I have been blogging a bit over the past few days, mostly on OlyBlog (see
Berd's Blog) and also on Flickr
here, and Facebook,
here.
This past weekend I attended the Freedom Socialist Party National Convention at The Evergreen State College, and I was introduced, thankfully, to Karl Marx's analysis of capitalism. I was impressed with the humanism of Marx's analysis, and I agree that it is wrong for some to profit from harmful economic activities, while others do not. If there is to be harm, then all people should benefit equally, the products of harmful industrial practices ought to be made to serve the mutual uplift of all people.
Some of my recent blogs and photos relate to this idea of the wrongfulness of doing harm for the purpose of private gain.
I have also been thinking about various social myths that prevail in today's world, as well as how these myths interrelate. These myths are, namely, the myths of: independence, meritocracy, altruism, and scarcity.
It seems to me that these myths (and likely others) are of vital importance toward the maintenance of a status quo of socio-economic injustice, and environmental degradation.
Another concept that I have been pondering is how, in my belief, one of the root causes of this insane, irrational, and harmful societal status quo are mentalities that are rooted in fear, and subsequent confusion, and need for ego-driven dominance.
Our society makes me ill, (and I know that I am very far from being alone in being made to be ill.)
When people are ill, we do not think (nor act) as well as we might if we were healthy.
So I think the root causes of poverty and all unnecessary suffering are in disease—the disease of fearfulness and distrust—and this applies to all people. People oppress because they are in fear. And oppositely, people are oftentimes unable to recognize, much less stand up against, oppression because they are unwell, living in fear.
This reminds me of a workshop I attended at the Allied Media Conference, entitled, "Health is Dignity, and Dignity is Resistance."
This is not to say that there aren't very many great people working to make the world a better place. There are many working for change, and they are effective.
But it seems to me that often times there is confusion that makes it difficult for people to understand each other, and difficult for people to promote the type of broad sweeping changes that would truly benefit all people.
Most people understand—most people know—that there are dreadful problems in the world. And so it is ironic that the very dreadful nature of the problems, which should provoke people into working for change, is actually a key factor in disabling people toward addressing the problems.
The point is that serious changes are necessary in order to eradicate social ills like poverty, hunger, hate, violence, war, and environmental destruction, and in order to be most effective and efficient in terms of achieving these productive changes, it makes sense for people to support each other, and maintain a caring and encouraging network of relationships.
Maybe it's time for humanity to grow up, and start thinking and acting in a way that reflects the desire for a true egalitarian peace.
And therefore, maybe it's time for people to start respecting each others' experiences, and to genuinely and earnestly seek ways to make the world a better place, a place of social and economic stability, truth, consent, well-being, and peace.
Hey hey hey! Go socialism! And please consider checking out some of my other recent bloggings.
Peace,
Berd
