Not Inevitable

This was not inevitable. 

Capitalism is not our destiny. 

It isn’t the pinnacle of some preordained plan.

It isn’t even the peak of our potential. 

We could have done so much better. 

Less starvation, less sickness, less war.

Starvation, sickness and war. 

And contemporary slavery 

And institutional education

And overclocked employees

And underworked masses 

And overburdened healthcare

And increases in suicide rates

And planned obsolescence 

And growing addiction problems

And general despair.

And much more

And much worse

These are some of the costs

  of Capitalism.

We did this. Humans. 

Not God, not the devil, 

  not nature and not fate. 

We imagined the invisible hand.

We turned it into a benevolent ruler.

While it was a malevolent myth. 

We embraced greed as a virtue.

We sainted the lying oppressive thieves.

Because we had food and roof.

We embraced their flagrant lies.

In exchange for TV dinners and talk shows.

While they our homes became apartments. 

We dabbled in the department store daisies.

And stopped at a Drive Thru on the way by.

While our apartments became rooms.

Now for many, the rooms are tents. 

Or bridges.

Or forests.

Or fields.

Not rooms, not apartments, not houses.

Not home. 

But this, this wasn’t inevitable. 

We did this. Humans. 

Not God, not the devil, 

  not nature and not fate. 

We are responsible. 

For all of this.

This starvation and sickness and war.

We are responsible. 

Responsible for fixing it. 

So imagine.

No war, no starvation, no sickness. 

No racism, sexism, ageism or ableism.

What does it look like?

Does it look anything like this?

Dream with me.

Dream of spending your strength, 

your skill, 

your time, 

your courage,

not for money, but for all of humanity.

   

And in return

  you get a share 

of the strength,

skill,

time,

and courage,

of all humanity.

Don’t sell your strength for minimum wage. 

Don’t sell your soul for any wage.

Don’t sell your brilliance to the oppressor.

Share it with all of your sisters and brothers. 

All the children of your grandest grandparents. 

We did this. Humans. 

Not God, not the devil, 

  not nature and not fate.

We are responsible.

And we can do better

  a lot better.