The title of this post is based on a hashtag used by folks wanting to destroy capitalism. Even though I have never used the hashtag, I recognize that capitalism has been, is now, and always will be an engine of oppression. I further realize that the destruction of capitalism is necessary for America to even think about addressing issues of equity, police brutality, ableism, racism, poverty, a lack of health care, a healthy environment, and all the things where America has led the world to failure.
The point of this post is this: as long as three people have as much wealth as the poorest 50 percent, all the things that must change, won’t.
Real systemic reform cannot happen until America stops dedicating way too many of its resources toward policing the American people and waging wars of exploitation and plunder abroad. But too often we forget about the war that must be waged on personal wealth and the accumulation of property.
While we talk about policing and the military, we should be as strong in our commitment to the following ideals:
- The existence of billionaires is immoral
- Wages should be taxed at a lower rate than capital
Generational transfers of extreme wealth should be heavily taxed
Corporations should never pay less taxes than people
Until we achieve some of the above, the wealthy and the corporate masters will always justify why our government can’t provide us with basic services. Meanwhile, our government will continue dedicating most of its effort and pledging most of its resources to them.
Fighting over tax reform isn’t sexy. But fighting over tax reform is the only way to have a chance at reducing ableism, classism, racism, sexism, guaranteeing health care, and cleaning up our toxic air and water.
In short, the first social justice war should be against capitalism. Sure, the wealthy and the corporate masters will use sexism, racism, ableism, agism, and the like to try continuing to keep us from waging war on capitalism. But if we don’t accept that the war on capitalism is the starting point, they will never let us fund everything we know must be funded because the capitalist benefit from a racist, sexist, agist, ableist society.