Liberation and Freedom vs. Capitalism: The Case for Imagining a Better World

“The goal of oppressors is to limit your imagination about what is possible without them, so you might never imagine more for yourself and the world you live in. Get curious about what it actually takes to make it happen. Then fight for it every day.”

- Ashley C. Ford, Educator, Author of the NYT bestselling book “Somebody’s Daughter: A Memoir”

What do you believe in? What do you fight for? Who do you fight for? Why do you fight for it? Can you imagine a better, brighter tomorrow? With what appears to be a global rise in populism and fascism, a hope-filled future as a concept can only seem like the plot of a feel-good drama. A novel reality that exists beyond our grasp. Experiencing a sense of worry or fear during these times is justifiable and understandable, though it is important to remember that an oppressor’s strength is often simulated, and that optic of strength often serves as a powerful tool for maintaining unchallenged control over an oppressed population. In our modern world, for that illusion to become borderless, there needs to be universal buy-in to a system that prioritizes the needs of the oppressor while continuing to build on the facade of strength: Capitalism.

What exactly is Capitalism? It is defined as ‘an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their use for the purpose of obtaining profit.’ This type of system relies on the existence of several key elements for it’s success:

1. The privatization of property

2. The prioritization of the need to maximize profits above all else

3. The investment of money or other financial assets to achieve increasing the initial asset’s monetary value as a financial return such as profit, rent, interest, royalties, or capital gains.

4. Competitive markets, or the practice of companies competing with each other in developing new products, services or technologies to bring consumers more diversity in the available goods or services.

5. Commodification, the process of turning inalienable, free or gifted things (objects, nature, ideas, personal information, people or animals) into an object for sale

6. The socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer where the worker sells their labor under a formal or informal employment contract.

7. The emphasis on innovation and economic growth.

In theory, some of these elements may not seem all too damaging. It is when these elements need to work in tandem with each other, however, that creates a way of life that not only prioritizes financial gain above the needs of humans and our planet, but ironically also perpetuates a self-destructive nature of that very system, making it susceptible to consuming itself.

For example, competitive markets set the stage for businesses to participate in good sportsmanship as they focus on serve the public (the consumers) with new ideas, addresses to existing pain points or improvements to outdated processes or products. However, for a market to be competitive, monopolies, where one person or business achieves significant power to set overly high prices due to the lack of economic competition (ex: tech or manufacturing conglomerates) nor oligopolies, where pricing is controlled by a few companies (ex: automobile manufacturing or telecommunication), can not exist. This consolidation of economic power due to the lack of viable competition means any entity operating under either of these categorizations, as long as they are working within the legal parameters, can choose to abide by set industry expectations and good faith business practices at their own discretion.

This is just one example of how fragile such a system can be and how easy it is for it to be weaponized against the needs of those who must survive under it. The unrelenting abuse and manipulation of those key elements by the capital class, or those who own the means of production, can only be rectified by implementing and upholding strict laws and regulations. Ideally, these boundaries and limitations on businesses and their practices would be proposed and voted on with the goal to make sure they are representative of the needs of all people, rather than majorly corporate interests. Imposing such confines upon this type of system involves practicing democracy, a governing system that requires equal representation and participation from those living in its society, but in an unfortunate plot twist, democracy in it’s truest form is unable to exist underneath or alongside a capitalist economy.

Capitalism & Democracy

A true democratic society is defined by “all people having broadly equal access to the necessary means to participate meaningfully in decisions about things that affect their lives”¹. This clashes with the operating principals of capitalism as in order to have equal representation in recognizing and adhering to the needs of those that make up the society, the economy must shift priority away from chasing financial gains and towards addressing the needs of the society’s people as well as planet. This means that the continuance of such an economic approach like capitalism, by principle, inhibits the ability for democracy, as a governing system, to fully thrive. Contrarily, for capitalism to exist, even in its most tame version, requires the general exploitation, disenfranchisement and destruction of that same society and it’s resources. We can see this type of societal abuse in many different forms: political extremism, climate destruction, war, poverty, housing crises, divisionism between identity groups or “culture war” othering, isolationism or the lack of human connection, resource depletion or tampering, abuse of working rights, public and mental health mismanagement or neglect, etc. These are some of the side effects that a society experiences due to having to live under an economic system that feeds off of oppression, and the longer it is allowed to fester, the more it becomes inevitable that the system consumes itself, taking the society with it.

A Dose of Hope

Above is a limited illustration of how existing and being manipulated by a system that requires some level of disregard or abuse of the needs of it’s participants can be tied to a known societal issue that we all can think of. While the intentionality of these side effects may not be the driving force for the capitalist class, to continue reaping the benefits of capitalism, they must be willing to continue feeding the insatiable beast by any means necessary.

So what does that mean for the average person? Well, in order to break free from the grasp of such a beast, one must indulge in the practice of hope and imagination. These two elements are necessary in the fight against any oppression because when you can conceptualize a clear goal, taking the steps to fight for it becomes much easier than if you were just to fight against a perceived injustice. Viewing these as skills to practice can become revolutionary acts in themselves because each one of us has the ability to experience them without needing outside approval. That being said, these skills can also be repackaged as gifts to others, creating an environment for collective unity and action.

On the journey to truly liberate ourselves, we must prioritize imagining a society where the basic requirements include all human needs must be met (food, clothing, shelter), the investment of progression of society by establishing equal and quality healthcare, education and employment are accessible without harmful caveats, investment in the repair of our planet’s resources and settling the reparations owed to facilitate global healing for the centuries worth of generational trauma imposed by this current failing system. If these requirements for a better society seem daunting, I challenge you to think about what problems or challenges exist in today’s society that may be acting as a blockade to this new reality? Imagine what solutions may move the needle to address these challenges and consider joining local organizations in your community who may be working towards those same goals?

---

¹ Erik Olin Wright. How to Be an Anticapitalist in the Twenty-First Century. Verso Books, 3 Sept. 2019.