To Save Humanity: What Can I Do?

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.