I’m a second-semester freshman undergraduate student and still getting my general courses out of the way. One of the courses I’m taking is basically a course about how environmental issues interact with our culture. It’s somewhat complicated, but I enjoy it, and the teacher is an older lady with a sense of humor who really loves the subject.

So there was an assignment due a little while ago where we watched a video that delved into the various issues with capitalism and how it contributes to poverty.

One student sitting in front of me, a young man about a year younger than me, also in his freshman year, from an upper middle class background, decided to explain how actually, capitalism really does improve the living situation of poor people. After all, we all have iPhones and laptops now! Look at what poor people have today that they didn’t have 50 years ago! We can’t tax rich people at a higher rate because that will decrease the likelihood that they’ll do all of this wonderful development! We won’t have more stuff to waste our money on!

I felt better when I saw that my teacher was fighting her laughter as much as I was. Yes, 18-year-old undergrad from a privileged background, please mansplain to the minority female professor how wrong she is. He was actually talking over her as she tried to respond to him.

The best moment was when the teacher held up her hand, got him to shut up, and asked the class “Please raise your hand if you feel that your living situation has ever been improved by capitalism”.

There were no hands raised.

Not even the freshman mansplainer.