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Perhaps like you, I am no longer surprised by anything I see in the news. Nobody with real power looks to have a handle on how to move humanity forward. Incredible human suffering seems ahead of us. From an American's perspective, my culture appears broken and doomed to produce a society that no one wants. And it feels tragic to imagine the forces needed to change that. I work in a hospital laboratory in northeast New Jersey, and the neglect for other people's wellbeing that I see even on a personal level, now magnified by coronavirus, has been heartbreaking. Once again this week, I desperately tried to persuade a coworker to think of the people around him and to wear the masks provided to us by the hospital. I pleaded morality, explained the danger he places his friends in, his selfishness and, running out of ideas, that he just think of "the women". Again he refused and said of their risk, "that's life", and that my guilt trip wouldn't work on him. Another coworker similarly refused, complaining that it is just too hot and annoying. And this is inside a lab processing covid tests. We have watched the numbers ratchet up for weeks, and saw as local nursing homes suffered outbreaks, one after the next. We ran out of viral transport media for the drive-thru testing outside and took to making our own by hand, one at a time, until public testing was halted to preserve resources. We are nonetheless often overwhelmed with covid specimens, with names and ages printed on each of them (the youngest I have seen was a girl 3 days old), and people still try to ignore the humanity in front of them. I can see that this is not a phenomenon unique to America, and that there are governments and organizations around the world that have been co-opted by this sort of thinking. And please, let us be forgiving, if maybe generous, and assume that those people just do not know better. It is our greatest problem, but it is not their fault. I think you would all consider yourselves very informed about history, government, and world events. Rather than endlessly chewing the disgusting fat found on twitter, or lamenting the latest government misstep, can't we leverage our perspectives into something good? The people on this forum seem to share a vision for society that is free, properly socialized, finally sustainable, and involving at least occasional kindness for all, even if it is largely like what exists now. Is there a course of action that leads to that from here, today? I don't think there has to be a tennis court oath, but what do we do about this? What is the first step?
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Apr 11, 2020 02:27
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Start a union, obtain a gun and learn how to use it, build plans with nearby leftists for various doomsday contingencies, start a commune capable of feeding and supplying your local communities, learn how to be secure online and some basics on spook poo poo, go work for food not bombs or start a chapter, post goatse at the mods, read What is To Be Done.
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Apr 11, 2020 03:11
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Agree with (at least most of) the above; what you as an individual can do, or should do first, will vary, but building community ties, doing education and outreach, and making your home and community a little bit safer and more stable in the face of what is bound to be more nonsense to come are all valid options, and you're not limited to doing just one at a time. What a dead gay comedy forum can bring to that table is somewhat limited, admittedly; this is neither the best place to discuss direct action nor are the forums likely to have personal insights into your local situation. You can try looking at threads about various community and political orgs here to see what sort of groups you could reach out to for more help and information. Sadly, I don't think there's any one silver bullet to the current crisis, to the various human cognitive biases that lead to crises and are exploited by assholes, or to the problems slowly crushing in on us. Much smarter assholes than me have spent their lives looking for such a panacea; instead it seems the answer is to be ready for a long, slow war of attrition against apathy and bigotry and the well-off and unempathetic jerks that promote them. Just do what you can, even if it doesn't seem like much.
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Apr 11, 2020 08:23
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I hear you both, but I want to try one more time. Turning away from the whole and trying to carve out something good from whatever is left feels like surrender. I'm not ready to accept that. I understand the value of helping people and I do what I can, but it is starting to feel like plugging my finger in the dyke. Not that it gives me any authority, but I have a degree in labor studies and while unions are helpful I can see that one more isn't going to save the world. As stupid as these forums can be, there are people from all over the world and I'm ready to be surprised about the quality of people here. Is anybody studying apathy as a social phenomenon? Is it worth talking about? Where is the kink in its armor? I don't think this question lacks merit. You are both right, and thinking pragmatically, and I think you feel despair about things like I do. A panacea might indeed be the wrong goal to have. But every successful movement ever has started as a ridiculous, impossible idea in some room somewhere. I get that I must sound naive, but this problem of apathy isn't strictly local and the instruments leftists instinctively turn to for solutions have been around a long time. They don't always achieve great things. It might be time to reexamine ourselves honestly. Coronavirus is one thing, and it too will pass. I don't know enough and I don't have the experience to come in here and be some compelling party chairman, I'm sorry. But how do we change the trajectory of the next 20 years? Is that even urgently needed? Are we getting in our own way? How do we change minds? There is a window opening to do that, and I'm afraid that if it isn't taken by the left, fascism will. How do we take the initiative? I won't believe that the best we can do is tend to the wounded.
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Apr 12, 2020 04:01
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Under normal circumstances it would be ridiculous to suggest anything done in this obscure corner of Ye Olde Webbe 1.0 could have meaningful impact on the world at large, OP, but if you're going to go so far as to ask what ground-floor things can be done within this extremely limited field of influence, I suggest you try out writing for SA's front page. Okay I'll wait while you finish laughing at that. Still waiting. Feel a little better? It's so nice to laugh. I'm actually serious though, if your job brings you into contact with people and situations that make you frustrated or angry and you can't seem to find an outlet, then writing about it can be very beneficial. If your education gives you an interesting perspective on these issues (and it sounds like it does), then that may be useful to others. More minds have been changed by art and literature than by political action, I firmly believe that. Writing down how you feel is an ancient discipline that almost every form of therapy involves in some way, so it can be really helpful even if basically nobody reads what you write. IE the Front Page. The rallying call behind the scenes right now is that we're trying to explore more thoughtful and substantial articles than have been regularly featured in the past. This recent piece by Drunk Nerds has received a decent amount (for us) of attention, and it's still funny, just a different kind of funny than usual, one that touches on how ridiculous and insane the world we live in is and still manages to find an emotional core at the end. Sounds kinda like what you're hoping to find in this community, right? Send a writing sample to our editor-in-chief Logan@somethingawful.com. Even if you don't become a regular contributor, even if/when only three people read what you wrote, just writing it in the first place is really helpful and we're a pretty chill group who aren't looking to break eachother down with unconstructive criticism or in-fighting. And the possibilities range upwards from there, perhaps it'll give you the confidence to submit work to larger (by which I mean actual) publications. Then, who knows? Forgive the cliche but the pen is mightier etc etc. I hope you'll consider it.
