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If we dispose of false left/right dichotomies, clear away Orwellian doublespeak and intellectual dishonestly, what remains is a striking picture of the moral, ethical & logical superiority of leftist values. 
This image is now my profile header because the moral, ethical & logical superiority of leftist values, along with the clarity & righteous indignation that go along with it are exactly what is so desperately needed.
Let’s move left. #leftisbest
Let’s move left. #leftisbest
This will be a long-running thread on what it means to be a leftist within the context of traditional leftist values & ideals.
Before discussing each leftist value there are three important points that should be highlighted:
1. These are values & ideals to strive towards. We are not arguing that any society will ever attain 100% perfection in any of these. We are arguing that all-things-equal, the closer we can move our society towards these ideals, the better & the further we move away, the worse.
2. All-things-being-equal, the more left we go, the better. Is there really such a thing as being too fair? Too equitable? Etc... ‘Too far left’ is only a problem if we are going the wrong way. If getting closer to an ideal is problematic, then it means we have the wrong ideal.
3. It is important for us to state our values clearly & often. Being able to clearly articulate what we stand for is a large part of winning a better world precisely because the moral, ethical & logical high ground of leftist values are so self-evident.
Let’s start with the first set of values: Freedom & Democracy. Leftists want to maximize BOTH freedom AND democracy.
We want to be liberated & free to live our lives in fulfilling ways. But we want the same for others too.
We want to have a real say in the decisions that affect our lives. But we want others to have a say in the decisions that affect their lives as well.
We want to have a real say in the decisions that affect our lives. But we want others to have a say in the decisions that affect their lives as well.
We reconcile these two & maximize both freedom and democracy by saying we want people to have a say in the decisions that affect them proportional to how much the decision affects them.
If a decision only affects me, then only I should have a say in that decision (freedom). However, if a decision now affects other people, then they too should be allowed a say in that decision (democracy).
Please see the below thread and then continue
Please see the below thread and then continue
Let’s take a moment to ponder the wisdom of leftists wanting people to have a real say in the decisions that affect them, proportional to how much the decision affects them.
The intellectually vacuous & pea-brained philosophy of the ‘libertarian right’ is to maximize personal freedom. But what does that even mean without real democracy? Should I just be able to do whatever I want? Should I be ‘free’ to punch a random person walking down the street?
Should a corporation be ‘free’ to dump toxic waste into your backyard?
The left’s answer: No! because these decision are affecting others & they too should have a say & presumably they will decide to not be punched in the face or have toxic waste dumped in their back yard.
The left’s answer: No! because these decision are affecting others & they too should have a say & presumably they will decide to not be punched in the face or have toxic waste dumped in their back yard.
I’m taking the time to point out the idiocy of the ‘libertarian right’ because it highlights the importance of the left to be able to clearly & effectively articulate the moral, ethical & logical superiority of our values: to maximize BOTH freedom AND democracy.
The fact that such stupidity as ‘libertarian right’ is passing as anything but a joke in our society is partially a testament of the left’s failure in being able to clearly articulate our own values with regards to freedom & democracy.
The left wants to maximize both freedom & democracy: We want people to have a say in the decisions that affect their lives proportional to how much the decision affects them.
So why do we include ‘Participation' as a leftist value along with Freedom & Democracy?
Because ultimately the left is about improving social institutions in order to maximizing human fulfillment & potential, while minimizing oppression & suffering.
Actively engaging & participating in the decisions that affect us is a source of human fulfillment. (book topic)
Actively engaging & participating in the decisions that affect us is a source of human fulfillment. (book topic)
What this means is that even if there could be some ‘all-knowing’, ‘god-like’ entity that could always make the ‘best’ or ‘correct’ decision for us, it would severely limit our fulfillment and lead to alienation.
Of course, such an entity could never & will never exist – but the example is important to highlight the importance of active participation in democracy.
Compared with the right’s Authoritarianism & Elitism, the moral, ethical & logical high ground of left values of Freedom, Democracy & Participation are self-evident. In fact, so self-evident that the right mis-frames & obfuscates rather than engage in the substance of our values.
The second set of left values we will discuss are: Justice, Equity & Fairness.
These terms generally refer to two overarching concepts:
These terms generally refer to two overarching concepts:
1 We should not be institutionally rewarded or punished for things we have no control over, like race, nationality, gender, genetic lottery, etc.
