The Economy of Love

The Socialist Party of Iceland (Sósíalistaflokkur Íslands) invites voters to cast their vote for the economy of love in the parliamentary elections on November 30, demanding that the foundation of economic governance in Iceland be empathy, humanity, and warmth. Socialists know that business and the economy should serve the people and society, not the other way around. A vote for the Socialist Party is a vote for these obvious truths.There are no examples in human history of societies destroying themselves by overly supporting the weak, feeding the poor, or rebuilding the fallen. Love is a healing force, not a destructive one. However, there are countless examples from history of societies collapsing due to the greed of the upper class, the aggression of those who have gained control over public resources and used their power and authority to oppress the public and break down the power that lies in cooperation between people.All of humanity's greatest achievements have been accomplished through cooperation. It is a characteristic of our species. We are social beings, reaching our highest potential when our society is healthiest, most just, and most equal. The best way to build a good society is to build it based on the needs of those who need society the most. The hopes and expectations of the poor, the weak, the excluded, and the oppressed are a guiding light to a good society. The economy of love is built upon the needs of the weak.We are now emerging from the shameful period of neoliberalism, which precisely argued the opposite; that the best way to build a society was to do so based on the demands and interests of the strong, those least dependent on human society. This has proven to be a terrible guiding principle. By pursuing the interests of those who perceive social considerations as a threat to their freedom of action, we have in fact dismantled society, weakened the institutions built by the socialist labor struggle of the last century, and shifted power from the democratic arena, where each person has one vote, to the so-called market, where each krona has one vote. Neoliberalism is fundamentally the public's abdication of power to capital.The result of society's deterioration in recent decades is what we can call the economy of domination, a system where the rich and strong wield immense power, while the poor and weak have little to no power over their lives or society.It is at this juncture that we Socialists propose a new social contract, to address the economy of domination of neoliberalism. This is the economy of love.What is the economy of love? It is an economy where the wealth of the rich is not only valued in monetary terms but also as the burden of the poor.What do you think it costs to keep tens of thousands in gnawing fear of destitution, to make it impossible for thousands upon thousands to utilize their talents, will, creativity, and zest for life to improve their lives and enrich society?What do you think it costs to place the burdens of poverty on low-wage earners, disabled people, low-income retirees, immigrants, renters, students, and other groups who struggle to make ends meet? What do you think the cost of work overload, anxiety, and helplessness is?What do you think it costs to deny children from poor families full participation in their youth community? What do you think the shame we impose on these children costs them and society as a whole in lost opportunities, unhappiness, and broken self-identity?What do you think it costs to squeeze people's living standards so much that they are forced to wear themselves out in two, even three jobs? Can anyone calculate the cost of premature disability, lost social and family life, or parents' inability to support their children?What do you think it costs for some people to have to deny themselves medical help and for others to have to wait months and years for appropriate treatment? Can anyone tally the cost of lost working hours, chronic pain, or the effects of economic breakdown due to illness?What do you think it costs not to address the needs of immigrants? What is the status of immigrant children in the school system? How easy is it for immigrants to access the healthcare system, the justice system, the housing system? What is the cost to society of keeping a large part of the population with poorer access to the basic systems of society, systems intended to strengthen people so they can become full participants in society, and no less so that society can benefit from the efforts of everyone living within it?What do you think it costs not to take good enough care of our elderly? Or our children? The parental generation, struggling with heavy financial burdens while being vulnerable in both the labor market and the housing market? Young people, who are squeezed between low incomes and ever-increasing housing costs? What do you think it costs to exclude the many from participation while showering the few with resources?What do you think it costs to pay those who perform care work, the most important jobs in society, such low wages that they can barely make ends meet, sending them the message that they should find other and better work?What do you think it costs society to value bankers more in terms of salary than teachers, to reward speculators many times more than nurses, and to champion those who serve capital more than those who care for our children, the elderly, the weak, and the sick?Our society will not be just until all people within it are allowed to thrive. Society will not be beautiful until we are all free from oppressive existential anxiety. Society will not be strong until all people feel heard. We do not live in such a society today.Our society bears all the hallmarks of an economy of domination. It is sick because the rich and powerful have seized all power. This power imbalance is the root of most of our problems. And it is impossible to solve these problems without eradicating the root, the pathological imbalance of wealth and power.That is why the Socialist Party offers an alternative in the upcoming parliamentary elections. It is proposed to reject the economy of domination of the few and instead adopt the economy of love of the many. The proposal is to let the interests and voices of the many lead us away from the aggression and arrogance of the few. Let us reach for joy, beauty, and love this autumn. Let us choose life this autumn, the life of all of us, a life that will only flourish within a viable society built on empathy and respect.