source: unknown
“When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world. I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation. When I found I couldn’t change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn’t change the town, and as an older man, I tried to change my family. Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family. My family and I could have made an impact on our town. Their impact could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the world.”
Start with self-love friends, and then extend that love to the people closest to you.
While there’s some truth to that, I want to see self-love stop a fascist pogrom.
Also this whole “love yourself first” is nothing but another divisive distraction - keep people individualised rather than coming together as a community, and also perpetuate the idea that our problems are personal rather than systemic.
I don’t love myself, don’t think I ever have, don’t think I ever will, yet I don’t see how that would or should stop me from fighting fascism.
If anything, I’m able to recognise that in large part, if not entirely, my feelings come down to the world we live in and how, as an “other” in many categories, my life is seen as both worthless and also somehow such a thereat that, in both cases, it needs to be destroyed, and the idea that I shouldn’t act until I manage to “get over” all of that (and potentially get comfortable enough, or at least accept, the status quo), is beyond ridiculous. In reality it’s the exact opposite - I must act if there is any hope for others to have a world where they don’t feel like I and so many others are made to, because not loving myself has no bearing on my wanting good for others (and no, they don’t have to be “loved ones”, I don’t even have to know them, that’s the point of wanting a better society for everyone).
Also this whole “love yourself first” is nothing but another divisive distraction - keep people individualised rather than coming together as a community, and also perpetuate the idea that our problems are personal rather than systemic.
Or it’s just a way to contract a fairly simple truth, that a person who has their shit together can organize and commit to mutual aid to a degree than someone who doesn’t cannot.
You gotta know how to swim before trying to help others from drowning.
Fighting fascism is getting my shit together (if you’d bothered reading past that first sentence you might actually hear that my “shit” being the way it is is down to systemic issues, and no amount of “self work” can “get it together”).
Also what’s the point of trying to “swim” if you’re in a toxic pond? If we’re going to drag the metaphor out - get out of the fucking pond, help those around you out, so together you can all turn off the sewage pipe, and then get to cleaning up each other, and the pond. That is self care.
Fighting fascism is getting my shit together (if you’d bothered reading past that first sentence you might actually hear that my “shit” being the way it is is down to systemic issues, and no amount of “self work” can “get it together”).
The neat thing about generalities such as “love yourself first” or “you have to learn to swim before you help others from drowning” is that they aren’t specified towards anyone’s specific circumstances…
It seems that you are taking a general statement and making them all about your specific life circumstances, which to be honest seem fairly melodramatic.
my “shit” being the way it is is down to systemic issues, and no amount of “self work” can “get it together”).
Lots of us deal with systemic issues, you’re not the only minority in the US. Plenty of us still work to overcome the systemic abuse handed down to us by an uncaring or even malevolent state.
get out of the fucking pond, help those around you out, so together you can all turn off the sewage pipe, and then get to cleaning up each other, and the pond. That is self care.
No one is saying you should be a self centered ass who doesn’t help or care about anyone else. Just that people are fragile beings that need to be able to acknowledge they aren’t a bottomless well of praxis.
Lots of people burn themselves out of the leftist movement, mainly by throwing the entirety of their effort towards a goal for a year or two and then becoming bitter or jaded that their hard work is not only unappreciated, but ineffective.
Revolution is a marathon, not a sprint. You have to learn to pace yourself.
First of all, “love yourself first” can be interpreted in various ways. bell hooks certainly meant it in a truly revolutionary, not a individualistic or distractive way.
What you describe sounds awfully much like how the boomer generation has approached live. For ever running away from personal problems by always keeping busy and distracting themselves. Sure, at least you are fighting fascism. A lot of leftists I know put all their energy into activism until they burn out. And often I suspect that they are running away from their own problems.
And sure, spending all your time with trying to self-love is obviously not the solution either. But it sure would help so much if people would reflect more upon their own emotional state and be more compassionate with themselves and others. This is not to say that we don’t need activism to stop fascists though.
Insisting that the first step must solve all your problems at once is how you fail to take a single step towards solving your problems.
Sophistry
Enough masturbation could solve that
Can’t choke fascists if you’re in bed depressed.
What the fuck does self love have to do with political violence.
Political violence comes from the desire to change the world, but caring for yourself and others close to you will bring a more effective and worthwhile change than violence.
As long as violence isn’t being actively enacted on me and my loved ones, I agree. But otherwise, I don’t see how this defends against people with a strong will for power. Violence does exist, and right now the state has a monopoly on violence to defend the interests of a select few and they are not hesitant to use it.
I was 19 when I realized my parents were raised to be authoritarians. My grandparents would’ve been considered racists even in their time and both my mom and dad were raised in a little farm town. My parents are good people and generally want to do the right thing but explaining this to them and trying to make them aware of their biases has been a full time job.
I will not show the same love and respect to your parents. Go do your jobs so we don’t need step 2.
-Luigi
Relevant Owlturd/Shencomix comic
I dunno though… The power of love is a curious thing.
This reminds me of the story from some time back about a family calling emergency services because their disabled kid has a meltdown and was being violent. Cops showed up, kid went after one of them with a gardening tool, so the other one shot him.
I think it can be used as an example of why jumping from chapter 1 to chapter 2 isn’t all that helpful.
No that’s an example of ACAB. The cops are the fascists
I disagree. I can only see it as an application of chapter 2. Only that they skipped chapter 1. And usually, the grunts aren’t really recruited for their ability to read books.
What a twist! Really had me on the edge of my seat!
Seems like the next logical step though
When you want to paint left-leaning people as violent, tell them they have no choice.
This nonviolent stuff’ll get you killed.
Does it count as love if I love violence? 🤔
Yes. But General Strike. But Yes
A general strike will almost certainly be met with violence. So comrades need to plan their reaction in advance. This could be taking the punches, or not…
I do agree, but in case of violence, I’d rather have the control of food, logistics, communication and ammunition by our side. That’s a “lesser violence” plan
Vote for Biden: 15,000 dead children by his aid.
The founding fathers of this country would be disgusted with your apathy.
The founding fathers would be applauding, lol. They were slave owning Capitalists.
Based
mario got luigi acting up i guess.
Based.
