The High Quarterly

As the ever-biased hand of fortune ceaselessly continues to dole misery and wealth across the world’s socioeconomic divisions, it seems almost fantastical to assume that anything other than this gross segregation of the haves and have-nots could be found in any resemblance of the selfish basis of capitalism. Indeed, the mere foundation of Marxism recognized the survival of capitalist substructures on futile pursuits of wealth, serving solely to further fuel a ubiquitous imbalance of assets; the bourgeoisie profit invariably feeds on the proletarian working class’ self-alienation.

Confined to the exploits of communism, right-wing narratives assert the impossibility of socioeconomic continuity, stressing instead the benefits of such stratified classes, and yet, visionary as ever, Jeremy Corbyn stunned this week in a somewhat unsurprising fit, professing his desire to cap salary for executives to just fourfold that of their lowest paid employees. Naïvely socialist as ever, somehow politics’ most dreary preacher (despite his clearly riveting penchant for drain cover inspection) managed to outdo even himself. Surely this proclamation threatens the very fabric of capitalism itself? Without false hope of future prosperity, what remains to promote productivity?

Deluded as the claims from Corbyn may seem, perhaps a utopian future could exist within capitalist societies, with a fairer equity of riches sans communist mutiny and a sheer collapse of the economic machine. Undeniably, such changes are already present, as Britain moves further every day from the vast inequalities of industrialization, without having shed too scarily the foundations of its ruling ideologies, and further development of socialist enterprises seeps further into UK culture. Plutocrats may still thrive in our society, however the benefits of national healthcare, pensions and sick-pay founded just over 100 years ago, by ‘socialist’ Liberal Reforms, are immeasurable, and could continue further. Perhaps, despite the wholly ambitious nature of his claims, Corbyn’s plans may not be as far-fetched as suggested. Then again, perhaps not.

While social inequality may never become an archaic relic of capitalist past, perchance there is hope yet for the plebian classes of the west.