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lexer @tsdotca.bsky.social · 2h

comrade yanis varoufakis explains it far better than i can. i recommend his books: theconversation.com/is-capitalis...

the point is, the dehumanisation comes from both ends: from the elites, and from those frustrated, confused, and angry with how much "the system" screws them over

Is capitalism dead? Yanis Varoufakis thinks it is – and he knows who killed it

Traditional capitalists are still flourishing, but according to Yanis Varoufakis they are not driving the economy like they used to.

theconversation.com

lexer @tsdotca.bsky.social · 2h

or rather, the capacity to feel compassion for other people.

this has been clearly demonstrated by the likes of private equity firms and their machinations such as "leveraged buyouts"; the culmination of late-stage capitalism having morphed into something even more monstrous

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lexer @tsdotca.bsky.social · 2h

the humanist argument falls flat when one adopts an analysis of class struggle, because at some point... people become so detached from reality that they *lose* their humanity

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lexer @tsdotca.bsky.social · 2h

i trolled JK Rowling for being a "transphobe", having dumb takes, but as comrade agro writes about... such labels are indeed dehumanising.

I would argue that those in the elite class lack any sort of empathy or humanity, but therein lies the dialectical contradiction: *they still do*, at some level

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lexer @tsdotca.bsky.social · 3h

yet another fantastic piece by comrade dr agro. i would implore people to read this.

even as i type and post this, i can feel my brain trying to comprehend it all.

Dr. Hilary Agro, PhD 🍄 @hilaryagro.com · 6h

I wrote about how 100% of the people we need to talk to in order to grow the anti-capitalist movement have some weird and harmful beliefs, but we still need to figure out a way to build with them:

Can people with bad political beliefs change?

100% of the people we need to talk to in order to grow the movement have some weird and harmful beliefs. We still need to build with them.

hilaryagro.com

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lexer @tsdotca.bsky.social · 3h

this is not a good idea, but it is an idea.

and, it gives more bourgie people extra holes to put their balls in

lexer @tsdotca.bsky.social · 3h

hypothetically speaking... what if we flooded all golf courses with gophers

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lexer @tsdotca.bsky.social · 4h

it is easy to fall prey to such doomerism, but one useful rhetorical tool i have found in organising and activism is explaining to people that the revolution isn't some kind of magic wand that will fix everything; the struggle is eternal and will continue beyond our lifetimes.

Dr. Hilary Agro, PhD 🍄 @hilaryagro.com · 10h

I know you're getting piled on but I agree, there's no daylight between "other people can't change" and "there's nothing we can do, we should just lie back and rot." It's just doomerism and I have no time for it

lexer @tsdotca.bsky.social · 11h

yeah i'm gonna listen to the red army choir for hours on end, before youtube redirects me to ben shapiro. very cool.

lexer @tsdotca.bsky.social · 11h

here are recommendations for pragerU videos, alongside the moonlight sonata, richard wolff ranting about marxism, breakcore covers, and how to plant gardens better

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lexer @tsdotca.bsky.social · 11h

also just as a side note, my youtube algorithm has been completely destroyed. it has absolutely no idea wtf i'm on about

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lexer @tsdotca.bsky.social · 11h

To paraphase @beccalew.bsky.social, "There's nothing wrong with traditional displays of masculinity. [..] The problems are the toxic aspects of it."

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lexer @tsdotca.bsky.social · 11h

I am elated that, over my lifetime, things have really shifted in Western culture, especially as we learn from others.

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lexer @tsdotca.bsky.social · 11h

To echo a lot of other replies here, I completely agree w.r.t. the sort of... social pressure that is placed upon oneself. "UR NOT MANLY ENUFF DURRRRRR"

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lexer @tsdotca.bsky.social · 11h

I have given this question serious thought, and although I do not identify as a man anymore (agender),

Growing up, the primary struggle was adopting "feminine" characteristics -- yanno, like compassion, patience... decency -- all of that was (sometimes literally) brow-beaten out of us.

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lexer @tsdotca.bsky.social · 11h

what trips me up most is like... they seem to have read these books? and have some grasp of the ideas? but took it in a conclusion that is just... absurd.

it's like reading "Wealth of Nations" versus "Das Kapital", and both smith and marx had similar premises, but reached very different conclusions

lexer @tsdotca.bsky.social · 11h

it all ties back to this like, self-grandiose notion of a "philosopher king". like what a dumb guy drunkenly spews out at a bar being like

WELL WHAT IF WE DID LIKE A HYERPER-sorry-HYPERLOOP OR SOMETHIN'

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lexer @tsdotca.bsky.social · 11h

that's a rhetorical question btw. obviously it's all in the interest of profit for the few at the cost of the many.

lexer @tsdotca.bsky.social · 11h

3. economies of scale. even from a purely (dumb) capitalist framework, numerous private competing companies against provincial or federal red tape are necessarily going to create waste. so why even fucking bother with it all???

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lexer @tsdotca.bsky.social · 11h

2. lower rates of infant mortality, and higher rates of life expectancy for the gen pop

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lexer @tsdotca.bsky.social · 11h

let me be super clear about this with facts and data. publicly funded healthcare is objectively better according to these metrics:

1. universal access

lexer @tsdotca.bsky.social · 11h

and now the premier is trying to do damage control with stupid ass pressers, further digging their grave

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Alberta premier sparks private health care worries with recent mandate letters | CBC News

Some of the premier’s latest mandate letters, outlining the priorities for Alberta’s health ministers, are reigniting concerns the government is paving the way for even more private delivery of health...

www.cbc.ca

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lexer @tsdotca.bsky.social · 11h

and now the premier is trying to do damage control with stupid ass pressers, further digging their grave

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Alberta premier sparks private health care worries with recent mandate letters | CBC News

Some of the premier’s latest mandate letters, outlining the priorities for Alberta’s health ministers, are reigniting concerns the government is paving the way for even more private delivery of health...

www.cbc.ca

lexer @tsdotca.bsky.social · 11h

oh man, i missed this one, but it's so funny. the Alberta govt is so corrupt and incompetent that the RCMP started investigating them for corruption and "conflicts of interest"

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

RCMP now formally investigating allegations against Alberta Health Services | CBC News

Alberta RCMP are now formally investigating allegations of political pressure and potential conflicts of interest surrounding procurement practices at Alberta Health Services.

www.cbc.ca

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lexer @tsdotca.bsky.social · 1d

it is truly unfortunate to see such solidarity get moulded into the likes of the NDP, which now has become toothless.

but Socialism never died in this province, nor around the world; it's just takin' a bit of a power nap.

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lexer @tsdotca.bsky.social · 1d

my own province which i call home (as much as i can, being the progeny of colonisers), has a strong history of labour unions and Socialist movements forming together

digital.scaa.sk.ca/labour/organ...

AT WORK: Historical Images of Labour in Saskatchewan » Organised Labour

AT WORK, a digital exhibition presenting and exploring images of working-class labour in 20th century Saskatchewan.

digital.scaa.sk.ca

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