12-25-2011, 08:34 AM
(This post was last modified: 12-27-2011, 12:04 AM by FireIceTalon.)
Basically, we disagree on just about everything. NO government can tell me to go fight its dirty capitalistic wars, that is MY decision, and mine alone. Now, If YOU want to be a little pawn and go fight wars in the name of being an economic slave and making corporations and politicians richer, which you have been CONDITIONED to think are wars fighting in the name of our warped definition of "Democracy" from the misinformation spread by the propaganda machine, that is your prerogative. But you have absolutely NO right to force it upon others who do not share your same values. Take that authoritarian bullshit out of here, cause it aint happening. You will see a Communist Revolution in this country before you will ever see the likes of me (or my children, if I ever have any) serving a mandated military service for any nation, for any reason whatsoever. That my friend, is a a cold hard FACT. Patriotism IS another word for slavery (albeit a mental form of it), and that is the LAST THING we should be teaching our kids. What we do need to start teaching them is how to think CRITICALLY and not take in all the bullshit that is spoon-fed to us, hook-line-and sinker. If you think serving in the military will solve societies problems, it is you, not I, that lives in a utopian fantasy world.
Why should I support ANY country? I owe allegiance to NO nation, especially not one as hypocritical, selfish, and immature as America is. My only allegiance is to the emancipation of humanity, and nothing else. Patriotism and Nationalism are reactionary and they are just a small step away from racism (my country/nationality is better than yours type thing) and jingoism (the immigrants are stealing all our jobs crap lies). I don't have ideals, I merely analyze the material conditions of the world and form a judgement based on what I see. As a Dialectical Materalist, I reject all forms of idealism - and Nationalism or Patriotism therefore have NO place in my thinking, and in fact it is incompatible with being Marxist - which is fundamentally Internationalist. All Patriotism is, is a plan used by the elites as a divide and conquer tactic to turn the working class against one another, often through ethnocentrism. Besides, why would I support a country that uses propaganda slogans like "war on terror" as a vehicle to use terrorism of its own as a means to enrich the oil companies, politicians, bankers, and such? And to project our ideas of "American Exceptionalism" and warped definition of Democracy onto the rest of the world that wants no part of us? Nope, I despise nationalism in all its forms because it is basically just a short way of saying "send the poor man to fight the rich man's Capitalist war", as well as being just another excuse to allow people to be racist and xenophobic toward others they have been conditioned to hate. If that makes me Un-American, so be it, I make no apologies about it. Again, I owe allegiance to NO nation, and anyone who thinks they do is a puppet in my opinion. Sorry, but I dont buy into all that bullshit that our little "city on the hill" can do no wrong. It has done a HUGE amount of wrong, and when the littler, weaker countries start fighting back, we dont like it. LOL. But if you ask me, Howard Zinn probably said it best: "Dissent is the highest form of patriotism" - now THAT is a form of patriotism I can get down with!
Also, where do people get the idea that Communists guarantee a perfect world for anyone? I guess this comes from the old 'utopian socialism' that Marx himself also rejected? Communism doesn't guarantee a perfect world, only a better one (albeit a much better one), and any Marxist who seeks a perfect world as the end result is sorely mistaken. A perfect world however, IS something to strive for, even if it can never be obtained, as a means, to produce the best possible end result. But under a Capitalist society, there is no chance of this happening because it hinders us in a number of ways, Nationalism and all its consequences being one. Marxism isn't "utopian socialism", it is SCIENTIFIC socialism - there is a huge difference. Utopian Socialism is pretty laughable, by both Marxists and anti-Marxists alike. However, changing the political system isn't enough, Capitalism must go also, and believe me, it eventually will. Marxists understand that the economy and politics are fundamentally intertwined, something most people fail to realize. We are seeing the beginning of the end of Capitalism now. Nothing lasts forever. Slavery didn't last forever. Neither did the Roman, Greek, or British and Prussian/German Empires. Neither did Feudalism, nor did the theocracies of the middle ages. Fascism died pretty quickly, though due to the global economic crisis, it is making somewhat of a comeback, through none other than the Tea Party. For some reason reactionary ideas always seem to gain popularity in times of crisis. Anyways... Capitalism is an improvement over all these things, but like every system before it, it will break down and be replaced by a better and superior system. And that system, is Socialism, and eventually Communism. Revolutions are what have pushed history forward, and you can bet there will be more of them to come. America as the dominant power is coming to an end, we had our 15 minutes just like every empire before us. And for the conservatives (and liberals!) who can't swallow that, better prepare yourselves cause it is inevitable.
