II. The Economy: The Beast That Consumes Everything

The economy, like a hungry beast, has found a way to commodify every aspect of human life. What should be basic rights—housing, healthcare, education—have been transformed into products to be bought and sold. The narrative of upward mobility has been reduced to a thin veneer, hiding a system designed to entrap rather than uplift.

Widening Wealth Inequality: We live in an era where the gap between the rich and the rest has grown into a chasm. The richest 1 percent control over 40 percent of global wealth, while the bottom 50 percent are left to survive on less than 2 percent. This disparity is not a result of chance but of design, ensuring that those with power continue to grow their fortunes while the rest are left scrambling for the scraps.

Commodification of Necessities: Housing has become a financial instrument, valued for its market potential rather than its function as shelter. In urban centers, prices soar, making home ownership a distant dream for most. Meanwhile, healthcare in places like the United States has become a luxury, with costs spiraling out of control. The leading cause of bankruptcy in America? Medical debt. In a system like this, survival itself has a price tag.

The Trap of Debt: Student loans in the United States have surpassed 1.7 trillion dollars, and that burden keeps entire generations tethered to the system. Debt is not just a financial burden; it is a mechanism of control. As people struggle to pay off their loans, they are forced to engage deeper in the economy, often trapped in jobs that exploit their labor just to make ends meet.