Economic Justice SP11

The issue of Economic Justice focuses on building a fair economy. The AFSC wants to build fair trade policies that protect workers rights providing them with a living wage. Providing a living wage involves the wealthy contributing through tax policies. This revenue will be used to create good schools and childcare, affordable healthcare and housing, retirement security, and a safety net for those in need. Building these things also involves calling for national policies that reduce wasteful military spending. Along with redirecting money the AFSC focuses on the social contract in which society and individuals fulfill their mutual responsibilities to each other.[[1]] Some initiatives the AFSC is currently working on: http://afsc.org/economic-justice/sos/ http://afsc.org/economic-justice/sos/action-kit.htm

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United for a Fair Economy (UFE)

United for a Fair Economy (UFE) was established in 1995 by Chuck Collins and Felice Yeskel in order to highlight the uneven distribution of wealth across the United States. Since then, the Boston based organization has made it their mission to raise awareness about the concentration of wealth and power that they believe undermines the economy, corrupts democracy, deepens the racial divide, and tears communities apart. They wish to help support and help build social movements for greater equality and equal opportunity so that prosperity and profits are better shared. This would prevent those with concentrations of money and corporations from dominating the economy. In a more broad sense, United for a Fair Economy wants citizens to use their human and moral values to guide economic decisions. While UFE has been guided by this vision and mission, they have established a number of goals and projects to help accomplish their ultimate goal of economic equality and justice <ref>About UFE.</ref>.

In United for a Fair Economy’s Annual Report 2009-2010, they establish their goals of closing the division of wealth, changing tax legislation that unfairly benefits the wealthy, spotlighting the role of race in economic inequality, and “to serve as a forum where different races, different cultures, and people with varying degrees of wealth can come together to work for economic justice." <ref name="foo">UFE's 2010 Annual Report</ref> These goals have all been implemented in five core projects that focus on economic inequalities of financial reform, CEO pay, foreclosures, and immigration issues. The first of these projects includes Popular Economics Education, which involves hundreds of participatory workshops that lead people to think critically about America’s economic system and helps move them to action to close the growing economic divide. UFE’s Federal Tax/Federal Estate project creates debate over federal tax policies and economic issues as well as works to insure that an estate tax exists. Their Responsible Wealth (RW) project includes a network of over 700 business leaders from the top 5% of income and or wealth in the United States who advocate for fair taxes and corporate accountability. Tax Fairness Organizing Collaborative (TFOC) incorporates 28 state-level grassroots who educate and organize communities about fair and adequate state and federal tax rates. TFOC emphasizes that a fair tax system could generate enough revenue to fund quality public services that could help citizens thrive. TFOC also believes that strong participation at the grassroots (local) level is crucial to long-term political change. United for a Fair Economy’s last project is Racial Wealth Divide (RWD) seeks to educate people about wealth barriers that exists to communities of color and which cause disproportionate wealth divide amongst them. While teaching citizens about these barriers, RWD also provides resources that help color communities understand wealth-building strategies that can help them achieve greater economic stability and economic equality. <ref name="foo">UFE's 2010 Annual Report</ref>

The mission, vision, goals, and projects establish by United for a Fair Economy are consistent with the ideals of social justice established above and are similar in ways to the reforms and ideals advocated and expressed by Alperovitz, Domhoff, and Yates. Alperovitz in his novel, America Beyond Capitalism, states that America is in trouble due to the increased inequality in society, the “erosion of liberty”, and the concerns about the U.S. federal budget crisis . He asks what would be necessary to create a society with equality, liberty, and democracy if our current system collapsed. <ref name="loo">Alperovitz, Gar.</ref> He later answers this question, stating that a plural commonwealth is necessary. The plural commonwealth would replace corporate control with a new institution of ownership and would ultimately shift the economy from corporate control to public control. As soon as this happens, further changes would likely follow. This relates to the work of UFE because their many projects have already started educating citizens about current disparities and are providing citizens with the knowledge and resources necessary to start a social movement against the current economic system. UFE along with other organizations seek to influence people and politics. If they get what they want then an estate tax will be reestablish and taxes will increase on the wealthier families and individuals. This will lead to increased wealth for the average citizen. Also, if color communities use the resources provided by UFE’s Racial Wealth Divide project then they will be able to attain great economic equality.

This all relates to Domhoff’s argument in Who Rules America that there is an existence of an upper class that controls the majority of the power and influence in the United States.<ref name="dom">Domhoff, G. William.</ref> UFE is trying to decrease the social inequality between the current upper class and the rest of America by lobbying for increased tax rates on wealthy individuals and by providing resources for color communities and low income families to help them gain greater economic stability. Also, UFE is structured similarly to a union which Yates describes in his book, Why Unions Matter, is crucial to bringing workers together across the divides of race, gender, religion, and sexual orientation. <ref name="yat">Yates, Micheal.</ref> UFE is doing exactly that by bringing them together, education them, and fighting for social equality.