2 For the things we do have control over, the benefits & burdens of our relationships should be equitably distributed.
2 For the things we do have control over, the benefits & burdens of our relationships should be equitably distributed.
In our social relationships/roles: political, economic, kinship, or cultural if the lion's share of benefits of that relationship goes to one person or group, while the lion's share of the burden goes to another person or group, we say that relationship/role is inequitable.
Please consider reading the below thread on equity & fairness & then continue below...
For leftists, we view equitable & fair social outcomes as a central value to strive for. This is for two primary reasons:
1 Injustice, inequity & unfairness is felt by those affected as painful oppression.
2 It robs those affected of their full potential & fair outcome.
1 Injustice, inequity & unfairness is felt by those affected as painful oppression.
2 It robs those affected of their full potential & fair outcome.
And as leftists, we ultimately want to maximize human fulfillment and potential while minimizing suffering and oppression.
But why even care? Why not just allow a libertarian-right pipe dream where the only rule is that power & wealth rules?
Besides being a nightmarish hell that would end the human race in a short period of time, it would go against our very own humanity.
Besides being a nightmarish hell that would end the human race in a short period of time, it would go against our very own humanity.
Slavery is one of the most inequitable, abhorrent & despicable of human institutions. Within the context of our two reasons above, slavery is experienced oppression of the slave and it robs the slave of their dignity, freedom, potential & equitable remuneration for their labor.
Women earning 80 cents on the dollar compared to men or POC earning 70 cents on the dollar for comparable work is unjust.
Those underpaid are made to feel the very real oppression of this injustice as they are aware of their underpayment for performing equal work.
It also robs them of their dignity, potential & equitable remuneration for their labor compared to if they received equitable wages.
It also robs them of their dignity, potential & equitable remuneration for their labor compared to if they received equitable wages.
Let’s look at equitable wages in general. As we have seen equity and fairness means not being rewarded or punished for things we have control over, and for things we do have control over for the benefits and burdens to be equitably distributed.
In terms of wages, that means remunerating should be for what we have control over: effort, sacrifice, hours worked, etc.
Economic justice economists estimate that if wages were more equitable the average income in the US would be roughly a little over $100k annually.
Imagine how different our lives would be if rather than having wildly inequitable incomes, the average worker, working an average workweek would earn $100k annually.
Sure, that will mean that some people won’t earn 3,000 times more income annually than their workers – but that’s really just reflective of the fact that they’re not actually working 3,000 times harder or 3,000 times longer than their workers.
Given our logic above, income inequality is oppressive & it robs workers of their potential & equitable remuneration for their labor. Workers are being fleeced.
As a side note, part of the reason why some of us on the left abhor the elitist rhetoric of @AndrewYang is because his language is entirely backward. Workers want & demand what is fair.
@AndrewYang Economic justice is not about throwing pity crumbs at those receiving poverty wages.
Economic justice is about ending the robbery of equitable wages & dignified working conditions from workers.
Keep the crumbs. End the robbery. We want & demand equity & fairness.
Economic justice is about ending the robbery of equitable wages & dignified working conditions from workers.
Keep the crumbs. End the robbery. We want & demand equity & fairness.
@AndrewYang The left holds the values of equity and justice dear to our hearts. All things equal, the more equitable and just our society, the better.
@AndrewYang Like all of our other shared values, it’s important for us to be able to clearly articulate our values of Justice, Equity & Fairness because in doing so, we reveal the ethical, moral and logical high-ground of the left. #leftisbest
Continuing on our list of left values, our 3rd value is diversity. Since we aim to maximize fulfilment & potential while minimizing oppression & suffering, by elevating diversity over homogenization, we open more options for people to find what is most fulfilling for themselves.
So long as we don’t violate our other values (like freedom, democracy, justice, equity etc.) all things being equal, more diversity is better than less.
And because we want people to have a diversity of options available to them to find fulfilment, we want diversity that is dignified without shame or feeling threatened, anxiety or oppressed.
For example, within the kinship sphere, leftists advocate eliminating artificial socially-imposed boxes we must contort our true selves to fit into. We want to be free to live the lives we choose free of oppression, threat or shame, regardless of sex, sexual preference or age.
Leftists embrace the wisdom of feminists who speak out against these socially-imposed boxes and the harms that they cause, such as the non-biologically imposed sexual division of labor.
