Now, because of population growth and technology, the world is much
smaller and capitalism can no longer work. The 20th century was one
long resource war and now our weapons are so terrible as to make
acquisition of resources through war untenable. We can no longer
mistreat the earth, air and water. It is time to change the way we
think about meeting our needs. As citizens we have to take
responsibility for how our natural resources will be exploited,
developed and distributed. We need to democratize our economic system.
We need to take the control of resources out of the hands of the
ultra-rich and be responsible ourselves. The CEOs of huge business and
their counterparts in government have shown, time and again, that it's
impossible for so few to manage a system this big.
But I know that many of us feel we aren't good enough to take care of
this complex economy. The reason for this is that we have all been part
of a social system that says the rich and powerful are rich and
powerful because they deserve it; because they are smarter or savvier
or all the other weird unrealistic reasons that we citizens can't
control our own destiny. This is simply not true. I've known a lot of
rich people and, if they didn't inherit their wealth, the only things
they have in common are that they are competitive, they are "type-A"
personalities, and they love to make lots of money. Otherwise they are
the same as the rest of us. We have to grow up and demand a voice in
economic affairs.
To start we need a new set of ideals to guide us. Uncontrolled growth
and greed are unsustainable and inhumane. I've heard two that I like:
1.) Give what you can, take only what you need.
2.) Humanity comes before systems.
The first ideal takes us away from the old ideals of uncontrolled
growth and greed, which promote violence, injustice and the destruction
of the earth. The new ideal promotes a global prosperity -- prosperity,
not in the sense of riches but in the sense that we all are in this
time and place together and that, for it to last beyond today, we have
to conserve and share. The idea that there are those of us with six
mansions while there are those of us who are homeless in the same
community is appalling. Instead of looking at the ultra-rich with
respect, we should look at them with suspicion until they can justify
that sort of waste and consumption.
The second ideal is akin to President Obama's pragmatism. We need to do
whatever will work to make society better for humanity. Socio-economic
systems are tools we use to help us better our conditions, not ends in
themselves. If a system is not helping us better ourselves we should
try something else. So socialism and capitalism aren't the point so
much as what systems work to create a more just, equitable and humane
world. The present form of capitalism isn't working. We have to change
it, and it will take all of us to do it.
Knowing that this is a somewhat large undertaking, changing the world,
I suggest two small steps to demand of our representatives now.
1.) Rebuild the minimum wage to $15 per hour over the next three years.
It's much lower than it was in our most prosperous years in the 1950s
and 1960s. It should then be indexed to inflation.
2.) Provide universal, free at point of service, health care for all.
It's being done successfully all over the world. Surely we can do it
for ourselves, too.
This will begin the process of making our socio-economic system more
humane and just while helping to bring us out of the mess the
ultra-rich have gotten us into.
Finally, it seems to me that a person who works a full-time job and
follows the laws has a right to dignity and prosperity. That person
should not be at the mercy of another's charity. Society needs to
support that individual as he or she supports our society. We have to
work and control our society together.
Lehman lives in Warren.