As far as Unions go, it weren't for them, we'd still be working 14 hour+ days under hazardous conditions, there would be no laws to protect children from being part of the labor force, benefits for workers such as health insurance, and so forth. Unions are not the problem, POLICIES of austerity, put forth mostly by bourgeois politicians to uphold the interests of greedy Capitalist/Corporate CEO's are the problem, and the last 30 years have seen a substantial weakening of Unions. The Neo-cons want to take us back to 19th Century C®apitalism.
Hope I've made myself loud and clear.
Why should I support ANY country? I owe allegiance to NO nation, especially not one as hypocritical, selfish, and immature as America is. My only allegiance is to the emancipation of humanity, and nothing else. Patriotism and Nationalism are reactionary and they are just a small step away from racism (my country/nationality is better than yours type thing) and jingoism (the immigrants are stealing all our jobs crap lies). I don't have ideals, I merely analyze the material conditions of the world and form a judgement based on what I see. As a Dialectical Materalist, I reject all forms of idealism - and Nationalism or Patriotism therefore have NO place in my thinking, and in fact it is incompatible with being Marxist - which is fundamentally Internationalist. All Patriotism is, is a plan used by the elites as a divide and conquer tactic to turn the working class against one another, often through ethnocentrism. Besides, why would I support a country that uses propaganda slogans like "war on terror" as a vehicle to use terrorism of its own as a means to enrich the oil companies, politicians, bankers, and such? And to project our ideas of "American Exceptionalism" and warped definition of Democracy onto the rest of the world that wants no part of us? Nope, I despise nationalism in all its forms because it is basically just a short way of saying "send the poor man to fight the rich man's Capitalist war", as well as being just another excuse to allow people to be racist and xenophobic toward others they have been conditioned to hate. If that makes me Un-American, so be it, I make no apologies about it. Again, I owe allegiance to NO nation, and anyone who thinks they do is a puppet in my opinion. Sorry, but I dont buy into all that bullshit that our little "city on the hill" can do no wrong. It has done a HUGE amount of wrong, and when the littler, weaker countries start fighting back, we dont like it. LOL. But if you ask me, Howard Zinn probably said it best: "Dissent is the highest form of patriotism" - now THAT is a form of patriotism I can get down with!
Also, where do people get the idea that Communists guarantee a perfect world for anyone? I guess this comes from the old 'utopian socialism' that Marx himself also rejected? Communism doesn't guarantee a perfect world, only a better one (albeit a much better one), and any Marxist who seeks a perfect world as the end result is sorely mistaken. A perfect world however, IS something to strive for, even if it can never be obtained, as a means, to produce the best possible end result. But under a Capitalist society, there is no chance of this happening because it hinders us in a number of ways, Nationalism and all its consequences being one. Marxism isn't "utopian socialism", it is SCIENTIFIC socialism - there is a huge difference. Utopian Socialism is pretty laughable, by both Marxists and anti-Marxists alike. However, changing the political system isn't enough, Capitalism must go also, and believe me, it eventually will. Marxists understand that the economy and politics are fundamentally intertwined, something most people fail to realize. We are seeing the beginning of the end of Capitalism now. Nothing lasts forever. Slavery didn't last forever. Neither did the Roman, Greek, or British and Prussian/German Empires. Neither did Feudalism, nor did the theocracies of the middle ages. Fascism died pretty quickly, though due to the global economic crisis, it is making somewhat of a comeback, through none other than the Tea Party. For some reason reactionary ideas always seem to gain popularity in times of crisis. Anyways... Capitalism is an improvement over all these things, but like every system before it, it will break down and be replaced by a better and superior system. And that system, is Socialism, and eventually Communism. Revolutions are what have pushed history forward, and you can bet there will be more of them to come. America as the dominant power is coming to an end, we had our 15 minutes just like every empire before us. And for the conservatives (and liberals!) who can't swallow that, better prepare yourselves cause it is inevitable.
As far as Unions go, it weren't for them, we'd still be working 14 hour+ days under hazardous conditions, there would be no laws to protect children from being part of the labor force, benefits for workers such as health insurance, and so forth. Unions are not the problem, POLICIES of austerity, put forth mostly by bourgeois politicians to uphold the interests of greedy Capitalist/Corporate CEO's are the problem, and the last 30 years have seen a substantial weakening of Unions. The Neo-cons want to take us back to 19th Century C®apitalism.
Hope I've made myself loud and clear.
https://www.youtube.com/user/FireIceTalon
"Your very ideas are but the outgrowth of conditions of your bourgeois production and bourgeois property, just as your jurisprudence is but the will of your class, made into law for all, a will whose essential character and direction are determined by the economic conditions of the existence of your class." - Marx (addressing the bourgeois)
"Your very ideas are but the outgrowth of conditions of your bourgeois production and bourgeois property, just as your jurisprudence is but the will of your class, made into law for all, a will whose essential character and direction are determined by the economic conditions of the existence of your class." - Marx (addressing the bourgeois)