We celebrate, embrace & dignify LGBTQ+.
We celebrate, embrace & dignify LGBTQ+.
Within the cultural realm, we celebrate, embrace & dignify cultures, sub-cultures, religions and other shared identities. In stark contrast to racism, cultural hostility & bigotry, the left calls for respect & celebration of cultural differences.
Sometimes cultures emerge from shared history, experience, ethnicity, language or religion in relation to other groups. Sometimes culture is imposed by a dominant group. And sometimes culture is more fluid & we can more freely associate or disassociate with a group.
Regardless of how culture emerges, our various cultural identities become part of our own identity. And because culture is part of our self-identity, when our culture is threatened, we feel threatened. And when we feel threatened, we feel oppressed & we defensively self-preserve.
This means to begin healing cultural hostilities, we must first eliminate cultural hostilities like racism, bigotry, colonialism, the threat of cultural extinction and the globalization of cultural homogenization.
Instead of dominant groups misrepresenting other cultures, we must ensure communities have the resources & means to represent themselves & their own culture.
Beyond ending abhorrent racism & bigotry, leftists view cultural diversity as something to be embraced & celebrated that enriches the lives of everyone.
As @GRRMspeaking has said, “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.” This is not only true for books, but for all of culture & society that enriches our lives through greater diversity.
In other words, we can’t be everywhere or do everything. But we can vicariously enjoy the beauty, wisdom & customs of others who have chosen different paths than we have.
As leftist we choose celebrating cultural differences over cultural scapegoating, racism & hostility. We choose embracing a rainbow of dignified paths for people to find fulfillment over sexism & homophobia.
We value diversity over homogenization.
We value diversity over homogenization.
Our 4th set of values are Efficiency & Environmental Stewardship. Sometimes people are surprised to hear ‘efficiency’ as a leftist value b/c the right pays lip service to ‘economic efficiency’ & even uses the term in arguments against leftist policies such as the #GreenNewDeal.
But, as we will show, it is actually the left who lays claim to real economic efficiency & the right whose policies & positions increase economic inefficiencies, environmental destruction & if left unchecked, will ultimately lead us off the precipice of an inhabitable planet!
The “lungs of the planet” are being burned for profit, toxic pollutants are being spewed into our precious air & water, biodiversity is being lost at an alarming rate & global climate change is accelerating.
But these are systemic problems that require systemic analysis & systemic solutions.
Like most systemic problems we face, it’s not just about “bad actors” doing “bad acts”. It’s about a system with built-in incentives that REWARDS “bad acts”, PUNISHES “good acts” & causes, over time, an aggregate of “bad acts” all while causing “bad actors” to rise to the top.
When trying to understand society’s institutions, it is imperative to pay attention to such built-in incentives.
Do they inherently incentivize & reward our best… or our worst?
Do they inherently incentivize & reward our best… or our worst?
Market capitalism has all the wrong incentives. It rewards externalization of environmental damage & it punishes people who care to take the environment into account. Market capitalism with its “invisible hand” is, by definition, inherently inefficient.
Saying market capitalism is inherently inefficient isn’t hyperbole. It’s a well understood economic fact:
Before continuing, please consider reading the above thread where we debunk 5 of the biggest & most consequential lies about economic efficiency. We use economic models to show how & why market capitalism is inherently inefficient & why leftist proposals increase efficiencies.
As we show in the thread, the externalization of environmental & other social costs by market capitalism leads to everything being mispriced. Rather than prices reflecting the true social & environmental costs, they reflect a price based on unaccounted negative externalities.
This causes the overproduction & overconsumption of the worst goods & services, than would be optimal & efficient.
It also causes the underproduction & underconsumption of the best goods & services, than would be optimal & efficient.
It also causes the underproduction & underconsumption of the best goods & services, than would be optimal & efficient.
Our world is on fire, species extinctions are on the rise, climate change is accelerating, & the earth is dying not because of bad people, but because of a bad system that rewards “bad people” for doing “bad acts”.
Those of us on the left understand the systemic inherent inefficiencies of market capitalism. We understand that market capitalism if left unchecked, will lead to the destruction of precious resources & ultimately destroy our planet.
The right’s worship at the altar of market capitalism as an efficient arbiter of resources is either based on propaganda or on having absolutely no understanding of basic economics.
Market capitalism is literally - by definition - inherently inefficient.
