May 12, 2021 Why America Needs Socialism: The Argument from Martin Luther King, Helen Keller, Albert Einstein, and Other Great Thinkers by G.S. Griffin
This book presents a contemporary case for socialism built on the words and ideas of history’s greatest leaders, thinkers, and artists. Exploring their views and connecting them to present day struggles, Griffin is crucial reading for anyone seeking to learn from the past to change today’s world in revolutionary ways. G.S. Griffin is an activist writer in Kansas City, cofounder of the Kansas City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, co-founder of a cooperative to support progressive causes and candidates and works in political advocacy at Communities Creating Opportunity. He will be with us for this Vital Conversation.
1. “Capitalism is an economic system characterized by the private ownership of business and industry, where earning a profit by selling a good or service is each owner’s basic and necessary goal.” (p. 16)
“Socialism is a political and economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.” (New Oxford American Dictionary)
What would you add to these two definitions to enhance a conversation about socialism in America?
2. “Many readers of faith believe that higher powers created humanity to be sinful by nature. Thus, it makes sense to many that capitalism is natural, and the way things must remain.” (p. 15) Do you agree that humanity is sinful by nature? How do you defend your opinion?
3.“Not only is it possible, but Einstein saw it as the true purpose of socialism; to keep growing, to keep bettering ourselves. Likewise, Mahatma Gandhi disbelieved in the supposed ‘essential selfishness of human nature’ because man can ‘rise superior to the passions that he owns in common with the brute and, therefore, superior to selfishness and violence.’” (p. 19). Do you see hope for change in human behavior? What is your suggestion for bettering ourselves?
4.“For near 200,000 years – most of human existence – people survived on cooperative economics and a more classless society, where the life, wealth, and work of the ruler or leader was not significantly different than any other member of the group.” (p.20). “Studies indicate that modern adults are not instinctively selfish—our first impulse is typically to cooperate and care for others.” (p. 21). What happened to us to change and tolerate the divided and oppressive system we have today?
5.“Now that we know society largely determines human nature, rather than the reverse, there is only one logical question to ask: what kind of society should we create? (p. 23) What kind of a society would you like to create? What do you need to move in that direction?
6.“Harriet Beecher Stowe, in Uncle Tom’s Cabin, wrote that ‘capitalists’ and slave owners alike were ‘appropriating’ the lower class, ‘body and bone, soul and spirit, to their use and convenience’. The rich man believed ‘there can be no high civilization without enslavement of the masses, either nominal or real.” (p. 30). Do you agree that racism and capitalism work together? Can we eliminate racism without addressing capitalism?
7. “Over ninety percent of our nation’s existence has been marked by war, and surveys indicate people around the world view the United States as the single greatest threat to world peace.” (p. 111). Do you agree? Make that case for or against the US being the greatest threat to world peace. Talk about Vietnam, Mexico, Guatemala, Philippines. (see p. 111)
8. “Socialism also eliminates capitalism from the bottom-up…Under socialism, the exploitation of labor and authoritarian power are consigned to the dustbin of history, replaced by cooperation, equity, and democracy…In the socialist model, work cooperatives are the humane alternative to capitalist businesses. In a cooperative, all workers share equal ownership of the firm. This translates to equality in power and in wealth…Elizabeth Blackwell wrote that Christian socialism would mean labor receiving a fair and increasing share in the profits it helps to create.” (p. 120-122) Can you imagine our country with cooperation, equity, and democracy? How would that be different from the country you experience today?
9. “In truth, the mechanisms and incentives that drive technological, systematic, and other forms of change remain in place in co-ops. Outside inventors can still sell or license their creations to cooperative businesses; start-up founders, while sacrificing total power and wealth hoarding, can still bring their creations to the world, doing what they love and making money off it…Co-ops are also more stable that capitalist firms, even during economic crisis.” (p. 125-126). Have you invested in or participated in a co-op of some form? Describe the experience. What worked for you and what did not work for you?
10. “Imagine living in an America like this…Might we grow, collectively, less greedy and more caring? Less individualistic and more attuned to the needs of all, the common good? (p. 129). When have you experienced life in a less greedy and more caring way? Describe the situation and the benefits of such an arrangement. What can you do to make this happen more often in your life and in your community?
Some examples of this are:
• UBI (Universal Basic Income) p. 145f.
• Guaranteed work through public works projects - p. 149f. “Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings.” Nelson Mandela said. (p.155)
• Universal Health Care p 156f. “This does not mean the State will own the hospitals and employ the doctors. Instead, the reverse would be true –the doctors, nurses, receptions, and janitors (the workers) would own the clinics and hospitals.” (p. 156)
• Universal Education p. 164f “A socialist society would include free K through 12 education, pre-school and college…democracy would enter education. Teachers, paraprofessionals, librarians, janitors, and other workers would own their schools…Public schools will remain ta-funded and neighborhood-based, following a democratically determined national curriculum.” (p. 164-165)
June 9, 2021 Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief, David Kessler
In 1969, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross first identified the stages of dying in her transformative book On Dead and Dying, and decades later, she and David Kessler wrote the classic On Grief and Grieving, introducing the stages of grief.
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