The Law of Popularity

[PCommie]

This law is a law I propse to be true based on the modern world, the Law of Popularity.

-The Law of Popularity states that people tend to follow the popular method of the moment.

Evidence:

-Popular dress: In America, jeans, t-shirts, tennis shoes are commonplace. Most people who come here adapt to that form of clothing, either to fit in or for some other reason. In Arabian nations, certain outfits are popular. I.e. headscarves for women, the robes that men wear etc.

-Popular religion: I live in the country. Most everyone is Chrisitan and Protestant. The South has a Protestant history, and many, if not most Southerners, are Protestant. The North is more Catholic, as are cities where there is more of a mix. In Arabia, they have an Islamic background, and as a result nations are primarily Islamic. In Russia, there is a strong Orthodox background, resulting in a strong Orthodox following today.

-Popular culture: People tend to conform to cultural norms, whether they are native to a place or not. Not necessarily as tourists, but if they live there, they usually learn.

Popular dress, popular religion, popular culture. Man has always followed them. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. If one thing is made popular, which by its nature opposes something else, then the "else" is automatically made unpopular. This forms the basis for my theory:

If communism is made popular, capitalism will naturally become unpopular, and the people will be more inclined to move against it.

Who's with me?

H&S forever,
-PC

[Hit The North]

Not only do I disagree with your "theory" but I'm going to move this thread to Learning. :)

[which doctor]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but your "law of popularity" basically states that what's popular is popular. Not exactly groundbreaking.

[PCommie]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but your "law of popularity" basically states that what's popular is popular. Not exactly groundbreaking.

Partly. My law may be simple, but it supports a theory. The law states that the popular way of doing things is accepted because it's popular and this makes other things unpopular. For example, if one kind of shoe is popular, other kinds are inherently unpopular. It's not supposed to be groundbreaking, it's a laying out of evidence to support the theory that if communism is made popular as a thought, we will be closer to revolution.

Actually, that's stating the obvious. It's something to discuss at least, but I didn't realise how obvious my statements were before. My apologies, comrades.

-PC

[Invincible Summer]

I checked off both boxes because I want to skew your poll results.






Really though, the closest communism will (or has) come to being "popular" - in Western hyper-consumerist society at least - is it being kitschy fashion. Y'know, the military-style clothing and Mao t-shirts and all that?

[LOLseph Stalin]

Really though, the closest communism will (or has) come to being "popular" - in Western hyper-consumerist society at least - is it being kitschy fashion. Y'know, the military-style clothing and Mao t-shirts and all that?

Sadly that's the truth. Too bad we couldn't somehow just suddenly change everybody's minds. Communism has never been groundbreaking popular except for in a few brief instances. You have to remember that both Marx AND Lenin at one point or another were exiled for their views. That's a sure sign that Capitalists were and continue to be ignorant towards the whole thing because who "loses"? Them of course. :rolleyes:

[Hoxhaist]

I think communism has been neutered by marketing people eager to sell "Che" shirts made in sweatshops by the people Che fought to liberate

[DancingLarry]

I checked off both boxes because I want to skew your poll results.

I think you're trying to popularize that response.

Humans are (largely, though not entirely) social animals. That herd responses, even stampedes, are part of human behavior should be no surprise.

[Invincible Summer]

I think you're trying to popularize that response.

Humans are (largely, though not entirely) social animals. That herd responses, even stampedes, are part of human behavior should be no surprise.


Well it's been established that his "theory" is basically stating an obvious fact, so the poll seems redundant.

If you think I should delete that part of my post I will, but it doesn't really matter IMO.

[ZeroNowhere]

Wait, so your environment influences how you end up? I never would have guessed!
(Note that this is based on your examples of people growing up in Muslim countries being different from people in the US, etc)
However, when presenting something as a law, it generally helps to have evidence. Also no, the majority of people do not count, presumably for it to count, it would have to apply to everybody, seeing as otherwise you're just saying, "What's popular is popular." Logical, but not especially helpful. Also, you don't account for what makes things popular in the first place (surely if people just followed what was popular at the time, nothing could then become popular, or stop being as such?), which is somewhat disappointing for a 'Law of Popularity'.


If communism is made popular, capitalism will naturally become unpopular, and the people will be more inclined to move against it.
Wow, so when more people become anti-capitalist, more people... Become anti-capitalist. Sounds reasonable.

[InTheMatterOfBoots]

You've created a circular argument there - things are popular because they are popular. Why? Because they are popular.

Have you read any Gramsci, Lukacs or Debord? I think you'd be better looking there for a more comprehensive account of the class influences behind popular culture, common sense etc.

[Pogue]

Henri Liefbvre is good for this sort of thing too.

[Patchd]

Evidence:

-Popular dress: In America, jeans, t-shirts, tennis shoes are commonplace. Most people who come here adapt to that form of clothing, either to fit in or for some other reason. In Arabian nations, certain outfits are popular. I.e. headscarves for women, the robes that men wear etc.

-Popular religion: I live in the country. Most everyone is Chrisitan and Protestant. The South has a Protestant history, and many, if not most Southerners, are Protestant. The North is more Catholic, as are cities where there is more of a mix. In Arabia, they have an Islamic background, and as a result nations are primarily Islamic. In Russia, there is a strong Orthodox background, resulting in a strong Orthodox following today.

-Popular culture: People tend to conform to cultural norms, whether they are native to a place or not. Not necessarily as tourists, but if they live there, they usually learn.

Unfortunately your three examples differ between different age groups, and even then, there are many different trends within them. Communism was made somewhat "popular" among some teens back in the 90s, all that led to was a lot of kids wearing Che shirts and smoking lots of dope.

It's not about turning politics into a popularity contest like it has become in bourgeois politics. If it were a popularity contest, we'd probably get more support simply cos we're cooler, no really, we're comprised more of people from the working class unlike politicians who have to act according to certain conduct rules and are usually from more privileged backgrounds (Boris Johnson being from Eton etc.), we're more fun and can relate to the working class much better than politicians can, so we have nothing to worry about on that front.

Not only that, but we cannot simply rush revolution, we cannot simply increase our popularity and therefore that'll increase our chances of having a successful revolution, and by successful, I don't mean one which will "degenerate" into an oligarchical bourgeois state after 73 years. Material conditions will need to be right, and along with that, there needs to be a spontaneous spark, something which will unfortunately turn living conditions of people almost upside down; job loss, food cuts, and so forth. Something which will surprise people and piss them off, and make them lose interest in upholding the current system. Simply making Communism more popular will not do that comrade.