Redistribution

Those in power wish to describe the current resistance to the corporate class domination of government as Soviet Communism. This is ludicrous. It is simply unintelligent manipulation of a populace whom they see as stupid and easily fooled. They describe increased taxation on the wealthy as redistribution of wealth. Well, let's consider that.

Where does their wealth come from? Their wealth comes from the labor of those who produce the services and products they sell. Their wealth comes from the labor of foreign workers who make less than a subsistence wage. Their wealth comes from exploitation of natural resources in the U.S. and other countries. These natural resources, including labor resources, are exploited at great expense to communities and the environment. 

The powerful live in mansions surrounded by peaceful grounds or condominium towers in the luxurious centers of the best cities. They travel in comfort around the globe in private jets or the first class compartments of commercial jets. They have servants who cook their meals, raise their children and tend their gardens. They are lauded for giving money to good causes, while their accountants see to it that those donations absolve them from tax payments.

Redistribution? I agree that the issue should not be redistribution. The issue is one of regulation. Regulation of their greed and regulation of our education systems to adjust the focus from greed to good. 

The walk-out this week at Harvard University was a good sign. Students walked out of a lecture by an economist who was preaching the gospel of selfishness, also known as Reaganite economics. These students saw the lie. Selfish capitalism is not a solution for anything. It is an enforcement of the status quo by those on top. "Free market", when used by today's Republicans and Liberals, is code for "the same old same" of capitalist Darwinism. He with the most toys wins.

Well, we all know that the boy who hoards all the toys is simply a bully and needs to be taught a lesson in sharing. He is not a brilliant entrepreneur or a contributor to his environment. The wealth of the planet belongs to the planet. As human beings, we have the intelligence to understand this if we choose. Or we can turn our backs on our humanity in favor of power and avarice. Those who are controlling the governments of the so-called developed world have not been choosing justice over power. This is not a matter of simple redistribution. This is a matter of the many asserting their power over the few.