses – simply because they are not black and are not confronted with so many barriers as we are. From our perspective, race-based economics seems to work, but that is only the case for non-black people. White folks accept Asians and Latinx faster than they do black folks (when it comes to residential areas, they are more likely to tolerate them moving into a neighborhood than black folks). Asians and Latinx are, to a degree, becoming incorporated into whiteness. Black folks are radically different and cannot be assimilated though. Even when we peep the statistics on black businesses – they are more likely to go out of business, and they do so faster. There is something that haunts the idea of black owned businesses: the ghost of slavery. During slavery, black folks did not own themselves, could not own property, and were treated as property. Is it possible to own and BE owned at the same time? Perhaps that is the problem: black folks are trying to own businesses when the entire world is based on the ownership and control OF blacks. It becomes a contradiction of sorts..
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December 26, 2016 at 8:14 pm
Regarding home schooling, and this has nothing to do with race, how about homeschooling parents creating a sort of impromptu “non-organized” organization, as in, parents joining forces, bringing their children together in homes (or where space is available, even parks on good days), rotating basis or whatever. Just a bit of organization that would help financially in a sharing of resources and would also allow the parents to share their own thoughts and ideas, and strengthen each other that way. Perhaps even allowing some parents to hold part-time jobs while their children are being safely home schooled. Collectivism without official overseeing in one of the most important aspects of living in a healthy society.
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December 26, 2016 at 8:21 pm
I like that idea! Children learn from other children, not just their parents or teachers. It would be good for the parents to be in solidarity with each other so as to ease up the pressure on individual parents. “It takes a village to raise a child”
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December 26, 2016 at 9:45 pm
I know of a few groups doing that here in the Atlanta area. I’m sure it’s a bit more difficult in less “Black” cities, but I believe there’s always a way if there’s a will.
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December 26, 2016 at 9:58 pm
That’s interesting!! You make a good point about unity as it relates to racial composition. I find that a lot of Neighborhood Crime Watch groups tend to be implemented in areas where everyone is the same: they are all “white”, working-class, etc. But whenever you have a “mixed race” area of black people, Latinx, and whites, organizations like this are harder to get off the ground – because people have different cultural norms around trust, children, etc.
Like you, I believe that where there is a will there is a way. We have to overcome the original fear that we experience when encountered by people who are different – and maybe a good way to do that is to interact with them more?
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December 26, 2016 at 11:11 pm
OK, call me jaded, and I am. I’m an ex Christian, raised Catholic, then become born again. I gave the institution much more than it was worth giving into. As an activist, we had Christian “socialists” marching with us, and attending our meetings. I found it interesting they were never the leaders, always in the background. I figured it out: we provided a means for them to ease their WASP consciences re: the tough teachings of Christ. They could be there, they could give a few $$$ to a cause but when I saw their real lives, their churches, their homes, that was the other side of the coin: established, comfortable and rich. Words were cheap. If they hid behind us, the didn’t lose their reputations in their churches and communities. Predictably nothing changed.
There’s the old truism about a box of apples. Imagine a box of apples. The top layer is nice, healthy apples, glowing under the light. You know that beneath that layer is several layers of rotten apples. So, do you say, no problem, the healthy ones will fix the rotten ones, and we need to rotten ones below to fill the box? Sorry, but one rotten apple rots the entire box. Even one apple with one blemish will do it, given a very short time.
