Do you ever get discouraged?

[Eagle_Syr]

I like to think that most people are good. But sometimes, whether I'm out in the real world or surfing the internet, I see people being complete morons: the rampant racism, nationalism, hatred, ignorance, all of it...it sometimes makes me discouraged.

Are we just a last desperate holdout clinging to hopeful ideas? I hope not.

[Dunk]

People don't need to be saints to overthrow capitalism.

Don't let the bad make you lose hope, but don't hope so hard you burn out.

But yeah. I constantly struggle with discouragement.

[Eagle_Syr]

I think my problem is that I am an idealist. And I genuinely believe that there is good and evil in the world, that they are locked in grand struggle.

[Aussie Trotskyist]

I think my problem is that I am an idealist. And I genuinely believe that there is good and evil in the world, that they are locked in grand struggle.

Well, I'm not sure if this will help, but Lenin once said "There are no morals in politics. A scoundrel can be useful to us simply because he s a scoundrel."

Similarly, Mao said "Politics is war without bloodshed, while war is politics with bloodshed."

I'm not sure if that helps with your idealism, but I find myself discouraged sometimes. It seems that capitalism has won sometimes, and I think we all feel that.

We know it is not true, and we come around.

[Raúl Duke]

Being discouraged is normal for me...
I'm a cynic...

[Manic Impressive]

I had a little doubt a few months ago I'd been reading about primitive utopian socialists who have existed for almost as long as states have. I just got to thinking damn it's not like we've been failing for 150 odd years we've been failing for over 3000 years. I started to wonder whether we're just a continuation of a minor philosophical trend which afflicts small sections of the population.

Then I remembered that productive forces made it impossible for socialism to exist at any other time so they were bound to failure.

I spoke to some comrades about it and they said that they all have moments of doubt too. Without questioning yourself you end up just accepting everything without proof or reason. Your politics then become a dogma rather than a science.

[TrotskistMarx]

Hi, cool, one of my favorite topic is the psychology and behaviour of people out there. You see many leftists out there think that all the rich people of this world are evil and all the poor people of this world are saints. They have a very simplistic worldview. And i respect their opinions. And I agree some times with them that an excess of money, and being in a higher class over a lower class, turns people into abusive, egocentric trashers, and bashers.

However, I live around a poor low-income class neighborhood, something between around a lower class neighborhood and middle class neighborhood. It is maybe a lower-middle class neighborhood. And people around here are not very sociable, friendly and I am avid observer of the bodily gestures, facial expressions of people. And I've noticed that like you said and specially in USA, people behave like *morons* like you just said or like real evil angry assholes as a sort of self-defense, paranoid mechanism, and rebellion against the painful life that they have, their painful daily routines, and lack of pleasures created and caused by capitalism.

But however instead of blaming the capitalist system and joining marxist parties in USA. What they do is that they direct their anger, their unfriendly, hateful, lack of social ethics behaviour patterns against their own neighbors. And I even think that the high levels of cancer in America is related to the extreme hatred and repression and depression that people feel in USA.

But marxists are right in that even the evil behaviours of the poor class are caused by capitalism. But the catch-22 is that the poor class themselves, the poor people of USA and of other countries put a sort of psychologicl shield around themselves that block any marxist activitist, any grass roots activist from converting them to marxism.

It is almost impossible in USA and in other nations of very very ultra-individualist people to knock on their doors of their houses, to try to convert them to marxism. Just like the Jehowa Witnesses and Mormons do trying to get people to join their churches.

So, having said all this, there is a catch-22, the catch-22 is that it is the task of the leftist parties to go out around the houses of the poor of the country to try to convert them to marxism. But at the same time, those same poor people that are poor because of capitalism might despise marxism and might get violent with leftist marxist activists


.



I like to think that most people are good. But sometimes, whether I'm out in the real world or surfing the internet, I see people being complete morons: the rampant racism, nationalism, hatred, ignorance, all of it...it sometimes makes me discouraged.

Are we just a last desperate holdout clinging to hopeful ideas? I hope not.

