Love — Not Capitalism — as Shown by NBA Stars

When it comes to stepping up, people of color are there to help the most vulnerable

Alan Chazaro
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Zion Williamson. Photo: Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

How is it possible for a country to handle a global pandemic in such a selfish, careless, and capitalistic way?

Viral videos of U.S. shoppers stocking up on six months of toilet paper and leaving store shelves empty are a grim reminder of how quickly first-world nations revert to primal individualism in moments of uncertainty. Young Americans gathering at crowded events and showing off their whereabouts like they’re on top of the world is nothing but unfiltered privilege and ignorance on display. Many have even bought a year’s worth of supplies with the intent to resell at inflated prices. It’s all genuinely disgusting and reflects the collective sickness to make a profit and brag about a false sense of resilience when the most vulnerable human lives are at risk.

By nature, capitalism functions as the excessively segregated distribution of resources hoarded by a few on our planet. So it makes sense that during a frightening event, many Americans are reacting with excessive hoarding and self-glorification. We live in a system that rewards the individual willing to out-hustle their neighbor, often at the expense of the rest.

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Alan Chazaro
LEVEL
Writer for

Bay Area writer, blogger, teacher. Books: Piñata Theory (2020); This Is Not a Frank Ocean Cover Album (2019). Twitter + IG: @alan_chazaro