I’m a communist because it makes sense. I don’t even need to like people to know that we gotta work together to accomplish great things and the best way to do that is ensure everyone has what they need to live day-to-day and long-term. Anything less than that seems like we’re giving up on ourselves (humanity) and letting the worst humans decide our fate.
Genuinely, communism makes perfect sense and any resistance to it comes from ignorance, misinformation/indoctrination, or the idea that communism is going to take away their wealth. For some of them that last one is true
Communism is really the most minimal demand
What is nearest, reasonable, the middle term.
Whoever is opposed to it is not someone who thinks otherwise
It is someone who does not think or who thinks only about himself.
I love Bertolt Brecht.
Thanks for attributing it. I was wondering if I had heard/read those lines before.
If anyone is interested, it’s part of a longer poem Communism is the Middle Term. Here it is in full:
To call for the overthrow of the existing order
May seem a terrible thing
But what exists is no order.
To seek refuge in violence
May seem evil.
But what is constantly at work is violence
And there is nothing special about it.
Communism is not the extreme outlier
That only in a small part can be realized,
and until it is not completely realized,
The situation is unbearable
Even for someone who is insensitive.
Communism is really the most minimal demand
What is nearest, reasonable, the middle term.
Whoever is opposed to it is not someone who thinks otherwise
It is someone who does not think or who thinks only about himself
It is an enemy of the human species who,
Terrible
Evil
Insensitive
And, in particular,
Wanting the most extreme, realised even in the tiniest part,
Plunges all humankind into destruction.
I mean when you are surrounded by Americans I think it would be a bad sign if you didn’t feel like this at least sometimes
literally me
i love people as a concept but i don’t like talking to people
likewise, but i am trying to get better
That was a line in a German art film I watched in the 90’s, old lady yelling at the kids playing in the courtyard: “Antisocial brats! Socialists!”
Honestly irl she would just called them assis which is like the german slur similar in character to like chav
i’m antisocial because of the abuse (and now because not a damn one of these fuckers wear a mask). if i grew up with better kids in a better environment and society writ large wasn’t dogshit I’d have different habits.
I get it. Interactions can be draining. Especially, when both you and/or the people you talk to are victims of capitalist alienation. Organizing involves a lot more than cold analysis and a big part of the work involves spreading ideology that centers around core feelings of people. Our enemies never forget to appeal to hate and fear and are very successful with this tactic. Socialists ideology naturally needs to center love and solidarity. Just being right is not enough to create class consciousness.
Comrades who are unable to do this work (which is legit) could still support the ones who can.
It’s scientific socialism, not utopian socialism, love, but okay, I don’t feel as much antipathy as I do like Lazlo
I’ve expressed this sentiment before, but I don’t think being a communists means you have to have this poetic, overflowing love of everyone around you. I believe communism is the right direction for human history to progress towards, I can believe that and still think a lot of humans as individuals are annoying assholes. Also just because I don’t like people doesn’t mean I want them to live in some miserable dystopia, heck one benefit for a socialist society is it’d probably mean people would leave me alone more because I wouldn’t be forced into all these situations where I have to interact with people I don’t like (retail labor).
Anti social socialist club
I recognize that other people are capable of rich inner lives as complex as my own and that’s why I respect their need for space
Why in the hell should I like people? I don’t and I never will. But even then I don’t need to to realise that more people having rights, better living standards etc is always better than not.
I’m very open and gregarious and I love chatting and talking to people!
I just don’t think others want to chat with me as much. I get bummed out on occasions when I go out alone and no one seemingly wants to, or does, talk to me. I usually blame it on US culture and racism because I do very well socially outside of the US, including Europe. But not even my best friends really text me as much as I text them or try to initiate discussion as often as I do. I try not to take it personally but it sucks, I’m just trying to have a good time. Partly why I try to find very extroverted partners who will be chatty with me and with others when we go out, which is great because she could pull more couples and groups. Although, I do have good security culture so I’ll be more reserved and cautious in spaces like these where I’m trying not to get doxxed. Even then I probably say too much.
Otherwise, I wish people were as chatty and outgoing, but also not shitty, I think that way life would be a lot more fun.
i love humanity, people not so much