Market capitalism is literally - by definition - inherently inefficient.
Leftist proposals to curb the worst of market capitalism through environmental regulations & proposals such as the #GreenNewDeal are efforts to right-size the worst inefficiencies of market capitalism & in fact, increase efficiencies.
These types of policies are just Band-Aids that curb only the worst of market capitalism but leave the flawed institutions in place. Can we ultimately replace our undemocratic, inequitable, & inefficient market capitalism with a more equitable, democratic & efficient system?
Many of us on the left think it’s not only possible but by doing so it would lead to a radically better world, more consistent with our shared values discussed in this thread.
Leftists believe in environmental stewardship, meaning an efficient & healthy relationship with the environment, where we take responsibility & accountability as guardians of our precious planet - for ourselves, for future generations & for all living things.
Our 5th leftist value is Safety & Security.
We live in a society gripped by instability, fear, trauma, oppression, anxiety & stress. Most of us are walking a tightrope in a storm with little or no social safety net to catch us if we fall.
We live in a society gripped by instability, fear, trauma, oppression, anxiety & stress. Most of us are walking a tightrope in a storm with little or no social safety net to catch us if we fall.
In the wealthiest country in the world, millions of people are just one paycheck or one medical emergency away from financial ruin. Millions of families are homeless or food insecure, not knowing when or how they will afford their next meal.
Sexism, toxic masculinity & rape culture in a society where the majority of women have experienced sexual harassment or assault & 1 in 5 women have been raped in their lifetimes, cultivates an environment of fear & intimidation.
Rape culture means “all women live in constant jeopardy, in a virtual state of siege”. Some feminists liken the sociological effects of rape to that of lynching: intended to keep women in their place within the patriarchal order. They’re not wrong.
People of color face disproportionate policing, disproportionate surveillance, disproportionate searches, disproportionate arrests, disproportionate brutality, disproportionate convictions & disproportionate prison sentences.
Black & brown communities are threatened, harassed, intimidated, brutalized, & terrorized by police, ICE, the so-called ‘war on drugs’ & the larger prison industrial complex.
Racist deportation, family separation & concentration camps amount to torture, causing tremendous psychological harm & distress to some of our most vulnerable communities.
Racism, xenophobia, ethnic scapegoating, & hate crimes contribute to a society seeped in fear & hostility.
Racism, xenophobia, ethnic scapegoating, & hate crimes contribute to a society seeped in fear & hostility.
Homophobia & Transphobia along with the hateful onslaught of violence against the LGBTQ communities contribute theirs’s having among the highest depression & suicide rates.
Economic injustice, economic insecurity, economic exploitation, unemployment & suffocating debt all lead to stress, anxiety, depression & various other mental health issues.
As activist & author @NaomiAKlein demonstrates in her book, The Shock Doctrine, capitalism not only thrives in this state of fear, insecurity, panic & horror, it actively contributes to & exploits it!
@NaomiAKlein Those who are already powerful are incentivized to inflict greater fear & insecurity on those who are weaker. Why? Because by doing so they increase their relative bargaining power, improving terms in their own favor.
@NaomiAKlein This incentive rewards those who inflict & exploit shock & awe on the weak, further weakening the already weak & creating conditions where they have no choice but to agree to ever worse conditions.
@NaomiAKlein This explains why keeping workers desperate, dispensable & on the verge of financial hardship helps keep wages down & profits high. Those who are not desperate would never accept horrid working conditions & poverty wages.
@NaomiAKlein Global climate change and related severe droughts & ever more extreme weather threatens billions of people worldwide & is already causing mass displacement of people uprooted from their communities.
@NaomiAKlein According to the @APA’s Stress in America report, younger generations identify global climate change, along with gun violence as leading causes of anxiety & stress.
@NaomiAKlein @APA Worldwide, millions are ravaged by poverty, war, the threat of imminent war, imperialism, colonialism & economic exploitation.
@NaomiAKlein @APA While a tiny fraction of the world’s population can insulate themselves from our reality, fear & insecurity are the norm for the rest of us. And we are neither impervious nor immune to the effects of all this societal fear, trauma & insecurity.
@NaomiAKlein @APA Fear & insecurity take an enormous toll on our mental & physical health. ‘Deaths of despair’, including suicide, drug & alcohol abuse are at historical highs. Depression, anxiety & alienation are rampant, and largely due to societal factors.
