Why You Should Be A Socialist In 2024

Summary

This video explores the issues caused by capitalism, emphasizing how wealth inequality has worsened, particularly during the pandemic. It argues that capitalism, driven by profit, leads to monopolies, overworked laborers, and a concentration of wealth among the rich. The video advocates for socialism as a better system, proposing a society where basic needs like housing, healthcare, and education are guaranteed, and workplaces are democratically controlled. It also addresses misconceptions about socialism, urging viewers to consider alternatives to profit-driven economies.

Takeaways

• 💰 Capitalism leads to extreme inequality, with the richest 1% accumulating most of the world's wealth, while the majority struggle.
• 📉 Capitalism works by accumulating capital, but at the cost of worsening living conditions for the majority of people.
• 🔄 Socialism is presented as a logical next step after capitalism, as societies evolve and systems change over time.
• 🏦 Capitalism concentrates wealth and power in the hands of a few, with mega-corporations dominating various industries.
• 💼 The profit motive in capitalism drives inequality and creates a system where the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer.
• ⚖️ Socialists advocate for a society where basic needs like housing, food, healthcare, and education are universally guaranteed.
• 👩‍💼 Socialists argue for democratic control of the means of production, where workers have more say in how workplaces and resources are managed.
• 📊 Inequality under capitalism is worsening, with CEOs making exponentially more than their workers, while wages stagnate.
• 🌱 A socialist economy focuses on human needs and environmental sustainability, rather than profit-driven motives.
• 📚 Socialism supports individual freedom and creativity by ensuring a baseline standard of living for all, enabling people to pursue passions beyond survival.

Q & A

What is the main argument presented in the video regarding capitalism?

The video argues that capitalism is inherently flawed, as it prioritizes profit over human well-being, resulting in massive wealth inequality and worsening social conditions for the majority. The speaker believes capitalism has run its course and should be replaced by socialism.

How does the video explain the accumulation of wealth by the top 1% during the COVID-19 pandemic?

According to the video, the wealthiest 1% accumulated nearly 2/3 of all new wealth generated since 2020, with the top 10 billionaires gaining over $1.5 trillion in wealth. This was largely due to the structure of capitalism, which allowed the ultra-rich to profit from the suffering of others during the pandemic.

Why does the speaker claim capitalism is not evil, but flawed?

The speaker explains that capitalism is not inherently evil but is designed to prioritize profit above all else. As a result, the system leads to wealth concentration and exploitation because that is how it functions. It follows its own 'profit motive,' which results in negative outcomes for most people.

What does the video suggest is the 'logical next step' after capitalism?

The video argues that socialism is the logical next step in human development after capitalism. Just as society moved from feudalism to capitalism, the speaker believes it will progress from capitalism to socialism as a means to create a more equitable society.

How does the speaker address the misconception that socialism enforces uniformity and limits personal freedom?

The speaker clarifies that socialism does not aim to enforce uniformity or restrict personal freedom. Instead, it seeks to ensure everyone has access to basic needs, such as housing, healthcare, and education, which would allow people to pursue personal goals and creativity more freely.

What is the speaker's view on workplace democracy under socialism?

The speaker advocates for workplace democracy, where workers have control over the means of production and decision-making within their workplaces. They argue that workers often know best how to perform their jobs and that workplace democracy would lead to higher efficiency, morale, and less waste.

How does the video contrast capitalism and socialism in terms of addressing societal needs?

The video argues that capitalism follows the logic of profit, which leads to societal harm, while socialism is focused on meeting societal needs. In a socialist system, resources would be distributed based on people's needs rather than on the profitability of industries.

What does the speaker say about the relationship between capitalism and political power?

The speaker argues that under capitalism, political power is heavily influenced by the wealthy and powerful, such as large corporations and lobbying groups. This leads to policies that benefit the capitalist class rather than the general public, reinforcing inequality.

What examples does the speaker provide of capitalist systems consolidating power among a few corporations?

The speaker cites companies like Google, Amazon, and Disney as examples of how capitalism leads to monopolies. They argue that under capitalism, more and more of the economy becomes concentrated in the hands of a few mega-corporations, which harms competition and consumers.