Despite UFE’s strong goals, vision, and structure it will be hard for them to truly ever reach their goals because of the capitalist structure of our economy. UFE depends heavily on donations, which are often made by wealthy individuals or corporations. They also depend heavily on media coverage to get their programs, projects, and beliefs out to the public eye. As Domhoff describes, however, the media is controlled by the power elite as well. This will limit UFE in the long-run because corporations and wealthy individual who control the major media outlets will decide when and how much should be publicized. If UFE pushes to hard they may find that no major media outlet will publish their stories.

Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)

Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is the largest socialist organization in the United States and is the U.S. affiliate of the Socialist International. It was founded in 1982 when the New American Movement (NAM) and the Democratic Socialists Organizing Committee (DSOC) merged together. Upon its founding Michael Harrington and Barbara Ehrenreich were elected as co-chairs of the new organization, while Frank Llewellyn is currently the organization’s National Director. DSA is currently trying to create progressive movements for social change and is working to make socialism present in American communities and politics. Its goals are clearly consistent with the ideals of economic and social justices that are discussed above. According to their website, they are “activists committed not only to extending political democracy but to demanding democratic empowerment in the economy, in gender relations, and in culture." <ref>Democratic Socialists of America.</ref>

DSA's Logo

Like Alperovitz who is concerned about the erosion of liberty and decreasing freedoms in America, the Democratic Socialists of America seek “a vision of a more free, democratic, and humane society.” In Alperovitz book, America Beyond Capitalism, he expresses what he believes will be necessary to create a society of equality, liberty, and democracy.<ref name="loo">Alperovitz, Gar.</ref> The DSA holds a similar position stating that they are socialists because they “share a vision of a humane international social order based both on democratic planning and market mechanisms to achieve equitable distribution of resources, meaningful work, a healthy environment, sustainable growth, gender and racial equality, and non-oppressive relationships.” <ref>Democratic Socialists of America.</ref>

DSA also shares similarities to Domhoff’s argument in Who Rules America that there is an existence of an upper class that controls the majority of the power and influence in the United States.<ref name="dom">Domhoff, G. William.</ref> DSA understands these inequalities and has rejected the international economic ordered that exists and gives advantages to those making considerable private profits through alienated labor and race and gender discrimination. They also reject any environmental destruction and the use of brutality and violence in defense of status quo.<ref>Democratic Socialists of America.</ref> Lastly, the DSA has similarities to Unions, which Yates discusses in Why Unions Matter.<ref name="yat">Yates, Micheal.</ref> Democratic Socialists of America continually educates people about social inequalities and pushes reforms in legislation in order to make changes, which are both things unions emphasize. In a way, both unions and DSA push agendas that benefit citizens so that they are treated with more social equality and justice.

Democratic Socialists of America has been successful over the last several decades due to strong leadership and membership commitment but in doing so has had to overcome a number of issue related to the structure of our capitalistic society in which owners (capitalist) dictate what legislation is passed and what is published through media outlets. These obstacles will continue to exist for both DSA and other similar organizations if changes are not made to society. If they are going to do so they will need to be efficient, fair, and democratic all at the same time.

Political economics such as Bowles, Edwards, and Roosevelt write that in order to be both fair and democratic an organization needs a democratic system in which people are guaranteed civil rights and suffer the burdens and enjoy the benefits equally no matter what race, sex, or age. Lastly, Bowles, Edwards, and Roosevelt write that an organization needs to be efficient so that labor and inputs are used well rather than wasted.<ref>Bowles, Samuel, Richard Edwards, and Frank Roosevelt.</ref> While DSA meets some of these criteria they will need to drastically improve their efficiency in order to be successful. Otherwise, they will not meet their goals. If DSA improves its efficiency, than it will most likely be able to overcome the obstacles of capitalism in the long-run. In order for this to happen, however, changes will have to start immediately at the local levels before working their way up to a national scale.

Notes

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References

• "About UFE | United for a Fair Economy." Home | United for a Fair Economy. 10 May 2011. <http://faireconomy.org/about_ufe>.

• Alperovitz, Gar. America beyond Capitalism: Reclaiming Our Wealth, Our Liberty, and Our Democracy. Hoboken, NJ: J. Wiley, 2005.

• Bowles, Samuel, Richard Edwards, and Frank Roosevelt. Understanding Capitalism: Competition, Command, and Change. New York: Oxford UP, 2005.

• Democratic Socialists of America. 10 May 2011. <http://www.dsausa.org/about/index.html>.

• Domhoff, G. William. Who Rules America?: Challenges to Corporate and Class Dominance. Boston: McGraw Hill Higher Education, 2010.

• "UFE's 2010 Annual Report | United for a Fair Economy." Home | United for a Fair Economy. 10 May 2011. <http://faireconomy.org/annual_report/2010>.

• Yates, Michael. Why Unions Matter. New York: Monthly Review, 2009.