Surviving Capitalism (Not) : 'Capitalism is evil … you have to eliminate it'

We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Saturday, January 30, 2010

'Capitalism is evil … you have to eliminate it'

from The Guardian website.

[referring to an FDR speech that was never broadcast] It is hard to imagine any circumstances in which Obama could put forward such an agenda, I suggest. Moore disagrees.
"He could make that speech."
And survive politically?
"He has told people he's going to operate these four years not with an eye on getting re-elected but on getting things done. I have been very happy for the last year. We came out of eight dark years and his election was – what's the word? – the relief I felt that night, I've been filled with hope since then. Now my patience is running a bit thin. He hasn't taken the reins and said: I'm in charge here, this is what we're doing. Do it. I can understand he's afraid but he's gotta do it."

It is clear from this and other comments that Moore has made that he, along with most Americans, simply does not understand how a class system of power, especially the capitalist system, functions. Obama was carefully vetted for this job which is essentially a public relations position representing major sections of the ruling class, the ownership class. Their system of capitalism is what gives them so much power, profit, and privilege. If Obama somehow had a change of heart and wanted to pursue actions that were not in the interest of this sponsoring class, he would be removed--one way or another. I am astounded that Moore and so many others simply just don't get it.