Summary

Over the past four decades, the wealthy 1% have captured the state and replaced our democracy with a plutocracy. 

Their control of our economy ensures it serves their needs exclusively. This is Economic apartheid, and it’s practised globally. It is supported and sustained through the Triad of Evil. These are free market policies, globalisation, and the rentier economy. 

The world abhorred political apartheid, but little is said or done about abolishing economic apartheid, arguably worse than political apartheid. Indeed, it’s practised on a far greater scale.

. . .

Free market economics has dictated economic life for the past forty years. I'm sure you've heard the terms "free markets" and "globalisation." No doubt in a positive context, as we've been browbeaten into believing they're an essential part of a modern, thriving economy. However, the concept, including its name - "free market", is misleading. Rather than free our economy, it has trapped us. It has trapped us in a world of increasing economic inequality and insecurity, creating huge social problems. It has led to harmful and unsustainable practices, causing extensive environmental damage. Therefore, a more fitting name for "free market economics" would be "enslavement economics." Enslaving the majority through the practices, procedures, and systems of a few. Another apt name would be "apartheid economics" - an economy serving the needs of a few while excluding the majority.

Free markets and globalisation are only the tip of the iceberg. The extent of economic manipulation is vast, adversely affecting every facet of our economy. Through a continuous stream of disinformation, falsehoods, half-truths, obfuscation, and political extortion and manipulation, a small group of vested interests have been able to mislead us into believing what they are doing is in our best interests. Nothing could be further from the truth. They are knowingly inflicting harm in pursuit of self-enrichment, which is malicious. We have reached breaking point where we can continue no longer. We need to change the rules of our economy. We need a new set of rules and systems that serve the many, not the few.

Let's be clear, we are not trying to change the immutable laws of nature or physics but man-made laws, practices, procedures, and policies. All introduced over the past forty years to serve this small minority. Economists worldwide agree that inequality (or injustice) is not due to any economic law but to our design. They believe it's a design failure. I disagree. It's not a design failure but one of deliberate design and intention, to serve the wealthy one per cent. 

We now estimate that the top one per cent globally own as much wealth as the remaining ninety-nine per cent. With this economic power comes political power. This power and influence does not end with political manipulation - it's pervasive in every respect. They use it to influence regulatory bodies, institutions representing business professions, the media - absolutely every entity which will further their cause or hinder it. They use their power to manipulate outcomes to serve their needs. They couch these manipulations in a manner and language which claims to serve the needs of the majority when it does nothing of the sort. They then try to convince us that alternate solutions are impossible and that doing things differently will inevitably harm us. 

This wealthy one per cent banked on no mass involvement because that's the message they have promoted. "These are technical matters beyond the masses' understanding." Like all the things they have told us - that's simply untrue. What I write about is straightforward. I will make things clear to those unsure about what's causing the problems and clear about what to do about it.

Our Imbalanced Economy.

Our imbalanced economy is the result of over forty years of vested interest developing practices, procedures, policies, and systems to serve their needs, not ours. Their manipulative practices have worked well for them. Economic inequality is growing rapidly and is set to grow even faster in the coming years. Our economy is seriously imbalanced. No imbalanced system can sustain itself for long. It will crash and burn, but such an outcome serves nobody's interests. Avarice has blinded the one per cent, yet some realise it has gone too far. It needs to be brought back under control, where wealth is distributed more evenly, and we protect our environment. This is not somebody else's problem. It's a problem we must address together by speaking out and taking action based on a clear understanding of the problems. It's only through our collective demands that we can bring about change. The catalyst for change will not come from the government, institutions, economists, or businesses and definitely not from the wealthy one per cent. It will only come from those who bear the brunt of economic inequality - the ninety-nine per cent of us. We have the power to change things, but only if we act collectively to influence government action.

Hiding the truth by confusing and misleading us.

In response to our criticism of unsound practices, vested interests claim that our standard of living has improved, so we shouldn't complain. It's true the average person's standard of living has improved over the past four decades (as most benefit from today's modern products and services,) but our quality of life has not. Neither has our environment fared well. It's not just about improving our standard of living (although important) but also ensuring a high quality of life while protecting the environment. They deliberately confuse standard of living and quality of life, which are two completely different things, to hide reality.

So, parts of what they are doing are good at improving our standard of living and coming up with innovative products and services. We don't want to lose this, so we don't want to "throw the baby away with the bathwater." We need to keep what's good and change what's bad.

Many of us have felt unease about what's happening around us for a long time. We see great affluence but also poverty and suffering. Life generally is getting tougher for middle and lower-income groups. The environment is also paying a high price for our greed. Something is wrong, but what precisely? Most blame Capitalism for these problems, but it's a popular myth that vested interests want to maintain and promote, as it's a smokescreen hiding the real cause of our problems. Capitalism is an ideology; it's not a law, practice, procedure, or system which is propping up our current, unfair, and broken economic system. It's these unfair laws, practices, procedures, and systems introduced by vested interests over decades, which we need to dismantle, not Capitalism.

