Our Social Revolution
I remain firmly optimistic that Americans will lead a globalized social revolution calling for accountability across institutions, corporations and governments.
“The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.” - Malcolm Gladwell
This post was supposed to be about my investment portfolio but at a time like this, I felt the urge to write about something I’ve been meaning to write for a while -- our social revolution. I think a lot about how my writing is focused on life in a strictly monetary sense — it’s what I know and can provide value to others. But having the opportunity to even think about personal finance is a privilege. If there’s anything that we can learn from COVID-19, it’s that we are only as healthy, safe and secure as our neighbor. While many of us are trying to leverage the current economic situation for our personal gain, Black people in America are continuing to fight to simply exist and be recognized in a system that is inherently built upon their backs but which they cannot benefit from. The ability to think about furthering your personal financial and investment goals is an immense privilege. One way of acknowledging this privilege is to put our money where our mouths are. I want to provide a triple donation matching opportunity (up to $10K) to any of the following organizations: ACLU Foundation, United Negro College Fund, or Equal Justice Initiative. I will match your donation and my current employer will match the donation. Please email [safeer at safeer dot me] with your donation receipt.
Today’s political, social, and economic climate is more interconnected than we realize. The power structure that has existed for so long is now being questioned. The glass room that governments and those with power hide in are being struck with stones. The pendulum is viciously swinging. From racial injustice to the distrust of the government, people across the world are questioning the institutions that are meant to serve us. It is not a coincidence that we see increased accountability towards American companies that have exploited the American people. Neither is it a coincidence in the rise of independent, digital currencies like Bitcoin.
When people think about these events they often view them in a very negative light. And they are in the short term — many have suffered and died. However, I remain incredibly optimistic in human sincerity, ingenuity and tenacity to fight for each other. I believe we have already entered the first stage of a socioeconomic revolution. It will soon spread across the world like wildfire, fundamentally challenging the structures that attempt to control people today (governments, media, corporations, etc). History has shown the power of events like these when the tipping point is reached.
For example, in Fortune’s Children: The Fall of the House of Vanderbilt, Arthur Vanderbilt II writes, “[t]he millionaires of the Gilded Age, the captains of industry, the merchant princes, had once been all but deified as the greatest builders of the country. In the Progressive Era, which began in the final years of the century, the muckrakers dismissed them as avaricious robber barons.”
Today, large corporations are lauded for contributing to a community’s economy by introducing jobs but these “contributions” are often just the secondary byproduct of enormous tax breaks for the company. The public is taking note and questioning where their tax dollars are going. This social revolution will force companies and countries to focus on themselves. Companies will be scrutinized regarding their substantive contributions and countries’ use of tax dollars will be questioned. Nationalistic leaning countries will see massive deglobalization, which may even lead to reverse the outsourcing of labor.
It is always difficult to see the rays of sunlight when you're stuck in a hole six feet below ground. I remain firmly optimistic that Americans will lead a globalized social revolution calling for accountability across institutions, corporations and governments.
Please consider donating to the triple matching opportunity and sharing it with your friends. Email [safeer at safeer dot me] with your donation receipt. Let’s do our part.
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