Why does the speaker believe socialism is more aligned with addressing climate change than capitalism?

The speaker believes socialism is better suited to address climate change because it prioritizes the needs of society over profit. In contrast, under capitalism, any solutions to climate change are filtered through the lens of profitability, which often leads to insufficient or harmful actions.

Outlines

00:00

🎥 Introduction and Call to Action

The video begins with a message thanking patrons on Patreon for their support and encouraging viewers to become patrons for early access to content. It briefly touches on structural issues in society and introduces the core argument that capitalism is responsible for many modern problems. The speaker suggests that socialism offers solutions to these issues, emphasizing that capitalism is not the only viable system for human progress.

05:00

💸 Wealth Inequality and Capitalism's Impact

The paragraph highlights the extreme wealth disparity exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It cites data from Oxfam showing that the richest 1% accumulated two-thirds of new wealth created since 2020, with 10 billionaires amassing $1.5 trillion during that period. The narrative critiques capitalism for enabling a system where the ultra-wealthy profit off widespread suffering, arguing that capitalism inherently leads to inequality due to its profit-driven nature.

10:01

📉 Worsening Economic Inequality

The paragraph discusses how capitalism, over time, leads to a disproportionate accumulation of wealth among the rich while reducing the living standards of the majority. It mentions how wages have stagnated, with half of all new wealth going to the top 1%, and describes how most Americans live paycheck to paycheck with little or no access to paid vacation or parental leave. The author argues that capitalism thrives on inequality and that the system's design is to favor the wealthy over the working class.

15:03

⚖️ The Employer-Employee Power Imbalance

This section delves into the fundamental relationship between employers and employees under capitalism, explaining how businesses inherently prioritize profit over worker welfare. It argues that wages are always less than the value workers bring to companies and that capitalism creates an unequal dynamic, favoring employers through mechanisms like high unemployment and stagnant minimum wages. The narrative claims that this dynamic forces workers into compliance out of fear of poverty.

🛠️ Socialism vs. Capitalism: Different Philosophies

The paragraph contrasts the philosophies of capitalism and socialism. While capitalists believe free markets lead to societal good, socialists argue that markets prioritize profit over the collective well-being. The text emphasizes that capitalism concentrates power and wealth in the hands of a few, while socialism advocates for a more equitable distribution of resources and decision-making power. It clarifies that socialists do not seek to eliminate individuality but rather to ensure a baseline standard of living for all.

🏡 A Socialist Vision of a Just Society

This section outlines the socialist vision for a society where everyone has access to basic needs like housing, education, food, water, and healthcare. It criticizes capitalism for forcing people into undesirable jobs due to fear of eviction or starvation, while socialism promises a system where people can pursue passions and contribute to society without the constant threat of poverty. It also emphasizes the idea of democratic control over production, where workplaces operate with the collective interests of workers in mind.

🏢 Democracy in the Workplace

The paragraph elaborates on the concept of democratizing the workplace, arguing that workers often know how to manage their jobs better than management. It gives an example from the speaker's personal experience working in retail, where workers performed better when left to make their own decisions, compared to when profit-driven corporate policies were imposed. The argument is that workplace democracy increases efficiency, morale, and reduces waste.

🌍 National-Level Democracy and Capitalist Influence

This section critiques the current state of democracy in capitalist societies, arguing that governments are often controlled by wealthy elites and corporations rather than representing the will of the people. It refers to the influence of lobbying groups and industries, particularly fossil fuels and the military-industrial complex, which dominate policymaking. Socialism, by contrast, offers the possibility of true democratic decision-making that prioritizes the needs of the people over profit.

🛑 The Limits of Capitalist Democracy

The paragraph quotes Lenin and others to argue that capitalism only offers democracy to the wealthy, leaving the working majority disenfranchised. It mentions how capitalist societies funnel resources towards military spending and subsidies for harmful industries, rather than addressing urgent issues like climate change. The speaker suggests that socialism offers a more sustainable, democratic solution that empowers citizens to make decisions that benefit society as a whole, rather than prioritizing corporate profits.

