8 Reasons Young Americans Don't Fight Back

[Cramulus]

8 Reasons Young Americans Don't Fight Back: How the US Crushed Youth Resistance

http://www.alternet.org/story/151850/8_reasons_young_americans_dont_fight_back_how_the_us_crushed_youth_resistance?page=entire

great article. It articulates a lot of frustration I have with the state of things right now. I've been looking for a good list of causes which are worth caring about, this seems like an excellent starting point.

It has the sort of vibe I got from the "All Watched Over By Loving Machines" which discusses why nobody thinks the world is going to get any better.


I should also note IOZ's reaction to this piece, here: http://whoisioz.blogspot.com/2011/08/quitting-on-your-country.html

[Cain]

I think IOZ hit the mark more accurately.

It's not like there is much in the way of a justifying ideology which is telling young Americans why to fight back, how to fight back and who to fight back against.  Democratic "progressivism" is a morally and intellectually bankrupt morass, whose "victory" was electing a centre-right, authoritarian, oligarchy-owned President to continue the policies of the previous (somewhat more right-wing, authoritarian, oligarchy-owned) President, and writing endless, wonkish articles about health care insurance.  The Democrats basically offer a "sit down, shut up and do as we say, or SARAHPALINCHRISCRISTIEMICHELEBACHMANN becomes President!  And it'll all be your fault.  Now here's a shit sandwich, eat up" approach to politics.

Say what you like about the tenents of Marxism, but at least it's a coherent philosophy of revolution.  Outdated and hopelessly 19th century, but coherent.  

[Doktor Howl]

8 Reasons Young Americans Don't Fight Back: How the US Crushed Youth Resistance

Because, barring about a 2 year period, it never really existed in the first place?

[Cain]

Also, again, as IOZ pointed out, Americans fight back all the time.

Unfortunately for them, they are black and so the media calls it a "riot" and brutally suppresses it in a manner that, if it were to happen in Iran, would get everyone tinting their avatars green again.

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

I think IOZ hit the mark more accurately.

It's not like there is much in the way of a justifying ideology which is telling young Americans why to fight back, how to fight back and who to fight back against.  Democratic "progressivism" is a morally and intellectually bankrupt morass, whose "victory" was electing a centre-right, authoritarian, oligarchy-owned President to continue the policies of the previous (somewhat more right-wing, authoritarian, oligarchy-owned) President, and writing endless, wonkish articles about health care insurance.  The Democrats basically offer a "sit down, shut up and do as we say, or SARAHPALINCHRISCRISTIEMICHELEBACHMANN becomes President!  And it'll all be your fault.  Now here's a shit sandwich, eat up" approach to politics.
Say what you like about the tenents of Marxism, but at least it's a coherent philosophy of revolution.  Outdated and hopelessly 19th century, but coherent.  

[PopeTom]

The only important thing going on for young people to get all in a huff about is Netflix raising its prices.

[notathing]

this article really caught my attention. 

its helped me put into words some of the reasons why i suspect  the youth of this society is so crushed.

i've been thinking about this a lot lately. I've become very skeptical of the mainstream goals of this society..

I want to know, what viable alternatives exist?


do the 21st century hippies have the right idea?

[Pæs]

Say what you like about the tenents of Marxism, but at least it's a coherent philosophy of revolution.  Outdated and hopelessly 19th century, but coherent.  

You don't happen to have an updated version of that, do you?
Please?




...please?

[Cramulus]

Say what you like about the tenents of Marxism, but at least it's a coherent philosophy of revolution.  Outdated and hopelessly 19th century, but coherent.  

You don't happen to have an updated version of that, do you?
Please?




...please?

http://chaosmarxism.blogspot.com/2009/05/one-key-and-nine-commitments-of-chaos.html

[Cain]

Cram beat me to it.  There is also Gramsci and the Situationists, though they're both to be taken with a pinch of salt.  The critical theorists, like Adorno and Horkheimer, also tried, but got kinda depressed about the whole thing.

[Aneris]

I'm young, I'm smart, I'm pissed, and I have nothing left to lose.  I've been waiting to figure out where to sign up, but I think the perception that signing up is all you have to do is partially indicative of the problem.

My work and education in restoration ecology have left me with a firm understanding of the importance of hope and resistance in the face of seeming futility.  Can we really "restore" an ecosystem?  Fuck no we can't.  No matter what we do, something unexpected or undesirable will come of it.  That which is done, generally speaking, cannot be undone.  But we can prioritize, mitigate damage, set objectives, and work towards them using the collective wisdom and resources we have at our disposal.  We can fuck up and we can learn from it and we can try something new instead of shrugging our shoulders and saying "let it burn".

