Category: Solidarity Economics

The Education Myth: How Human Capital Trumped Social Democracy

“The Education Myth” challenges the prevailing notion that education is the primary avenue to economic opportunity in America. Author Jon Shelton, associate professor and chair of Democracy & Justice Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay, explores the historical shift in the perception of education’s role in society, revealing that its connection to economic well-being was not always inevitable.

While early public education aimed to foster democratic participation, the mid-20th century saw the rise of the education myth, stifling social democratic alternatives and sidelining notions of economic security and social dignity for all.

Shelton tracks the transformation from the 1960s onward, as both Democrats and Republicans, including figures like Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush, perpetuated this myth, leading to an unequal economy and a deeply divided political landscape over the past four decades.
Link to the book at Cornell University Press

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Public Education Is Vital for Democracy. But It’s Not the Solution to Poverty or Inequality
By Jennifer C. Berkshire | Jacobin

When Social Control Masquerades as Social Justice | WHAT IS POLITICS?

When ideas and movements that threaten to overturn established hierarchies of power are absorbed into elite institutions like Ivy League universities and for-profit corporations, they get transformed into ideas that support the status quo, while remaining cloaked in the language and symbols of radicalism and egalitarianism.

The replacement of the word “equality” by the word “equity” in the worlds of academia, NGOs, activism, and corporate HR departments, is an example of the attempts by elite people and institutions to transform historical movements for racial and gender equality, into ideas that promote the interest of elites – in particular, economic inequality and the division of the working classes.

In this episode we explore how forms of oppression based on cultural factors like skin colour or gender or religion, etc, can only be understood and effectively combatted by understanding them in the context of economic exploitation and economic competition which is what the human propensity to discriminate evolved for in the first place.

Poverty In America Is By Design | The Chris Hedges Report

Some 50 million people in the United States live in poverty today—and over 108 million people survive on less than $55,000 a year. Despite having the largest economy on earth, poverty in the US is often grinding and brutal. From millions who live without running water or reliable power, to countless children who experience food insecurity and homelessness.

The data on poverty only becomes exacerbated when race is taken into account. In 2019, the median white household had a net worth of $188,200, compared with $24,100 for the median Black household. Matthew Desmond joins The Chris Hedges Report, to discuss his new book, ‘Poverty, by America,’ which delves into the reality of American poverty not as a condition earned by individuals’ poor choices, but a phenomenon produced by the knowing and unknowing choices of the wealthy.

Matthew Desmond is the Maurice P. During Professor of Sociology at Princeton University. His primary teaching and research interests include urban sociology, poverty, race and ethnicity, organizations and work, social theory, and ethnography.

In 2018, Desmond’s Eviction Lab at Princeton University published the first-ever dataset of more than 80 million American eviction records. The Lab is currently pursuing nearly a dozen lines of inquiry analyzing this groundbreaking dataset that will help scholars, policymakers, and advocates better understand eviction, housing insecurity, and poverty.

Fox Host Racist Rant About Capitalism | The Majority Report

Fox News host Judge Jeanine Pirro reacts to former NFL quarterback and activist Colin Kaepernick speaking out against capitalism. Judge Jeanine compares Kaepernick to Sen. Bernie Sanders and Bernie’s book sales, saying they both benefitted from capitalism through their endorsements and book deals.

Medicaid Rollback Causing Real Chaos | The Majority Report

Kathy Hempstead from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation joins the program to discuss the rollback of Medicaid benefits. Health officials are preparing for potential chaos as states begin to reassess Medicaid eligibility, a process that hasn’t occurred in three years. The expiration of a pandemic policy guaranteeing eligibility raises concerns that vulnerable individuals may lose coverage and fall through the cracks.

While the Biden administration allows states a year to complete the redetermination process, some states, like Arkansas, aim to expedite the process within six months. The impending change could result in millions of people losing Medicaid, and experts predict it will have a significant impact on healthcare, particularly in non-expansion states. There are concerns about administrative barriers and the potential loss of coverage for individuals with incomplete paperwork.

While efforts are being made to minimize disruptions and provide smooth transitions, challenges such as mail delivery issues and lack of awareness among recipients persist. The implications of this coverage shift are expected to be significant, and the Biden administration’s estimate suggests that up to 15 million people may be at risk of losing Medicaid.

Exposing America’s Violence Against Black Women | The Majority Report

Dr. Treva B. Lindsey and The Majority Report’s Emma Vigeland discuss how America, Goddam sheds light on the violence endured by Black women and girls in the United States, examining the intersecting forces of anti-Blackness, misogyny, patriarchy, and capitalism that shape their lives. Through personal narratives, insightful analysis, and a blend of history, theory, and memoir, author Treva B. Lindsey exposes the often overlooked gender dynamics of anti-Black violence and highlights the demands for justice made by Black women and their communities. The book explores the marginalized position of Black women within Black freedom movements, their leadership in advocating for justice, and their historical contributions to organizing and radical politics. America, Goddam is a call to action, urging readers to confront the pervasive violence targeting Black women and girls and strive for a more just future.

Book Bans Are Fascist | Leeja Miller, JD

A recent wave of book bans and curbs to educational free speech, led in part by Florida governor Ron DeSantis is hurting our children and allowing a vocal radical minority of parents and lawmakers control the narrative.

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