I’m seriously getting really disillusioned with everyone around me. I love my family and friends, but they are Ameri-brained as fuck and it’s hard to ignore.
First, yesterday I went to a sports game. The US national anthem was played and I stayed seated and played on my phone as always. Nothing special, I don’t make a scene or anything, just refuse to participate. Everyone else of course is looking at me weird and one of my friends was like “dude points at flag stand up” and I just shrug and say “I’m good” and go back to what I was doing. He didn’t give me too much shit but he rolled his eyes and the usual. Just couldn’t get past how people can know what my country is doing (I post about it a lot) and still show such blind support. It’s not a huge deal, obviously just a fucking flag but still.
Second, was talking to my family about revolution and change and they made some good points. They pointed out that a lot of people in USA are too well-off materially to put their necks out regarding serious change. But then they kinda started defending it like that was justified. They brought up people losing scholarships at Harvard because of the Palestine support rally. That’s shitty, but I still honestly feel like that’s what I would do and what the right thing is. Fuck my “successful” future, a successful future is making change any means necessary. The people in Gaza don’t have scholarships to lose and try telling them you didn’t speak up because you were afraid of losing it. Idk. Maybe I’m inconsiderate and it’s easy for me to say because I’m younger and have less to lose but it’s just like bro why are people so hesitant? I can’t imagine sticking my head in the sand, regardless of my material reality. I have a great life materially right now and I am willing to lose it for change. Not trying to be like moral high ground but just ye.
“If you’re asked to make a commitment at the age of 20 and you say I don’t want to make that commitment only because of the simple reason that I’m too young to die I want to live a little bit longer, what you did is you’re dead already” - Fred Hampton
Idk maybe too ranty but I just feel like I’m the only one that I know irl who’s really about it like that. Outside of my comrades organizing ofc I mean like personal life. But then again comrades = best friends so anyways I’ll stfu thx
I Can relate. Im around too many petite bourgeois and brain dead people. At least organizing if you’re doing it right you can meet real struggling people and give them answers and help. I personally am to socially anxious to meet average people much (atm). I honestly can’t imagine some sort of “successful future” within capitalism. I have no idea what kind of work I’d want to do, and know id have to deal with exploitation, taxes, and climate change any way. I think I peaked in mental health when I was a naive twelve year old. Without socialism there is no future. I still have everything taken care of but school wrecks my sleep so I’m not mentally fine. I think I had a hope arc last month and now I’m back near doomerism.
Edit: went on a bit of my own rant there
Can confirm, biggest mistake of my life was taking petit-bourgeoisie people at their word that they are the “real” working class and that it is educated/urban working class that are the “elitists.”
Quite literally, the petit-bourgeoisie try to buy the aesthetic of poverty, or leverage the government to make them look poor on the surface level. Sprezzatura’s ugly hog cousin.
I had not considered that angle, though it makes sense considering how Republican politicians and voters posture (‘rich men north of Richmond’ comes to mind). My own experience is going to the most (materially) comfortable, whitest, and most well funded public school in my city.