Before we enter the gate after the exodus, we need to remember that three times in the biblical record the demiurge called “I Am” (Yahweh) did a cleansing of the people. One: Noah, and look how well that turned out. Two, the 40 years in the desert of Sinai (the land of Sin) to cleanse a people for his name, a perfect people that would remain untainted from “the world” in its promised land. Myths or not, there is a lesson to be learned from that. Do we just want a “revolution” with some changes that would put oppressed people nearer the top of the pyramid, or do we want something utterly new? I’m not even sure that something truly new, as in no blemished apples in the box, can be accomplished with Earthians at this level of mental evolution. The third great effort was Jesus and his disciples. From that we got Christianity; millions slaughtered, millions (yes, millions!) of innocent women and children burned alive at the stake, the Spanish Inquisition; the Crusades; the “endless” religious wars that decimated entire cities, and killed a third of the population of Germany. Whatever was Jesus’ real message, and however he presented it, it failed if its aim was to create a just world. But it wasn’t. It was a message of carrot on a stick, as always. “Slaves, obey your masters in all things.” was the end result through that Manchurian candidate, Paul of Tarsus. That was the legitimizing line used by slave owners, hence why it was so important to convert and baptize slaves quickly. Once they were Christians they were forced to obey… slick.
I know for a fact that any legitimizing of religion, or capitalistic enterprise will rot the new box of apples. You really are looking for something completely new, aren’t you?! I have a solution, but it’s so out there, so “pie-in-the-sky” that it seems pointless to even mention it. The problem with my solution is, it is entirely dependent upon choices made by individuals. There is not collective choice, only individual choice. Every individual must choose to walk that higher path of wisdom, understanding and always compassion. It’s an irrevocable choice, a life-long commitment to a life of service, that being the entire purpose of such a life. Then that individual becomes an example to others and perhaps those others emulate that example. There is no force, no preaching, no incentive, no exchange of power, no self-seeking beyond the desire to be more than “everything else” offers.
On an individual level, it can be done. It’s where I basically live now but it took a long time to get here. I always say, if someone like me, with a grade 12 education, a poor people upbringing, and a very ordinary life can discover this incredible freedom and live it, that leaves nobody out except by choice. That’s my dream for the world.
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December 27, 2016 at 12:47 am
Wow, you raise a good point about Christianity as it relates to social movements. Like you, I was raised Christian – Baptist to be precise. I come from a family of Sunday-school teachers, deacons, and preachers. I no longer attend church, though. The more I studied the condition of the low and downtrodden on this planet, the more I found that The Bible was being used to espouse sympathy for the oppressors. People were standing up in church to raise prayers for American soldiers in Iraq; but never once did they pray for the 1 million victims that were killed in Iraq and the 1 million people that have been displaced. Church ceremonies are, for the most part, exercises in patriotism. The Bible and the Constitution converge upon the oppressed. Christmas just passed and a lot of children believe in Santa Claus. The story of Santa is a control mechanism for children: keep them behaving so they can get rewards, etc. As they get older, they find out he is fake. “God” is Santa Claus for adults – but most never realize he is fake, too. (I would love to write about Camus’ notion of absurdity soon!)
A lot of churches are fraudulent. They collect tithes every Sunday – and then what happens to that money? They pay their expenses, and then the rest just sits in a bank account. Either that or the pastor is riding around in a Mercedes Benz … in the name of God. Churches should be using the money from that offering to be actional in the community: food drives, clothing donations, and hell – if Christianity is about “loving thy neighbor” – why not open the doors to the sanctuary and allow the homeless to sleep on the pews?! What would Jesus do?!!
I don’t think your proposed solution is problematic. Everything boils down to individual choice at the end of the day. We just need to make decisions in line with the advancement of the collective – and if a choice impacts the collective, every individual person should have a vote. What angers me about American politics is that we only get to vote every four years. We are given a ballot of pre-selected issues and choices, as if that qualifies as participation. We should be able to cast a vote on something meaningful every month or so.
My dream for the world is sort of in line with C.L.R James’ idea that “every cook can govern”. Too often we think that politics requires expertise and experience. To a degree, this is true in some areas. But this notion is very aristocratic insofar as such knowledge is off-limits to the masses (i.e. most politicians and judges are rich graduates from Ivy League schools). This means that our society will be run by the same people who think the same all the time! We need to create a society where pretty much anyone is capable of governing effectively – because the well-being of the masses is so common sense and there are no shady backroom deals and “special interests” that interfere with this. That’s one of my dreams for the world.
