What Kind of System is This?
And let’s talk about what the system does to the youth everyday, to the future, or what’s supposed to be the future, of the society and the people -- people without a job, youth who have no hope of a decent job who are hanging out on the streets looking only to something like crime to maybe give them a way to have something and get some respect. Recently I was reading a book called Turbo Capitalism by a conservative author named Edward Luttwak. And even though he’s a conservative, he made this interesting comment: He said for millions of youth in the inner cities, even taking into account the chances that you’ll get killed at a young age or go to jail for a long time crime is a rational choice. Now think about what he’s saying, this conservative author and analyst, he’s saying for these youth crime makes sense -- it’s the best option they have. And all the time, of course, he’s saying people are preaching to the youth about what terrible things they’re doing by doing crime. Well, what kind of system have you got then-- if you can say that for millions and millions of youth in the inner city crime is a rational choice, the best choice they can make under your system? What fucking kind of system have you got then? Over 2 million people are in prison in this country, the majority of them young people, especially Black people and Latinos. Again I say, what kind of country, what kind of system is this where more money is spent on prisons and jails than on education for people in the inner cities? Why? And what good reason is there for so many while they are still young teenagers to come to the conclusion that they might not live to be eighteen or twenty-one anyway or if they do they will be facing a long time in prison? Look at all these beautiful children, full of life and energy, full of so much promise when they are young. And see what happens to so many of them, what the system does to them as they grow a little older. Once more I say what kind of society is this? What kind of system is this? No! This generation and generations to come deserve a much better future, and a much better future is possible. I say no more, no more generations of our youth here and around the world whose life is over, whose fate has been sealed, who have been condemned to an early death, or a life of misery and brutality, whom the system has destined for oppression and oblivion even before they are born. I say no more of that. And even for the youth who are not trapped in that kind of situation, the system holds out a suffocating and demoralizing existence and a dreary future, having to face a life in a society and a world that is really disgusting and sickening and constantly dragging people down in the mud. And at best, if you make it past your youth, unless you are among the few who are really powerful or privileged, you can look forward to a life of deadening routine and the drudgery of alienating and unfulfilling work if you are lucky enough to get work. And then instead of being treasured for your experience and all the things you have learned you will be pushed aside as useless when you get older. What kind of system is this?
To order this talk on DVD/video