Our Structure

In my limited experience on this earth, I have yet to encounter very many truly bad people. I’ve seen people do bad things, but as Ezra Klein said, many people do bad things in the context of thinking they’re doing good. We look at the individuals but the real problem is the structures they’re working in. This also connects to my point earlier, that we are all born into structures, and we have to apply our values and ideals to them to maximize our human energy.

When the banks, government, and corporations conspired to raid the Occupy Wall Street protests, I’m sure well-meaning people in lower ranks were just doing their jobs. They can’t risk being fired for refusing, or might not even know what they’re doing. It’s the people on the top that made the deliberate decision-- likely in the name of profit and power. They could be seen as bad actors, or they could be seen as also acting within the capitalist structure and trying to optimize their place, thus, perpetuating the system.

I believe the best way to help is through changing the structures. My best guess at this is Socialism, or any other movement rooted in love and power to the people. “All About Love” by bell hooks advocates for love as the basis for our society, as opposed to capitalism and the patriarchy. It asks questions such as if love was the goal of our society, how would our work, our economy, and our politics be different? I see a world as follows:

• UBI: Everyone can receive a living income from the government, no strings attached

  • This would promote everything from art to ethical actions in the workplace

  • However, I am concerned about how UBI affects human energy. That is why I think there also needs to be the option for meaningful work 

• Unified Progressive Movement: I see a world with a unified progressive movement. Where workers rights, class, gender, racial issues are all seen as one united front.

  • Occupy Wall Street failed because it didn’t center black and brown voices. It was colorblind and treated it as an economic fight. When white people have a cold, black people have the flu. Fight the flu.

• Higher taxes on the wealthy to pay for: universal healthcare, schooling, and public housing. Because if these basic needs are not met, it’s more difficult for people to create human energy. 

I see this as a swing from capitalism to socialism. I recognize that capitalism is useful for a culture to thrive-- it allowed us to create wealth, solve diseases, and end hunger in many parts of the country and world. It was a necessary step to get to where we are today, but now, it’s gone too far, and is no longer useful for the masses. A shift to a more socialist structure, or capitalism with heavy checks and regulations on business, would lead to more human energy for more people.