I have to hand it to the Left for failed opportunities. One of the stealthy stilettos in this whole political mix has been the branding by the Right, getting a jump on the game, being: Socialism = Bad.
Yeah, man, well, we missed some notes there. When those of us on the left say Capitalism, I think we all do so with a certain amount of derision, or at least cool skepticism. Many go further, but have thus far failed to step up their branding game. If you want to play in a market of ideas, you have to play a bit – just a bit, sometimes – by the rules of that market.
And this is how I arrive not at Aristocracy, not at Oligarchy, Kakistocracy, not at Kleptocracy (or even Fascism), as adequate terms – although true, they lack a certain broad oomph. We can pat ourselves on the back for our wordplay, logical constructions, Aristotelian cladistics, &c., &c., all of our linguistic conceits that show how smart we are. Haha, what good students.
Yeah, okay, but let’s call the thing what it is, in as plain and unacademic language as possible. You want to dis Socialism, m’kay? We can play at that sort of off-handed branding, too.
I give you what you got, now under the name Predatory Capitalism. Yep. That’s what it is. Markets that think they are government? Check. Unregulated, unfettered greed? Check. Corporate entity and stakeholder’s rights above all (without recognizing the stake hold of laborers)? Check. Badly lagging wage increase cycles? Check. Sabotage of government, law, and even the fabric of society, to protect and enhance profits? Yep. Check. Big time. Racial and gender inequity/inequality? Major means to ends. Check. (Feel free to add your own qualifiers).
So, ladies, gentlemen, and all variations in-between, I give you the monster itself: Predatory Capitalism, fangs bared, with lost lives still hanging in its teeth, hungry for more.
If this country is to be as it should, which is not a nation of people against people, but the competition of ideas. We have to get better at encapsulating what we mean in accessible terms.
“Yeah, so, okay, X is a problem. What you’re talking about is Y, and is maybe adjacent to this discussion, but I what I am really talking about is X.”
X = Predatory Capitalism, with strong emphasis on
*PREDATORY*
Definition, Predation:
– 1: the killing by one living organism of another for food
– 2: the act of injuring, exploiting, or plundering others for personal gain.
i.e: reducing the systems of energy exchange and communication to the lowest common denominator, being: dominance, violence, and unfettered consumption.
While we have defaulted to this, despite much vocalizing and resisting, there is a common sort of convention that this is *exactly* what America is about: winner take all, losers don’t matter, every man and woman (and only men and woman, and really only the men, the white men) should identify as disenfranchised millionaires. We love an underdog as long as they stay an underdog. If they are not white and male, being more than an underdog is just being ‘uppity’.
If you’re uppity, you’re basically saying you don’t consent to being prey. That’s not allowed. Even for white males who have not realized their ‘millionaire potential’, questioning the boss can
force you to understand real quick that you’re a beta (at best), or, should the horrific reality dawn upon you – you are *also* prey for the white male bosses you so admire, toady to, and want to be like. And, man, you’re lucky. Don’t let anyone take your special place, not a Mexican, not a Black man or woman, or transgender intersectional person, not any kind of woman, really. You are in the chain of command (somewhere) and that means you are not food (yet).
Hahaha – what an incredibly fucked, primitive, and needless system Predatory Capitalism is.
So, what’s the alternative? Working collaboratively within your peer group? Holding leaders accountable? That sounds a lot like soci…say it with me now…DEMOCRACY. I think what scares the wealthiest the most is realizing how incompatible Predatory Capitalism is, with respect to good government.
“Ya mean we can’t have limitless ambition? We can’t rule over others? We can’t be the chosen people, or even…gods?” Aw shucks, mister. Why’d ya have to ruin our fun? We was just plannin’ on gettin’r rid of that stinky old government, so’s we could play kickball with real human heads.
“No, Johnny, because one day it might be your head on the ball field, or someone else’s sense of divinity ruling over you, or you might have to work in a factory and may need your rights protected – Protecting Democracy Protects us All!” Officer Actually Doing His Job Right smiles at the audience, breaking the fourth wall, a little star pings on his teeth, he puts his arm around Johnny and says, “And remember: don’t play with guns. Guns are not toys.” Officer Actually Doing His Job Right sees Martin, a young black child, holding a doughnut, and does not shoot said black child. Officer Actually Doing his Job Right lives up to his name.
Predatory Capitalism does not protect us all. Officer Actually Doing His Job Right becomes Officer I’ll Bash Your Fucking Head in If You Look at Me Wrong (or if you just look wrong). Johnny becomes his non-deputized underage sidekick, a murderer before he is ever even a man. These are people who have bought into the idea of Democracy protecting only a few. Actually, they’re just protecting Predatory Capitalism against threats like Martin and his doughnut. This is made extra sad, because Martin probably would have shared his doughnut if asked. Now Martin is in a hole in the ground, and Officer Bash and Johnny, and many others, are being cast as heroes for committing to the lowest common social denominator, in act and communication: violence. Credited for doing the least, in the worst ways, they get participation trophies.
Tragic ironies abound. And if you think I am making light, welcome to the tragicomic, welcome to the dark humor that keeps us back from the edge of insanity. Predatory Capitalism is that: insane – in no way workable or sustainable, as the many fault lines present in our society today can be traced back to it.
I’ve said my piece. Enjoy your day.
-D.W., 2020