[TrotskistMarx]

A MOTIVATIONAL, INSPIRATIONAL SONG "NO EASY WAY OUT" BY ROBERT TEPPER FROM THE MOVIE ROCKY IV


slhw62Fmci8


We're not industructable
Baby better get that straight
I think it's unbelieveable
How we give in to the hands of fate

Somethings are worth fighting for
Some feelings never die
I'm not asking for another chance
I just want to know why

There's no easy way out
There's no shortcut home
There's no easy way out
Giving in can't be wrong

I don't want to passify you
I don't want to drag you down
But I'm feeling like a prisoner
Like a stranger in a no-name town

I see only angry faces
I'm afraid that could be you and me
Talking about what might have been
Thinking about what used to be

There's no easy way out
There's no shortcut home
There's no easy way out
Giving in can't be wrong

Baby, baby we can shed this skin
We can know how we feel inside
Instead of going down an endless road
Not knowing if we're dead or alive

There's no easy way out
There's no short cut home
There's no easy way out
Giving in, giving in can't be wrong, no

There's no easy way out
There's no easy way out
There's no shortcut home
There's no shortcut home
There's no easy way out
There's no easy, no easy, no easy way out

There's no easy way out
There's no shortcut home
There's no easy way out
Giving in can't be wrong



.






I had a little doubt a few months ago I'd been reading about primitive utopian socialists who have existed for almost as long as states have. I just got to thinking damn it's not like we've been failing for 150 odd years we've been failing for over 3000 years. I started to wonder whether we're just a continuation of a minor philosophical trend which afflicts small sections of the population.

Then I remembered that productive forces made it impossible for socialism to exist at any other time so they were bound to failure.

I spoke to some comrades about it and they said that they all have moments of doubt too. Without questioning yourself you end up just accepting everything without proof or reason. Your politics then become a dogma rather than a science.

[Comrade Samuel]

A MOTIVATIONAL, INSPIRATIONAL SONG "NO EASY WAY OUT" BY ROBERT TEPPER FROM THE MOVIE ROCKY IV


slhw62Fmci8


We're not industructable
Baby better get that straight
I think it's unbelieveable
How we give in to the hands of fate

Somethings are worth fighting for
Some feelings never die
I'm not asking for another chance
I just want to know why

There's no easy way out
There's no shortcut home
There's no easy way out
Giving in can't be wrong

I don't want to passify you
I don't want to drag you down
But I'm feeling like a prisoner
Like a stranger in a no-name town

I see only angry faces
I'm afraid that could be you and me
Talking about what might have been
Thinking about what used to be

There's no easy way out
There's no shortcut home
There's no easy way out
Giving in can't be wrong

Baby, baby we can shed this skin
We can know how we feel inside
Instead of going down an endless road
Not knowing if we're dead or alive

There's no easy way out
There's no short cut home
There's no easy way out
Giving in, giving in can't be wrong, no

There's no easy way out
There's no easy way out
There's no shortcut home
There's no shortcut home
There's no easy way out
There's no easy, no easy, no easy way out

There's no easy way out
There's no shortcut home
There's no easy way out
Giving in can't be wrong



.

I love how you chose the version from rocky IV staring Sylvester Stalone (mr.anti-communist extrodinaire)

Oh, I see what you did there ;) what's up with leftists trying to be ironic all the time?

[rylasasin]

I pretty much am discouraged, actually. About just about anything and everything. :(

[Dennis the 'Bloody Peasant']

Yeah, all the time. Better people can overcome it and focus on the possibilities and the good they see...I don't, I think it's all fucked one way or another so I'll just try and get by and create the best life I can for my family within the existing shitty system (and as Deicide pointed out, I could have had it a lot worse).

[Lynx]

The world isn't coming to an end, so I'm not discouraged.

[Sea]

If anything, being around racists and bigots and homophobes only strengthen my political beliefs.

When I am surrounded by products of the problem, I have more emotional drive and most of all more logical reason to fight the problem, because I can see intimately how greed and discrimination negatively effect my community.

There's a large hard right presence where I live (small town), and most of the ones that get sucked up into it are otherwise decent, genuine, caring people. The people are not the problem, the ideas that drive them are.

