Sometimes I think Marx was just the first "conspiracy theory loving podcast bro" but he didn't have any of the material to distract him. He also was very privileged and did not have to spend his entire life delivering Taco Bell for Uber Eats. But for some reason he still had that same fundamental need to find an explanation for what we all feel so strongly today. It's punching us in the face.

Like, Marx gets a lot of credit because he and Engels wrote the best criticisms that have stood the test of time. But, if you lived in that time, most writings were about class conflict in some form. Hell, the "father of capitalism" (Adam Smith) was even extremely critical of obvious contradictions and was very critical of landlords.

As soon as the land of any country has all become private property, the landlords, like all other men, love to reap where they never sowed, and demand a rent even for its natural produce.

The last century has been mostly about trying to scare the working class into submission. Pointing to "failures" of socialism as if they existed in a bubble; and not the reality of every necessary resource of the capitalist class going to fighting it.

This is primarily done in developing nations. The US ensures it installs dictators or makes the conditions of the countries impossible through embargos (Cuba/DPRK). But in the US it's mostly controlled by distractions. The conspiracy theories, toys, drugs, etc.

But the imperial core control is failing. And, my hope, is even if we don't see progress in the west. That the internal chaos we experience will finally allow the nations the west oppresses to break free.

The alienation we feel needs to be understood in this context. We hate our jobs because they serve no other purpose but to allow us to afford the available distractions we are allowed. Distractions that are becoming less and less meaningful as our material conditions decline and we become more connected to all workers of the world.

Power doesn't corrupt, capitalism systemically selects for those most willing to act in corrupt means in order to profit more. You have it flipped.

Also, money is literally power and no one handles power well. It corrupts and the more money the more it ruins people. It really is the root of all that's bad.

Anarchist spotted. ❤️🖤

Let's abolish the former.

May I introduce you to the works of Kras Mazov?

No one is asking for complete transition to hunting and gathering.

We had a small farm growing up. Ten acres farm/field, 5 acres woods. One acre garden, all the animals.

Was it hard? Yes, I spent my summers in the field as a kid/teen instead of out at the mall with my friends. My work ethic is impeccable, so long as I agree the job I'm doing is helpful, moral and ethical.

That's what the post is talking about, the value of your own labor for your own benefit.

The head of the household, ran that farm. He worked 38 hours in three days at an employee owned factory, with weekend differential and paid for 40 hours. The other five days, he worked the farm with his three children as helpers. It was a lot of work, even in winter, a lot of work. But the payoff was worth it, the feeling you get producing your own food is fantastic.

No I don't want to go punch in for minimum wage serving coffee or work at a non employee owned factory where there give you a $1 more than minimum wage and pluck your ass at an injection molding machine. But I would, and do, work hard turning my small plot into a food garden every fucking summer, to try and remember my roots, because the effort is valuable to me, as it's my own, and the pay off my own to share with whom I want.

Do you have a big like, Ag farm? We had a small family farm, big Ag is much different for sure, but the work to payoff is different when you're in business for yourself vs a company.