Capitalism is an ideology. As with any ideology, it's difficult to identify problems precisely as it represents ideas, not practices, procedures or systems. These practices, procedures, and systems we use every day are at the heart of our problems, not vague ideas, or principles. Vested interests want people to waste their time chasing vague ideas because it's difficult to introduce meaningful change by accusing an ideology of our problems. However, if we identify genuine bad practices, procedures or systems and change them - that will bring about a meaningful change. They don't want their bad practices found out. They don't want the systems they have developed over decades, which intentionally manipulate the economy to serve their needs, uncovered. However, that's precisely what I do in my articles; peel back all the misleading information spread to confuse us, revealing the truth about our economy.

Capitalism embodies the principles of free enterprise, which is the most effective way of improving our standard of living and quality of life. Free enterprise is not the principle responsible for creating economic inequality or for destroying the environment. Therefore, I support keeping Capitalism but changing how we implement it. Free enterprise is the baby we don't want to throw away with the bathwater. Capitalism can work for the good of all if we change our current bad systems, practices, and procedures. It's all possible, as I will explain.

Business must become a social tool, a way to uplift and benefit all. It can no longer remain the means to enrich a few at the cost of the many and our environment. We want and need businesses to succeed and grow, but not at the expense of others. For a business to succeed and grow, it must make a profit, as shareholders, like others involved in the business, must be fairly and justly rewarded for their endeavours. If a business does not make a profit over the long term, it fails, and we as a society lose the means to support and uplift ourselves. So, the profit objective and making money is not our enemy but crucial for growth and development. Capitalism, free enterprise, and profit are valuable concepts, provided we do not lose sight of the end goal and end up chasing profit instead. Profit is only a means to an end. The object is to improve the standard of living and quality of life for all while protecting our environment. Together, by making the necessary changes, we can achieve this. We can achieve a balanced, equitable economy serving the needs of all.

The extent of the manipulation.

Throughout my articles, you will be introduced to the extent vested interests have gone to mislead us. To cover up and hide the problems they have caused. These problems are now becoming so large they are finding it more difficult to hide. You regularly hear about the problems caused by austerity programmes, stagnant wages, increasing poverty in developed economies, pollution, and environmental degradation. However, a large number remain well hidden from you. Most people are unaware of the extent of economic inequality, and neither do they appreciate its harmful effects. They also underestimate their role and that of the government in rectifying the problems. This is what vested interests want. They want people to remain in the dark because otherwise, they will become angry and demand the government make changes, which they can. People do not realise the extent to which they have been manipulated. I will expose these manipulations.

As already explained, we cannot expect change to come from government, economists, academia, investors, businesspeople, or accountants. These are people, bodies or professions adversely influenced and deeply entwined in the problems. They represent the interests of the one per cent. They will not change. Change will only come from you and me, those in the middle to lower-income groups. Those most adversely affected. We make up ninety-nine per cent of the population, so we have considerable power if we act collectively. We must be the catalyst for change. We must get the government to implement much-needed change. Only by raising our voices in protest and calling for change can we achieve this. Matters will only get worse if we don’t act. 

It’s frightening to think how the influence and power of a small group (the wealthy one per cent) can sway the democratic process in their favour. Surely, being in the majority, our needs should be served, not those of a small minority? Unfortunately, it’s no longer “one person, one vote” but “one buck, one vote.” This is economic apartheid, and it’s found in all developed economies, even in countries like the UK, which place strict limits on electoral funding. Money buys political influence - that’s a fact we have to live with. Those with wealth use it to strengthen their political and economic position. They use their power to reshape our thinking, to make the unpalatable palatable. They control the media - the messages we hear and, therefore, public perception. They feed us a message that serves their needs. They do this relentlessly until people accept the message as fact. 

The world abhorred political apartheid as practised in South Africa in the past, but what’s the difference between it and economic apartheid? The result is the same - the needs of the majority are not served but rather those of a tiny minority. Economic apartheid must be ended just as the world pressured South Africa to end political apartheid. Economic apartheid has been hurting the majority for far too long - time to question all and to make changes.

How to address our economic problems.

The wealthy one per cent have manipulated our economy by introducing laws, regulations, practices, procedures, and systems to serve their interests. We start rolling back their control over the economy by identifying these and getting them changed.

We must be specific in targeting problems as then our actions can be specific. Being vague, like blaming an ideology, means nothing changes, as we have failed to be specific in identifying a cause and its symptoms. More importantly, we should be clear on identifying solutions. Identifying problems alone doesn't leave us much better off. Finding solutions is the only way to improve our situation. I identify three leading causes, which I call the "Triad of Evil": free markets, globalisation, and the rentier economy. From these three evils flow numerous threads, which I also cover, providing insight into specific contributors to our apartheid economy and their solutions. As long as we know of the problems and work towards changing them, that's what matters. We need to take positive and meaningful steps to implement change now – that's what's critically important. Your involvement and that of your colleagues, friends and family will make all the difference. As individuals, we have no chance of bringing about change. It's all about collective action - standing together and using our ninety-nine votes against one to bring change.

Every article introduces at least one or more problems. These represent the major problems we face, but not all. I explain the problems and their solutions in a simple, logical way. I could describe each problem in greater detail, but the idea is only to provide sufficient understanding of the problem and its solution. To provide enough information so you can stop the spread of misleading information, falsehoods, half-truths, disinformation, and obfuscation. To hold vested interests accountable for what they are doing. The truth will hurt them if we stand together and call for change by understanding the problems and their solutions. 

You may read other articles by Adrian Dore on Medium at

https://medium.com/@adrianmarkdore/