[TheGodlessUtopian]

Thread moved

[LeftAbove]

Yes, I do get discouraged. Especially when I see things like this in person.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IX6EgYQAoU&feature=related

Keep in mind that these are poor, working class folks voting Republican.

[Prometeo liberado]

I think my problem is that I am an idealist. And I genuinely believe that there is good and evil in the world, that they are locked in grand struggle.

Idealist, very dangerous thing to be my friend. Luke Skywalker, for total lack of a better and non-sectarian example, was the quintessential idealist. I would argue that Pol Pot and the entire Nazi leadership were idealist. This line of belief or cosmology tends to replace facts and with an idealized passion or vision. We, communists, believe in science and and historical materialism(most of us). Regardless, apathy and dejection to come hand in hand with exasperation and running the activist treadmill.

[Os Cangaceiros]

I like to think that most people are good. But sometimes, whether I'm out in the real world or surfing the internet, I see people being complete morons: the rampant racism, nationalism, hatred, ignorance, all of it...it sometimes makes me discouraged.

It's perfectly understandable to be discouraged, but just don't let yourself be discouraged by comments on YouTube or news articles, lol...totally not worth it.

[ellipsis]

Aye. <Insert chumba wumba video>

It's kinda something I have to acknowledge at somepoint, its a long hard road and there is a good chance we/you/I will die along the way.

[MotherCossack]

I like to think that most people are good. But sometimes, whether I'm out in the real world or surfing the internet, I see people being complete morons: the rampant racism, nationalism, hatred, ignorance, all of it...it sometimes makes me discouraged.

Are we just a last desperate holdout clinging to hopeful ideas? I hope not.

oh God!!!!!!!!
it's awful........ how can so many people be so blind to the truth .... from a green, bountiful, generous and friendly earth we have carved out a proper hell for ourselves...... we [or our parents] have allowed a small number of selfish, greedy bastards to take over...... trusting that they would act in the interests of all, whereas they lost no time in grabbing the goods, wrecking the furniture, hoarding the treasure, wasting all the natural recources, corrupting our children, enslaving the masses and all but abolishing our humanity...

No one cares....... no one remembers......no one seems to know that we are even lost....... far less have an idea of what to do or which way to turn.


Often.... i look around and am filled with despair......

then i walk over the heath...and people are so cute...... some people are so sad.... and they look like lost children....
and i want to hug them and say hi... no i am not odd i just want to have a hug...... but suspicion.... mistrust....embarrassment.....the moment goes.......

bumbling, usually well intentioned, but for every lap we complete..... another 2 go straight to book

[MotherCossack]

what am i on about

oh dear!
sometimes I wonder what on earth I am on about....
dont get me wrong.... it sounds like good stuff......
just dont know what it means.....any ideas?

[hatzel]

When I get discouraged I tend to just spend a few weeks around normal people rather than hanging in political activist groups and then I get over it...

[human strike]

Only for brief moments. Conflict with capital is everywhere - you just have to learn to see it. It's not about people being good or bad, it's about capitalism being incompatible with people and humanity.


Aye. <Insert chumba wumba video>

It's kinda something I have to acknowledge at somepoint, its a long hard road and there is a good chance we/you/I will die along the way.

Die? Fuck that!

[Tim Finnegan]

Do you ever get discouraged?No; "get" implies that this is the exceptional state.

[shinjuku dori]

just don't let yourself be discouraged by comments on YouTube or news articles, lol...totally not worth it.

Why not? Are these not human beings? It's not computers making those comments. It's your friends, neighbors and coworkers. And they are probably more honest when they feel they are posting anonymously from home than they would ever be in person.

[MotherCossack]

very. very, very.
i look around..... and look for all the encouraging signs that the optomistic among us keep refering to....
all i see is ignorance, cruelty, injustice, disparity, greed, selfishness.....
all i hear is the sound of capitalism riding roughshod over little people....
half of whom are two stupid to realise that they are being robbed'''''
and the others being so disempowered that... even if they wanted to make a stand... would be incapable of doing so....