In these days
of uncertainty and upheaval in society, many of us are wondering what we can do
to lend our support to those who are resisting authoritarian rule. It sounds like a daunting task. Right now our
society is at a critical juncture in which our government is getting more and
more repressive. People have lost their jobs. There have been massive cuts in
critical government programs. Immigrants are being kidnapped off the streets
and sent to faraway prisons. We also have an environmental crisis, a health
care crisis, a housing crisis, and a food crisis. Here in North Carolina, in
the aftermath of Helene, we have not been able to complete all the necessary clean up, due to
government cutbacks, and the state has been denied the millions of dollars of
FEMA aid that the Biden administration promised our state.
To address
global crises and to save humanity, we need a multi-pronged approach, focusing on root causes. Climate change,
immigration, poverty, inequality, unequal access to resources, educational
disparity, are all key problem areas that need to be addressed. Yet, in the
current state of national affairs, it is not easy to see a path forward to
address any of these key issues, as current government mandates are not geared
to serve the populace. Because this seems like such a daunting task and because there are so
many intertwining crises, how do we as concerned citizens, decide what to do to
prevent impending global calamity So, what do we do?
When I ask
myself this question, I think: What is it that I can do? Indeed, what can one
person do in the face of all these issues? I don’t have a lot of resources to
fund worthy organizations that are
working for the common good. Firstly, I have decided that something I can do is
to write articles. I can share information that I have gleaned from research on
what is going on in current events. Admittedly, amidst the whirlwind of events
happening all at once, it is hard to keep up. Yet, relying on many different perspectives,
lends a certain clear window into these often confusing, conflicting events. Then,
after becoming informed, I can write about a proposed plan for a way out of the
chaos.
While resisting
against the immigration crackdown is crucial, the cuts to social safety nets in
the “Big, Beautiful Bill” before Congress is also important. Yet bringing about
reforms is only a stopgap measure. It is like putting a band aid on a gaping
wound. Capitalism, which the US government is inexorably intertwined with, is at
the root of the inequality problem. In the US, wealth distribution is highly
concentrated at the top.
Inequality is
higher now than at any time since World War II. Our level of inequality is
closer to that seen in Latin America than in Europe. In the past 30 years there
has been huge economic growth for the nation
while as a whole, the financial picture
for the typical household has worsened (https://americancompass.org/economic-inequality).
In the first quarter of 2024, almost two-thirds of the total wealth in the
United States was owned by the top 10 percent of earners. In comparison, the
lowest 50 percent of earners only owned 2.5 percent of the total wealth (https://www.statista.com/statistics/203961/wealth-distribution-for-the-us/).
What is the way out of this economic chaos? Reforms
can certainly be undertaken, though difficult to initiate in today’s political
climate. I attest, though, that reforms will not be enough. If a push to elect
more Democrats to Congress in 2026 succeeds, many pundits opine that with
control of Congress, bills can be passed to counter many of the executive
orders and cruel, damaging policies of the Trump administration. I don’t
disagree with that analysis. However, what if the election is rigged, as the last
one is said to have been by outside influences? What if Democrats do gain a
majority in one chamber of Congress or both? With the majority Trump-appointed,
reactionary Supreme Court, lasting change will be challenging. Additionally, how
do we know that the Trump administration will follow the rulings of courts and
laws passed by Congress? Heck, they have even refused to abide by some of the rulings
of their own rubber stamp Supreme Court.
So what is a rational plan of
action? I believe that since capitalism, the hording of wealth by the few, is at
the root of the inequality crisis, we need to adopt a new economic theory, one
that is based on the welfare of people, not profit. Such a system is Prout
(Progressive Utilization Theory) advanced in 1959 by P. R. Sarkar (1922-1990).
What are the
salient points of Prout?
Prout is a new socio-economic paradigm in which the welfare and development of
all human beings, as well as animals and plants, is in harmony with nature and
natural resources. Prout holds a vision of society in which our highest ethical
values are expressed in our economic and social institutions.
Based on a
philosophy in which the welfare of all living
creatures matters, Prout advocates for economic democracy, taking on social and
economic inequality through creating an economy based on cooperative businesses
and some privately-owned small businesses. Self-reliant economic zones defined
by common cultural and economic factors are established in order to develop the
indigenous strength of the various societies and peoples.
The minimum
necessities of life: food, housing, medical care, education, and transportation
are guaranteed to all persons in a Prout society. Those who provide the most
service to society will be afforded a somewhat larger share of resources.
How can I help
implement a transition to a Prout society? One person can do something, yet we
may feel as if our voice is small. However, when we join with others of like
minds, we can create an unstoppable force toward creating change. Both aspects
are important, putting forth a vision for the future, and uniting with others
in the community around anti-exploitation sentiment. Until Prout is
implemented, though, and we have a society based on human needs rather than on human
greed, reforms will be temporary. It is societal change at its core that is
crucial. For lasting change, we need a collective vision and a coordinated
movement.
Grassroots
organizing in our own communities is a powerful way to begin to work toward
lasting change. Perhaps we can run for public office, start a food cooperative,
fight against illegal kidnapping of migrants, join other groups that are
working for societal change, like the National Fair Housing Alliance, ERA
Advocates (works to give constitutional
equal rights to women), and Community Change (works to build the power and capacity
of low-income people, especially low-income people of color.
Fighting
against exploitation in our localities will help build a movement to unite
ourselves in a common struggle. It is up to us to begin this fight to take back
our institutions, and create better, more responsive ones in the service of
creating the better world we all wish to see.
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