That should come sooner than later. I’m 38 and a Millennial but definitely feel more like a Xennial. I’ve “done well”, never given a dime, no help or network, and have worked a tax paying job since I was 12, put myself through college with 30 hours a week work (night shifts at stores etc) and my net worth including my 401K today is about 200K. That’s saving, hard, for a very long time. I’m still far behind where I need to be financially, will never retire, and would definitely consider it today. The only reason I stick around is to outlive a few people that I don’t want to give the satisfaction that I died. I’m a petty man, one with no real future, but to continue making employers rich. I do want to be part of defeating my class enemies though, the investment class. I often say I understand the opioid crisis- those who died may have been the smart ones. They knew.
There’s really only one way forward and it needs to start now, worker owned cooperatives. No more capitalism, it isn’t working. While there will still be a place for capitalism, most businesses are proven business models. There’s no reason Google shouldn’t be owned by its employees. Let alone 7-Eleven. Once people get a taste of democracy in the workplace, they’ll demand it out of their government.
You sound a bit like me, a little more in my depressed days though.
I'm a lib socialist, so worker coops are my jazz.
I want to start a virtual union/commune that say everyone pays $100/month.
We use that to buy real estate rentals, eventually we launch all types of businesses from gas stations to grocery stores to a full amazon + aws competitor.
All union-owned. All workers are union members, and anyone who wants to join just joins. Maybe every hour and $ spent/invested = 1 share in the union. Each share = 1 vote and is used to calculate payouts for UBI (if we get to that point).
Initially all the cash our businesses bring in would go into a fund for healthcare. Our own single-payer plan if you will. We can create our own insurance companies as well in most states, maybe eventually we take over medicaid/medicare and buy up some hospitals and drug companies so we own the whole health supply chain. We could lobby congress for funds as well to up our health fund, and free up our cash on hand to pay out UBI.
Could also have some sort of credit card account with reward points, that you could use at sub-union companies... Say a union member starts a worker-coop, and decides to pay a 10% tax to the union, it'd be a sub-union company. Maybe union members would also get discounts at the shop if it was ecommerce or something, and be encouraged to shop there or help them promote their business.
The key is creating something that benefits all, encourages each other to help each other, and is ran somewhat democratically, and of course is self-sufficient. Also CEO caps for all companies under the umbrella.
You could set limits on yearly credits that can be earned. To keep it fair and balanced. Like maybe 40 hours * 52 weeks, so that you can't exceed what a normal employee would get. Employees, can get 2x that much, cause they can also double dip by investing their own $$.
That's complex for my taste, a little too close to a ponzi scheme which puts us right back to capitalism, but I'm going to have to think about it more. Just my gut reaction. I'm more of the mindset that employees simply organize and buy their place of business when the owner is ready to sell. Each just figures out their own financing for their part, and they own and operate it collectively. Of course we'd prefer to work with other socialist business like credit unions and so forth. Creating that coalition that you speak of, just not so massively integrated into one entity. I tend to believe smaller works out better. Easier for humans to manage effectively.
New enterprise could be started with a group of folks the same way, but I prefer proven businesses. No reason for the first wave of worker owned co-ops to go under. Start with the smalltown gas station etc. Like with any human endeavor, choosing your partners and how it's managed is critical. Everyone should be highly motivated since they're owners. But I do think as people see it working well for some, attitudes will change. No one will want to work for a capitalist enterprise once they see how good life is for co-op owners. In the end the cashier at a local store may be far more enthusiastic to help you than how it is today. Your pizza will be made right and delivered on time.
There is no perfect system but I do think we could at least have a healthy mix of other options. Given circumstances for my generation, my life's goal other than to be happy is to start a successful capitalist business, stabilize it, then sell it to my employees as a co-op. Offering to stay around for a while, if they'd like, to make sure everything works out.
There’s really only one way forward and it needs to start now, worker owned cooperatives. No more capitalism, it isn’t working. While there will still be a place for capitalism, most businesses are proven business models. There’s no reason Google shouldn’t be owned by its employees. Let alone 7-Eleven. Once people get a taste of democracy in the workplace, they’ll demand it out of their government.