Has anyone ever thought of a world where only a small fraction of individuals owns the whole corporate world, but where every person, including the African American is equally treated? Can anyone think of a world where the worth of rich individuals like Bill Gates can equal that of the poorest African American person? Can one think about a world in which all the African Americans could equally a play part and benefit from the economy just like the other races? If such a world existed, then we could rarely have situations where one individual could dominate over another one, and as such, the world would have strong economies and nations could be stronger because of equality that has been created Thomas (2003). Though it may at first seem to be a dream, it is possible to have such a world if everyone in this world changed his or her perception towards all people. The idea of not having one person accumulating all the powers at the expense of the rest and where money does not have virtual value, may be termed as being ludicrous to some people while it may seem to be a great idea to others. This great idea is what is referred to as Socialism. This paper considers the benefit socialism has on society as a whole by considering one community; African American.
Socialism can therefore be best defined as “the ownership by the state of means of production and capital which can be exploited rather than be owned by private firms or individual people” (Thomas, 2003, p. 5). This is a clear indication that, no individual will be in a position to personally reap from the benefits of the economy. The need for exchange will be done away with because common ownership of the economy will render money useless. Like many societies, the use of money in the African American community remains paramount and a big issue. The need for money has driven the young African Americans into selling hard drugs and mercilessly murdering each other. The sale of drugs and deaths arising from the need of money can only be curbed if the issue of Socialism was universally applied. This is because, there will be no need for money and therefore, as a lack of a medium of exchange, no one will sale the narcotic drugs to the other person or feel justified in killing another person for money in the African American community Crick (1987).
The main factor that will gauge the production of items in a socialist economy will not be profits that accrue, but the people who will be classified according to their social needs. In the contemporary world, people go without wealth just because they cannot afford to buy it. People who come from poor backgrounds can be given a chance to be provided with the basic needs if money was not a basic factor that determines ones worth. Problems associated with poverty of the African Americans like getting minimum wages at their places of work, lacking stable jobs and unequal distribution of resources and job opportunities can all be eliminated if money was done away with (Thomas, 2003, p. 4).
According to Cropsey (1987) if all countries were to uphold socialism, then all the mechanisms that are used in the production and distribution of resources and wealth in general, like for instance, transport, all office, all factories and mines will be assets that will be communally owned by the community at large. This will imply that, everyone will be equal and thereby these benefits could be directly translated to the African Americans who will feel glad to work for the needs of the entire community (Crick, 1987, p. 66).
The success of work in socialist society will be highly dependant on the decisions arrived by the men and women who play a big role in attaining the cooperation which will be needed so as to keep it running or sustain it. Everyone will negatively be affected if the people in the socialist society do not work hard and sustain the spirit of socialism in their community. Just like the human beings who could become distinct if they didn’t access food, water and medication, the socialist community will also become extinct if the individuals in it don’t cooperate and live up to the spirit of mutual understanding. The aspect of working before attaining these basic needs will be an eye opener to the African Americans who will now be compelled to work hard and fend for themselves and their households. The African Americans will therefore be challenged to cooperate and work hard with the rest of the community for the common good of all people. Unknowingly, many of the African Americans like competing with each other thinking that it is healthy to do so, yet in the long run, it is very harmful to their lives. The consequences of competition among the African Americans are that it will lead to greed, jealousy and subsequent harm to the people involved in it. Socialism places people to be on the same equal level and therefore the issue of competition will be a thing of the past Wright (1996, p.40).
As for now, infant mortality rate of African Americans stands very high since around 15 million children aged below 5 years starve to death on a yearly basis. Circumstances that lead to these deaths in many instances arise because of the failure of the family to cater for basic necessities and healthy environments for their young children. Such obscenities cannot be withstood if people upheld socialist societies because people with young children and infants will be motivated to work so that they avail provisions for their young children. Research has shown that some families whose children starve to death are often too lazy and rely on the help of their neighbors in order to provide for their families. The socialist community will therefore ensure that such people are given an equal chance of working so that they provide the basic needs for their households and therefore making the economy to grow.
