Thundermind
22nd August 2013, 05:46
Hello,
I just joined this site and I thought that perhaps this was the best place to start. I have long held some very strong beliefs, though admittedly I am not very well read. I would like some suggestions on things to read as well as some advice on affiliations or tendencies where I can find like-minded people. So it is best then if I share what I believe first.
__________________________________________________ ____________
I don't wish to cloud the subject of my political leanings though I think it is important first to point out some philosophical underpinnings in what I believe. First, I am what is known as a subjectivist. Subjectivism is a philosophy popularized by the Matrix movies. I believe that nothing can be known with any certainty, with the exception of my own existence. We cannot know the world around us without relying upon our senses, and science tells us that our senses can deceive us. There are a host of reasons why this is significant but to keep things short I will refrain from going into any great detail here.
Though this is perhaps less significant I should point out that I am an absolute moral relativist. That is, I believe that morality is defined by the individual him/herself, though they may choose to subscribe to the morality proscribed by significant others or groups.
Now to my political leanings. I am a Socialist. I choose to use the term socialist to differentiate myself from the stigmatism of modern day Communism, and the more popular Communist ideologies. I believe that Marx was a brilliant man, but there were many things which he failed to predict. First, the foundation of any civilization is perception. It is the beginning and the end. That being said, it is the perception of the mode of production that impacts so many facets of civilization, and not the mode of production itself.
Second, Marx failed to predict the rise of the middle class and the outsourcing of labor. In the twentieth century, industry in developed countries quickly learned that it was more cost effective to outsource labor to poor developing countries, and to artificially raise the standard of living for the working poor in their own countries. That way they could keep prices low, create a customer base for their products, and encourage a positive public image. Also, it would seem that people are not particularly motivated to change if they have no need to do so. If suffering and hardship are not going on in front of them, people are more likely to ignore it and pretend that it does not exist.
Finally, it is important to note the influence of propaganda in the twentieth century. At no other time in human history has propaganda been so important to the fabric of our society. We, of course, have adopted more acceptable terms such as 'advertising' and 'public relations', but it is essentially the same. However, it is important to understand what propaganda is and how it is so incredibly effective. First, there is no bourgeois conspiracy or at least there is no real evidence to suggest there is. Instead, it is far more insidious. It is a unintended side effect of commercial industry attempting to sell it's products that they also inadvertently reinforce the system in which we live. It also becomes part of our identity. We identify ourselves by the products we choose to buy. And because academic institutions and media rely on revenue, in the form of donations, grants, sales, etc., it is in their best interest to also reinforce this way of life.
There are some other significant points which I disagree with in modern conceptions of Communism. First, I believe that the road to a true socialist state must be through pluralist democracy. I do not agree with a single party state. If we have learned anything it should be that corruption is rife in such a system. Second, I believe that the terms 'proletariat' and 'bourgeoisie' no longer have a place. The terms no longer relate to modern social relations. Also, modern technological advances mean that it is entirely possible for a modern Socialist state to have only a very small labor force. In a capitalist economy there is an enormous amount of redundancy in the labor market. For example, walk into any grocery store and you will find perhaps a hundred different cereals. How many cereals do we really need? Perhaps four or five. In a true Socialist state that redundancy is eliminated. As a result, the excess labor force can be redirected to research and development.
Third, I cannot accept the prohibition on religious institutions. If we are to rally people to our cause I feel it is important that we do not make enemies. I also think it is important that we do not claim to know everything. People should be entitled to believe what they choose to believe.
Furthermore, I think this needs to be the foundation of our movement. It is, I believe, the true nature of a democracy. That all men and women are equal, and as such are entitled to believe what they choose to believe, and that no one person's opinion is more important than anyone else. The only exception to this rule is in political discourse. It seems to me that we should defer to those who are more knowledgeable than ourselves. That is why I believe that government posts should have requirements such as an appropriate educational background and related work and volunteer experience.
One other point that I should point out. I do not think it is likely that Socialism will advance in the way that Marx foresaw, that is through a revolution of the proletariat. I think that Socialism is more likely to arise from an appeal to intellectuals, human rights groups and disenfranchised youth. We need to harness social media to get our message out. We need to put away the past and become more progressive, and it is for that reason I am going to call my approach 'Progressive Socialism'.
