Free Daily Headlines :

  • COVID-19
  • Vaccine Info
  • Money
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Justice
  • More
    • Environment
    • Economic Development
    • Gaming
    • Investigations
    • Social Services
    • TRANSPORTATION
  • Opinion
    • CT Viewpoints
    • CT Artpoints
DONATE
Reflecting Connecticut’s Reality.
    COVID-19
    Vaccine Info
    Money
    Politics
    Education
    Health
    Justice
    More
    Environment
    Economic Development
    Gaming
    Investigations
    Social Services
    TRANSPORTATION
    Opinion
    CT Viewpoints
    CT Artpoints

LET�S GET SOCIAL

Show your love for great stories and out standing journalism
CT VIEWPOINTS -- opinions from around Connecticut

Death? Taxes? Or a new political party?

  • CT Viewpoints
  • by Eric Goodman
  • January 13, 2021
  • View as "Clean Read" "Exit Clean Read"

On December 30, our neighbor Robert Ham submitted a letter to the editor calling for “common sense” in tax policy for Connecticut. This piece called, essentially, for lowering taxes on the wealthy, and was in response to an article by Keith Phaneuf which pointed to increasing taxes on the wealthy as a way to make up the state’s $4.3 billion budget deficit. The unfortunate fact of the matter though is that the problems of the state, the country, and the world cannot be fixed by anything short of fundamental changes to our economy.

Connecticut faces a deadly threat from climate change, the local results of a global capitalist crisis, and an epidemic of inequality made worse by racial oppression. Common sense balks at these kinds of issues! The means exist to solve these problems and build a better world, but not within the capitalist system.

To beat climate change or fix any of the other large problems facing our state we need to change the way that our economy functions. Under capitalism, goods and services are provided based on the profit motive: investment is made by the banks where they will make a profit. If it is not profitable to do, then they won’t invest in it.

Capitalism puts workers into motion to build huge factories, run vast logistics networks, and staff massive stores; in the process, though, every opportunity is taken to cut wages and reduce staffing to increase profits. This slowly grinds away people’s purchasing power and quickly increases companies’ earnings. Debt piles up as a result, and shocks like the pandemic inevitably bring down the economic house of cards. The immense economy now lies dormant until another upswing, and the workers who ran it are forced to be idle and suffer the effects of poverty.

But why? We have apartments to repair, tidal barriers to erect, and people to feed, even if the landlords, construction companies and restaurateurs aren’t up to the task.

Socialism means democratic control over the economy if it means anything at all. From the CEO on down, it is workers who make the economy tick, and the shareholders and board members who reap the rewards. We are already running things. The Fortune 500 Companies, with 13 Connecticut members, make up two-thirds of U.S. GDP and made $1.1 trillion in profits in 2019. If we were to nationalize these companies, many of which are already administered “publicly,” and run them democratically for people rather than profit, we would be well equipped to start fixing four centuries of racial injustice and face a hostile century.

The bankers will make all sorts of objections, but their system speaks for itself. Workers are already running things, we just need to control them.

To get from here to there, though, we need a new party. Working conditions and living standards go down while healthcare costs and profits go up no matter who sits in the statehouse, causing many to check out of politics altogether. Why does our multi-millionaire governor share a party with the labor unions when they have such contrary agendas? Much ado is made about “progressive” Democrats, “labor” Democrats, and “Democratic Socialist” Democrats, but why should they be part of a party where the key decisions are made by big donors and bureaucrats behind closed doors?

We need a really “democratic” party that is free from corporate money and not afraid to fight capitalist property. Not to mince words, we need a revolutionary party. The Bernie Sanders presidential campaigns and the George Floyd uprising blew the lid off of American politics and showed anyone who can see that the workers and youth have massive untapped political energy. The unions have the resources and community links to get such a party off the ground and reverse a 50-year decline in the process. The path in front of Connecticut is clear: either we let our problems continue to fester in the old political and economic system or we make a break with the status quo for a better world!

Eric Goodman is a resident Hamden.

CTViewpoints welcomes rebuttal or opposing views to this and all its commentaries. Read our guidelines and submit your commentary here.

Sign up for CT Mirror's free daily news summary.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SEE WHAT READERS SAID

RELATED STORIES
Miguel Cardona, who are you?
by Ann Policelli Cronin

When I ask Connecticut teachers about Miguel Cardona, those who know him or have worked with him say that he is really nice guy who knows what the challenges in our classrooms are, knows how to help teachers to improve their teaching, and respects public schools. All good. But what is his vision for teaching and learning that he will bring to the U.S. Department of Education?

