Revolutionary Financial Literacy: Reclaiming Economics from Exploitation
How Revolutionary Frameworks Can Challenge Capitalism and Build Collective Power
Financial literacy campaigns, as they are often presented in mainstream discourse, claim to empower individuals to make better financial decisions and escape poverty. Yet, as the Orange Emperor’s reign begins and the massive machinery of media gaslighting shifts into high gear, these programmes reveal themselves as little more than tools of propaganda. They are designed not to liberate, but to entrench. Public schools are already in the crosshairs, cast as failures for allegedly leaving children “financially illiterate.” This framing primes the public for neocolonial austerity measures and the Education Choice and Competition Act’s (ECCA) voucher scheme, which would further dismantle public education under the guise of offering “freedom” and “opportunity.” These campaigns are not about equipping students to navigate life, but about justifying the dismantling of a system already battered by decades of underfunding and systemic neglect.
Beneath their glossy rhetoric, these “financial literacy” programmes focus on teaching individuals to navigate an exploitative system rather than question or challenge it. By framing poverty as a personal failing—blaming individuals for their supposed “illiteracy” in managing money—they obscure the structural realities of economic inequality. This narrative shifts blame from systemic failures to individual shortcomings, conveniently serving the interests of those in power. These initiatives propagate the myth that with enough budgeting skills or credit management knowledge, anyone can climb the social ladder. They ignore how capitalism, by design, creates and sustains poverty to maintain a desperate labour force and enrich the elite (the reserve army of labour). Now, under the banner of the new regime, this mythology becomes weaponised: a justification for stripping public schools of funding, handing over resources to private interests, and locking children into a cycle of corporate dependence.
The push for “financial literacy” as a panacea for poverty is not an innocent attempt to help struggling families. It is an ideological weapon, wielded to condition the next generation to accept the world as it is, rather than imagine the possibility of something better. As the Orange Emperor and his allies in corporate boardrooms implement their agenda, financial literacy campaigns will become yet another mechanism of control, training young people to accept austerity, to internalise blame for structural inequality, and to navigate their way through exploitation with docility rather than resistance.
This narrative does more than mislead; it actively undermines solidarity and collective action. Instead of encouraging people to understand and dismantle the structures that perpetuate economic exploitation, “financial literacy” campaigns redirect attention to self-improvement within the confines of the system. In this way, they subtly reinforce the idea that the system itself is fair and just, that poverty is a matter of individual choice or incompetence, and that success is accessible to anyone willing to play by the rules. Meanwhile, the system's rules are designed to benefit the elite and punish the vulnerable, maintaining a cycle of extraction and control.
But what would financial literacy look like if it rejected this individualistic, assimilationist framework and instead focused on exposing and dismantling the root causes of economic oppression? Revolutionary thinkers such as Lenin and Mao offer compelling visions, rooted in the principles of class struggle, for how financial education could empower people to collectively challenge exploitation. Similarly, a Pan-Africanist Marxist lens reveals the racialised dynamics of economic inequality and offers pathways for solidarity and liberation across the African diaspora and beyond. Through these perspectives, we can reimagine financial literacy not as a means to conform to the system, but as a tool for building the consciousness and solidarity needed to overthrow it. In today’s article, we will explore these revolutionary approaches, demonstrating how financial education can move from assimilation to liberation, from individualistic narratives to collective resistance.
The Failures of Far-Right “Financial Literacy” Schemes
Far-right financial literacy programmes are not designed to empower but to indoctrinate. Cloaked in the language of self-improvement and responsibility, they exist to teach people to “know their place” within a system that thrives on their exploitation. Rooted deeply in Christian nationalism, patriarchy, and capitalist hegemony, these campaigns promote an ideology that insists there is no alternative to capitalism, framing it as not only inevitable but divinely ordained. By training individuals to accept and navigate their assigned roles within this system, they discourage critical thinking and ensure that the structures of oppression remain unchallenged. These programmes are less about understanding financial systems and more about conditioning people to internalise their own subjugation, instilling the belief that financial struggles are personal failings rather than inevitable consequences of an exploitative system.