📢 Closing Thoughts and Call to Action for Socialism

The video concludes by reinforcing the idea that socialism offers a more just and equitable future. It acknowledges the challenges of overcoming capitalist propaganda but encourages viewers to question the status quo and explore socialist ideas. The speaker also touches on their personal decision to leave Nebula over a disagreement regarding the Israel-Palestine issue, urging viewers to support the channel through Patreon to maintain independence. They invite viewers to join the community and engage in discussions about socialism.

Keywords

💡Capitalism

Capitalism is an economic system where private individuals or corporations own and control the means of production with the aim of generating profit. In the video, it is presented as a system that benefits the wealthy minority at the expense of the majority, driving inequality. The script highlights the flaws of capitalism, such as wealth disparity, the concentration of power in mega-corporations, and the exploitation of workers, with examples like the richest 1% accumulating two-thirds of new wealth created since 2020.

💡Socialism

Socialism is an economic and political system where the means of production are owned and controlled by the public or the state, with the goal of creating a more equal society. In the video, socialism is proposed as a solution to the problems caused by capitalism, such as extreme inequality. The narrator argues that socialism would ensure basic needs like housing, healthcare, and education are guaranteed for all, and advocates for democratic control over the economy to benefit the majority, rather than focusing on profits.

💡Wealth Inequality

Wealth inequality refers to the unequal distribution of assets and wealth across a population. The video emphasizes the extreme level of wealth inequality under capitalism, providing statistics like the richest 1% accumulating 26 trillion dollars of new wealth during the COVID-19 pandemic, while most of the world struggled financially. This imbalance is depicted as a fundamental flaw of capitalism, contributing to societal problems.

💡Profit Motive

The profit motive is the driving force behind capitalism, where the primary goal of businesses and corporations is to maximize profits. In the script, the profit motive is criticized for leading to harmful outcomes, such as corporations exploiting workers, reducing wages, and prioritizing profits over human well-being. The narrator argues that this system leads to increased inequality, consolidating wealth in the hands of a few at the expense of the majority.

💡Means of Production

The means of production refer to the facilities, tools, resources, and labor used to produce goods and services. In capitalist systems, these are owned privately by capitalists, whereas socialists advocate for democratic or public control over the means of production. The video emphasizes that under socialism, the means of production would be controlled democratically by workers, aiming to meet societal needs rather than generate profit for a small elite.

💡Class Divide

Class divide refers to the separation between different socioeconomic groups, particularly between those who own wealth and those who sell their labor. In the video, this concept is central to the critique of capitalism, where society is divided into the wealthy capitalist class (the 1%) and the working class (the 99%). The narrator argues that capitalism sustains and exacerbates this divide, with the wealthy accumulating more resources at the expense of the working majority.

💡Oligarchy

Oligarchy is a form of power structure where a small group of wealthy individuals holds a disproportionate amount of political and economic power. The video uses the term to describe how the richest 1%, or the 'oligarchs,' control the vast majority of global wealth. This concentration of wealth and power is framed as a symptom of capitalism’s failings, where decisions that affect the masses are made by a select few who prioritize profit over public welfare.

💡Democracy in the Workplace

Democracy in the workplace refers to a system where workers have a say in how their workplace is run, including decision-making powers and control over working conditions. The video advocates for this as part of a socialist vision, contrasting it with the current capitalist model where unelected managers or CEOs hold all the power. By giving workers control, the video suggests that productivity, morale, and fairness would increase, using the example of a camera department in retail where workers performed better when self-managed.

💡Surplus Value

Surplus value is the difference between the value of what workers produce and what they are paid, with the excess being kept as profit by the employer. The video uses this concept to explain how capitalism inherently exploits workers by paying them less than the value they generate. This surplus value is then transferred to shareholders or company owners, rather than being reinvested into workers’ benefits or wages.

💡Climate Change

Climate change is the long-term alteration of temperature and typical weather patterns in a place, largely due to human activities like burning fossil fuels. The video argues that under capitalism, decisions related to climate change are filtered through a profit-driven lens, leading to insufficient or harmful responses. It posits that under socialism, with a focus on collective good over profit, society would be better equipped to tackle climate change because decisions would prioritize environmental sustainability over corporate profits.

