I believe I'm an anarchist at heart, though I'm not sure the world, with its current population, is ready for that level of self reliance and community building. Lots of learned behavior to break.

We kind of dug ourselves a mighty deep hole as a species. We need to be better.

Growing up in a western capitalist state has left me fairly jaded as far as politics go, tbf

The question always comes down to how do we stop people from being bad. The answer escapes me tbh.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

"The question always comes down to how do we stop people from being bad." This is the problem with not having a materialist analysis of the world, its not about being bad or being good or morality at all. At large people are motivated by self interest, perpetuating and sustaining their material conditions. Its only through struggle of the oppressed against those in power that change can come about.

[–] MiddleWeigh 1 points 1 year ago

I think I understand what your saying and it's hard to disagree. The motivation of self interest is the driving force for everything, the power struggle is inevitable, and it's more about the journey than any goal. Do I have the jist?

[–] Comrade_Spood 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I am an anarchist. And I understand that. I flip flop between having hope and thinking there is none. Some days I think we missed our chance and now we're too far gone. Other days I look at movements like the Zapatistas and Rojava and think that their may be hope. Ultimately I don't think any first world country is gonna have it happen. Maybe if a country had a successful anarchist revolution and society, it'd be able to inspire people in first world countries. But I do think our hope lies outside of first world countries. At least till there is a proper example to inspire people.

I do still try to put an effort into organizing where I live. As I think it is still important to do that. Even if I don't think it will garner fruit till there is a true example of anarchism in action.

[–] MiddleWeigh 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I really feel what you have said.

I've found that the most I can do is to touch people in my everyday, hopefully sparking some sort of revolution within themselves, but not in an intrusive or dogmatic way. I live in a particularly conservative area, and I find that they are just people, people whove been indoctrinated to the point of apathy, with a side of fear of the unknown ie racism etc. I'm knee deep in the shit, and it's overwhelming sometimes.

I am not hopeful for any political or economic agenda. But I am hopeful of the human spirit.

It's pretty resilient, but also malleable. You add in our self perpetuating 'I me mine' mentality and you end up with bad actors taking advantage of the majority, decent people.

I do agree that the 1st world, at least where I am, would need something pretty tragic to spark some sort of sweeping change. We are not taught self awareness, at least I wasn't, and I think that's where alot of our progress will need to come from.

[–] Comrade_Spood 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I like the story about how Francisco Ferrer got the funding for his school. He taught Spanish to this old, heavily religious and conservative, rich woman. He was able to change her mind by being respectful and not attacking her beliefs, but by having respectful discussion with her. He was never the one to initiate the discussions, which helped keep her from getting defensive and shutting down. And she ended up funding his rationalist secular school.

No one is a lost cause.

[–] MiddleWeigh 2 points 1 year ago

I've never heard that story, but it resonates with me, and how I have come to treat others. The only thing separating us is our bias. No small thing, but there is some archaic thread we all share and that can be used as a base for understanding and growth. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with me (:

I kind of like being in the thick of it like that. There's something to be said for each person's experience, some bit of wisdom to be shared. I try to be empathetic, because a lot of the time, there was no choice in the matter, only circumstance. At least IME. I'm just some guy.