Progressives can still succeed if they call out nonsense, focus on class, and start to talk like human beings again, argues Freddie deBoer in an excerpt from his new book.
The strangest part for me is seeing how the left has been distorted into something that it never was before, and yet a majority of left leaning people just go along with it.
For instance, the left was against Iraq and Afghanistan right? And recognized the debacle that is the "war machine" of America. And yet the Ukrainian war is right and good?
Or freedom of speech is now bad?
Or big pharma is now a good guy?
It's weird seeing how people just go along with the narrative without questioning it. Muh team said it so it must be good!
So Freddie declares, "I would still love to see a Marxist revolution. You know, an international movement of workers rising up and taking control of political and economic systems, and distributing resources and labor based on need". That would be quite an upheaval, so I assume, Freddie, that you have some historic examples of Marxist revolutions actually leading to greater economic and social freedom for the masses? Would that be the Soviet Marxism, Cuban Marxism, Cambodian Marxism, North Korean Marxism, Venezuelan Marxism, or any one of the Marxist revolutions that have slaughtered and impoverished hundreds of millions over the past century? Like a crackpot who still believes that mercury can cure disease, Marxist medicine has been given to patients dozens of times, and the patient died every time. But, hey, let's give it another shot! I'm afraid that Freddie is another example of the the delusional mental illness that is taking over the human race.
"You’d go out to the BLM protests, feel the energy, hear the slogans, see the righteous rage, and feel like something had to give." - Oh, it did, and the people running the organization "took" when it was given to the tune of millions of dollars - because AGAIN - human nature. It continues to amaze me that that folks on the left are surprised by this.
Progressives will continue to eat their own in the name of equity and virtue. Its part of the DNA of victim based group think and one-upsmanship. The speed and violence of their appetites will continue to increase to its own bitter end. That can't come soon enough IMHO.
I actually think Marxism and "social justice" (at least in any modern interpretation) are fundamentally incompatible. Social justice is about wealth redistribution based on some characteristic (or declared characteristic), best summed up as "from each according to ability, to each according to skin color and pronouns".
The incentive structure of true Marxism is collectivist; that is someone will put in work for the good of society. The incentive structure of social justice is entirely characteristic-based; if you don't have the "marginalized" characteristic, your work is unequally given to those with the characteristic, and those with the characteristic are incentivized to demand labor from those without the characteristic (which ironically was also the essential principle of slavery).
The basic premise of the article is good, calling out the nonsense when you see it, even if it is on your side.. The rest is BS. If you've ever been involved in sales, a church, a civic organization, or essentially any group of people, you know 80% of the results come from the efforts of 20% of the people. It's called the Pareto Principle. This is why Marxism doesn't work. Too few contributors, too many takers.
I’m as far from a Marxist as it gets. so no agreement on ideology. But, the bulk of what he’s saying? That’s called…common sense. Nice to see at least some far lefters have it.
"I’m not a professor, but I’ll always be an academic. I grew up in an academic household, I have a PhD, and I read academic publications regularly. I’ll always be an academic at heart. I’m not a professor, but I’ll always be an academic. I grew up in an academic household, I have a PhD, and I read academic publications regularly. I’ll always be an academic at heart. ""
And right here is the problem! An academic who does not live in the real world, and who repeatedly fuels his belief system with the thoughts of other academic elites! Ask him where his financial support comes from, and I am willing to bet that it is NOT from getting his own hands dirty with real work and real world concerns. Lenin and Stalin were correct when they eliminated "intellectuals" from their cadre. They are worthless!
Thank you, Free Press for putting this piece before us. If any of us had any sympathy at all for Marxist ideas before reading this, those ideas should be gone now. I especially liked the part where he exposes virtue signaling. No, wait, the Brits are paying taxes for free health care but we wouldn’t have to - that was fun too. Full. Blown. Stupidity.
Thank the LORD nobody is coming to save you. Just how many centuries of failed Marxism/Socialism will you guys need to observe until you accept the well-known fact that "everybody's equal" is just pure bullshit. Capitalism is the only business model you need to look at. How about the freedom of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? Thank the LORD the founders were well grounded in all aspects of government, and chose a republic based on capitalism.
Somewhat tangential: the current "anti-racist" movement in industry basically ends up being a way to punish young/new white people (especially white men) looking to get into the job market, good schools, internships, etc, while doing very little to those who already have degrees/resumes/employment, and very little to prevent or disrupt generational wealth from "elites". It just prevents any sort of upward mobility. At no point do I see any advocates for DEI talking about how it disproportionately affects new job seekers, it's all merely about the numbers evening out. When 94% of new jobs are going to non-white, when management internships at places like Best Buy specifically stipulate "non-white", you're not fighting privilege, you're just creating privilege -- an 18-year-old white guy from a poor family has the least privilege of all, *de jure*, because of these quota systems. If your perspective is, "sure, let's punish white guys now because their ancestors had privilege" then fine -- but it is *revenge* being sought, not equity, and that revenge is being wrought disproportionately on the young and on the working class, for their audacity to be born with the white skin after the year 2000.
