Hear me out: I am a leftist. Don't ban me - this is something i've been thinking about quite a bit recently.

I mean, at a macro level comparing the far left to the alt-right -- we seem to be a lot more focused on egalitarianism (while disagreeing on the means to that end). The alt-right seems to be focused on creating an ethno state, pretty much. Comparing them, the morality clearly skews towards our direction.

However, what concerns me is how we (you and i) are further insulating ourselves into message boards. When I first think about insulation, what comes up to my mind are those idiots who get brainwashed by alt-right facebook propaganda. They interact with it, then that's all they see on their wall, and all of a sudden they are in an echo chamber. We've all heard about these and know how bad they are.

My first thought is: "Oh, well, I'm educated and I read books and theory. I'm not like them. Alt righters are just dumb ass facebook moms who haven't read a book in years."

My second thought is: "Oh, shit. I'm insulating myself JUST like them, though."

I don't know. I'm just kind of conflicted. Left ideologies aren't morally bad, unlike alt-righters. But, at the same time we are creating an echo chamber, just like how /r/thedonald did with thedonald.win -- after we both got banned by a traditional news outlet.

What are the effects of that? Is this good or bad?

  • hogposting [he/him,comrade/them]
    ·
    4 years ago

    When I was younger, I would have conversations with chud neighbours and just… disagree. They’d say the same old bad stuff, and I’d just suck it up and respond the best I could. Now, basically, I’m a lot more emotionally reactive to bad ideas

    Part of this is the shift from seeing politics as a lively spectator sport to seeing politics as a series of decisions that can and do kill people.

    • Gorn [they/them,he/him]
      ·
      4 years ago

      That's a really great point. In my earlier years, I would look at things like funding for social programs like social assistance or health care through a more detached, philosophical lens. That changed pretty quickly as I became more worldly and learned that every time some conservative shit-head politician cuts funding pretty much anywhere, real actual humans die; and the conservative politicians know that.

      It's not all the change in discourse as time passes; it's also that I've changed, as I continue to wake up to the fact that I, we, are living in a class war. And it's time to start waging it.

      Of course... sometimes that looks like being reasonable, and speaking with people from where they are at. It's a double-bind. Luckily we all have comrades online to talk through these things with :) :red-fist: