GUEST ARTICLE: Socialism, A Love Story by Dakotah Lilly



Capitalism isn’t working and it never has. 

Correction, Capitalism isn’t working for 99% of people and it never has or will. A correction was needed because clearly some people are doing fabulously under capitalism. Hundreds of billionaires inhabit the United States including the worlds richest person; Bill Gates. 

Most people don’t interact or even see the capitalist class as they live in a different world, one free from anxiety over paying bills, choosing between the mortgage or medicine and the like. The reason these people live in a different reality, is because the rest of us do not. In order for there to be this privileged class, there must be an exploited class, i.e., the vast majority of the world. 

America is the richest nation on Earth, yet we send millions of children to bed hungry every night. 

America’s "great" cities are lined with corporate offices bearing names such as Raytheon, Boeing, and IBM: companies which make millions selling weaponry ensuring misery around the world. These offices are mere blocks away from the tattered slums filled with victims of this diseased (cy)stem. 

It should be clear: Capitalism is a system that has run its course, much like slavery and feudalism. The future however is optimistic and a new system is on its way to being established, that system is Socialism.

Oxfam recently released a study that hypothesized that by the year 2016, the worlds richest 1% will have more wealth than the bottom 99% combined. This again is a symptom of Capitalism: rampant inequality. This is inconsistent with the idea of Democracy, a concept we supposedly invade other nations to provide. 

It is impossible to have such inequality and still maintain a form of Democracy. Democracy is the voice of the people, but if you asked the average American, they would not be in favor of such draconian inequality. Danny Katch a comedian and writer for SocialistWorker.org made this stunning analogy, “Since a billion dollars is thirteen thousand times what the average American owns, a billionaire could give you thirteen thousand dollars to do that undesirable thing and it would cost him the equivalent of one dollar. By the same scale, for a hundred dollars, a billionaire can spend $1.3 million in regular people money, which can buy the support of both candidates in most Congressional races, or pay the salaries of a dozen people to promote his agenda in a think tank or bogus grassroots organization.”


If you ask the average American, many would say that Socialism is a good idea but they will also refute it by saying human beings are naturally too greedy, or that it never works in practice. This could not be farther from the truth. Humans are naturally co-operative beings and to suggest that exploiting each other for valueless paper is somehow embedded in our genes is ludicrous. Others may say that Capitalism is more “efficient”, but this too is a farce. Extracting rare materials to make phones and other frivolous items designed to break is not efficient. 


Look around, clearly there is work to be done in order to make the world more livable and prosperous, but the work is not being done because there is no profit in doing so. That is not efficient and not wise or moral. 

Critics also point to examples like China, or the USSR as proof that socialism is not possible. However upon surface area examination, it is clear that these arguments are logical fallacies. North Korea is called a “peoples republic” America is called the “United” States. Simply saying something does not make it true, and the same applies to the “United Soviet Socialist Republic”. These states are bureaucratic, repressive, top-down places that had potential but were co-opted by many different factors. However, Socialist elements of the USSR and Cuba, have led to the launching of the Sputnik and the eradication of homelessness and hunger. Imagine what the potential of Socialism is in a nation as rich and developed as the USA.

During World War Two, the governments of the world went into full overdrive in order to defeat whoever they perceived as a threat. Millions of people were put to work in factories, community gardens and public works. That is an example of governments directly taking action to achieve a long term goal. Under Socialism, the vast amounts of wealth, resources and labor in the world would be put to use meeting peoples needs instead of delivering a profit to shareholders. If we can mobilize to employ people to kill Germans, we can put people to work building schools, hospitals, roads, green energy, housing as well as recruit teachers, nurses, doctors, firefighters, social workers and community oriented police. Nobody would go hungry or be homeless. It would by no means be a utopia as no matter what decision making problems would persist etc, but the ills of Capitalism would be no more. 



Socialism is simply about doing what is best for everybody and the planet, not for those who have already seen enough benefit for millions of lifetimes. Optimism is flooding the earth. From the presidency’s across Latin America of Cristina Kirchner, Evo Morales, Hugo Chavez, Rafael Correa, etc to the peoples uprisings in Greece, Spain, Ferguson, Zucotti Park and the Arab Spring. 

Millions are rising up to the global elite class of the IMF, WTO and the hegemony of the United States. Hopefully sooner, rather than later, more workers will realize that they have nothing left to lose but their chains.

 Dakotah Lilly is a 17 year old radical gay socialist who lives in PA. Lilly is the leader of Lehigh Valley Youth Democratic Socialists. Dakotah's first mass action was joining Cindy Sheehan's Soapbox and other organizations in March in WDC for Spring Rising; in his spare time he likes smashing patriarchy, imperialism, capitalism and defending the oppressed.

Although, not a self-identified anarchist, Dakotah Lilly is helping to organize a left wing anarchist action known as Mid-Atlantic Anarchist Collective MAAC,

Comments

  1. Dear peace leaders of the world,

    We need your participation in the big peace conference World Thinkers and Writers Peace Meet in Kolkata, December 27-31. Please come, and come as delegates for the 14th session of the Provisional World Parliament that will be part of this conference and please give papers at the International Philosophers for Peace Conference that will also be included. Papers will be published. You can send an abstract to Dr. Patricia Murphy at pmurphy@sju.edu. Please also register as delegates for the Parliament. Those wishing to participate in the Provisional World Parliament should register with Dr. Glen Martin at gmartin@radford.edu. This is very important and we need your great intelligence, experience, and leadership to contribute to this historic event in Kolkata.

    To find out more information visit the following

    http://www.philosophersforpeace.org/

    http://www.worldparliament-gov.org

    http://oneworldrenaissance.com/2015/09/29/world-thinkers-and-writers-peace-meet-in-kolkata-december-27-31/

    ReplyDelete
  2. Best of luck with that anarchy, Mr Lilly. I think you might think a little differently in years to come. When I was your age(corny, I know), I thought exactly as you. I had an unjust war to be mad about, and criminals running the country. Jerks and thieves.
    Now is no different, except the Red Menace we feared finally wised up and dropped the pretense of socialism in favor of an oligarchic thug culture. The world embraces capitalism when they need some dough. Then they kvetch that those that worked hard made more, and should share. It won't change. There will always be tinhorns that will pervert democratic elections that will promise the fools the riches of their rewards. Asong as him and his pals get the biggest share.
    Enjoy your youth,.please. God Bless you, son.

    ReplyDelete
  3. What does work is the plebs that work for a business, owning the business, as either a group similar to a corporation! This does work look at how successful corporations are, obtaining endless endowments, grants, write offs, foundations all given thru taxpayers funds! etc. What needs to change is the attitude and the tax system, since income tax was initiated at first for capital gains of corporations not the individual who in essence is trading time out of their lives for money and they should not be taxed on their income. The pubic school system has mislead and indoctrinated youth into a system that will enslave them unless of course they come from wealthy families.
    By the workers owning their shared business, ass like Argentina tried to do and Japan was trying to, but; alas some disaster usually happens to quill the intellectual and prosperous movement. We are mere pawns in a chess game reality and once you know this and how to bypass the walls of bs then real growth and happiness and prosperity can be obtained, but we must start in communities. In the 1950's thru 1970's most people were free to raise chickens, and goats, and other livestock to have truck farms and markets without all the lawsuits and bs, people were happier, healthier and more committed to the entire system and it worked perfectly! We need to get back to the roots of all humanity and by firing most of your poli-tic-ians and passing laws that heavily tax huge global entities we can but the distractions of endless war, inc and weather disasters (haarp) keeps the plebs under wraps, I do not think socialism, communism or humanism works and the elite people that designed these systems were wealthy, what does work is the small free community market! Ending income tax on individuals and realizing money is not evil but a tool and each pleb needs/deserves to have free education to follow their dreams, to create more wealth and prosperity, happiness and a healing healthy environment for all life!

    ReplyDelete
  4. .....luv this article...AWESOME������

    ReplyDelete
  5. Awesome article!... The..😎😎😎

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Please limit your comments to the content of the posts---not your self-perceived, self-righteous, personal opinions of the authors/activists who post at this blog. Personal attacks, or threats of violence will not be posted....moderator.

Popular posts from this blog

B@ST@RD BILLION@IRES & L@ZY LIBS WITH MICKEY-Z (SOAPBOX PODCAST 4/27/22)

This Blog Will Become Inactive Soon (Message from Cindy)

SheeLilly#2 Cindy and Dakotah Rate the Final Season of the USA (PODCAST 10 JUNE 2022)