Wow, this really hit. It has long felt like the top 10% (3٪ - 1٪?) use the rest of us until we're thin as an old tshirt to build excessive wealth which shields them from the raggedy masses they created. Now legislators are threatening our social security, the one meager thing to show for a lifetime of servitude if you're unlucky enough to never have access or ability to pay into a 401k (not mentioning the floated ideas of removing guardrails from those). I long for a solution that won't eat at my conscience.
In theory, you are free to sell your labor in exchange for food, clothing, shelter and other goods and services. In theory, you are free to negotiate the price of your labor. In actuality, you can only negotiate fairly among your peers of wealth and power comparable to your own.
As an individual, you have zero power to negotiate with someone who asymmetrically greater power and information than you do. As an individual member of a powerful union, you have greater power to negotiate.
Similarly in society, as an individual, you have little power. As an active member of an organized political party, clan or tribe, you have collective voting power, including power to regulate or overthrow capitalism as it has been practiced for the past several centuries.
I have several working-class associates who have emigrated to other countries to escape US Capitalism. Most of them pursued their careers in socialist-leaning countries, with modest success and have no desire to return to the USA.
Bear in mind that the USA was founded by capitalists who employed genocide, slavery and indentured servitude to exploit the natural resources of North, Central and South America.
To minimize confusion, I left out mentioning the Monroe Doctrine. I don’t know if DJ Trump has mentioned it, but the Monroe Doctrine is the longstanding US claim to Greenland and Canada, along with Mexico and all land southward to Antarctica.
US corporations have surreptitiously “invaded” all of those lands, and the US armed forces have military bases in most of them, including the “enemy” country of Cuba.
Yes I must manipulate capitalism as long as I live in the financial system. Many socialists are merely academics. They write “about.” Many of us are socialist workers. We work shitty jobs, live in underprivileged communities, and use our privilege and education to assist, not lead, the working class. How do I maintain integrity in a capitalist system? I live according to socialist principles and values. My relationships are not transactional. I don’t seek to profit from someone’s poverty. I seek to work with them. I don’t feel defeated because the revolution hasn’t arrived in my lifetime. I feel proud and grateful to have worked beside socialist workers who stand on principle and fight to defend our fellow workers. We don’t feel defeated or sullied by the experience because we did the right thing, we lived up to our principles in all our affairs. Capitalism is just another river to cross. You can do it too.
Thanks to this broken system I worked myself almost to death at an early age and now have multiple chronic, debilitating illnesses from the chronic daily stress of the system AKA the rat race and traumas from life in general and I now cannot hold down a job to make enough money to keep my head or others above water and I have to rely on the care of others to help me just to have my basic needs met. Your words are so true and correct and it's sad that the system is set up that way!
Wow, this really hit. It has long felt like the top 10% (3٪ - 1٪?) use the rest of us until we're thin as an old tshirt to build excessive wealth which shields them from the raggedy masses they created. Now legislators are threatening our social security, the one meager thing to show for a lifetime of servitude if you're unlucky enough to never have access or ability to pay into a 401k (not mentioning the floated ideas of removing guardrails from those). I long for a solution that won't eat at my conscience.
In theory, you are free to sell your labor in exchange for food, clothing, shelter and other goods and services. In theory, you are free to negotiate the price of your labor. In actuality, you can only negotiate fairly among your peers of wealth and power comparable to your own.
As an individual, you have zero power to negotiate with someone who asymmetrically greater power and information than you do. As an individual member of a powerful union, you have greater power to negotiate.
Similarly in society, as an individual, you have little power. As an active member of an organized political party, clan or tribe, you have collective voting power, including power to regulate or overthrow capitalism as it has been practiced for the past several centuries.
I have several working-class associates who have emigrated to other countries to escape US Capitalism. Most of them pursued their careers in socialist-leaning countries, with modest success and have no desire to return to the USA.
Bear in mind that the USA was founded by capitalists who employed genocide, slavery and indentured servitude to exploit the natural resources of North, Central and South America.
I like how you brought it home at the end there.
To minimize confusion, I left out mentioning the Monroe Doctrine. I don’t know if DJ Trump has mentioned it, but the Monroe Doctrine is the longstanding US claim to Greenland and Canada, along with Mexico and all land southward to Antarctica.
US corporations have surreptitiously “invaded” all of those lands, and the US armed forces have military bases in most of them, including the “enemy” country of Cuba.
Yes I must manipulate capitalism as long as I live in the financial system. Many socialists are merely academics. They write “about.” Many of us are socialist workers. We work shitty jobs, live in underprivileged communities, and use our privilege and education to assist, not lead, the working class. How do I maintain integrity in a capitalist system? I live according to socialist principles and values. My relationships are not transactional. I don’t seek to profit from someone’s poverty. I seek to work with them. I don’t feel defeated because the revolution hasn’t arrived in my lifetime. I feel proud and grateful to have worked beside socialist workers who stand on principle and fight to defend our fellow workers. We don’t feel defeated or sullied by the experience because we did the right thing, we lived up to our principles in all our affairs. Capitalism is just another river to cross. You can do it too.
👏
Yet when we seek a level playing field we are “taking opportunities away from others”. Great article. Really resonates.
Thanks to this broken system I worked myself almost to death at an early age and now have multiple chronic, debilitating illnesses from the chronic daily stress of the system AKA the rat race and traumas from life in general and I now cannot hold down a job to make enough money to keep my head or others above water and I have to rely on the care of others to help me just to have my basic needs met. Your words are so true and correct and it's sad that the system is set up that way!