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December 27, 2016 at 2:15 am
With, or without God, keep those dreams. When it comes to “democracy” we’re on the same wavelength. I know you’re very busy, but if you can spare a few moments, check out my essay “Fake Democracy Today: Give me Slavery or give me Death” – just so I don’t have to repeat it here. You’ll see how much in step we are. Plus some ideas on implementation of real democracy too…
https://shatara46.wordpress.com/2016/12/21/fake-democracy-today-give-me-slavery-or-give-me-death/
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December 27, 2016 at 12:32 am
That reminds me of the episode of Martin when the white cop robbed several units in the building!
I agree that interacting more can create some level of trust. Sometimes our preconceptions are misconceptions and we unknowingly deny ourselves the benefits of getting to know certain people.
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December 26, 2016 at 8:46 pm
In the middle of this exchange, I have to say this: You, and the people who exchange ideas on this blog have such beautiful, open minds – this is a breath of fresh air over the world. Thank you.
Adding: when you speak of “movement” and “leadership” my experience is that any movement will automatically “demand” a sort of leadership. Only a fully self-empowered and committed compassionate being operating on a high-consciousness, awareness, and yes: self-sacrificial, level can operate positively in society without the need for leadership. The ideal would be to choose someone who demonstrates to some acceptable degree, the above attributes to gently provide leadership while the people within the movement come to grips with the concept of democracy where everybody is expected to hold equal power and responsibility.
This has never been done before, that I know of, so this would be your “new” following the exodus from the old patriarchal, heavily WASP, capitalistic, hegemonic, oppressive Matrix system. Black people of America are the best placed and most likely to bring about such a thing because of their disenfranchisement and deliberate oppression from a society that has used and abused them for its own profit and pleasure. They would be the ones who could see this taking place. They would have to do it as a movement, and remain basically oblivious to whatever taunts the System would surely throw at them as they move towards their freedom. They would have to be made aware of the powerful antagonism and disinformation that would dog them every step of the way. For many there would also be economic and social standing losses.
On the exodus: have you considered, made a mental list, of the aspects of the capitalistic system that would have to be completely scrubbed from the new mentality? I can see some very serious, difficult choices. For example, all vestiges of Christianity or Islam, better yet all organized religions, have to be cleansed from everybody’s mindset: they could not enter “the promised land” so to speak. Uncle Sam’s military will no longer see a single black face. After that the choices become more fluid but must continue to flow towards the exit, the exodus, freedom.
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December 26, 2016 at 9:48 pm
Sha’Tara – thank you for contributing your astute thoughts on my blogs! I am glad you, other readers, and I are able to have these open-minded discussions.
I agree: a movement needs leadership. I like Lenin’s notion of a vanguard of professional revolutionaries who can do more of the heavy-lifting, so to speak, that is required. Everyone may not be able or willing to devote their time/energy to changing the wretched conditions we are in – so there needs to be leadership. Anarchists are suspicious of the idea of vanguard leadership – as they believe these leaders will become the next ruling class (i.e. the French Revolution was lead by capitalists – so we have to be aware of the pitfalls).
You make a great point about black people in America being the group most capable of bringing about change. I could not agree more! I was making a similar argument to a friend – who rejected it on the grounds that I was playing the “Oppression Olympics”. When you change a system, you have to start from the bottom: and black folks are undoubtedly at the bottom. Those who are not black can still “think” black: meaning they can align themselves with the demands of black people, which is a demand for a new world in its entirety – benefiting everyone in turn.
I like your point about religion. Marx’s declaration that “religion is the opium of the masses” is accurate – it exists because people are exploited and alienated. The first banks were run by priests – as religion has always been used in the service of economic oppression. The entire story of heaven is based on Nietzsche’s idea of the “slave morality” : we are taught that we cannot experience heaven until after we die. This is a perfect alibi for exploitative masters who want to keep their slaves content: tell them they will get milk and honey, if they stay patient and obedient. Its non-sense.