@NaomiAKlein @APA In his book ‘When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress’ @DrGaborMate shows how these types of stressors contribute to & worsen physical health conditions & diseases.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate It is no stretch to say that racism, sexism, oppression & economic injustice are literally making us sick & killing us.
Numerous studies show links between oppressive stress & life expectancy.
Numerous studies show links between oppressive stress & life expectancy.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate Okay so this much should be obvious: we live in is a world gripped by oppressive fear, instability & insecurity. But what solutions do leftists propose?
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate Leftists are moved by love, driven by humanitarian empathy & a longing for a better world.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate We are driven to improve social structures & institutions in ways that improve people’s lives, maximize human fulfillment & potential while minimizing oppression & suffering.
As such, we place value on safety & security over fear & insecurity.
As such, we place value on safety & security over fear & insecurity.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate Leftist proposals & policies seek to curb the worse effects of soul crushing fear & insecurity. From #MedicareForAll to #GreenNewDeal to #FightFor15, these policies provide us with much needed social safety nets.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate But like all reforms, these are Band-Aids badly needed to stem the bleeding of our horrific social institutions. They are important because they significantly improve people’s lives.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate Ultimately, we need to replace social institutions & norms that no longer serve us with others that are inherently more consistent with our shared values discussed in this thread. In other words, we need social institutions that inflict less wounds & thus require less Band-Aids.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate Our 6th leftist value is Innovation & Creativity.
Thus far we have seen the stark contrast between our shared values & the reality of the world we live in.
Thus far we have seen the stark contrast between our shared values & the reality of the world we live in.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate Authoritarianism, injustice, homogenization, environmental devastation, fear & insecurity are everywhere. Economic injustice, racism, sexism, & homophobia are rampant.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate But despite all our societal flaws, despite all the oppression & suffering, despite everything that is wrong with the world, at the very least our society thrives in innovation & creativity, right?
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate After all, we have smartphones with millions of apps, HDTVs & social media. We must at least be doing something right when it comes to innovation & creativity, right?
Not quite.
Not quite.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate First, we need to understand that oppressive societal norms significantly limit human potential. And they do so on multiple levels:
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate 1) They constrict or limit the range of options available to the oppressed. 2) They create additional stress, anxiety, & various mental health issues & 3) they impose limits on time & energy.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate For example, racism has real-world effects that severely limit the range of options available to those who are on the receiving end. How many genius black mathematicians have we forgone as a society because of institutional racism?
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate Sexism & oppressive social constructs around gender tend to steer men & women in very different directions. How many women physicists or inventors have we lost out on because of sexism?
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate Poverty severely limits our available options & potentials. With millions preoccupied with mere survival, how many potential Picassos, Einsteins & Beethovens have we lost to poverty?
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate How much diverse, creative, artistic, intellectual & innovative human capital have we lost to war, occupation, colonialism, imperialism & international economic exploitation?
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate And what about the effects of societal fear & insecurity discussed earlier? From financial anxiety to rape culture, from xenophobia & hate crimes to criminal injustice, stress, anxiety, alienation, depression, escapism & various other mental health issues.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate How much human potential have we lost to broken dreams, broken hearts & broken souls?
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate And of course, one of the most oppressive & limiting social constructs is classism. We have a system that necessitates approximately 80% of the population be reduced to obeying orders, doing only soul-crushing rote & menial tasks, while enduring boredom & passivity.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate The robbing of the creative & innovative potential of this 80% who are excluded from creative, cognitive, conceptual, participatory self-managed, & dignified work is a built-in, necessity of market capitalism. What of their lost human potential?
