Indeed, Stalin’s not the only failed communist/socialist, but at least he had some valid philosophy backing him (right until he glazed over individual rights).
It was somewhat of a tongue-in-cheek usage of the word ‘capitulation’. But I meant it as roughly somewhere between coercion and choice, and leaning more towards choice than coercion does.
Equality for all won’t work, structually or socially, except in some narrow (but critical) bands of focus. And anarchy has precisely the flaws you specify.
While ‘perfect’ equality and anarchy can’t effectively exist, a society could be based around concepts of sovereignty. Not abandoning capitalism, but acknowledging the energy flow cash represents, and the need to use it both ethically and effectively. Not abandoning communal collectivity, but acknowledging that respect for sovereignty is the cornerstone to a solid collective.
The issues in any society are distributed throughout its members, and manifest in the psychological and emotional landscape of its people. The sad thing about this is that, as a societal structure hits it’s limits, you see people exercising the principles of that society as fully as they can, and it still doesn’t cut it. For capitalism, that’s working endlessly, getting guilty for not working more/effectively enough, or getting all the things you were supposed to want and entering a general malaise because they’re all meaningless.
But the thing is, top to bottom, people caught in the capitalist mindset are all looking for a good deal - and a ‘good deal’ is defined as one asymmetrically in my benefit. But there’s no intuitive and natural, sustainable enjoyment of the results. It’s like gambling once the urge has taken over someone, and they don’t even pay attention to win or loss. Oh, sure, they like winning and don’t like losing, but they’re never going to take their winnings and go home, our really make back what they’ve lost. They’re just going to continue.
Anyways - that same distributed nature is what the concept of sovereignty depends on. Capitalism is not something that needs to be fought - it works well with equitable exchange and prudent action. But the mentality that it trends towards must be fought. The urges to follow the advertisement, to take the simplistic way out, and to choose the cheaper (in all senses of the word) option. To trick others into getting the worse end of the deal, or to just be ‘good hearted’ and look the other way while you get screwed.
With sovereignty, first and foremost, the issues in the world that you care to change are your own to change. They may not be your fault, but they are your situation and cultural background. They are the hand you are dealt. They are your responsibility. And the first place to change them is within yourself - to recognize how you are connected to those things, and how and why what you do results in or feeds those things - and to make change in your own life, first and foremost, before you make claims on what others should do. Enforcement action against others is limited to circumstances where sovereignty has been (or is being) violated.
Until this mentality is prevalent enough to represent fundamental cultural change, it is irrelevant what government is chosen, other than to pragmatically choose what is already in place (or whatever works). Once this mentality is prevalent enough to represent fundamental cultural change, it is irrelevant what government is chosen, because the way out it is used will be effective enough and just enough - and it will be worked towards the ends of sovereignty, both individual and collective.
![[META] Never change, lemmy.ml](https://i.imgur.com/1pxAyiq.jpg){kind=link}
Indeed, Stalin’s not the only failed communist/socialist, but at least he had some valid philosophy backing him (right until he glazed over individual rights).
It was somewhat of a tongue-in-cheek usage of the word ‘capitulation’. But I meant it as roughly somewhere between coercion and choice, and leaning more towards choice than coercion does.
Equality for all won’t work, structually or socially, except in some narrow (but critical) bands of focus. And anarchy has precisely the flaws you specify.
While ‘perfect’ equality and anarchy can’t effectively exist, a society could be based around concepts of sovereignty. Not abandoning capitalism, but acknowledging the energy flow cash represents, and the need to use it both ethically and effectively. Not abandoning communal collectivity, but acknowledging that respect for sovereignty is the cornerstone to a solid collective.
The issues in any society are distributed throughout its members, and manifest in the psychological and emotional landscape of its people. The sad thing about this is that, as a societal structure hits it’s limits, you see people exercising the principles of that society as fully as they can, and it still doesn’t cut it. For capitalism, that’s working endlessly, getting guilty for not working more/effectively enough, or getting all the things you were supposed to want and entering a general malaise because they’re all meaningless.
But the thing is, top to bottom, people caught in the capitalist mindset are all looking for a good deal - and a ‘good deal’ is defined as one asymmetrically in my benefit. But there’s no intuitive and natural, sustainable enjoyment of the results. It’s like gambling once the urge has taken over someone, and they don’t even pay attention to win or loss. Oh, sure, they like winning and don’t like losing, but they’re never going to take their winnings and go home, our really make back what they’ve lost. They’re just going to continue.
Anyways - that same distributed nature is what the concept of sovereignty depends on. Capitalism is not something that needs to be fought - it works well with equitable exchange and prudent action. But the mentality that it trends towards must be fought. The urges to follow the advertisement, to take the simplistic way out, and to choose the cheaper (in all senses of the word) option. To trick others into getting the worse end of the deal, or to just be ‘good hearted’ and look the other way while you get screwed.
With sovereignty, first and foremost, the issues in the world that you care to change are your own to change. They may not be your fault, but they are your situation and cultural background. They are the hand you are dealt. They are your responsibility. And the first place to change them is within yourself - to recognize how you are connected to those things, and how and why what you do results in or feeds those things - and to make change in your own life, first and foremost, before you make claims on what others should do. Enforcement action against others is limited to circumstances where sovereignty has been (or is being) violated.
Until this mentality is prevalent enough to represent fundamental cultural change, it is irrelevant what government is chosen, other than to pragmatically choose what is already in place (or whatever works). Once this mentality is prevalent enough to represent fundamental cultural change, it is irrelevant what government is chosen, because the way out it is used will be effective enough and just enough - and it will be worked towards the ends of sovereignty, both individual and collective.