At the same time, though, do you think that religion has SOME revolutionary potential? For instance, Nat Turner – the slave who rebelled in 1831 and killed a bunch of white slave masters – was a Christian. He rebelled because he read the Bible and saw the passages about freedom and the condemnation of slavery within it. Dr. King was a Christian; and Malcolm X was a Muslim. Do you think religion CAN help, to some degree, if the word of Jesus can be radicalized, for instance (i.e. the idea that he fed the multitudes because he was a socialist, etc)?
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December 26, 2016 at 9:53 pm
Just to add to the greatness that has been written by you + your commenters, we need to get back to bartering as well, especially if/when we go the small business route. I watch your kids, you let me pick apples from your tree. Trade a lawn cutting for homemade almond milk or whatever. I’m all about that cake you said we need to bake! Imagine if you could check off your grocery list by bartering with neighbors!
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December 26, 2016 at 10:07 pm
Hehe, thanks Kelley!
“I watch your kids, you let me pick apples from your tree”. I love this! The idea of bartering is wonderful. We are taught that money is the universal equivalent, but we need to move away from this towards a new one. Perhaps our new medium of exchange should be love and loyalty. I will watch your kids in exchange for apples from your tree – and because I love you and I am loyal to you. You give me apples from your tree because you love me and am loyal to me. All this nonsense about “personal responsibility” needs to go out the window. Our economy should not be based on an abstract set of skills like typing in mindless codes into a computer. We ALL have skills to offer our community: as you said, babysitting should count as labor and be valued as a contribution to the advancement of the collective.
Greatttt point!! Thanks Kelley for fleshing some of the ingredients we’ll need for that cake!
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December 27, 2016 at 12:41 am
Thank YOU!
I love love love the love + loyalty exchange program. I barter art and baked goods sometimes, but that ain’t enough! I want to make it a lifestyle.
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December 27, 2016 at 1:31 am
That is awesome! Now I want to study bartering more in-depth! This should be a lifestyle, I agree!
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December 27, 2016 at 2:10 am
Quote: ” I barter art and baked goods sometimes, but that ain’t enough! I want to make it a lifestyle.” So beautifully expressed. …and you will, because you want to and it’s right.
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December 28, 2016 at 9:48 am
I try to be the person I want to become… and meet. If that makes sense?
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December 28, 2016 at 1:35 pm
Makes total sense to me. It’s the path I’m on also and it is taking me where I want to go. I want to be certain that when I die, the person I meet as me is someone I can like.
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December 27, 2016 at 3:15 pm
Oh oh oh so I don’t get credit for saying that Ms. Suede? I wants my credits. HahahahahahahahahahHahaha. Yes I am petty. Sorry brotha Daryl I had to do it. Ms. Suede made a great point, but I was being salty. Hahahahahaha. #tareauisabigassbaby
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December 28, 2016 at 8:26 pm
Ha! Clearly
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December 27, 2016 at 12:17 pm
This is a very good article. Honestly, as many times as I’ve heard the word Capitalism. I didn’t understand what it was, until today – thanks! and these comments are poppin too lol. One thing I would like to say though…. I think the title “Lazy Negro” is somewhat of a false narrative. Many Blacks are simply burnt out and I think that is a real thing. I’m 29 and I feel completely burnt out from the mental, emotional, social and economic stress that comes from being a Black woman in American from a dirt poor family (so poor that there was no budget, we survived off of free programs mostly because my mom had 7 daughters & 1 job) with no men in it. Mentally many blacks are “fried.” We haven’t dealt with the results of whitewashing and “abuse”. Biologically I believe we are strongest and most intelligent but that cant go far if the mind is shut down.
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December 27, 2016 at 1:30 pm
Thank you! I am glad you learned some of the basics about capitalism from this piece. When I was in college, it annoyed me how professors would use terms as if everyone knew what they were referring to. I had to find out what capitalism was on my own time, unfortunately. So I think writing should be to express thoughts and also explain the terms we are using and why they are important. =D
I agree: the “lazy Negro” narrative is a false one. On the surface of it, the claim is ridiculous. If blacks were so lazy, why were they enslaved for 400 years? If anything, we could argue (not that we should) that white folks are lazy! The stereotype is a projection: white folks feel guilty about making black people do ALL the work so they flip the script and blame the victim.
