By criticizing an entire community as not completely, thoroughly materialist or not completely read in “intellectual tradition”, they’ve ironically gone completely around and become idealist.
It’s actually a non-criticism, since of course we are supposed to (and strive to) beat the idealism out of us that we grow up with. It’s already a given -everybody knows that.
So it looks like they are just using that and their “intellectual tradition” to pat themselves on the back.
Thanks comrade! Will investigate that book if I can find it. I was thinking of checking out a book by a Chinese-Australian author, I remember Jeffrey Sachs interviewed her, called Chinese statecraft. I think there is some geographic/material analysis about ancient China but it’s more geared towards modern times. Could be a bit socdem as well but I found Sachs interview with the author very good.
I’ve read a bit about the transition to serfdom post-Rome and this is generally correct, and is certainly the correct way to think about it.
There are some additional concerns when it comes to large scale slave society like Rome was, among other things includes stuff like geographic and technological limitations (roads, ocean, ships, animal and human muscle power), biological limitations (slaves die under horrific conditions). Basically a web of things that long term suggest an expanding slave society (or slavery itself) is unsustainable, and that the transition to serfdom is based in the eventual material need of the ruling class to transform labor from slaves to serfs as slave influx becomes less, and thus they become more expensive.
Then there are things like debt that polarize economies and change human relations, and steer economic policy to serfdom as well. Geography can influence the policy towards emerging peasantry, too - like if there is too much free land then you’d want your peasants to bound to your land. And the opposite: if there isn’t free land then your peasants can have more rights and mobility.
Just thought I’d add these additional concerns to a really good post.
Do you have anything to read about Chinese “feudalism” or whatever Marx called the Asiatic MOP? It’s so hard to find anything and I basically know nothing at all about what is going on at that point in time/space. My hunch is that geography is really really important.
The downvote count is counting votes for genocide
Maybe even
trillions
of deaths
I floated around several different jobs. Never found anything I liked so I decided to move back in with my parents so I can do the last few things I need to change careers/apply for physical therapy school, and I’m older than you.
I don’t know if there’s any otherworldly insight to it other than I just really love exercise and training.
When I was working other jobs, I felt like two different people. I had my job that I honestly didn’t give a flying fuck about, had no motivation, made me depressed and just couldn’t force myself to be interested in. I had to pretend to care while surrounded by people who did care.
And when I was doing my physical training for the sports I love I was/am a completely different person- much happier and learning new things because I care.
On mental health: I think not being in a career adjacent to my passions really, really hurt me. It’s not like I’ve solved my depression but I can wake up now with something to look forward to, a path that I actually want to walk on.
It was passion that I had to build on but there was always an interest in exercise even before I can say I developed it into a passion. I was previously going to college for physical therapy, changed direction, but built my passion and now coming back to it, it all seems to make sense. Maybe there is something you have enjoyed in that past that you can return to build on?
And the big thing I can say is try not to get too down. This isn’t uncommon nowadays for people around our ages.
Don’t think of these years as wasted years, but learning years. I always felt like I was spinning my wheels and there’s a lot of truth in that. My parents always wondering what I was doing etc., is a terrible burden. But maybe in a way, I wasnt ready to go down that road since I hadn’t the passion for it yet, and the world didn’t make sense to my neurodivergent brain because I hadn’t learned Marxism yet, either.
And I suppose while we’re at it (to use Marxist terms), my experiences and internal contradictions weren’t strong enough yet that they’d need to resolve themselves by producing a new decision to go back to school.
I was looking for this forever lol, thank you so much. Does it come in gif?
I became an ML the day I found r/GenZedong lol. Didn’t get banned from anything.
He’s not in the same camp as pro-Russia reactionaries if we’re talking about the US. Those reactionaries are complete culture war chuds and still bloodthirsty for war with China.
Sachs preaches economic cooperation and no military confrontation with China, does not believe they are seeking to be an expanding military empire, and has been vocal about the economic progress made whilst appreciating their relatively nonviolent foreign policy history as well.
“Barbarians raid another state for their plane”
Dems think they’re so smart but It’s such a fucking stupid argument, too. Every single republican besides Trump are going to do horrible things long after Trump is gone. So obviously you’ll just be voting for the democrats as a “lesser evil” until the end of time.
The election in 2028? “We’re not republicans so you must vote for us!” Then in 2032, etc…
The democrats will simply try to claim moral high ground every election whilst genocide goes on and continue to fund Israel.
If you’ve already pledged your vote to them, they literally have no reason to listen to you (not that they ever did in the first place).
The socdem failure is now complete. When I left them I was but the learner now I am the master.
Bit late replying but this came up as I was scrolling. I remember Chris Cuomo as a CNN suit or whatever. This is oddly based to say, particularly at a convention, even for a social democrat. What are his actual politics?
One of their best yet
I hate breadtube.
Cheers comrade
Shucks it wants me to download an app
You’re trying to get as many people introduced to Marxist ideas as possible. And whilst you will get some people to explore further down and eventually some will become Marxists, others will reject it or stay aligned on only certain issues. That’s just how it is.
This kind of applies to every level of radicalization to be honest, bar like once someone grasps the historical materialist/scientific interpretation of history. But that is much further down the pipeline than someone like Hasan is.
So for example he will have some viewers who become Marxists after hearing the deprogram podcast and then checking out Hakim, and then falling even further down (Hasan has been on the deprogram), whilst some viewers might stay and watch Hasan only for info about Palestine, or some may stay social democrats.
I will disagree with this on my interpretation of “how the sausage is made”. I don’t think I’ve seen a fascist who understands how capitalism actually works.
In for more NBA players discovering China is a cool country