Capitalism is a deeply unsettling system built on the backs of the working class through deception, manipulation, and exploitation. It leads to the unnecessary deaths of millions, either directly through the avenue of war or indirectly through the poverty and inadequate medical care to which it condemns so many.

It creates a way of life that is not worth living, it strips people of their basic human rights to shelter, food, and education, and the right to earn the full payment of their labor. Socialism is the only societal form that can truly recognize and accommodate these needs. Under a socialist system, people would not starve or be shipped off to war because of greed and oil.

By being a member of a revolutionary organization, I can fight for the rights of the working class. Joining Socialist Alternative taught me that the only avenue through which a living wage and universal healthcare is attainable is by ending capitalist exploitation, and that real changes cannot be won by words alone.

I am a socialist because a socialist world is possible, but only if we are willing to stand up and demand one.