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate Of course, there will always be exceptions, those who accomplish incredible things despite adversity – but for every exception, there are perhaps hundreds of thousands who are left behind in the ashes of oppression.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate And often, even those who do succeed could have potentially gone much further had their potential been nurtured, rather than stifled.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate A reasonable estimate is that only approximately 10% of the population has escaped the worst effects of societal oppression. Only 10% of the population’s potential is nurtured for creativity & innovation.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate With all these oppressive norms in our society, the idea that we as a society are at our full innovative or creative potential yet exclude approximately 90% of the population from their own full potential is frankly racist, sexist & classist.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate The fact that some buffoon can stand up on a stage holding up a shitty smartphone as the epitome of our innovative & creative apex, while the vast majority of the population have their innovative & creative potentials robbed from them is disgusting, to say the least.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate But if we are honest with ourselves, the fact that this buffoon is not laughed off stage is, at least in part, our own failure to envision & articulate an alternative future based on democracy, freedom, equity & classlessness where the full potential of EVERY person is realized.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate As leftists, we fight against economic injustice, classism, racism, sexism, homophobia, etc., in part because these oppressive norms rob our fellow humans of their potential.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate And our struggle is for a world where we elevate fulfillment over oppression & we liberate the full potential of all oppressed peoples.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate The need for creativity, innovation, scientific exploration, art, music, poetry, the drive to explore & make sense of the world around us & create something new is a deeply human need.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate The innovations & creativity that exists today are a testament to our human nature and our innate drive to create. But they exist in our society DESPITE all the horrors we endure – not because of them.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate Longtime activist & social theorist Michael Albert once posited:
Someone pulls off a butterfly's wing.
Question: Is it sensible for the butterfly to walk?
Someone pulls off a butterfly's wing.
Question: Is it sensible for the butterfly to walk?
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate Answer 1: Yes, it is sensible for the butterfly to walk. After all, it lacks a wing, how else can it get around.
Answer 2: No, it is not sensible for the butterfly to walk. After all, it lacks a wing, and that's senseless.
Answer 2: No, it is not sensible for the butterfly to walk. After all, it lacks a wing, and that's senseless.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate Of course, this riddle is analogous to humans in a society whose wings have been clipped by various oppressions: classism, sexism, racism, injustice etc. We do our best to survive with the limited options we have. We walk instead of fly.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate Leftists oppose all oppression so that we can all be liberated as fully realized humans.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate But as damning as all the above is, it gets worse.
In addition to the oppressive hindrances to creativity & innovation, there are 4 additional institutional limits to creativity & innovation in our society.
In addition to the oppressive hindrances to creativity & innovation, there are 4 additional institutional limits to creativity & innovation in our society.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate 1st, as we have seen in the below thread, market capitalism inherently misallocates everything. Goods & services with positive externalities, i.e. with positive benefits outside of the immediate buyer & seller are always underproduced in market capitalism.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate This inherent flaw with market capitalism means that things like research, education, sciences, the arts, etc. will always be underproduced relative to their true social value. That’s a significant flaw that we address in the above thread – so I won’t repeat it here.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate 2nd, in market capitalism, decision-makers are incentivized to utilize & invest only in specific technologies that further their own interests, rather than the greater good.
This distorts the types of technologies that we are investing in.
This distorts the types of technologies that we are investing in.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate For example, as a society, we invest in technologies that further externalize negative externalities, exploit humans for profit, that disempower workers & that make them as dispensable as possible.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate In a leftist vision, decisions in workplaces would be democratic & participatory, thus technologies that empower workers, reduce menial tasks & improve efficiencies would be invested in.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate 3rd, patents, closed-sourced, secretive & protectionist measures stifle innovation. Innovation thrives in an open & free environment, where everybody has access to each other’s innovations.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate Science & technology thrive when knowledge is shared & built upon –most innovations happen on the backs of previous innovations.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate That patents destroy innovation & progress is well understood. So why do we have them?
Patents are only needed because market capitalism has no mechanism for rewarding those who work hard & sacrifice towards these innovations unless they are given a monopoly on their product.
Patents are only needed because market capitalism has no mechanism for rewarding those who work hard & sacrifice towards these innovations unless they are given a monopoly on their product.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate In a leftist economic vision, everyone would be paid equitably & fairly for their hard work, effort & sacrifice. Thus, patents would be completely obsolete. Information & knowledge would be fully liberated. Creativity & innovation would flourish.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate The 4th & final destroyer of creativity & innovation is education within market capitalism. Of course, there are teachers who do their best to buck this trend. But we have to understand education within the context of socializing future generations for available societal roles.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate The problem is, if we have an economy where 80% of the population are reduced to menial labor, enduring boredom & following orders, then there will be a tendency for an educational system that prepares the 80% for these available roles.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate In a leftist vision, workplaces would be participatory, democratic & self-managed. That means our educational system must prepare & socialize EVERYONE, not just 20%, for critical thinking, leadership, confidence & all the other various tools necessary for self-management.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate The human need for creativity & innovation is a significant source of fulfillment & pride. But, as we have seen the vast majority are robbed of their full potential, including the nurturance & utilization of their creative & innovative contributions.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate Leftists seek to end all forms of oppression that stifle us. We seek to liberate knowledge from the grips of patents & protectionist measures & we seek to liberate all humans to their full potential.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate A leftist future is a future where everyone’s potential is nurtured & utilized and where creativity & innovation flourishes. ❤️
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate Our 7th & final leftist value is Empathy & Solidarity.
