People already made liberalism in the 17th Century.
The whole point of the revolution is that it’s not going to happen. There are a million non-violent ways to oppose authoritarianism such as boycotts, labour strikes, voting blocs, etc. but since they involve at least some amount of effort and inconvenience no one (in the USA, at least) wants to do them. However, by wanking about a revolution that you know will never come you can claim to be on the right side of history while still taking the path of least resistance in every way that matters.
Every non-violent revolution succeeded because of the violent revolution behind it. The peaceful leaders like Gandhi or MLK make the history books because they make for better propaganda. MLK was seen as easier for government and society to deal with rather than the gun toten’ Black Panthers. And Gandhi had bunches of armed and violent small revolutionary groups in the background.
History shows that unless enough people are actually willing to fight and die for social and political change, peaceful marches don’t change much.
I’m not talking about marches. I’m talking about things that will actually affect people’s bottom lines. There’s a whole range of possible actions between sign-waving and bomb-throwing but the so-called revolutionaries are always the first to oppose them.
So, get off your ass and get elected to public office and start making those changes. They will not happen otherwise.
Do you even read posts before you reply to them?
Yes I do. Learn to write better if you wish to be understood.
There are a million non-violent ways to oppose authoritarianism such as boycotts, labour strikes, voting blocs, etc. but since they involve at least some amount of effort and inconvenience no one (in the USA, at least) wants to do them.
These economic levers typically need a critical mass of participation. And one way to get that participation is via buy-in from the government (regulation) or capital (BSD). Random people refusing to shop at Starbucks doesn’t mean much. But when a location is shut down for violating ordinances or because the landlord kicks them out, that’s a material hit to their pocketbook the owners can’t ignore.
Rallying that critical mass of support is difficult and frustrating. I’ve heard more than one organizer describe it as “herding cats”. This isn’t a trivial issue of inconvenience or effort. It requires an industrial scale of activism.
However, by wanking about a revolution that you know will never come you can claim to be on the right side of history while still taking the path of least resistance in every way that matters.
“The Revolution” is a critical mass of critical mass events. Its something you can only really talk about in hindsight, because it requires a bunch of constantly moving social parts to kinda line up at the right moment and move in the right direction together.
Revolutions aren’t uncommon. Large institutional shifts in composition, function, and ideology happen regularly. But they’re a lot easier when the people executing them already have a bunch of institutional controls to operate. “Wanking” often feels like the only thing you can do, because you’re so cut out of the so-called democratic process.
I agree with what you said about the work and effort part but why not just use the methods that are proven to work which are none of those things you mentioned?
So we are literally edging our way towards revolution, lol
I gave up arguing with anyone I even slightly agree with. In my wildest dreams I’ll get to bicker with them at a city council meeting about what version of leftism we like best. You go to the revolution with the wild-eyed dreamers (and/or dangerous maniacs) you’ve got, not the ones you want.
Nah, can’t go to a revolution with people who plan to shoot you in the back at first chance.
Too many times anarchists get slaughtered before the war is even won. It’s a lesson learnt in blood.
You’re right! Thank you.
See how that works? In my wildest dreams I get thrown under the bus by the wrong kind of leftist. Are you kidding me? I’ll roll those dice all day and still be more worried about the actual shit happening.
There is currently no revolution, and we know arguing doesn’t hardly change anybody’s mind. Especially not authoritarians’ minds, right? You can’t convince me to do anything but laugh at tankies and, god forbid, patronise them.
So in summary you’re right and thanks. Great stuff. Sarcasm, but also solidarity. Take it or kill me.
TBF, anarchy is the ideology that claims people being shot on their back after the revolution is a problem to be ignored with one’s entire strength. It’s no wonder that this exact problem always happens to them.
Real
Once you go further left than social democracy, the left becomes a complete joke, especially the “MUH REVOLOOSHUN” types.
There will never come a time when purity testing is not an integral part of the far left because that’s just how authoritarianism works. They’ll always be rigid and inflexible ideologically, and they’ll always look to gatekeep and exclude. Because they’re incapable of being pragmatic, adaptable, or unifying, they’ll never organize enough to do anything. In the few times in history where that did happen, the movements always ended up imploding from within.
As far as I’m concerned, the modern far left will always be an online phenomenon that will only make little splashes here and there. Therefore, anybody who is concerned about their crappy ideologies has nothing to worry about.
Not really. It’s more about what options are there. Of course, the left argue whether through peaceful or a violent revolution. Personally, I see violence only as the last resort. But even so, we argue what the catalyst should be for an open revolution. While Trump’s ICE kidnappings and brazen violation of constitution could clearly warrant a revolution, it is clear he is provoking people to give him legal grounds to incite the insurrection act, and consolidate his power.
u wot, comrade?
Oh shit!
This is exactly how the MAGA movement consolidated. Crazy to watch it on the left.
Why, they aren’t even Real Leftists! They’ve fallen for a capitalist ruse.
Karl Marx considered the Single Tax platform as a regression from the transition to communism and referred to Georgism as “Capitalism’s last ditch”. Marx argued that, “The whole thing is … simply an attempt, decked out with socialism, to save capitalist domination and indeed to establish it afresh on an even wider basis than its present one.” Marx also criticized the way land value tax theory emphasizes the value of land, arguing that, “His fundamental dogma is that everything would be all right if ground rent were paid to the state.”
“Cancel culture” is just gatekeeping for leftists.
Some versions of it are just trying to make the world better; some are plain baldfaced authoritarianism.
Gatekeeping that’s cute. How does that advance any leftist movements?
It doesn’t, but will make some people who like to rant about “normie” leftists feel better; or get rid of that content creator they don’t like, while not knowing not everyone they don’t like as a creator is a secret nazi (knew a few people like that).
