DownWithMatt

America spends trillions on defense while our own infrastructure falls apart.

We claim to spread freedom, but somehow, the bombs always drop where resources are rich.

The military-industrial complex doesn’t care about democracy—it cares about profit.

If peace were profitable, you’d see a lot fewer bombs and a lot more treaties.

Capitalism has us convinced that we’re inherently selfish—that every person is out for themselves and that cooperation is a fantasy. But here’s the reality: society itself wouldn’t exist if we were truly selfish. We’re not here because we clawed our way to the top alone. We’re here because humans are, at our core, a cooperative species.

Think about it. From the earliest days of humanity, we survived because we worked together. We hunted, gathered, and protected each other. We built communities, created languages, and forged connections that made civilization possible. Selfishness didn’t build the world; cooperation did. It’s the glue that holds societies together, the force that drives us to help our neighbors, to care for our families, and to build systems that allow us to thrive collectively.

Yet capitalism insists on selling us the myth that we’re innately greedy, that our survival depends on competition, not cooperation. This lie is the cornerstone of a system that pits us against each other, making us believe that we have to fight for scraps while a select few hoard the lion’s share. But the truth is, capitalism didn’t create society—society is a product of our innate drive to work together. The most enduring achievements of humanity, from art to science to governance, are all testaments to our collective spirit, not to ruthless individualism.

So why has capitalism succeeded in convincing so many of us that selfishness is “just human nature”? Because that narrative benefits the system. When we accept that lie, we’re easier to control, easier to exploit, easier to manipulate. We start to believe that competition is the only way, that looking out for ourselves is the only path to survival. Meanwhile, the system reinforces this belief by rewarding those who play by its rules—those who prioritize profit over people, those who turn a blind eye to suffering as long as it means their gain.

But look closer, and you’ll see that capitalism is built on a foundation of sand. It thrives only because we allow it to undermine the very essence of what makes us human—our capacity to come together, to support one another, to envision a world where everyone can thrive. In reality, we’re a cooperative species. The mutual aid networks that spring up in times of crisis, the volunteer movements, the cooperatives that flourish even within a capitalist economy—all of these are proof that our natural inclination is to build, not to destroy; to share, not to hoard.

It’s time we reclaim this truth. It’s time we reject the idea that selfishness defines us and recognize that capitalism is the system that’s unnatural—the one that twists our cooperative instincts into weapons against each other. When we’re told that we’re doomed to a life of isolation and greed, we should ask ourselves who stands to gain from that belief. Because it certainly isn’t the majority of us.

So, let’s be clear: the only reason society exists is that we are inherently cooperative. We are wired for solidarity, for empathy, for building something better together. And the only thing standing in our way is a system that profits from division. Will we continue to let capitalism tell us who we are, or will we choose to embrace our true nature? The choice is ours, and it’s time to fight for a world that reflects the best of what it means to be human.