It is absurd to say black folks are lazy because there aren’t even enough jobs to go around for everyone. Black folks are most likely to be unemployed. So if there are no jobs to work at, we cannot condemn black folks for being lazy!
Every time we turn around jobs are getting shipped overseas, being automated by computers, or being turned into only part-time gigs. Sounds like American businesses are pretty lazy!
You make a good point about black folks being fried/ burnt out. That’s real talk! I feel you 100% about being fatigued at your young age. Thing is, in response to your statement about how you’ve had it and have it rough, people will hit you with the “angry black woman” narrative. I am sure you’ve heard it: they point to a poor black woman who maybe has a couple of kids .. and remark about her temper being off the charts. But they don’t know what its like BEING a poor black woman in a rich white man’s world. Screwed in so many directions. Of course she is tired. Of course she is angry: everyone is testing her and dismissing her and threatening her livelihood. It’s a defense mechanism developed in response to, as you said, the “whitewashing and abuse”. But they make it seem like the anger or fatigue is unjustified. I hope for a world where we are not constantly under siege and stressed all the time.
I agree that black folks are strong, most definitely. The poet, Audre Lorde, said “we were never meant to survive”. We were put in the holes of ships and then once they were done with us, they wanted us gone. They still do. They got us begging for food stamps, getting locked up and shot up every day. But you know what, we are STILL here, still fighting. THAT says something powerful about the persistence of blackness and our will to survive, under any condition. But we have to take care of ourselves, mentally, in the midst of the battle.
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December 27, 2016 at 2:07 pm
All so VERY true, I truly believe White America is lazy – only using effort to make sure they can remain lazy.
The angry black woman {sigh}. I’ve never had anyone say that to me directly but I’m very sure the assumption has been made even though my demeanor is not even close to “angry.” But even if I had the slightest aggression in my personality…. I would be viewed as nothing at all smh. The fatigue is REAL and the further you are from being a rich white man, the more you feel it. I been fighting all my life 😉
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December 27, 2016 at 2:14 pm
That was a fire summation: “White America is lazy – only using effort to make sure they can remain lazy”. That is the entire history of the New World in one sentence right there! Cut straight to the chase, forget the textbooks … THAT’s pretty much it! lol
Yes, what you say about fatigue and fighting reminds of that J. Cole song called ‘Love Yourz’ : “there’s beauty in the struggle, ugliness in the success”.
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December 27, 2016 at 3:03 pm
Yes, it has to go beyond – above – mere survival. You are very good at survival against terrible odds, that is obvious, but now the system has to change, or it has to be by-passed. If it isn’t it will keep you in bondage to itself. Can a new system be established without violence? Only if “they” will let you. Should there be the “establishment” of a black nation within the US? That would require two things: a collapse of the existing establishment, of the union, causing a temporary power vacuum and an incredible, sudden unity awareness among blacks right across the nation.
On a more practical side, ideally the existing structure would simply allow you to blend in without reference to race or skin tone, putting you on a level playing field. I think it safe to assume that is not going to happen. Humans are competitive and predatory by nature. The problem with black folks as I see it (from a distance, and from reading) is you do not possess that innate “evil” murderous nature that has driven Europeans to conquer the world. You do not have that same love of killing and mayhem that characterizes Europeans in particular. You are up against a racial/religious/police/economic built-in psychopathy. Racism, like misogyny, is utterly unreasonable, and you cannot reason with unreasonableness. Even those whites who claim they “don’t see colour” are living in denial, struggling against their own nature. So, do you continue struggling for survival, or do you opt for revolution: for equality in an inequitable regime, or for total independence with our own nation? Does anybody have a better concept to offer for real change? ***These are only thoughts… from a European born, white, Canadian citizen who wishes to live in a just world, under a just system.