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Apr 12, 2020 04:36
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Tending to the wounded is how you preserve lives to continue fighting for collective benefit. Building robust, self-sufficient communities is how you protect vulnerable people from harm. I'm not saying 'ignore the forest for the trees', I'm saying, you can't have a forest without trees. If you feel you have the resources and experience to do more, that's great, find like-minded political groups and get involved, manage a local election, build a local community garden, teach a class on economic theory. But also do the little things. The incredible level of atomization and isolation that Americans face, in particular, is one of the biggest obstacles to collective action. People often feel uninvolved, disconnected, and self-concerned to a fault; they do not trust their neighbors, because they have been given no reason to. We have been propagandized for decades with the message that we must be self-sufficient, responsible adults, and the way you measure that is in wealth, and that in that regard you are, at best, in competition with your neighbor. Building alternative power requires a lot of people to do small, inglorious, nearly-invisible work. Organize your apartment block. Get a progressive elected to your city council. Get YOURSELF elected to your city council. Start a garden. Each small action isn't just some isolated action, it's an absolutely necessary step to reforming how we think about ourselves as a society. Again, I can't tell you how best to use your life experience. I don't know enough about what's going on in New Jersey to help you there, and you'll probably need to establish contact with lots of local folks to get a good full picture. And a public web-forum would be, again, a bad place to discuss your extremely local plans for direct action, since those actions are often criminalized even when they're something as simple as 'organize a union', and Lowtax doesn't seem to enjoy visits from nice government men in suits, for some reason (nor, for that matter, would you want your dirty laundry aired such; check the DSA thread for examples of what that looks like. Even in the ideal scenario, organizing can be messy). There's just way the gently caress too much to be done for it to be summarized in this format. Hell, the above suggestion about writing about your thoughts and experiences sounds good and may be extremely useful as well! You aren't giving up, and nor are most of the people here. But the fact that you're hearing 'start local' and see that as defeatism may be a distortion in your perspective. Local poo poo matters. Without friendly organization at the local level, people suffer. Elections are more easily corrupted, assholes get to push pet projects; with friendly local support, it's easier to elect progressive governors, and to establish broad city support networks. With broad support networks and progressive politicians, media bias can be fought, rich assholes can be given pushback, corporate interests can be stymied. If corporate interests can be stymied, their stranglehold on the American consciousness can be broken. If there is a magical one-stop heroic way of beating the fascists and the capitalists and the exploitation of human cognitive faults by other humans, I don't think we've found it yet. But in the meantime, being a drop of water in a mighty storm surge sure as gently caress isn't nothing and it's not giving up. I worry that the idea of hero culture and great man theory is itself a cognitive stumbling block that prevents a lot of people from doing way more good; our society calls quiet, dignified work towards a worthy goal 'giving up' way too often, and mocks people like farmers and construction workers and garbagemen for doing necessary work. Keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities to do more, but don't forget the little stuff in the meantime. If you're already doing what you can locally, and you think it's not enough, try looking into the upcoming election and seeing what candidates you might be able to help. Besides this friendly Bernard guy who's currently getting his rear end beat being too polite in the presidential race, there may be worthwhile state candidates you can get up on the loudspeaker for.
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Apr 12, 2020 04:48
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T-man posted:Start a union, obtain a gun and learn how to use it, build plans with nearby leftists for various doomsday contingencies, start a commune capable of feeding and supplying your local communities, learn how to be secure online and some basics on spook poo poo, go work for food not bombs or start a chapter, post goatse at the mods, read What is To Be Done. answered in one post
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Apr 12, 2020 06:20
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T-man posted:Start a union, obtain a gun and learn how to use it, build plans with nearby leftists for various doomsday contingencies, start a commune capable of feeding and supplying your local communities, learn how to be secure online and some basics on spook poo poo, go work for food not bombs or start a chapter, post goatse at the mods, read What is To Be Done. Learn from the preppers. A lot of them are crazy or fringe religious fanatics, but they have a wealth of info on how to plan for contingencies. Difference is our concern is keeping local communities alive, not bunkering up with the family to ride out the End of Days. Take some notes right now, of the things you wish you had on hand. Once quarantine lifts, start figuring out how to get them, and keep them in condition so when the inevitable next problem comes you're ready. Figure out the skills you need, and start learning. Learn how to sew. Learn how to garden. Learn basic first aid. Learn how to work with your hands, at least enough to keep up your residence for a few months if necessary. The thing that's been my biggest takeaway from this whole situation is that we as Americans absolutely cannot rely on the federal government to act in the best interest of the people. There's no help coming, save that which we can provide each other, so we'd better get ready to be able to provide it. In the meantime, to steal a phrase: Stay at home. Wash your hands. Don't touch your face.
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Apr 12, 2020 07:12
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