A while back a few people were calling me an anti-Capitalist.
My partner came up with a better term.
He said I was post-Capitalist.
And you know what - I think he's right.
See - I'm one of those little genius dipshits that you hear people describe as "ahead of their time".
You might think that sounds like a compliment - but it's not.
There are ALWAYS people who are called "ahead of their time" - but we are literally IN THIS TIME too. We are here now.
And we need more to join us!
***
Re: post-Capitalism, here's a for instance:
Reader, you have probably heard that performing icon Lizzo has been sued by ex-employees. She is accused of creating a hostile work environment including sexual harassment and weight-shaming.
This is a total bummer (and to be clear, I stand with the dancer plaintiffs on this one) - but ... I was not surprised to hear this, however inclusive her chart-topping anthems may sound.
I knew Lizzo might not be on the up-and-up when I first noticed the prices for her Yitty shapewear line.
You simply can't make ethical clothing at those price points.
Keep in mind: 97% of garment workers (about 40 - 350 million people worldwide) make less than a living wage.
Ninety-seven percent!
Lizzo's line - like the Fabletics brand she is partnered with - is yet another mega-brand using celebrityhood to take advantage of garment workers.
We don't generally notice, because we aren't supposed to notice the invisible people who make our clothes. These garment workers - mostly women of color living in the global south - are hidden from us and that's on purpose.
So when a celebrity pivots to earning hand-over-fist using merchandise made at the expense of ecosystems and human and non-human animals -
I know there's no way they are ethical in the rest of their work.
People's character shoes, in their actions.
And what really really sours my pickle is that these celebrities are PRECISELY in enough of a power position they could launch something ethical - smaller-scale certainly, but so what? As the most micro-scale clothing maker you can imagine - I can tell you this kind of project or support would be IMMENSE for people like me, people who want to provide a Triple Bottom Line quality product - and still get groceries every month.
Being able to work and get paid and afford food is a MIGHTY nice thing.
And the people in power who could help -
usually don't.
***
Now please understand:
I am not writing this to specifically criticize Lizzo. She's just another in a long line of celebrity sweatshop partnerships.
Here's what I'm saying:
We need to change our way of life - especially in terms of climate change and justice for human and non-human animals.
And if we devoted even HALF the energy into creating and supporting solutions that we do in defending our personal choices -
we'd be taking a huge bite out of these problems.
I hate to be the one to break it to you, but:
Change is coming whether you want to believe this, or not!
We'll either change NOW - because we know it's the right thing to do, and WE KNOW THAT THE CHANGES ME MAKE TODAY WILL SAVE LIVES AND MITIGATE SUFFERING -
or we can continue to wait, watching many many more suffer and die, and keep consuming and consuming and consuming while loudly shouting the reasons we have a right to do so.
And I guess what bothers me most - and what probably prompted my partner Ralph to call me a "post" Capitalist -
is that so many people with the resources (financial, mental and emotional) to solve problems, are busy making excuses instead.
And these excuses do a lot of social damage - because people really do follow the herd.
Damage like the loads of pseudo-thinkpieces (see: "Killer Whales Are Not Our Friends" and "soy is decimating rainforest land" etc etc) where people put a lot of effort into refuting climate and social justice. Usually using misinformation - and appealing to the lowest aspects of human behavior.
These thinkpieces are often written by people with PLENTY agency and privilege, who co-opt the struggles of the marginalized to justify America's legacy of a race-to-the-bottom price mentality and conspicuous consumption.
I'm over it.
OVER it.
***
I'm not going to spend hours of my time writing a piece on WHY I can't do better. As in: you'll never see me write that.
I am compassionate and realistic about my limitations -
but at the end of the day, I'm a solutions-oriented person.
I know change takes time.
But as the quote I love so much goes:
"Advance the subject, or pick up a broom."
I need my energy and that means I need to conserve my resources from bad-faith devil's advocates, defensive shopaholics, and consumer-apologists.
***
Now here's what I do need.
I need food, a safe home, enough rest, and a little group of homies who support me.
(Everyone needs those things!)
I need to be able to feed myself and my family.
And I need others to join me!
That's the social contract. You do those things, you pay me a living wage, you step in when you can -
I'll get back to work and keep it up.
You KNOW how much energy, skill, talent and leadership skills I have!
***
One more thing.
I'm reminded of something else my partner told me a while back.
and it was kind of funny, because he said it very slowly and thoughtfully, like it was just now occurring to him after twenty-six years together.
He said, "You know one difference between you and I Kelly - is that you don't suffer fools. And I really do. I suffer a lot of fools."
That made me laugh. It still makes me laugh!
Despite his belief in my, I do suffer fools too often.
But I'm trying to turn over a new leaf.
I'm pushing up my shirtsleeves - like I always do! - and finding other solutions-oriented people.
I need them - I really do.
It's just too demoralizing and lonely without them.
I'll let you know how it goes!
Thank you - as always - for reading.