Article: Beyond Capitalism: Problems and Solutions

Every participant in the economic embargo should only purchase Citgo gasoline and motor oils. Citgo oil is a product of Venezuela. Unlike the other oil companies, Venezuelan oil is nationalized; profits from its sales go directly to meet the needs of the people rather than into corporate coffers and privatized wealth. Exclusively purchasing Citgo products will not only aide the cause of Hugo Chavez's Democratic Socialism government; it will reduce the profits of Exxon-Mobil, Shell and Texaco. These oil companies have atrocious records of environmental destruction, displacement of indigenous peoples from their land and a blatant disregard for the rule of law. We should not reward them with our treasure or our loyalty. Unlike Citgo, they share their obscene wealth with only a few shareholders and pocket the profits, while also gouging consumers at the pump. On the other hand, Citgo provides deep discounts on its products to the world's poor. This demonstrates in very real world terms the difference between nationalized wealth and privatized wealth.

All of us should drive our cars minimally and only when absolutely necessary. Do not exceed the speed limit. We should utilize public transportation whenever possible and where it is available.

Fabulously wealthy companies like Wal-Mart and Target should be boycotted until they pay their workers on both ends of the supply chain a living wage and provide health insurance at no cost to their employees. Wealthy corporations must be forced to share more of their wealth with the employees who produce it. Both companies are strongly anti-union. Both routinely fire workers suspected of union activity. I speak from experience on this matter as a former Target employee.

Co-op America provides a list of proposed and ongoing boycotts and presents good background information on the rationale behind the boycotts. Co-op America's motto is "Economic Action for a Just Planet." Their web site address is: www.coopamerica.org/.

Finally, we need feet in the street day after day until Bush's reign of terror ends. There are some good people who understand what must be done and are organizing toward that end. International Answer has organized some of the largest anti-war marches around the country since the Viet Nam war. Their web address is www.internationalanswer.org/. The World Can't Wait Coalition is doing excellent work in this area. They are attempting to organize widespread civil disobedience and marches that will only end when Bush steps down. Their web address is www.worldcantwait.org/. After Downing Street is a good place for people to get involved. Their web address is www.afterdowningstreet.org/. Many who read this essay may have other resources to add to the list. You can do so by adding them to the comments area at the end of this article. Let's get organized and take matters into our own hands. There are no knights in shining armor that are going to come to our rescue. We must do this work ourselves and we must begin immediately while there is still time.

All legitimate power must be derived through the people. Any government that does represent and carry out the will of the people is illegitimate. This American government is not representing the will or the welfare of its citizens. Therefore, it is illegitimate.
It is up to the people of this country to not only drive out the Bush regime but also the system that made his rise to power possible. If we do the former without also accomplishing the latter, the cancer will return because it is inherent in the system. Nothing meaningful will have been accomplished. The names will change but not the result. We have to go all the way or not at all.

If every person who believes in just government and shared wealth, rather than privatized wealth, would reduce their consumption to the bare minimum and maintain a strict economic embargo against frivolous goods, we could turn things around very quickly and without bloodshed. We must globalize worker solidarity. The impact would be both profound and immediate. Some people claim that Americans are too selfish and shallow to carry out a long term economic boycott. They may be right. But if we do not act to save ourselves and the world from unchecked capitalism we will deserve the fate that is in store for us. Let us begin this very moment. Spread the word to everyone you know.

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