Highlights

The episode emphasizes how capitalism contributes to economic inequality, citing examples of wealth transfer during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It mentions the richest 1% accumulated nearly two-thirds of all new wealth generated globally during the last two years, according to an Oxfam report.

The 10 richest individuals accumulated $1.5 trillion, which is about the same amount of wealth lost by the rest of the world’s population.

The video argues that capitalism works as intended – to accumulate capital – but that its inherent logic produces extreme inequality and societal harm.

It claims that capitalism’s profit motive drives companies to prioritize profits over people's well-being, which results in wealth disparity and societal problems.

The speaker asserts that capitalism will eventually give way to socialism, comparing it to the historical shift from feudalism to capitalism.

It critiques the notion that capitalism is the best system humanity has found, arguing that something better, such as socialism, is possible.

Capitalism, according to the video, consolidates wealth and power into the hands of a few, leading to monopolies and mega-corporations like Google, Amazon, and Disney.

Socialism, the video argues, offers a more equitable future, focused on providing a guaranteed baseline standard of living for all, including universal access to housing, healthcare, education, food, and water.

It also promotes the idea of democratic control over the means of production, where workplaces are run collectively or democratically by workers.

The video explains that the employee-employer relationship is inherently unequal under capitalism because employers must make a profit from the worker’s labor.

The speaker believes that under socialism, workers would have more say in how workplaces are run, which would improve efficiency and morale.

The episode highlights how democracy under capitalism is compromised by the influence of wealth and lobbying groups, making government policies favor the rich.

It argues that socialism offers a solution to climate change, as decisions under a democratic economy would prioritize the planet over profit.

The speaker concludes that socialism is both moral and common sense, advocating for the democratization of power and an end to capitalism’s outdated profit-driven solutions.

Transcripts

this episode and others like it are made

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[Music]

patreon.com/crashcourse and I figured

it'd be fun to revisit the topic a lot

of structural issues remain unchanged so

if some of this sounds familiar don't be

surprised so let's get straight to the

heart of the matter many of the problems

in your life are either caused or

worsened by capitalism the good news is

we have the means to solve these

problems when we socialists say a better

world is possible it's because it's true

capitalism has only really been around

for a few hundred years it's a little

bit silly to assume that we just

magically found the perfect system and

this is how humans are supposed to to

live it's not utopian to think that

maybe something better can come after

and it's not being bitter or envious to

criticize the status quo things are bad

we know why and we know how to fix them

every system eventually comes to an end

just as Humanity progress from feudalism

to capitalism so too will capitalism

give way to socialism it's The Logical

next step in human development if you

strip away all the extra stuff the core

purpose of our species the only thing

that really matters is leaving a better

life for our children we can no longer

do that under capitalism so let's take a

look at some of the problems capitalism

creates and why it's time to move

[Music]