Connecticut needs a strong two-party system, this Democrat says
by Edward Marcus

J.R. Romano’s recent resignation as the state’s Republican Party chair has brought into focus the need for a viable opposition party in Connecticut. It is not healthy politics when everything is totally controlled by one party:  the legislature, the governorship, and most of the major municipalities in our state.

Connecticut’s $100 million college shell game
by Stephen Adair

The plan to consolidate the 12 community colleges in Connecticut into one college with 12 campuses is called “Students First,” which is ironic because it does not fund students first.  It funds a new administration in a new, statewide bureaucracy. The Board of Regents (BOR) and the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system office […]

Inconsistent television captioning is a barrier to equal access
by Jeffrey Bravin and Barbara Cassin

Our world long ago entered the age of the 24-hour news cycle, and a full understanding of the “who, what, when, where and why” of the news is critical for deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing citizens. Yet, Connecticut’s inconsistent quality of television captioning locks our community out of the complete sense of what is happening.

A just stimulus package is a start toward true racial inclusion
by Carlton L Highsmith

For centuries Blacks have been denied full participation in the American Dream. But for the sake of our collective progress, as we recover from the crippling economic effects of COVID-19, our country has a mandate to acknowledge its history of systematic institutionalized exclusionary practices and not repeat them.

Support Our Work

Show your love for great stories and outstanding journalism.

$
Select One
  • Monthly
  • Yearly
  • Once
Artpoint painter
CT ViewpointsCT Artpoints
Opinion Miguel Cardona, who are you?
by Ann Policelli Cronin

When I ask Connecticut teachers about Miguel Cardona, those who know him or have worked with him say that he is really nice guy who knows what the challenges in our classrooms are, knows how to help teachers to improve their teaching, and respects public schools. All good. But what is his vision for teaching and learning that he will bring to the U.S. Department of Education?

Opinion Connecticut needs a strong two-party system, this Democrat says
by Edward Marcus

J.R. Romano’s recent resignation as the state’s Republican Party chair has brought into focus the need for a viable opposition party in Connecticut. It is not healthy politics when everything is totally controlled by one party:  the legislature, the governorship, and most of the major municipalities in our state.

Opinion Connecticut’s $100 million college shell game
by Stephen Adair

The plan to consolidate the 12 community colleges in Connecticut into one college with 12 campuses is called “Students First,” which is ironic because it does not fund students first.  It funds a new administration in a new, statewide bureaucracy. The Board of Regents (BOR) and the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system office […]

Opinion Inconsistent television captioning is a barrier to equal access
by Jeffrey Bravin and Barbara Cassin

Our world long ago entered the age of the 24-hour news cycle, and a full understanding of the “who, what, when, where and why” of the news is critical for deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing citizens. Yet, Connecticut’s inconsistent quality of television captioning locks our community out of the complete sense of what is happening.

Artwork Grand guidance
by Anne:Gogh

In a world of systemic oppression aimed towards those of darker skintones – representation matters. We are more than our equity elusive environments, more than numbers in a prison and much more than victims of societal dispositions. This piece depicts a melanated young man draped in a cape ascending high above multiple forms of oppression. […]

Artwork Shea
by Anthony Valentine

Shea is a story about race and social inequalities that plague America. It is a narrative that prompts the question, “Do you know what it’s like to wake up in new skin?”

Artwork The Declaration of Human Rights
by Andres Chaparro

Through my artwork I strive to create an example of ideas that reflect my desire to raise social consciousness, and cultural awareness. Jazz music is the catalyst to all my work, and plays a major influence in each piece of work.”

Artwork ‘A thing of beauty. Destroy it forever’
by Richard DiCarlo | Derby

During times like these it’s often fun to revisit something familiar and approach things with a different slant. I have been taking some Pop culture and Art masterpieces and applying the vintage 1960’s and 70’s classic figures (Fisher Price, little people) to the make an amusing pieces. Here is my homage to Fisher -Price, Yellow […]

Twitter Feed
A Twitter List by CTMirror

Engage

  • Reflections Tickets & Sponsorships
  • Events
  • Donate
  • Newsletter Sign-Up
  • Submit to Viewpoints
  • Submit to ArtPoints
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Commenting Guidelines
  • Legal Notices
  • Contact Us

About

  • About CT Mirror
  • Announcements
  • Board
  • Staff
  • Sponsors and Funders
  • Donors
  • Friends of CT Mirror
  • History
  • Financial
  • Policies
  • Strategic Plan

Opportunity

  • Advertising and Sponsorship
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Use of Photography
  • Work for Us

Go Deeper

  • Steady Habits Podcast
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Five Things

The Connecticut News Project, Inc. 1049 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105. Phone: 860-218-6380

© Copyright 2021, The Connecticut News Project. All Rights Reserved. Website by Web Publisher PRO