Bowman: “Capitalism is slavery by another name”

Jamaal Bowman: “I believe our current system of capitalism is slavery by another name,” he said. “We’ve moved from physical chattel enslavement and physical racial segregation to a plantation economic system.” There are always going to be winners and losers in any society, but the rejection of capitalism; an economic and cultural phenomena, that has lifted nearly 1 billion people out of extreme poverty in the past 20 years; is to usher in a new era of socialism, that will make us all, equally poor.

Bowman told The Root. “I don’t think Obama is the standard we should be striving towards,” “I think the Squad is more of a standard we should be striving for … I think the Squad and myself represent more of what’s happening right now in the party, on the ground, in the streets.” Bowman anti-capitalist policies include “defunding the police” and “ending America’s carceral state.” Bowman continued: “[these] aren’t just slogans; they are policy needs for America’s most oppressed people.

We certainly take issue with labelling those on the lower economic scale in America (which has embraced capitalism, since its inception) as “oppressed.” To be oppressed is to be exploited or systematically harmed by others- ie “chattel slaves”. In a free America- you have the “choice” to deem yourself “oppressed” or you can choose to deem yourself free.

The problem with Bowman is that he deems himself to be an “oppressed” person in capitalist America- solely because of his skin color. As a result, he will always view himself as “oppressed.” What compounds the problem, is that he perceives “moderate democrats (ie. Barak Obama), “the system” and “capitalism” as being his oppressor. When pushed into a corner of his own ‘mental construct’ the only rational course of action is to destroy your oppressor and its institutions to attain freedom.

Unfortunately, Bowman’s perception and actions hurt our society and our culture. Private property, freedom to choose your own way, and to make your own economic choices must be sacrificed to make way for the oppressed to rise- up. Just look around the “streets” what do you see? violence. hopelessness, theft, moral decay…. Can NY and our Nation survive another year of anti-capitalist policies?