Today I came across a video from AOC. I really want to respond fully, but it takes me a long time to articulate myself at the highest level and this topic really demands it. So today is just an opening statement.
Here’s what she says in the video:
“I’ll tell you a secret: Most people don’t really know what capitalism is. Most people don’t even know what socialism is. But most people are not capitalists because they don’t have capitalist money. they’re not billionaires… The label doesn’t matter as much as talking about policies.”
I’ve been studying the socialism/ capitalism debate for almost three years now. I’ve watched hour long presentations from prominent socialists like Richard Wolff and Yanis Varoufakis. I’ve watched over a dozen debates. I’ve read The Communist Manifesto and volume 1 of Capital. And I now even have a good friend who is an outspoken socialist. I’m taking this debate very seriously.
But the most important thing about it is that AOC is exactly right: the vast majority of people who have actively taken a side in this fight have no idea how the other side defines these two weird words, Capitalism and Socialism. Both words have a dozen definitions that are correct AND contradict one another.
So the label doesn’t matter as much.
Most people agree on most things. Capitalists and socialists often have different economic priorities and they certainly have different policy prescriptions. But it’s important to remember that, while we often see a different picture when we look at the world at large, we agree, in our day to day lives, in our personal interactions, on right and wrong.
A thorough, nuanced conversation is the only way forward in this debate. And, rest assured dear reader, I have never worked so hard as I am currently working on my contributions to that conversation.