on the example I used in last year's

video was the massive transfer of wealth

during the co pandemic now that the dust

has mostly settled we have better data

on just how extreme it really was

according to a report by Oxfam the

richest 1% of people accumulated nearly

2/3 of all New Wealth generated in the

last 2 years I'll say that again of the

$42 trillion of wealth created since

2020 the richest 1% of people 1%

siphoned off 26 trillion of it put

another way for every $1 of wealth

earned by someone in the bottom 90% The

Upper Crust amassed $1.7 million during

the first two years of the pandemic

specifically the 10 richest people on

Earth accumulated over 1.5 trillion

of wealth which coincidentally is

roughly the amount of wealth lost by

everyone else these 10 people already so

rich they'd make the pharaoh's blush

raked in money at a rate of $1.3 billion

every single day for 2 years together

these oligarchs hold more wealth than

the world's poorest 4 billion people

that is staggering inequality in a time

when 99% of humanity was struggling to

make ends meet when companies were

sacrificing their workers on the altar

of profit when Millions lost their jobs

and had to survive on two tiny emergency

checks over the span of 2 years the

ultra Rich were safe isolated and

profiting massively off the suffering of

their fellow human beings one staggering

statistic that really puts this wealth

disparity into perspective is that if

these 10 multi-billionaires lost

99.99% of their wealth right now they'd

still be richer than 99% of the

population it's hard to even

conceptualize that kind of inequality

but this is what capitalism produces

it's not that capitalism is evil it's

that it is beholden to its own inherent

Logic the logic of the profit motive if

the profit motive says a million people

need to Die to Save the economy then the

only possible outcome under a capitalist

system is that a million people will die

I said last year that this is not a

system that works but I want to amend

that statement capitalism does work it

does the thing it's supposed to do which

is accumulate capital

but because of how capitalism Works

we're left with a society in which the

extreme wealth of the few is a direct

result of the suffering of the many and

that tiny handful of multi-billionaires

will only get smaller over time an

economic system constructed to produce

winners and losers will always end in

Monopoly look at Google look at Amazon

look at Disney every facet of our

society is being Consolidated under ever

growing Mega corporations and that's not

going to stop it can't and a system that

creates Godlike wealth for a handful

while actively preventing the vast

majority from living a decent life needs

to be done away with more and more

people are waking up to this fact as

things continue to get

[Music]

worse but okay come on capitalism is an

improvement over feudalism right we

can't just throw away the best thing we

have you're right it was an improvement

we went from from a system where there

was no chance of upward Mobility to one

where some lucky few could rise out of

poverty that's great but the thing we

have to realize is that something which

could have been seen as Progressive 400

years ago might not be so great today

things change and in capitalism's case

not for the better again due to the

inherent logic of the profit motive the

ruling class must always take measures

to reduce costs and maximize profits and

over time you start to run out of fat to

trim today

50% of all New Wealth created goes

directly to the top 1% of the population

CEOs of large corporations make over 350

times what their workers do while

employee wages are lower than they were

50 years ago when you account for

inflation but I could almost forgive

that if half of all Americans didn't

live paycheck to paycheck or if a $50

trillion transfer of wealth hadn't gone

from the bottom 90% of society to the

top 1% since

1975 but they do and it has and it's not

just wages it's everything else too 28

million Americans don't get any paid

vacation or paid holidays so they hardly

take any time off and who can blame them

when wages don't even keep up with

inflation and most people can't cover a

surprise $400 expense it's simply not

possible to take time off and that's

hardly surprising for a country that

also has no federal guaranteed paid

parental leave whatsoever it's not just

that we're getting paid less getting a

smaller share of the wealth we produce

and enriching a single percent of the

population despite living in the most

productive time in human history we're

working more for less and please don't

think I'm cherry-picking data here all

of these statistics are from Western

capitalist funded sources they're all

Linked In the description if you want to

check anyway again all of these

statistics are perfectly in line with

the prime directive of our current

economic model the accumulation of

profit for the capitalist class they're

all Justified by the fact that in some

way they've allowed for a small minority

of the population incredibly powerful

and Wealthy by virtue of ownership of

the means of production to squeeze more

out of their workers for themselves in

the last century we've seen the gradual

destruction of unions a federal

tolerance of permanent high unemployment

and a series of changes to the tax

system that allow more and more wealth

to accumulate at the top wealth is more

concentrated we're more overworked and

rampant inequality persists because this

economic system has no mechanism to fix

these problems on the contrary it

thrives on their existence what

capitalism demands above all else is

profit and in order for the system to be

profitable somebody needs to get screwed

over and it certainly won't be those

with the executive power to set the

rules think of it like this no boss out

there however compassionate or

kind-hearted they are will ever pay

their employee an equal or greater

amount than they bring to the company it

wouldn't make sense what would be the

the point of hiring an extra person if

all the money they generate goes right

back in their pocket in other words no

matter what your pay is even if it seems

incredibly generous it's less than what

you're actually Worth to the company and

the money taken off the top your Surplus

value isn't going to a company fund or

R&D or a collective pension scheme

nothing that benefits you or your

co-workers even indirectly no it's going

to the shareholders otherwise there'd be

no profit only expenses and income this

this is the fundamental truth of

capitalism the employee employer

relationship is always always in favor

of the employer because when it isn't

companies aren't profitable and that's a

big no no under capitalism and the rest

of the economy is there to facilitate

that a consistent natural unemployment

and a minimum wage that hasn't budged in

15 years together gives your boss the

ability to replace you at any time it

keeps you compliant to their power under

threat of poverty and it gives them

leverage to steadily increase the gap

between how much much money you make for

the company and how much you get

[Music]

