Martin Luther King: And One Day We Must Ask The Question…

Martin Luther King, 1967:

Martin Luther King

“The movement must address itself to the question of restructuring the whole of American society. There are forty million poor people here. And one day we must ask the question, Why are there forty million poor people in America? And when you begin to ask that question, you are raising questions about the economic system, about a broader distribution of wealth. When you ask that question, you begin to question the capitalistic economy. And I’m simply saying that more and more, we’ve got to begin to ask questions about the whole society.

“We are called upon to help the discouraged beggars in life’s marketplace. But one day we must come to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring. It means that questions must be raised. You see, my friends, when you deal with this, you begin to ask the question, Who owns the oil? You begin to ask the question, Who owns the iron ore? You begin to ask the question, Why is it that people have to pay water bills in a world that is two-thirds water? These are questions that must be asked.”

Dom Helder Camara, Archbishop of Recife:

“When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist.”

Pope Francis:

“As long as the problems of the poor are not radically resolved by rejecting the absolute autonomy of markets and financial speculation and by attacking the structural causes of inequality, no solution will be found for the world’s problems or, for that matter, to any problems. Inequality is the root of social ills.”

President Barack Obama, 2013:

For we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it […] Our journey is not complete…”

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7 thoughts on “Martin Luther King: And One Day We Must Ask The Question…

  1. I never question the capitalist system – it’s the most fair when permitted to operate openly freely – get rid of the central banks and their fraud and it will flourish and provide for all who want to work.

    • I agree, it’s work exceptionally well for Freedom Industries in West Virginia.

      • Sounds like an issue for the legal system – not a judgment of free market capitalism. Why don’t you tell everyone what you believe the best economic system is in your opinion? Mark has wisely not stated how this quote from MLK supports what he believes to be the best economic system – but there is no reason you can’t expand your comment.

      • I don’t know why I’m even commenting as free market capitalism isn’t what’s happening here anymore and hasn’t for some time – so why debate it.

        • You have a point. Free Market Capitalism is a myth, always has been and always will be.

          • Like bisexuality, it works better in theory than in practice.

  2. Isn’t it sad that the Tea Party clowns would have dismissed MLK as a communist dupe if he were alive today? In his time, J Edgar Hoover was already convinced MLK was one, but then Hoover hated him anyway because he spoke the truth about Hoover’s beloved FBI.

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