We also asked Bursts if he could recommend some steps that the average person could take to stop promoting capitalism. “We, all of us, must work to dismantle capitalism by promoting mutual aid amongst ourselves to lift the burden of suffering under capitalism while simultaneously building our collective strength to throw off the bow of exploitation,” he shared.
“Sit and think of where to start, where you can apply the most leverage and what skills you have and how you can be most powerful. Talk to your family and friends, your neighbors, people who don’t look like you, your coworkers, and find your points of unity and where you want to start. Form a tenants union in your building or a collective of renters in the same neighborhood. Get to know your coworkers, what they struggle with, and form a union to build solidarity and strength against the managers and owners. Then, reach past that to find commonality with others to support their struggles. Start a reading group to discuss current events and think of ways to intercede.”
“This process of building relationships, helping others and ourselves, can’t just be charity if it is to be effective,” Bursts added. “This also means that if your organizing is effective towards building actual power, it will bring conflict from business, from the police and from reactionaries (racists, sexists, homophobes) who want to defend and expand the worst elements of this system.”
“Eventually, if we are building capacity, we will be forced to defend ourselves, our neighbors, our gains, and this is natural. As many have said, the systems we live under won’t give up easily. But our survival is at stake and is worth fighting for.”
If you're interested in delving deeper into this topic, Bursts suggests checking out writings by Peter Gelderloos, Tom Wetzel, Lorenzo Kom’boa Ervin, and Cindy Barukh Milstein. And you’d like to hear more wise words about dismantling capitalism from Bursts and The Final Straw Radio team, you can find their show right here!
If you’re feeling inspired to quit your job and find one you’re more passionate about, I encourage you to go and explore! Don’t let capitalism make you feel forced into one specific path or brainwash you into believing that suffering is normal. Keep upvoting the pictures that you find painfully relatable, and let us know in the comments how you’d like to challenge the system. Then, if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article featuring memes about capitalism, you can find that right here!
