1. If we look deeply at capitalism, we can say that capitalism requires inequality. If we look back to the history of capitalism, we can see that there was a distinguishable difference between the owner of the means and the laborers who were exploited then. So, all type of capitalism is racial capitalism from the very beginning, and it’s been like that for years and years. Ruth Wilson Gilmore’s statement that capitalism ceases to be racial capitalism “when all the white people disappear from the story” demonstrates how whiteness is linked to systems of power and privilege. Whiteness is more than just skin color; it is a social construct that provides benefits and justifies the exploitation of non-white people. Whiteness has been employed in racial capitalism to build and maintain racial hierarchies, allowing wealth to be extracted from oppressed populations while favoring those labeled as “white.” These hierarchies are ingrained in laws, regulations, and cultural norms, making oppression appear natural or necessary, particularly when it disproportionately impacts minority communities. Whiteness has backed colonialism and imperialism all over the world, broadening the scope of racial capitalism.
The connection between whiteness and racism lies in whiteness’s historical and structural role in sustaining racial hierarchies that serve capitalist accumulation. When Gilmore criticizes whiteness, she is not targeting people but rather the institutions and ideas that perpetuate racialized exploitation and unfairness. Her work encourages us to conceive a world without such systems—a world in which racism, and by extension, racial capitalism, is truly eliminated.
2. Ruth Wilson Gilmore believes that the prison system produces new “criminals” by targeting and punishing people based on structural inequities rather than addressing the underlying causes of harm or poverty. She explains that jails do not address problems; rather, they process and warehouse people, particularly from underprivileged areas, who are frequently dealing with challenges such as unemployment, a lack of housing, or institutional racism. The criminalization of survival activities or minor violations promotes incarceration cycles. For example, those released from jail frequently suffer stigma, limited job chances, and limited access to resources, which might force them back into situations that lead to re-arrest. This loop assures that incarceration is more than just a reaction to crime; it is a mechanism that actively causes it.
I agree with Gilmore’s point of view because it demonstrates how the jail system fails to solve fundamental issues such as poverty and inequality, instead reinforcing them. Punishing people without addressing their needs worsens their problems, providing no real solutions for safety or communal well-being. Investing in education, mental health care, and economic possibilities might break this cycle and lessen harm.
3. In the video’s final analysis, Ruth Wilson Gilmore defines “liberation struggle” as a social, transformative process to demolish oppressive systems and build a world that values life, equity, and justice. She emphasizes that liberation entails not just releasing people from specific types of damage, such as jail, but also eliminating the conditions that allow those harms to occur in the first place. This entails confronting interconnected systems of exploitation, such as racial capitalism, patriarchy, and environmental destruction, and developing alternatives that promote caring, cooperation, and communal well-being.
Gilmore defines liberation struggle as grassroots organizing and social action to reimagine and rebuild society. It means envisioning a future without prisons, systematic injustices, and racial hierarchies—a one in which everyone has access to the resources and opportunities they require to thrive. It is not enough to combat oppressive regimes; it is also necessary to create conditions for genuine freedom and prosperity for all.
