The atrocity of forcing the poor to pay for life-saving necessities exposes the very core of capitalism—a system where profits for the tiny few come before human needs. The capitalists rationalise that the competition for profits is endemic to human nature and that a socialist society based upon production to satisfy human needs instead of profits is an unattainable fantasy.
Human nature, they claim, is based upon the struggle for the survival of the fittest—the competition between all living beings for the means of survival. Capitalism, they argue, is the natural extension of this basic struggle, i.e., that the private accumulation of vast amounts of capital and the military might to guard that wealth in the hands of a tiny few of the “fittest” humans is just basic human nature and, therefore, capitalism is the “natural” social and economic structure. This argument is sophism and is carefully promoted in every aspect of social interaction, education and mass media propaganda throughout the capitalist world, whether ruled by kings, parliaments or congresses.
In nature, survival of the fittest refers to the successful survival of entire species—not the few “best of the best” from each species. In nature, endangered species are those whose population has been decimated, and there are only a few survivors left—and, most importantly—their numbers could be too few for the species to survive. In other words, it is necessary for massive numbers of a species to be able to thrive—to live healthy enough lives to reproduce healthy offspring—for the species as a whole to survive. Life depends upon the success of the entire specie’s ability to survive and thrive. Not on the survival of a few of the “most fit.”
The fact is, it’s utopian to think that capitalism can do anything but continue on the destructive path of survival of the most wealthy at the expense of all life on Earth. Socialism is the only alternative to the destruction inherent in capitalist production-for-profit and it’s our only hope for all of life’s species and the Earth itself to survive and thrive. Working people must completely re-adjust and transform production, not just take it over from the capitalists. This is the conclusion that needs to be derived from the current political and ecological threats to both humanity and the planet. A world planned economy, including all industries and agriculture, run democratically, and based on the abolition of capitalism is the only real hope for humanity and will assure that humanity enjoys worldwide common ownership through which it can remake and transform the economy, and so facilitate saving both itself and the planet.
Workers are paid only a tiny proportion—as little as the boss can get away with—of the actual wealth we produce through our labour. We don’t need the capitalists to be able to produce the things we need and want. We could all have free housing, education, healthcare, food, clothing, and entertainment—anything we can imagine—under a socialist society. Socialism is a system that puts the needs, wants and passions of people, and the health of the planet, and all the life on it, first. By uniting together we can finally end the barbaric, profit-driven system of capitalism—the last vestige of slavery—that is plundering and destroying the planet. Through socialism—acting and working together democratically for the good of all—we have the power to change the world and create endless possibilities. If there is “good” and “evil,” then “good” is the potential to nurture each other and protect our environment. Above all to make democratic and rational decisions based upon need, want and the health of our planet and not on the accumulation of private profits for the few. “Evil” is the system of capitalism itself, whereby the private ownership of the means of production, and the profits produced by our labour, are owned and ruled by the capitalist class—a tiny minority of individuals, who are not only constantly in conflict with one another—but are united in a war against us, in order to get more of the profits we produce. Humanity is fundamentally good because it’s in the best interests of all to live peacefully and cooperatively on this planet. Nothing is impossible and we have nothing to lose, and a Paradise to gain. That’s socialism.
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