Opponents of Socialism claim that if socialism was to be upheld, then millions of people will refuse to work on their own while expecting the whole society to efficiently work for them. The Opponents have a negative perception of the African Americans since they claim these people were just born lazy. The socialist society would ensure that all the jobs including the dirty ones do not have to be done by the same people at the same time and therefore rotation should be applied so that the few nice jobs cannot be the privilege of the few. By so doing, all people will feel to be equally treated and therefore work very hard to increase their economy Wright (1996, p.45).
As we turn to unemployment, we discover that the African Americans have a high percentage of unemployment rates. If communities consume all products in one month, the community will have to work to provide for their families. Due to the forces of supply and demand, the rate of unemployment will go up. This is one method that will unite the community and help them bring a change within the American society (Rosen, et al, 1999, p. 7). This will in turn foster a big sense of togetherness and cooperation within the African Americans.
Opponents of socialism argue that, in a free society, people will take more products than they really need. It is possible that if retail outlets were opened and people told to go and take all that they want without parting with money, there would be chaos and the retails stores would be left empty within a couple of hours. The question is whether this can be the case. The answer is no. With socialism, the community would be grateful for this opportunity and would appreciate using the products cautiously and not in a wasteful manner. The African American will become more responsible and as a result socialism will expand moral standing of the community.
The American society is on the verge of extinction if corrective actions are not taken. The present capitalistic dispensation is essentially a political tool that produces a fertile ground for many atrocities to occur. For instance, the American society accepts abortion, which has become a sort of holocaust. By getting rid of such a practice would see the population increase and the society will have to start a welfare system that can only be feasible through socialism. By doing away with abortion, the current family planning system would be done away with, and America would be turned into a worker’s democracy. This will only be possible under a socialist regime.
Socialism is not a difficult ideology to comprehend as some people would like everyone to believe. In simple terms, it refers to a method of production without using money as a medium of exchange. This is in contrast to capitalism that places emphasis on monetary exchange. Throughout the centuries man has always produced goods and services for use, beginning with gathering of food and making of tools in medieval societies (Marx, 2000, p. 56).
Socialism, if embraced to today, can foster the much desired unity among the countries and more so in the African American society. Crick (1987, p. 33) says that socialism is one of the most significant components that are missing in the African American communities. It is therefore worthy to note that, with socialism, people will be able to work collectively to meet their own needs. Socialism in this context will motivate people to work with one another since they are striving to attain the same goal-survival.
To be in unity to achieve a common goal, is a desire that is yearned for by many communities, and socialism has the highest possibility of achieving this goal. If nations were to embrace socialism, it could provide a positive impact and a turn around in many countries reeling under the York of capitalism (Heywood, 2004, p. 44).
In conclusion, many communities are in need of unity and a positive change in their lives as we have seen, and socialism is a vehicle that can deliver this desire. Socialism will motivate people to put more effort in their work, and as a result produce more for their families. With socialism, communities that have been marginalized under capitalism will be able to achieve a bargaining power as well as respect than ever before. Therefore, there is a need to push for socialism in the contemporary world as it ensures a united world.
References
Crick, B., 1987. Socialism, New York: Open University Press.
Cropsey, J., ‘1987. ‘Karl Marx’, In Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey (eds.), History of Political Philosophy, 3rd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Heywood, A., 2004. Political Theory: An Introduction, 3rd ed. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 40-49
Marx, K., 2000. Selected Writings, ed. David McLellan, New York: Oxford University Press
Rosen, M., and Jonathan Wolff (eds.), 1999, Political Thought, London: Oxford University Press. 6-10
Thomas, P., 2003. Political Thinkers: From Socrates to the Present, Oxford University Press.
Wright, A., 1996. Socialisms: Old and New. New York: Routledge.