There was labor before capitalism; work existed before markets and even money. Hunting and gathering, the activities of our earliest ancestors, almost definitely did not view work as a distinct, segmented aspect of life the way we do now. However, we’ve always needed to work to survive. Even in the twenty-first century, we still struggle to make ends meet by working; hence, the movement for a “living wage.”
We want to think of ourselves as Homo sapiens, a species that is defined by thought and wisdom. However, we may just as easily accomplish this by working as Homo laborans and making purposeful efforts to achieve particular goals. However, it took two revolutions, agricultural and industrial, to elevate “labour” to a separate class.
Capitalism has transformed the world and increased our productivity but at the cost of enormous human suffering. Our shared values, equality, fairness, democracy and freedom, community and solidarity, can both provide the basis for a critique of capitalism and help guide us towards a socialist and democratic society. What we need is an understanding of anti-capitalist strategies that avoid both the false optimism of wishful thinking and the disabling pessimism that emancipatory social transformation is beyond strategic reach.
Consume consciously
Consuming mindfully can help with problems like waste and overproduction, as obvious as it may appear. It certainly goes against the grain of a “disposable” world where buying new things is more practical than solving problems. The five R’s: refuse, reduce, repair, reuse, and recycle may be familiar to you.
These recommendations are helpful for people who are just starting out in the realm of ethical consumption. There are numerous more strategies to control your consumption, such as paying attention to the place where your items come from or researching the mission and values of an organization you support. Simply choosing one bank over another to keep your savings could be an effective strategy to oppose capitalism.
Freecycle as much as possible
Millions of people are familiar with the fundamentals of freecycling: when you have something you don’t want or need, you can connect online with someone else who might be able to use it. Up until 2009, the Freecycle network, established in Arizona in 2003, dominated this market. However, a dispute over claimed excessive administration and the suppression of local efforts led to the creation of the UK organization Freegle, which now has about 2.5 million members.
Stay healthy
The medical industry is another one that is heavily controlled by the profit-based ideologies of our economic system. Focus on prevention by maintaining your health through a balanced diet and regular exercise to avoid adding to the overproduction of pharmaceuticals and medications. The longer and better you are able to participate in society, motivating others to oppose capitalism with your pertinent ideas and opinions about the world, the healthier you will be.