Empathy is the ability to put ourselves in another person’s shoes, to see the world from their perspective & to feel their feelings, as if they were our own.
Empathy is the ability to put ourselves in another person’s shoes, to see the world from their perspective & to feel their feelings, as if they were our own.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate Solidarity is acting in accordance with empathy. It is actively looking out for the well-being of others. Solidarity is empathy put into action.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate Our innate capacity for empathy is derived from our evolutionary sociality. As a highly social species, empathy was a significant competitive advantage, creating a social bond strong enough to compel us to look out for each other’s well-being.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate As a species, empathy was our first hope for survival. It may very well be our last.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate Solidarity as a societal value means having institutions whose roles incentivize acting in accordance with empathy, compassion & concern for the well-being of others. In other words, our interests are aligned & shared. I gain when you gain. You gain when I gain.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate Sociologically "zero-sum game" is the opposite of solidarity. It is a system where the only way for a person, group or class to get ahead, is if another person, group or class loses. Nobody gains without another losing.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate A “zero-sum game” system pits people, groups or classes against each other. It rewards, incentivizes & promotes callousness, greed & antipathy over empathy, compassion & concern for the well-being of others.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate Leftists value societal institutions that reflect solidarity rather than “zero-sum game” institutions. We believe our institutions should reward, incentivize & compel the best in humanity, rather than the worst.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate Having institutions that reflect solidarity increases fulfillment & reduces oppression by eliminating unnecessary divisiveness, antagonism & animosity.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate Societies define available roles to accomplish varying needs & functions. These roles provide the available slots that people can fill. The dynamics of these roles define varying incentives & disincentives upon those who fill them.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate The roles we fill also have profound effects on us & can even change us for the better or for the worse.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate For example, in market capitalism, there are three distinct classes each with vying interests & incentives: the capitalist class, the managerial or coordinator class & the working class.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate These three classes are in a constant state of conflict with one another, each with different interests & each gaining at the expense of the other two.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate Capitalists own the means of production, seek to maximize profits & maintain a system whereby they can continue to maximize profits. They need both the managerial class as well as the working class, but constantly vie to increase their own bargaining power relative to the other 2
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate The managerial or coordinator class handle typical day to day management, planning & decision making. They seek to increase their own bargaining power by making themselves as indispensable as possible to capitalists (often by monopolizing skills & information).
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate The managerial class also increases their value to capitalists by weakening workers & constantly attempting to make workers as dispensable as possible.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate The working class sell their labor & typically have little to no decision-making power. They vie for bargaining power against both the managerial class as well as capitalists.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate They often do this by organizing into unions, resisting management’s efforts to monopolize skills & information & by attempting to make themselves as indispensable as possible.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate Over the last 50 years we have experienced a rather one-sided class war against the working class by both the capitalist class as well as the managerial class.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate These three classes are at constant conflict with one another because they exist in a ‘zero-sum game’: each class can only gain at the expense of one or the other two classes. Classes pit interests against one another, penalizing empathy & rewarding callousness & antipathy.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate A leftist future is a classless future, where empathy & solidarity are incentivized & rewarded, unlike our current upside-down world that rewards callousness & antipathy.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate In addition to economic institutions, our other societal institutions: political, cultural & kinship institutions are also upside-down & structured as ‘zero-sum game’ systems.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate Racism, sexism, homophobia & elitism all are on the opposite spectrum of solidarity & as leftists we seek to end all such forms of oppression.
@NaomiAKlein @APA @DrGaborMate In each of these societal institutions, leftists advocate for solidarity over hostility & divisiveness. We want institutions that bring out the best in humanity: empathy & compassion, rather than the worst: callousness & antipathy.
We want solidarity. ❤️
We want solidarity. ❤️
