the rough draft beginning of "On Wage Slavery and Notions of Socialism"

“Unbecoming to a gentleman, too, and vulgar are the means of livelihood of all hired workmen whom we pay for mere manual labour, not for artistic skill; for in their case the very wage they receive is a pledge of their slavery.”
– Marcus Tullius Cicero, De Officiis

Preamble

To the extent that
• Slavery and wage labour are comparable
• Capitalism inherently produces sizeable inequality
And
• Private Property and the pursuit of same has produced in modern man a near necessity to step on his fellow man to achieve “success”

Inasmuch as the United States
• Was formed to “establish Justice,” to “insure domestic Tranquility,” to “provide for the common defence,” and to “promote the general Welfare” of her people, to “secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity”
• Voted in General Assembly of the United Nations in favor of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which proclaims that
• “Everyone has a right to life, liberty and security of person” (Article 3)
• “No one shall be held in slavery or servitude…” (Article 4)
• “Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.” (Article 23-1)
• “Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country.” (Article 21-2)
• “Everyone , as a member of a society, has the right to social security…” (Article 22)
• “Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.” (Article 23-2)
• “Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.” (Article 23-3)
• “Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.” (Article 23-4)
• “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.” (Article 25-1)
• “Everyone has a right to education.” (Article 26-1)
And, inasmuch as the United States
• Makes war abroad in the name of “democracy” and “freedom” when millions live in poverty here at home
• Regularly supports and promotes an economic system that alienates the common worker from that he produces
And
• Distances us all from our political leadership, from governmental decisionmaking, from having power over our own lives

I must contend that a better system must be found, must be enacted and must be maintained to create a greater livelihood for a greater number of people. As I wrote in a recent essay, “It cannot simply be from each according to his ability, to each according to his need. We must look past even that Marxist slogan. Instead, in this modern age, with all of the advances we have achieved already, we should be able to make available everything to everyone.” In simpler terms, “for everyone everything.” Call it an impractical dream if you like, but there’s a quotation (attributed to different people at different times) about ambition that is appropriate here: “Aim at the sun and you may not reach it; but your arrow will fly far higher than if you had aimed at an object on a level with yourself.” The point is, simply because some idealistic notion of society is perhaps impractical, is perhaps even impossible is no reason not to aim for it. By aiming for something better than we have, we can do little but improve upon our status quo.

Note: Despite specific reference to our Constitution, to forego American exceptionalism, let me, for the most part, speak universally as much as possible from here on. This is not, necessarily, an argument for the deconstruction of America, her government, her infrastructure, or her people (en masse), but rather a deconstruction and reconstruction of an idea, a promotion of ideal government who cares for her people when they are in need, who provides for them when they cannot provide for themselves housing, food, healthcare and even employment (and, dare I say it, purpose). Consider the following not a call for deconstruction or destruction but a call for creation, a call for action, for positive developments on behalf of mankind, citizens local and abroad, people of all walks of life all across the surface of this earth.

This piece may tend toward cynicism concerning capitalism, negativity toward modern life and the unkept promises of notions like the American Dream, but at its core is a hopeful spirit, an idea of something better than we humans far too often seem capable.