The problem is that rich keep getting richer while the rest of us barely make ends meet. People must work two, three jobs just to live the American Dream. Many of you will have to shoulder heavy student debt just to get a college degree that you will have to pay off for most of your adult life.
How has that fit? Don’t we all deserve to enjoy the fruits of our labor if we’re willing to work hard and earn our way? But don’t we also deserve to earn a decent, livable wage that allows us to also enjoy our lives without having to work ourselves to death? Nothing is going to change until we create a people-centered economy that allows more black, Hispanic, and poor people to share in the wealth in this country.
This is why racist cops keep shooting us down. This is why COVID-19 is killing us all. We lack wealth and power. People forget that not only was this country founded upon white supremacy, it is also based upon a capitalist system. For the most part, this is a dog-eat-dog economy. It’s principally about competition. And of course, those who make the rules and run the system will tend to gain the advantage.
Come on! This thing is as clear as day. Who mostly wins in this country? Affluent white people with a few token others. I think token, because white people are disproportionately more wealthy than black and Hispanic: 400 of the richest white people own more wealth than the entire black population and the entire Hispanic population. That’s 400 people versus over 40 million people. So there’s definitely no racial equality, even in the number of wealthy people in this country. Now, who mostly loses in this country? Black, Hispanic, and poor people, including poor white people. How can we expect to compete in this country when the system is rigged?
We would like to believe racism is the principle reason why George Floyd and other unarmed black and brown people are gunned down by cops. We like to believe racism is the principle reason why COVID-19 is disproportionately killing black and brown people. Neither of these premises are accurately true.
The principle issue here is wealth and power: who has it and who doesn’t. So what we need to do is organize for wealth and power. All the rioting and looting, all the revenge violence against cops, and none of the protesting and marching, are the solutions for lasting change; wealth and power are.
If you have money and influence, especially as a group, then people listen to you. They respect you. Cops don’t kill wealthy and powerful people. They protect them. We just have to change the game. We have to organize for wealth and power from a grassroots level where we help one another achieve financial success and prosperity.
This is what UFD and conscious money are all about. The conscious money model is: we all succeed by helping each other succeed. As an economic bloc, we can compete for a larger share of the wealth and power in this country. Then we will have a greater ability to shape public policy on policing, law enforcement, incarceration, and corrections.
We number in the millions. How can 400 rich white people own more wealth than all of us? If a million of us pool our knowledge, experts, resources, and connections together, we can change the conversation in this country and begin to force politicians to reign in the power of the police state and to invest more into the communities that are being left behind. This is what UFD is working to do.
If you’re a young person who truly wants to fight for social justice and to make a better world. Then join with me to promote and expand UFD and to spread the conscious money. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @freeDontieMitchell. Also email me as well: my email address is at mfalmesikivu@gmail.com.
These commentaries are recorded by Noelle Hanrahan of Prison Radio.
