“I’m the Monopoly Guy, and Even I Think We Need a Fairer Distribution of Wealth!”
Rich Uncle Pennybags here: The mascot of Monopoly-one of the most popular and lucrative board games of all time! Since its introduction in 1935, Monopoly-and I along with it-have become bona fide American icons. Ninety years has given me lots of time to think about this success, the society that enabled it, and to read the collected works of Noam Chomsky and Howard Zinn. I have come to a conclusion: Monopoly is a tool of capitalist indoctrination. We need a fairer distribution of wealth and resources from the top down.
Let’s review. The objective of Monopoly is to seize land, build properties on it, then charge obscene fees on people who stumble upon it via a literal roll of the dice. Would someone of limited means go out of their way to stay at a hotel on Park Place if they knew they couldn’t afford it? People are more responsible than that. With so many struggling to make ends meet, what kind of example are we setting by encouraging players, especially children, to get ahead by essentially committing extortion? This is even more problematic when one considers the origins of the game, and its decidedly socialist ethos.
Monopoly was Initially conceived as The Landlord’s Game in 1903. It was divided into two modes of play. The first is the one we’re familiar with today. The second was a cooperative version that taught players the value of community and shared resources. The game’s patent was sold for a mere $500.00 USD, and its creator Elizabeth Magie (a staunch anti-capitalist) died decades later in obscurity.
It’s ironic, yet fitting, that Monopoly is the product of unfettered corporate acquisition. The game itself is a product of the very system it champions. This is just one reason why we need fundamental change; both to it, and our socioeconomic structure as a whole. Despite what the self-proclaimed experts of Fox News would have you believe, poverty is not a choice!
Tax the rich proportionately to their incomes. Penalize unethical behavior to the fullest extent of the law. Give the disadvantaged opportunities to figuratively pass Go, collecting more than just a measly two hundred dollars in the process, and stop throwing them into overcrowded prisons! The whole “Go to Jail” feature is downright draconian. Especially since white collar criminals should be the ones serving time, not the unfortunate and underprivileged.
Let’s also bring back The Landlord’s Game in its original form. I’m sure those aforementioned right-wing talking heads will be quick to label this “Radical Socialism” with a “woke” ideology. Ignore them. Another problem we’re dealing with is mass media run by people beholden to the oligarchs who created this system for their own benefit. For more on that, I highly recommend Manufacturing Consent! Ruthless business practices aren’t a game, and thinly veiled propaganda is no joke.
I know how all this may sound, given the way I present myself. The tuxedo and top hat don’t exactly brand me as a man of the people. To that end, I am liquidating my properties on Boardwalk, and relinquishing my holdings in utilities back to public ownership. I’m also trading in my race car for a more modest means of transportation. If I’m serious about this, then I must lead by example.
I hope I’ve made my point. Have fun, and remember to play fair! You can’t be neutral on a moving train, especially if you’ve acquired some of the railroad properties. Please consider giving them back.