Social Justice

By Lansing Scott

One of the more powerful and compelling aspects of Green politics is the combining of ecological and social justice concerns into one political vision. Whereas social justice and peace activists have traditionally worked hand-in-hand, social justice and environmental activists and organizations have typically operated in separate orbits (with the exception of the anti-toxic movement, which has necessarily confronted issues of poverty and race). The Green synthesis of environmental and social justice sensibilities may be still a work-in-progress, but such a balanced synthesis is essential to the identity of Green politics, as well as necessary to our success.

Greens decry the gross disparities of wealth and power in America, as well as the socially toxic legacies of racism, sexism, heterosexism, and other forms of oppression. We see these injustices as deeply embedded in our dominant cultural, economic, and political institutions and attitudes of our society, hence we seek fundamental changes in these institutions and attitudes.

The obscene and widening gap between rich and poor in America is undoubtedly one of the biggest political issues of our time, yet it receives scant attention in mainstream political discourse. It's a great time to be a Wall Street investor (or a real estate investor in Seattle), but the rising economic tide that we hear so much about is clearly not lifting all boats. For example, among the 19 largest industrialized democratic nations, on a per capita basis, the United States is No. 1 in:

Billionaires and children living in poverty
Big Home and Homelessness
The differential between executive salaries and average worker salaries

A just society? Hardly. Greens recognize that the so-called "invisible hand" of free-market capitalism does not magically produce social justice, and that the "visible hands" of democratic control are needed to set things right.

Just as serious are the racial disparities that persist in our country. Thanks to the struggles of the civil rights movement, some progress has been made in recent decades, but again, this progress has not been equally distributed. As long as some racially defined communities lack the opportunities available to the majority, Greens will adamantly support affirmative action and other corrective measures.

Greens also oppose the wave of anti-immigrant xenophobia that is growing in some quarters. We need to remember that, except for a very small minority of Americans, we are all immigrants to this land.

And of course Greens are equally concerned about fairness between men and women, and between gays and heterosexuals. The growing attack on homosexuals from the religious right is of particular concern in this time, as is the ongoing attack against women's reproductive choice.

Speaking of the religious right, the Greens affirm the ideal of America as a land of religious freedom. Christian morality is fine for those who choose it, but it should never be imposed upon those who do not choose it.

Our sense of justice must also extend beyond America to the planet as a whole. Americans constitute about 5% of the world population, yet consume more than a third of the resources and produce about half of the world's waste. Greens support dramatic reductions in these wasteful and unsustainable practices. As other nations seek to raise their standard of living on this finite planet, issues of fair distribution of resources will loom ever larger in international politics.

Our culture separates us in many ways, and pits one group against another. Greens seek to restore a sense of community and connectedness, a respect for diversity, and a compassion for all. Any politics not rooted in these values is not worthy of our support.

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Social Justice