This narrative is reinforced through what might be called the “digital plantation,” a modern apparatus of economic surveillance and control. Credit scores, far from being neutral metrics, serve as tools of racial capitalism that extend centuries-old systems of exploitation. They track and regulate financial behaviour, punishing those who fail to conform to the system’s arbitrary rules. High-interest loans and predatory lending, often targeted at marginalised communities, siphon wealth from workers to capitalists in what amounts to legalised usury. These confiscatory interest rates are not anomalies; they are central to the functioning of the system, facilitating a massive, ongoing transfer of wealth from the poorest to the wealthiest. Meanwhile, individuals trapped in these cycles of debt are shamed for their financial precarity, further entrenching the myth of personal responsibility and erasing the structural violence underpinning their struggles.
Adding to this hypocrisy is the US’s critique of systems like China’s social credit score. Whilst condemning China’s centralised model of surveillance, the US operates far worse systems that are decentralised, privatised, and far less accountable. American financial institutions and surveillance tools are cloaked in the rhetoric of freedom and choice but exist solely to serve the interests of capital. Capitalist banks, unlike public or cooperative institutions, work not for society but for themselves, extracting profit at the expense of the public good. The very financial tools promoted by these far-right literacy campaigns—credit scores, high-interest loans, and austerity measures—are part of a system designed to maintain control, extract wealth, and ensure that alternatives to capitalism remain unthinkable. In this sense, financial literacy under the far-right is not about education but indoctrination into a system that thrives on inequality and despair.
A Leninist Financial Literacy for Cities and Suburbs
So, what would a proper financial literacy programme look like? Should it be another one-size-fits-all, commoditised approach designed to maximise compliance with an exploitative system? Or should it be multifaceted and comprehensive, rooted in the realities of class struggle and aimed at dismantling the mechanisms of oppression? To answer this, we can turn to Lenin’s revolutionary framework, which offers a model of financial education that prioritises collective liberation over individual assimilation.
A Leninist financial literacy programme would begin by helping people understand the fundamentals of capitalist exploitation. At its core would be an analysis of surplus value—the wealth extracted from workers through the difference between the value they produce and the wages they receive. This system, which Lenin characterised as the engine of capitalism, is the foundation of wage labour and systemic poverty. Rather than framing poverty as a personal failing, a Leninist programme would expose it as an inevitable feature of capitalism, designed to maintain a desperate and exploitable workforce. By unveiling how this system operates, the programme would empower individuals to see their struggles not as isolated incidents but as part of a broader pattern of systemic exploitation.
This education would also aim to dismantle the myths that sustain capitalism. Chief among them is the illusion of individual success—that anyone who works hard enough can climb the social ladder. Lenin’s analysis would reveal how this narrative is a tool of control, designed to mask the structural barriers that keep wealth and power concentrated in the hands of the elite. In its place, the programme would emphasise collective power: the ability of workers, through solidarity and organisation, to challenge and reshape the system. It would reject the idea that financial literacy should teach people to navigate exploitation and instead focus on equipping them to resist and transform it.
Finally, such a programme would centre urban solidarity as a vehicle for change. In cities and suburbs, where workers are densely concentrated and diverse industries converge, the potential for collective action is immense. The programme would highlight the importance of unions and strikes as tools for challenging exploitation and building worker power. It would also draw on the intellectual and cultural resources of urban environments to foster class consciousness, encouraging critical engagement with the systems that shape financial realities. This vision of financial literacy would not be about individual survival within capitalism but about building the foundations for its abolition and the creation of a more just and equitable society.