I did a lot of public outreach, too.  You see, the common perception is that it's a bunch of hippy tree-hugging bullshit, or that things are "natural" as they are and ought to be conserved rather than managed and restored.  People are a lot more willing to give a shit and support your efforts when you get it through their skulls that what you're doing is to keep their homes from burning to the fucking ground.  And let me tell you, it's incredibly satisfying to watch your friends and neighbors wake up from their apathetic or ignorant stupors and gain the desire to help ward off impending disaster in whatever ways possible.

It's not a perfect metaphor and it's not supposed to be a perfect metaphor, but as I sit here feeling the fervor for forest ecology course through me, I'm realizing its applicability.  Sure.  I'm a goddamned hippy.  But the passion comes from a desire to protect what which I love from destruction, to keep it intact and inhabitable.  Well, the ecosystem isn't the only thing keeping this place inhabitable, nor is it the only thing threatening to collapse.  And I'm also a goddamned American with a desire to protect the country I love from destruction.  

I have some more thinking to do.  In the mean time, I'm going to keep getting mad.

These scattered thoughts are brought to you by a sleepless night and... this thread.

[Kai]

I'm young, I'm smart, I'm pissed, and I have nothing left to lose.  I've been waiting to figure out where to sign up, but I think the perception that signing up is all you have to do is partially indicative of the problem.

My work and education in restoration ecology have left me with a firm understanding of the importance of hope and resistance in the face of seeming futility.  Can we really "restore" an ecosystem?  Fuck no we can't.  No matter what we do, something unexpected or undesirable will come of it.  That which is done, generally speaking, cannot be undone.  But we can prioritize, mitigate damage, set objectives, and work towards them using the collective wisdom and resources we have at our disposal.  We can fuck up and we can learn from it and we can try something new instead of shrugging our shoulders and saying "let it burn".

I did a lot of public outreach, too.  You see, the common perception is that it's a bunch of hippy tree-hugging bullshit, or that things are "natural" as they are and ought to be conserved rather than managed and restored.  People are a lot more willing to give a shit and support your efforts when you get it through their skulls that what you're doing is to keep their homes from burning to the fucking ground.  And let me tell you, it's incredibly satisfying to watch your friends and neighbors wake up from their apathetic or ignorant stupors and gain the desire to help ward off impending disaster in whatever ways possible.

It's not a perfect metaphor and it's not supposed to be a perfect metaphor, but as I sit here feeling the fervor for forest ecology course through me, I'm realizing its applicability.  Sure.  I'm a goddamned hippy.  But the passion comes from a desire to protect what which I love from destruction, to keep it intact and inhabitable.  Well, the ecosystem isn't the only thing keeping this place inhabitable, nor is it the only thing threatening to collapse.  And I'm also a goddamned American with a desire to protect the country I love from destruction.  

I have some more thinking to do.  In the mean time, I'm going to keep getting mad.

These scattered thoughts are brought to you by a sleepless night and... this thread.

Dude, you're a restoration ecologist? Sweet.

When I went into undergrad, I wanted to do wetland restoration ecology. Then I switched to studying bugs.

[Kai]

8 Reasons Young Americans Don't Fight Back: How the US Crushed Youth Resistance

http://www.alternet.org/story/151850/8_reasons_young_americans_dont_fight_back_how_the_us_crushed_youth_resistance?page=entire

great article. It articulates a lot of frustration I have with the state of things right now. I've been looking for a good list of causes which are worth caring about, this seems like an excellent starting point.

It has the sort of vibe I got from the "All Watched Over By Loving Machines" which discusses why nobody thinks the world is going to get any better.


I should also note IOZ's reaction to this piece, here: http://whoisioz.blogspot.com/2011/08/quitting-on-your-country.html

The more I read IOZ, the more I agree with him. The state is a lie, and yet it owns us, education of today is a farce, productivity/work/economic compensation is considered to be the reason for living and yet it so obviously isn't, the "who are you calling nobody, paleface" talk, etc.

My uncle just asked me if I followed "the market" (whatever the hell that nebulous term might refer to, in or out of reality, likely just another "there is no god") and I flat out said no.

[PopeTom]

... productivity/work/economic compensation is considered to be the reason for living...

My revolution is Slack.

My uncle just asked me if I followed "the market" (whatever the hell that nebulous term might refer to, in or out of reality, likely just another "there is no god") and I flat out said no.

I guess your other option is to learn to play their game and realize while you will never beat them you can at least take care of you and yours.

[Kai]

... productivity/work/economic compensation is considered to be the reason for living...

My revolution is Slack.

My uncle just asked me if I followed "the market" (whatever the hell that nebulous term might refer to, in or out of reality, likely just another "there is no god") and I flat out said no.

I guess your other option is to learn to play their game and realize while you will never beat them you can at least take care of you and yours.

I can take care of me and mine without believing in and owing my soul to some imaginary market.