Susan Rosenthal: Like a giant casino, capitalism promises much and delivers little. A few strike it rich, re-enforcing the myth that you can do the same. But the game is rigged by the capitalist class. The harder we work, the richer they get, and the sicker we become. As in every con, capitalism must resign the losers to their losses so they do not organise to end the con. Promoting the fiction of personal choice misdirects us to blame ourselves. https://wordsmith.social/protestation/quotes#quote2951
Susan Rosenthal: Capitalism has perfected the art of making things appear different from how they are. It appears that work and life are two separate spheres: the economic sphere of work where we meet our material needs; and the personal sphere of family, friendship, love, interests and hobbies where we meet our emotional needs. It also appears that different rules apply in each sphere. The sphere of work is shaped by the economics of capitalism, while the personal sphere seems to be shaped, not by capitalism, but by psychology and interpersonal dynamics. This dual-sphere model leads to dual solutions: an economic revolution to transform work; and a separate personal revolution to transform our relationships. In reality, there is only one sphere, capitalism, that we experience socially and individually — one sphere with one solution. The liberal emphasis on personal choice hides the impact of capitalism as a social system and deflects workers from our common class interests. https://wordsmith.social/protestation/quotes#quote2952
Susan Rosenthal: Capital is most effectively extracted from workers who do not question their exploitation, who “mind their betters” and “keep their noses to the grindstone”. For the majority working class, obedience is demanded, questioning is forbidden and defiance is punished. https://wordsmith.social/protestation/quotes#quote2953
Susan Rosenthal: In reality, capitalism makes life unbearable. An estimated 800,000 people around the world kill themselves every year, and millions more attempt suicide or wish they were dead. Being unhappy is a reasonable response to being exploited and oppressed. However, we do not live in a reasonable society; we live in a blaming, shaming society where those who cannot cope, those who fall outside the expected norms, and those who rebel are stigmatised as defective. https://wordsmith.social/protestation/quotes#quote2954
Susan Rosenthal: The capitalist emphasis on personal choice is not about who we are or who we want to be. It is a political ploy to divert us from our common class interests. The key to fighting deprivation is class solidarity, not charity. When the ruling class fails to meet our needs, we must hold it accountable, organising in every neighbourhood, school and workplace until we get what we need. https://wordsmith.social/protestation/quotes#quote2955
Susan Rosenthal: Capitalism is a social system that seeps into every fibre of our beings; there is no part of our lives or our relationships that it does not touch. From birth to death we are immersed in racist, sexist, homophobic and class ideology. No one is immune to the impact. It is impossible to eliminate bigotry and interpersonal violence without politically challenging the social system that breeds this behaviour. https://wordsmith.social/protestation/quotes#quote2956
