We Are All Mutually Dependent On Eachother

February 25th, 2008

For my Women, Sexualities, and Genders Class

I think the situation about "dependency" comes down to a philosophy about life-- a paradigm. It seems that libertarian types and conservatives believe that in order to be worthy of living a person must, "pull themselves up by their bootstraps," "be responsible for themselves" and "be self-sustaining and self-sufficient." Unfortunately this philosophy is totally unrealistic and downright impossible. That is why I always find it funny when a libertarian or conservative..heck, even a Democrat or a liberal tells me that a socialist society will never happen because it's "unrealistic." Well, the idea that people can take care of themselves is unrealistic. Socialism is based on the idea that people are social beings that need each other. The fact is we are mutually dependent on one another. Libertarians and conservatives cringe at the thought.

They want to think they can survive all on their own-- heck, they even think they can STRIVE all on their own. That's why they are such big believers in the capitalist economy. They think they can go out there with NOTHING and end up billionaires...and that if that happens..it's fair. The reality is no one goes out there poor and ends up rich without privilege and taking advantage of other people. In fact, that's the way the capitalist system is set up. It favors discrimination and it favors dog eat dog competition..in which if you have to step on others to make your way to the top you do. No one makes money off of hard work alone in this society.

Everyone of us, from a corporate job to a non-profit job, is being exploited. We are not paid what we are worth and we do not own the means of our own production. In their ideal society not only do we not rely on each other, we hurt each other in order to make it big. Social Darwinism at it's best. The best fit survive and the least fit perish. Only the reality is the more white, straight, and male-gendered you are.. the better for you here. Seems TOTALLY fair to me! ::sarcasm::

Let us stop the BS. We need each other! Who made your bread? Who made the apartment you live in? Who drilled for the oil you used to fuel your car? Who supported you through a difficult time? Another human being! Let's face it. Without other people helping us out and supporting us-- whether economically, spiritually, mentally, emotionally-- or otherwise, we simply would live miserable lives. 

                                                                          

So when people say, "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" you have to say, "give me some boots!" The government should exist to help support its people. We give them our tax dollars to redistribute it in the form of social services for the good of all of our people. It is our current government who wastes our money on prisons, the military, and rich people's tax cuts and corporate give-aways instead of helping people help themselves in the form of job training, free (think tax-payer funded any time I say "free") college, free childcare, free abortions, free healthcare and access to reproductive rights, and other free programs of social uplift.

“That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness”

--The Declaration of Independence

So if the government is not meeting our needs, it needs to go. It's time for a government that truly serves human needs.