Permanently Deleted
They wanted to figure out what levers to push on to effect change on intertwined political and economic systems.
:back-to-me-shining:
They knew about citizen action, voting, protests, but none of that had worked, and they didn’t see an arc of struggle they could learn from or push further.
Someone get these kids some theory, ffs. Why is this whole essay whining about “we’ve failed the children” and how they are experiencing “feelings of betrayal”? Tell them about sabo tabby and general strikes.
We need to teach kids how to organize. People know about general strikes. I’ve talked to leftists who don’t know the first thing about organizing. It should be our expertise like it was in the 40’s - 60’s. Like we should have pamphlets, Facebook posts, Instagram, TikTok etc that teaches kids how to organize in their community.
That line hit me hard tbh. I made this post about a month ago because I’ve been feeling pretty similar to these kids lately. No one engaging with it at all just kind of confirmed for me that most of us have conciously or unconsciously given up. We’ve all realized our collective impotency and internalized the idea that there’s no point in doing anything, except to wait for the inevitable day when the sea swallows up half the continent and hope we’re in the half above water when it happens.
How could you be this naïve in 2022?
“Teenagers look up to adults (really!), as responsible people who give them guidance and protect them. They see politicians as the adults of the adults. [Note: I am completely blown away by this expression. Just — wow.] Seeing politicians who know what is going on but not acting, and grown-ups around them the same, is deeply upsetting to them.”
Like what even is this? I feel like leftists were talking about communism or barbarism years ago, like '16. That’s not just me, right?
The author displays the typical attitude of an academic, imo. They’re totally clueless about anything happening outside of their hyper-specific field. This author clearly thinks she can change the world from her classroom. I mean, her final saccharine line is:
There were smiles and enthusiasm and incredulity and frustrated groans, laughter and the whole gamut of human effort. Whatever it was, it didn’t feel like betrayal any more.
She thinks she’s turned around a generation’s attitude after one shitty presentation to group of understandably sullen kids. Totally disconnected from reality
The kids want to be communists. They are literally asking for it.
