Whether we want to be or not, it is undeniable that we are all interconnected. The choices that I make affect people on the other side of the planet that I will never meet. We are not simply connected to those in our own immediate circles. We are connected to those all around the world in this global society. Many of the things we buy are imported from other countries, but did it ever dawn on you how those things are made or how an American farm bill could affect farmers all over the world? Maybe you have maybe you haven't. One thing is evident is that this interconnectedness produces its own sort of paradox and that is the paradox of oppression.
An obvious question is what is the paradox of oppression. It is basically the idea that your own oppression leads to the oppression of others. For example, workers in the USA who do not make living wages end up purchasing cheaper goods and are fiscally unable to boycott companies that treat workers overseas horribly or even enslave them. In essence, it is the idea that one sort of oppression leads to another sort of oppression. This allows for the entire oppressive system to have a tighter grasp upon the oppressed. In turn, the paradox of oppression can also work another way, USA workers make more money are able to afford to be pickier about where they buy from and workers overseas end up working in better condition. The idea is that our oppression is inexorably linked to others so much so that when one of us is in chains than all of us our.
The implication of this paradox is that we have to look at fighting the power in not only a local or even national way. We have to look at it in an international way. We have to look at how the US has played a role in the mal-treatment of workers overseas and how the oppression Americans face here leads to the oppression of others elsewhere. The bottom line is that we must take a deeper look and not just think about the ways US policy affects us but how these policies affect the world. When we are freed from our own oppression, we must strive to advocate for others.
This world is so interconnected that it is impossible to not think about things in a global way and truly solve the issues. We must stand together against those who want to use workers as if they are disposable. To those who do not want every citizen of this planet to have access to basic human rights; education, healthcare, and a living wage. It is our time to stand together and fight the power. It is time to recognize our own part in these oppressive systems and realize our own power to make a change. We all must stand together in order to fight for a better world.
