I am on the precipice of one and don’t want that to turn me into a disengaged normies, lib, or chud. I know that a local DSA chapter was financially backed by a person of incredible means, so I wonder what keeps such people left wing or at least SocDem.
Your personal conditions won’t affect the superstructure of capitalism. Once you break free of the propaganda machine and see the demon for what it is, there’s no going back.
I don’t think that’s true, unfortunately. A lot of people will acknowledge all sorts of injustices, but then they get to this choice:
- Try to do something about it, despite no clear path, a ton of failed attempts before you, and the knowledge that any serious effort will require sacrificing time and money, or maybe even more. Or,
- Fire up that grill, baby, and try to enjoy what you can in life.
And choose Option 2.
Sure but unless you’re a soulless freak like buttigieg you still see it, and when people fight against it, you provide support or at the very least shut up and get out of the way. You’re not gonna be out there voting for Biden or whatever.
Also you can provide material support to folks which imo is one of the best forms of praxis there is.
I’ve only become more left as my salary increased
This and seeing exactly how much my company makes compared to how much they pay us.
I’ve said this before, my family is basically the Park family from Parasite
It’s a big picture thing for me. Capitalism “benefits” me individually in that it enables my family to live in decadence right now, but it’s not sustainable. The world is burning up and while it won’t affect me initially, it inevitably will. The immense alienation and loneliness is also a direct consequence of individualist ideology.
My family is upper class, but not billionaires. We will be on the chopping block later than most, but we will end up there eventually. Capitalism, like fascism, has no end goal. While it might temporarily benefit me to close my eyes and pretend like neoliberalism is epic, I can’t ignore how fucked we are if nothing changes.
I make more money than ever and it hasn’t stopped my leftist ideals. If anything, it’s only emboldened my resolve.
But here’s the straight dope: I live a very isolated life. My friends lower on the economic totempole see me differently. Not necessarily negatively, but I noticed as I “made it” that relations started to change. I’ve had a buddy of mine confide in me that he feels embarrassed to hang out because he’s been so unsuccessful. I suspect my other working-class friends feel similarly.
And because I can’t relate to the Libshits around me at work and in the burbs, I have like maybe 2 friends I can sort of hang with and even then, their bad takes on the world are incredible. Meanwhile I’m constantly minding my “financial freedom” in paying bills, saving for college, figuring out taxes, figuring out insurance… which is fucking exhausting. Tangent: I’d rather have money than not have money in this hellscape (who wouldn’t) but minding your shit after a certain level of income is basically another fucking job.
So yeah. Wife and I made it (whatver bullshit that means) and I might as well go live on an island. Which only proves to me how atomized we really are. If I had no money I’d strive for financial stability and have that consume my thoughts and motivations. Now I have money and the parts of life that matter most (friendship, piece of mind, personal fulfillment, etc) are unobtainable.
Which only makes me more of a Leftist.
The reason a dude like engles can be as rich as he was while being committed to communism, is because he was intelletually curious and committed to the truth, he wasnt satisfied with taking the easy way and coasting, you have to demand of yourself to never get intellectually lazy, and demand yourself that you keep studying, so set study goals and timetables and stick to them, form a reading group to keep each other on track and to advance your understanding and dont stop, when you get lazy youre cooked.