A Maoist Financial Literacy for Rural Communities
If a Leninist framework provides the foundation for financial literacy in urban and suburban settings, what might such a programme look like in rural areas? A Maoist approach, grounded in the realities of rural life and the transformative potential of grassroots mobilisation, offers a compelling alternative. Far from the commoditised, assimilationist models favoured by capitalist systems, a Maoist financial literacy programme would focus on fostering economic self-reliance, addressing the unique dynamics of class struggle in rural settings, and building the collective power necessary to transform communities.
Central to this vision is Mao’s emphasis on economic self-reliance. After the Chinese Revolution, millions of people were lifted out of poverty through the mobilisation of ordinary citizens to build localised economies rooted in collective farming, mutual aid, and shared resources. This approach not only addressed material deprivation but also cultivated a sense of agency and empowerment among rural populations. Literacy campaigns were equally vital, recognising that education was the key to liberation. By raising general and financial literacy, the revolution equipped people to understand and challenge the systems that had previously oppressed them. These lessons hold immense value for reimagining financial literacy in rural America.
A Maoist financial literacy programme would also challenge the narratives that obscure the deliberate exploitation of rural areas. Consider the so-called “Rust Belt,” a term that frames the decline of industrial regions as a natural feature of the landscape, rather than a deliberate consequence of capitalist greed. The loss of jobs and industries was not an inevitable occurrence—it was the result of corporations prioritising shareholder value above all else, abandoning communities to maximise profits through outsourcing, automation, and exploitation. Meanwhile, the environmental destruction left in their wake—polluted rivers, poisoned soil, and degraded ecosystems—is treated as an afterthought rather than a direct result of these practices.
Such a programme would teach rural populations to recognise these dynamics and organise against them, tying economic justice directly to environmental justice. It would emphasise reclaiming land and resources, not just for economic survival but to heal the communities and ecosystems devastated by capitalist extraction. Cooperative farming models and sustainable practices could replace exploitative methods, empowering rural communities to challenge the cycle of dispossession and ecological harm.
Holding corporations to account is essential to this vision. The same entities that looted and abandoned rural communities must be made to pay for the harm they caused. Financial literacy, reimagined through a Maoist lens, would equip communities with the tools to expose corporate tactics, trace hidden wealth, and demand reparative justice. This accountability must extend to shareholders, who have profited from these destructive practices. Justice requires that their wealth, gained through complicity in economic and environmental devastation, be redirected to restore what was taken—even if it bankrupts them.
A Maoist financial literacy programme would centre revolutionary praxis—the practical application of revolutionary theory to empower rural communities. It would train people in grassroots organising, foster solidarity across regions, and build networks of mutual aid to bypass predatory capitalist structures. By focusing on collective power, economic self-reliance, and class struggle, such a programme would offer rural communities a pathway not just to survival, but to liberation and the reclamation of their futures.
A Pan-Africanist Marxist Financial Literacy for the Diaspora
A Pan-Africanist Marxist approach to financial literacy would centre on the historical and ongoing realities of racial capitalism, economic oppression, and the interconnected struggles of marginalised communities in the diaspora and the Global South. Far from the individualist narratives promoted by mainstream financial literacy campaigns, this perspective emphasises collective resistance, reparative justice, and the transformative power of global solidarity. Such a programme would not merely teach financial skills but would aim to dismantle the systems that perpetuate inequality and exploitation.
At the heart of this approach is an analysis of racial capitalism and its deep entrenchment in economic systems. Financial structures in the United States and beyond have perpetuated the legacies of slavery, colonialism, and racial exploitation. Practices like redlining, a systematic denial of loans and housing opportunities to Black communities, are not relics of the past but continue to shape the racial wealth gap today. These systems were designed to extract wealth from marginalised groups whilst reinforcing white economic dominance, creating a cycle of exclusion and exploitation that persists across generations. A Pan-Africanist financial literacy programme would expose these dynamics, empowering participants to see how structural racism and capitalism are intertwined.
