Wanted to take a second to make some positive cases for why we believe in Scientific Socialism/Anarchism. We spend a lot of time belittling historically illiterate smug lords (which is awesome) but I think it’s important to take a second to appreciate why these ideas resonate with us so much and why we find these ideas so important that they are worth fighting for online and IRL. I’ll go first;
Demystification: that’s a big thing for me. The imperial core is a place that is full of institutions that, can technically be understood, and yet do not make a whole lot of sense in their function. Health insurance companies are a great example of this. The entire process of acquiring and using insurance in the U.S. is a Kafka-esque beauracratic nightmare. And at every step there are individuals who are happy to help you understand the process, and yet even once you gain the understanding they impart, it all still feels wildly inefficient and punitive. Even to a very young person, it doesn’t make sense. It is Only beneficial In comparison to the monstrous social violence of medically induced poverty. Meaning it only makes sense when you accept that violence as a necessary societal inevitably.
So growing up in the U.S. you are faced all the time with complex and baroque financial institutions and practices that society insists you understand even if doubt persists that what you are understanding doesn’t really make sense. Ultimately when this practice confers practical economic benefit the cognitive dissonance is assuaged and is even completely resolved in some individuals. Credit cards and credit scores are another great example of this.
Understanding Mystification as a Marxist term finally gave me the vocabulary to understand this phenomenon and hence be less bothered by trying to make sense of things that I understand and yet don’t make any sense.
Another big thing: The labor theory of value; perhaps my understanding is too cursory but when I tried reading Capital this part really stuck with me because it is profound even though it seemed rather obvious to me from my lived experience.
Without trying to get out of my depth In philosophical jargon, my understanding of the LTV is that the value of currency is derived from the surplus value generated by the application of labor to raw materials. I know the states ability to enforce the transaction is also key. I welcome any clarification/insight on LTV.
The point I’m trying to make about LTV and why I find it profound and worth Blooming about is that it means that as workers we generate the force that actually changes the world. That force is labor. It’s not money, It’s not Gold, it’s not big ideas from big job titles. It is the people who turn the earth, teach the young, or just sell their labor hours doing any number of things.
It’s easy to be pessimistic in the face of the incredible accumulated political power the west still holds. Yet we should have hope, because the power that money has is only ever borrowed from labor. Under that framework it becomes a struggle to organize enough unalienated labor hours to put towards building something better.
Our labor hours are the most important building block we have towards revolution. That is the real “capital” that reshapes the world. The struggle is to take as many back from your boss as you can, and if you can, invest those hours into something bigger than yourself.
That’s what gets me blooming. Constructive feedback always welcome (would love more insight on LTV)
What makes you feel hopeful about communism/anarchism?
I have children, which let’s me get a super up close look at what genuine goodness looks like in a way I never experienced before.
And then when I’m out in my community or with strangers I can see it. Sometimes it’s subtle or hard to translate. But sometimes it’s blaring. People are generally good and want to take care of each other. Some through empathy and some through shame, but good nonetheless.
As long as I keep seeing that I will remain hopeful.
That’s beautiful comrade o7
This resonates with me. People, in my experience, want to help each other. Capitalism does its best to suppress that
The amount of positive vibes I get from everyone around me when I have my little kiddo strapped up in the chest harness is unreal. He’s like a joy magnet, and though I know the good vibes are being directed at him, I get it second hand; it really does change your perspective on people, I think.
The number of people who are so genuinely invested in ensuring my kiddos are at their best when they’re at daycare is also something the cynic in me didn’t anticipate. I know what it’s like to just “do the job” but these people are like second family. It’s a strong reminder of the kind of love and support a community is capable of. It reinforces the notion of it takes a village, but also is a reminder of what so many people are missing out on. Daycare costs are insane, at least 3x our mortgage per month for us, and we’re fortunate to be able to afford that.
You always hear dissenters say, “What would people do without proper incentives, why would anyone want to work if all their needs were being met?” They do not have the context or the imagination to picture a social order beyond what they know. It reminds me of the description of the Iroquois culture as told by Gary Nash:
This flies in the face of all western notions of “human nature” and the idea that greed is a primary motivation. You don’t become the most dominate creature on the planet without also being one of the most communal creatures on the planet. I believe we have the capacity to be that way again, in some form or another.