Inequality is inherent in capitalism. Of course, in capitalism, power is unevenly distributed, lying in the hands of the few individuals who manage to own businesses and amass capital. But that power inequity breeds inequity in other areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Because so few people can amass capital in capitalism, people assume they amass that capital through their own efforts. It\u2019s why individual property rights are foundational to capitalism. Individualism is behind rational choice theory, for example, the idea that individuals pursue what\u2019s in their own best interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If one believes that rich people are rich because of their own labour, then it\u2019s easy to believe that we are all rewarded for our own labour and that people who are rich performed more labour, or at least performed their labour more efficiently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Conversely, if we\u2019re not rich, we simply didn\u2019t work hard enough. If we lack anything, it\u2019s because we lacked labour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And if you believe that rewards follow labour, then it\u2019s easy to believe that labour is never hindered by institutional barricades, such as sexism, homophobia, and racism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s no coincidence that those who most strongly support capitalism are the ones who are most likely to be oblivious to institutional oppression. They\u2019re the ones to claim that the justice system is not racist. They\u2019re the ones to claim that it\u2019s not sexist that most politicians and CEOs are men. They\u2019re the ones to claim that giving LGBTQ+ people equal rights is \u201cdestroying the family\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s why capitalists deny racial privilege. It\u2019s why they deny gender privilege. It\u2019s why they deny class privilege. It\u2019s why they deny privilege in general. After all, if privilege exists and actually prevents people from finding success, then it proves that the idea that we can find success just by pulling up our bootstraps is just a myth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And if the idea that we are rewarded solely because of individual labour is a myth\u2014an idea that is foundational to capitalism\u2014then it exposes capitalism as nothing but a scam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n