From Richard D. Wolff, long time Professor of Economics. Well worth
reading and thinking about.
Carl Jarvis
"Richard D. Wolff" <info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 04 Jul 2017 13:22:43 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: On Independence Day
To: Carl Jarvis <carjar82@xxxxxxxxx>
<https://democracyatwork.info/donate>
Carl --
Around July 4, we think back to the founding of the US. Major leaders
then had visions and programs for alternative economic systems. Thomas
Jefferson wanted a land of equals, small individual farmers,
merchants, and crafts persons, together directing a democratic
community. He feared what modern capitalism became, an economic system
divided between a rich and powerful corporate minority (share owners
and the executives they chose) and a majority of mere employees with
little property and less power.
But Jefferson's vision was defeated. The US instead proceeded toward
something closer to what Alexander Hamilton envisioned: a capitalism
that enabled and allowed vast economic inequalities and all of the
consequent injustices. The US grew quickly but paid a heavy social
price that becomes starker now every day.
So now we face perhaps a final stage of the American drama.
We are a nation born in violent revolution against a fading feudal
monarchy and all its gross economic, political, and religious
inequalities and injustices. It was a system epitomized by the
bumbling tyrant King George. Yet the system built in the independent
United States has ended up with a quite parallel set of inequalities
and injustices. And now we have our own bumbling tyrant and would-be
king.
Let's hope that we learn from our history.That means making sure this
time that the new economic system emerging is deeply anchored in a
democratic workplace. Displacing capitalist corporations in favor of
worker cooperatives enables us to build on the technical achievements
of the old system while rejecting its inequalities, injustices, and
undemocratic core. Something of Jefferson's democratic dream survives
in such a new program for social change.
Thank you for reading, and for supporting our work
<https://democracyatwork.nationbuilder.com/donate>. Every bit helps as
we continue to educate ourselves on the history of the American
economic system and what we can do to redefine the American Dream.
Richard D. Wolff
Founder
Democracy at Work
<https://democracyatwork.info/donate>
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