paid okay I understand that last section

may have been a little frustrating if

this is the first time you're hearing

these talking points I can hear you

saying well yeah it sucks but how else

would a business function it's just

common sense that it has to be this way

or the economy wouldn't work and that

right there is the point it's not that

the economy wouldn't work it's that a

capitalist economy wouldn't work so what

about socialism whereas capitalists and

temporarily embarrassed millionaires

believe that free markets inherently

lead to the greatest societal good

socialists have a different

perspective in a nutshell proponents of

capitalism believe that along with a

free market a healthy Society is divided

into two classes one that owns and

controls the productive Enterprises and

seeks profit and one that does not own

this form of property and therefore

needs to sell its labor for a wage in

their opinion markets even when they're

imperfect are better at making decisions

than democracy is socialists disagree we

understand that markets follow the money

not the collective good and side note

capitalists understand this too they

just think the average person is

gullible enough to believe their

propaganda at its core the whole

capitalist system is built on a small

group of unelected people having more

power than everybody else and using it

to enrich themselves the Socialist

conception of society does away with all

that but before we talk about what

socialists do want we should briefly

touch on what we don't want because

we've all been subjected to A Century of

redscare propaganda at this point so

it's probably worthwhile to clear up

some

misconceptions first we're not trying to

make everyone work in the coal mines and

wear all gray and have exactly the same

number of State mandated Funko pops when

Socialists use words like equality we're

talking about making sure that everyone

is has afforded the same Baseline

standard of living that's it we're not

trying to enforce uniformity across the

board everyone has the same basic

guarantee when it comes to quality of

life you can go out and improve that

it's not a cap on quality of life it's

just a way of saying you are a human

being and that means you deserve a modum

of dignity and security no strings

attached individuality personal

expression the drive to do or become

more none of that will change that's the

best part of being human and socialists

are all about it in fact pursuing goals

taking up Hobbies creating art that's

all far more possible under socialism

where you've got a guaranteed Baseline

standard of living than it is under

capitalism where your options are work

or starve okay we've said that a couple

times now guaranteed standard of living

What specifically does that mean

universally free or at the very least

universally accessible housing education

food water and health care for all the

right to a life of of dignity and basic

security because those things are well

within our power to provide there's too

much food going to waste too many empty

houses too much stuff being destroyed to

artificially inflate its cost and too

many people making a profit by hoarding

our basic needs socialists are tired of

people being pushed into grueling

dangerous or demeaning jobs by being

threatened with eviction and starvation

why are we so intent on holding

ourselves back by keeping the majority

of the species poor and unable to pursue

their path passions a society that

invests in itself by allowing its people

the ability to flourish has a far better

chance at longevity and public support

than one that withholds Necessities for

the sake of Greater profit another thing

socialists propose is democratic control

over the means of production we use that

word a lot what does it mean think large

companies factories Farms literally the

means by which capital is produced we

advocate for an economy run

democratically and not in the search of

profit this can take many forms whether

that's a cybernetically planned economy

a network of autonomous communes or some

other method what works in the US may be

different from what works in other parts

of the world what we can say for certain

is that they would all work better than

what we have now workplaces would be run

either without a boss or with one

elected by the workers and the products

of this economy would be geared towards

satisfying the needs and wants of

society without having to be profitable

to do so if you're having a hard time

inag ining what a democratic workplace

would look like just think about your

current job I'll take retail as a common

example so I used to work at besty as a

camera expert my job on paper was to

help customers pick out the camera that

would best suit their needs in reality

management just wanted me to upsell

people on more expensive gear to make a

long story short the camera department

is kind of detached from Best Buy proper

we technically reported to the

respective Brands and we didn't have a

brand manager there most of the time

when left to our own devices the camera

