I think that reading about the Chilean popular unity government program was both especially interesting and informative. In the United States, ideas of socialism and redistribution of power have always been intrinsically connected with totalitarian regimes and the red scare, meaning that the overall impression regarding social countries is not entirely positive or objective. With this initiative, I have been able to read and understand some of the primary goals of a change in governance, as well as to consider the possibility of a worker-owned means of power. Popular government of Chili sought to provide their people with the adequate tools and abilities to both work and sustain themselves in a less exploitative manner, where their labor would ultimately work for the common good. In this effort, the use of unions and worker organizations is extremely relevant, as it allows the working class of all industries to band together in securing their rights and freedoms.
In terms of the economy, Chili’s document took a meditative approach, choosing to focus on long-term plans as its primary method of operation. The process of nationalizing sources of wealth, in my opinion is also very interesting. The text says that “those basic sources of wealth such as the large mining companies of copper, iron, nitrate and others that are controlled by foreign capital and internal monopolies” should belong to every member of the nation, and the citizenry must get to enjoy the riches created on Chili’s territory (Popular unity government: Basic program).
The socialist perspective that seeks to provide a basic minimum standard of living for every individual makes me think about the capitalist systems of the US. In our country, the universal basic income is still a contentious subject, and people struggle to make their ends meet while extremely rich individuals hoard resources for themselves. Perhaps a more community-centered approach to governance and policy could be more beneficial to the majority of people living here today.
Reference
Popular unity government: Basic program. NACLA. (n.d.). Web.