Building collective wealth and solidarity is central to resisting these systems. Strategies like mutual aid, reparations, and cooperative economics offer pathways for communities to regain autonomy and build resilience. The concept of Ujamaa—a principle of African socialism centred on collective prosperity—provides a framework for fostering economic cooperation and community-led development. However, history shows that such efforts have consistently faced violent pushback. Initiatives like the Black Panther Party’s free breakfast programmes and the Poor People’s Campaign’s attempts to build multiracial solidarity were targeted and dismantled by state and corporate forces, with organisers often subjected to harassment, imprisonment, or worse. A financial literacy programme informed by these histories would honour and learn from these struggles whilst preparing communities to resist similar attacks in the future.
A Pan-Africanist framework would also emphasise the importance of global solidarity. The economic oppression faced by Black and marginalised communities in the United States is not isolated but deeply connected to the exploitation of the Global South. Movements for liberation across Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, and South Asia share common roots with struggles in the diaspora, as all are bound by the forces of imperialism, neoliberalism, and racial capitalism. By connecting these struggles, financial literacy becomes a tool for fostering international solidarity, encouraging participants to see themselves as part of a broader fight for justice and self-determination.
This programme would move beyond the surface-level goals of mainstream financial education to address the deeper, systemic forces that shape economic realities. By grounding financial literacy in the principles of collective action, reparative justice, and global solidarity, it would empower marginalised communities to reclaim control over their economic futures whilst contributing to the broader fight against exploitation and inequality.
A Unified Vision for Financial Liberation
A unified vision for financial liberation requires bridging the unique challenges and strengths of diverse communities whilst addressing the intersecting forces of class, race, and systemic exploitation. By integrating Leninist, Maoist, and Pan-Africanist frameworks, such a vision could foster solidarity across urban and rural divides, centre the racial dimensions of economic oppression, and reimagine financial systems to prioritise equity and collective power over surveillance and control.
Urban and rural communities, often portrayed as distinct and disconnected, share common struggles under capitalism. A Leninist approach, with its focus on class consciousness and urban solidarity, and a Maoist approach, rooted in grassroots mobilisation and self-reliance, offer complementary strategies for uniting these communities. Rural areas, devastated by corporate farming, land monopolies, and extractive industries, could draw on the organisational strength of urban workers, who are well-positioned to leverage unions, strikes, and intellectual resources. Conversely, urban movements could learn from the resilience and cooperative models developed in rural areas to resist corporate exploitation and rebuild autonomy. A unified financial literacy programme would highlight these connections, fostering alliances that bridge the urban-rural divide and build collective strength against shared oppressors.
At the same time, this vision must address the intersections of class and race. Pan-Africanist perspectives are essential for exposing how capitalism is inherently racialised, with Black and Brown communities bearing the brunt of economic oppression. From redlining and predatory lending to the global extraction of wealth from the Global South, racial capitalism has created deep inequalities that demand reparative justice. A unified approach to financial literacy would centre these realities, ensuring that efforts to address economic injustice also confront systemic racism. It would advocate for reparations, mutual aid, and cooperative economics as essential components of economic liberation, while fostering solidarity among marginalised groups across racial and national boundaries.
Rejecting the “digital plantation” is a critical element of this vision. Current financial systems—credit scores, surveillance-driven lending practices, and predatory debt structures—operate as tools of economic control, punishing those who cannot conform to capitalist ideals of productivity and wealth accumulation. A liberated financial system would replace these mechanisms with models that centre equity, self-determination, and collective power. It would prioritise access to resources based on need rather than profit, building systems that empower communities to thrive without the constant spectre of surveillance and exploitation.
This unified vision would transform financial literacy from a tool of assimilation into a means of resistance and liberation. By fostering urban-rural solidarity, addressing the racial dimensions of class struggle, and rejecting systems of control, it would empower communities to challenge and dismantle the structures of exploitation that underpin capitalism. Through collective action and a commitment to justice, this vision offers a pathway to a more equitable and sustainable future.