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December 27, 2016 at 3:31 pm
Some good questions here: “can a new system be established without violence?” I wonder to which degree the violence/non-violence dichotomy as it relates to social movements and activism is obsolete. There is wisdom to your idea that human beings are violent by nature. Freud agrees with this – and he argues that the purpose of civilization is to put those violent urges “in check”. He points out, though, that civilization simply replaces individual violence with collective violence (i.e. the police, the armed forces). So in a sense, we would need to expand our current definition of violence. The only difference between a thug who kills people on the corner and a police officer is that the latter has legitimacy. They are both gangsters who murder – but the State has a monopoly on the legitimate uses of violence. That is one way to come at it.
Another way to come at it is this: violence is not simply our actions, but our being. This is a nation by white people and for white people. Black people violate the psyche and physical integrity of white people. Black existence IS violence – our birth is a felony and our continued existence is a capital offense. We do not need to “do” anything to commit violence – it has already been done. Rousseau or Locke (I forget which one) talked about humans being born as a tableau rassa (blank slate) … this is true for everyone except blacks. Blacks are born guilty.
In a world like that, it is impossible to be non-violent. Black folks are violent even if their activism is in line with Ghandi’s idea of civil disobedience. So when we discuss violence, we have to be mindful of the political ontology of blackness as it relates to the symbolic economy of the nation. No matter what blacks do, it will be called violent – so we might as well act violently in the service of freedom.
The idea of a black nation that is separate within the US sounds good – but there are severe limitations. Malcolm X, via the Nation of Islam, talked about black people should be given the states of Mississippi and Alabama – which are complete wastelands. Not to mention the fact that there is already a black nation within this nation: the ghettos! Ghettos are cities within cities – segregated and quarantined. In a sense, the idea of having a black nation within this nation overlooks the fact that this is ALREADY the case.
Good question about struggling for survival vs revolution. As you said in a previous comment a few weeks ago, the system is collapsing of its own accord. Work is becoming more precarious, and people are starting to wake up and realize that this should not be the case. The more angry people become, the more they realize that they have nothing to lose by revolting. There is not a revolution because people are afraid and feel they still have a “stake” in the system. They do not want to bite the hand that feeds them. But as survival becomes more and more difficult, we realize “give me slavery or give me death” necessitates the corollary that “slavery IS death” and since you are going to die anyway, at least die on your own terms fighting your enslavement. But it will take a while to get there..
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January 3, 2017 at 9:54 pm
Very clear and cogent argument, thank you! And your deployment of the “pie” metaphor at the end? LOVE!
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January 3, 2017 at 10:09 pm
Thank you for reading and for the positive feedback! 😀 Happy New Year!
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January 8, 2017 at 4:14 am
Reblogged this on Asian Pacific Times.
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January 8, 2017 at 4:20 am
Thank you!
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January 9, 2017 at 1:00 am
You are welcome 👍👍
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January 22, 2017 at 1:59 pm
Because most people of color, usually have a history of poverty in their family line, as other races do as well. This is the determining factor of being underprivileged or lacking support and knowledge that is more prevalent in the white race. This is why I have a problem with the “help” that is given the poor, usually minorities that give enough to sustain but little to encourage them to succeed in life. Now that I’m older I believe it’s set up for this very reason. To keep some people down, while appearing to help.
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January 23, 2017 at 7:48 am
I agree with you. The economy is set up to keep people down, but at the same time – it proposes solutions that will only perpetuate the problem. Starting your own business, at best, solves the problem of poverty for the manager (most businesses close down in the first few years, especially if you are a person of color). So we have to think outside of this frame in entirety!
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February 13, 2017 at 12:11 pm
The only way for complete freedom would be a mass exodus or the fall of capitalism itself. I don’t see neither of those options happening anytime soon. Another point to be made about black businesses still being a part of the system, is that the very dollar we work toward/ for is the dollar of oppression. You are still working to get a piece of paper with a “white” man’s face on it. This post was on point as usual and here is a short poem that I wrote a while back to reiterate your points 25blackandalive.com/american-dreamin/.