So anyone with me on this? Any advice? Comments?
I just joined this site and I thought that perhaps this was the best place to start. I have long held some very strong beliefs, though admittedly I am not very well read. I would like some suggestions on things to read as well as some advice on affiliations or tendencies where I can find like-minded people. So it is best then if I share what I believe first.
__________________________________________________ ____________
I don't wish to cloud the subject of my political leanings though I think it is important first to point out some philosophical underpinnings in what I believe. First, I am what is known as a subjectivist. Subjectivism is a philosophy popularized by the Matrix movies. I believe that nothing can be known with any certainty, with the exception of my own existence. We cannot know the world around us without relying upon our senses, and science tells us that our senses can deceive us. There are a host of reasons why this is significant but to keep things short I will refrain from going into any great detail here.
Though this is perhaps less significant I should point out that I am an absolute moral relativist. That is, I believe that morality is defined by the individual him/herself, though they may choose to subscribe to the morality proscribed by significant others or groups.
Now to my political leanings. I am a Socialist. I choose to use the term socialist to differentiate myself from the stigmatism of modern day Communism, and the more popular Communist ideologies. I believe that Marx was a brilliant man, but there were many things which he failed to predict. First, the foundation of any civilization is perception. It is the beginning and the end. That being said, it is the perception of the mode of production that impacts so many facets of civilization, and not the mode of production itself.
Second, Marx failed to predict the rise of the middle class and the outsourcing of labor. In the twentieth century, industry in developed countries quickly learned that it was more cost effective to outsource labor to poor developing countries, and to artificially raise the standard of living for the working poor in their own countries. That way they could keep prices low, create a customer base for their products, and encourage a positive public image. Also, it would seem that people are not particularly motivated to change if they have no need to do so. If suffering and hardship are not going on in front of them, people are more likely to ignore it and pretend that it does not exist.
Finally, it is important to note the influence of propaganda in the twentieth century. At no other time in human history has propaganda been so important to the fabric of our society. We, of course, have adopted more acceptable terms such as 'advertising' and 'public relations', but it is essentially the same. However, it is important to understand what propaganda is and how it is so incredibly effective. First, there is no bourgeois conspiracy or at least there is no real evidence to suggest there is. Instead, it is far more insidious. It is a unintended side effect of commercial industry attempting to sell it's products that they also inadvertently reinforce the system in which we live. It also becomes part of our identity. We identify ourselves by the products we choose to buy. And because academic institutions and media rely on revenue, in the form of donations, grants, sales, etc., it is in their best interest to also reinforce this way of life.
There are some other significant points which I disagree with in modern conceptions of Communism. First, I believe that the road to a true socialist state must be through pluralist democracy. I do not agree with a single party state. If we have learned anything it should be that corruption is rife in such a system. Second, I believe that the terms 'proletariat' and 'bourgeoisie' no longer have a place. The terms no longer relate to modern social relations. Also, modern technological advances mean that it is entirely possible for a modern Socialist state to have only a very small labor force. In a capitalist economy there is an enormous amount of redundancy in the labor market. For example, walk into any grocery store and you will find perhaps a hundred different cereals. How many cereals do we really need? Perhaps four or five. In a true Socialist state that redundancy is eliminated. As a result, the excess labor force can be redirected to research and development.
Third, I cannot accept the prohibition on religious institutions. If we are to rally people to our cause I feel it is important that we do not make enemies. I also think it is important that we do not claim to know everything. People should be entitled to believe what they choose to believe.
Furthermore, I think this needs to be the foundation of our movement. It is, I believe, the true nature of a democracy. That all men and women are equal, and as such are entitled to believe what they choose to believe, and that no one person's opinion is more important than anyone else. The only exception to this rule is in political discourse. It seems to me that we should defer to those who are more knowledgeable than ourselves. That is why I believe that government posts should have requirements such as an appropriate educational background and related work and volunteer experience.
One other point that I should point out. I do not think it is likely that Socialism will advance in the way that Marx foresaw, that is through a revolution of the proletariat. I think that Socialism is more likely to arise from an appeal to intellectuals, human rights groups and disenfranchised youth. We need to harness social media to get our message out. We need to put away the past and become more progressive, and it is for that reason I am going to call my approach 'Progressive Socialism'.
So anyone with me on this? Any advice? Comments?