Towards a New Financial Literacy
Toward a new financial literacy lies a vision that breaks free from the constraints of capitalist indoctrination, offering a model rooted in education as liberation, collective resistance, and the abolition of exploitative systems. Such a programme would not aim to teach people how to navigate oppression but would instead equip them with the tools to understand and challenge systemic inequality at its core. As Audre Lorde famously noted, “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.” A genuinely transformative financial literacy cannot be packaged and sold by capitalists, nor can it operate within the confines of the current system. For such a curriculum to exist, the system itself must be reimagined, built not for the profit of the few but for the collective good.
This alternative financial literacy would centre on the principle of education as liberation. It would teach people to see beyond the myths of individual responsibility and capitalist meritocracy, revealing how economic systems are deliberately structured to exploit and oppress. Participants would learn to analyse concepts like surplus value, wage labour, and racial capitalism, gaining an understanding of the mechanisms that perpetuate inequality. They would also develop the critical thinking skills necessary to envision and fight for alternatives. Such an education cannot remain neutral; it must be a revolutionary act, challenging the dominance of capital and refusing to legitimise systems that prioritise profits over people.
The foundation of this model would be collective resistance. True financial liberation cannot be achieved through individual accumulation but through solidarity, mutual aid, and grassroots organising. A new financial literacy would teach communities how to pool resources, build cooperative economies, and create systems of mutual support that bypass capitalist structures. It would draw on the historical successes of movements like the Black Panther Party’s free programmes, the Poor People’s Campaign, and Ujamaa to demonstrate how collective action can build resilience and autonomy. By fostering solidarity across class, race, and geography, it would empower people to fight not only for their own liberation but for systemic change.
At its core, this vision demands the abolition of exploitative systems. Credit scores, predatory lending, and other tools of economic control must be dismantled and replaced with systems based on equity and need. These mechanisms, designed to surveil and punish, would be replaced with structures that prioritise access to resources, sustainability, and collective well-being. In essence, this programme would follow Mao’s example, adapting socialism to fit American conditions—creating socialism with American characteristics. Just as China’s socialism reflects its unique history and material realities, so too must financial liberation in the United States address the racialised, extractive, and hyper-capitalist systems that dominate its landscape.
This new financial literacy would not merely educate—it would agitate, organise, and mobilise. It would be a tool for dismantling the master’s house and building something entirely new: an economy rooted in justice, equity, and collective power. By rejecting the logic of capitalism and embracing the principles of socialism, this vision offers a pathway to true liberation—one that prioritises people and the planet over profits.
Final thoughts …
Mainstream financial literacy programmes fail because they are designed to fail. They do not address the systemic roots of economic exploitation, nor do they equip people to challenge the structures that perpetuate inequality. Instead, these programmes function as tools of assimilation, teaching individuals to survive within a system that thrives on their oppression. This is by design. Capitalists will never give people the tools to dismantle capitalism; they will only offer just enough education to maintain the illusion of opportunity whilst ensuring the continuation of their dominance. Any meaningful financial literacy must go beyond navigating the system—it must prepare people to overthrow it.
The path forward requires us to imagine and participate in building revolutionary alternatives to the current financial system. This is not a passive process; it demands solidarity, action, and a commitment to justice. It means rejecting the individualism and greed that capitalism breeds and embracing collective power and mutual aid. It means educating ourselves and others not just to understand the mechanisms of exploitation, but to dismantle them and create systems that prioritise equity, sustainability, and liberation for all.
The tools we need will not be handed to us by those who benefit from our oppression. We must create them ourselves, through grassroots organising, community-led education, and solidarity across divides. The work will not be easy, but it is necessary. Together, we can reimagine financial literacy as a means of liberation rather than assimilation, and in doing so, we can lay the foundations for a more just and equitable future. The time to begin is now.