Keep waking the people up brother!
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February 13, 2017 at 1:14 pm
Thanks for tuning in my Brother! You are absolutely right: black businesses are still a part of the system. I am sure you are familiar with the Nation of Islam. For decades, people have been saying that Minister Farrakhan is a racist in reverse. I do not necessarily think so. The agenda of “black nationalism” (the idea that we should control the politics, economics, and social institutions in our own community) is basically a battle for black capitalism. To the extent that we advocate for black businesses, we are doing the same exact thing white folks have done and are doing: exploiting the rest of the world. I mean — I have seen “black businesses” that sell T-shirts with images of Africa on the front. But then, when you look at the tag on the collar, it says “Made in China” or some other country. This isn’t cool – a lot of times, we are using all of that black power talk to hide the fact that we are destroying our brothers and sisters overseas (and here, as well) to make our money. We need a new way of doing economics altogether.
I liked your poem, bro, I recommend everyone else check it out, as well!
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February 14, 2017 at 12:50 am
I agree with everything that you just said. My question to you is how do we build an egalitarian society? We are all equal but then we are all different. Some better than others at certain things and vice versa. We live with a quantitative thought process. How do you make things equal when for instance if I work harder than you and know that I work harder than you. Naturally I would want the quality to be showed by the quantity in which I am paid. There would also have to be a major shift in the way that people thought. Capitalism has already dug itself deep into our hearts, minds and souls. Thanks for checking out the poem as well.
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February 14, 2017 at 1:35 am
Hey Brother Cliff! Great question – this has been the concern of activists and scholars for ages now. You are right: in the abstract, we are equal, but in reality, we are different. We all have different skills and talents to offer. Nature endows some people with the faster thought/action than others.
I think that the best path toward an egalitarian society is socialism. The first thing we must do is realize that capitalism is inhumane and does not work for the masses of people. The resources needed for everyone to survive, the “means of production” (land, raw products, factories) are controlled by a small group of people at the top of the pyramid. The only way we can be free is if we, the masses of people, seize those means of production and use them to benefit everyone, not just a few.
A lot of people think that socialism encourages laziness. The opposite is true. Capitalism encourages laziness because it is all about making money off other people’s labor (bosses pimp us). Socialism, on the other hand, follows the principle “each according to their work”. This means that you survive only as much as you work. If you do not work, you do not eat. This is the opposite of capitalism where bosses, who do NOT work, are able to eat, while those who do work cannot afford the food. And of course, we should provide for the young, old, and disabled because they can’t work.
This will, as you said, require a change in thinking. Does this make sense?
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February 14, 2017 at 1:39 am
It makes sense, but I have to ask. Where will people work? Who controls whether or not the non-working person eats? The days of farming and mass agriculture are gone.
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February 14, 2017 at 1:53 am
Great questions. At the moment, the economy has no plan. People have needs for food, water, and shelter – but the economy is not organized in a way that directly meets these needs. The economy is designed to make profit for a few people, not to satisfy the human needs of the masses. So, we need to have a central and “planned economy” : one where everyone goes to work with human needs in mind. The government (which is now controlled by The People, not capitalists) will calculate and orchestrate different industries. For instance, lets say you live in a state with 1 million people. This means that there needs to be 1 million pieces of bread produced every day for food to feed everyone. X-amount of people can work in the food industry. The same goes for other industries. Production will no longer be private (working for a boss), it will be social (working for everyone).
The government will determine how much the non-working person receives.
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February 14, 2017 at 6:55 pm
I completely understand what you are saying. And it sounds great in theory and would be nice to see it actually lived out, but in the end it will fail like everything else does. Because someone will end up being the head. The head will end up becoming greedy and corruption will settle in. Plus humans aren’t monotamous beings. Nonetheless I am all for working towards something that works for everyone. I am bringing up scenarios that will have to be watched for.
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February 14, 2017 at 7:00 pm
I agree. That has been the case, and it is something to watch out for, most definitely.
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