Department had the lowest rate of

product returns in the store by far

because we decided amongst ourselves how

best to meet the customer needs when

corporate started pressing us for higher

profits and the GM started forcing us to

upsell the return rate skyrocketed

actual profit shrank and the department

got all kinds of negative reviews in

this scenario and countless others

across the labor landscape the workers

know best how to do their job and

meddling from an unelected manager only

makes things worse democracy in the

workplace increases efficiency and moral

and reduces waste it's a

no-brainer one final thing I'd like to

talk about is democracy at the national

level the ability to have a say in how

your country is run in the United States

we supposedly elect people who enact

policies that reflect the will of the

people it's pretty clear that this is

not actually the case Studies have shown

that what the average person wants has

next to zero influence on policy while

what lobbying groups want

does because both both major political

parties are in the pocket of capitalist

industry particularly fossil fuels and

the military-industrial complex we end

up with representation for those with

wealth and power this is something that

socialists noticed over a hundred years

ago for example in his book The State

and Revolution lenon said in capitalist

Society democracy is always hemmed in by

the narrow limits set by capitalist

exploitation and consequently always

remains in effect a democracy for the

minority only for the propertied classes

only for the rich freedom in capitalist

Society always remains about the same as

it was in the ancient Greek republics

freedom for the slave

owners the average American doesn't want

to send billions of tax dollars to fund

genocides or proxy wars we don't want to

subsidize industries that are making the

planet less habitable for our children

we want labor protections a better work

life balance a Health Care system that

won't bankrupt us I'm not saying that

everything will be perfect in a

socialist society I'm saying the these

things are impossible in a capitalist

one when we Face a problem today

something important like climate change

for example our Solutions not only need

to be filtered by what will either be

most profitable or at best hurt profits

the least but also the actual Solutions

we do adopt are made by Industries

unaccountable to the public under

capitalism no government no scientific

board no body of citizens really has the

power to step to the fossil fuel

industry under socialism under a

democratic economy a climate change

level decision may still be incredibly

hard to make but most people care more

about still having a planet to live on

than making the line go up every year

and this way they'll actually have the

power to make that decision a reality

that is what socialists offer a more

dignified life and the democratization

of power and the only thing it will cost

us is giving up on the outdated idea

that there is always a profit-driven

solution to our problems there isn't and

we can do better so socialism is the way

forward for Humanity it is moral it is

just at this point it's Common Sense we

have the data we just have a lot of work

to do deprogramming ourselves from A

Century of Red Scare

propaganda anyway I hope that some of

this video has resonated with you and

that you'll start asking questions about

socialism yourself if you do I've got a

bunch of other videos to help you learn

more we can do this we can build a

better world so go on why not be a

socialist

I mentioned at the beginning of the

episode that my content is only possible

thanks to my patrons on patreon I

recently made the decision to leave

nebula so I'm back to being 100%

independent it's exciting but also a

little nerve-wracking since nebula

handled all my sponsors because a lot of

people have been asking and some Bad

actors have been trying to start drama

no I wasn't kicked off the platform I

was asked to make a clarifying statement

about my stance on Israel and Palestine

and in the end it felt just a little too

both sidy for for me in my opinion it's

a very black and white issue so rather

than compromise my principles I decided

it was best for me to leave there's no

bad blood there so please don't go

harassing nebula for my sake but now

that I'm independent again the best way

to support the channel is on patreon if

you enjoy the work we're doing here at

second thought and you're able to chip

in even a dollar a month I would greatly

appreciate your support every Patron

regardless of pledge amount gets Early

Access to every video plus access to our

patrons only Discord we've got

everything from a recommended reading

list to a book club and I try to do a

live Q&A every month or so we've built a

great community and we'd love for you to

be a part of it we are a small team here

we don't have institutional backing so

we're entirely dependent on viewer

support if you'd like to help keep this

operation afloat visit

patreon.com/crashcourse

[Music]