Meanwhile, the Schuabs, the de Rothschilds, the Clintons, the Kennedys, the Trumps, the Bushes... they all keep their wealth going for many generations to come as they pivot to virtue signalling about how "anti-racist" they are.
Sir, if you are a Marxist and you wish to see a Marxist revolution, you are either evil or a fool.
The strangest part for me is seeing how the left has been distorted into something that it never was before, and yet a majority of left leaning people just go along with it.
For instance, the left was against Iraq and Afghanistan right? And recognized the debacle that is the "war machine" of America. And yet the Ukrainian war is right and good?
Or freedom of speech is now bad?
Or big pharma is now a good guy?
It's weird seeing how people just go along with the narrative without questioning it. Muh team said it so it must be good!
Okkkk
So Freddie declares, "I would still love to see a Marxist revolution. You know, an international movement of workers rising up and taking control of political and economic systems, and distributing resources and labor based on need". That would be quite an upheaval, so I assume, Freddie, that you have some historic examples of Marxist revolutions actually leading to greater economic and social freedom for the masses? Would that be the Soviet Marxism, Cuban Marxism, Cambodian Marxism, North Korean Marxism, Venezuelan Marxism, or any one of the Marxist revolutions that have slaughtered and impoverished hundreds of millions over the past century? Like a crackpot who still believes that mercury can cure disease, Marxist medicine has been given to patients dozens of times, and the patient died every time. But, hey, let's give it another shot! I'm afraid that Freddie is another example of the the delusional mental illness that is taking over the human race.
The idea that elites “ate” the social justice movement is complicated by the fact that the movement was created by elites to begin with.
Honestly, I stopped taking this piece seriously when I read the word “reparations.”
"You’d go out to the BLM protests, feel the energy, hear the slogans, see the righteous rage, and feel like something had to give." - Oh, it did, and the people running the organization "took" when it was given to the tune of millions of dollars - because AGAIN - human nature. It continues to amaze me that that folks on the left are surprised by this.
Where has Marxism worked? I'll wait for the answer....
Progressives will continue to eat their own in the name of equity and virtue. Its part of the DNA of victim based group think and one-upsmanship. The speed and violence of their appetites will continue to increase to its own bitter end. That can't come soon enough IMHO.
I actually think Marxism and "social justice" (at least in any modern interpretation) are fundamentally incompatible. Social justice is about wealth redistribution based on some characteristic (or declared characteristic), best summed up as "from each according to ability, to each according to skin color and pronouns".
The incentive structure of true Marxism is collectivist; that is someone will put in work for the good of society. The incentive structure of social justice is entirely characteristic-based; if you don't have the "marginalized" characteristic, your work is unequally given to those with the characteristic, and those with the characteristic are incentivized to demand labor from those without the characteristic (which ironically was also the essential principle of slavery).
The basic premise of the article is good, calling out the nonsense when you see it, even if it is on your side.. The rest is BS. If you've ever been involved in sales, a church, a civic organization, or essentially any group of people, you know 80% of the results come from the efforts of 20% of the people. It's called the Pareto Principle. This is why Marxism doesn't work. Too few contributors, too many takers.
I’m as far from a Marxist as it gets. so no agreement on ideology. But, the bulk of what he’s saying? That’s called…common sense. Nice to see at least some far lefters have it.
Is this what constitutes “balance” Bari Weiss? When will we have a piece from the QAnon Shaman: a jailhouse memoir perhaps?
Have you forgotten that this Substack was once known as Common Sense? Or is drivel like deBoer’s blather where you were headed all along.
"I’m not a professor, but I’ll always be an academic. I grew up in an academic household, I have a PhD, and I read academic publications regularly. I’ll always be an academic at heart. I’m not a professor, but I’ll always be an academic. I grew up in an academic household, I have a PhD, and I read academic publications regularly. I’ll always be an academic at heart. ""
And right here is the problem! An academic who does not live in the real world, and who repeatedly fuels his belief system with the thoughts of other academic elites! Ask him where his financial support comes from, and I am willing to bet that it is NOT from getting his own hands dirty with real work and real world concerns. Lenin and Stalin were correct when they eliminated "intellectuals" from their cadre. They are worthless!
Thank you, Free Press for putting this piece before us. If any of us had any sympathy at all for Marxist ideas before reading this, those ideas should be gone now. I especially liked the part where he exposes virtue signaling. No, wait, the Brits are paying taxes for free health care but we wouldn’t have to - that was fun too. Full. Blown. Stupidity.
Thank the LORD nobody is coming to save you. Just how many centuries of failed Marxism/Socialism will you guys need to observe until you accept the well-known fact that "everybody's equal" is just pure bullshit. Capitalism is the only business model you need to look at. How about the freedom of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? Thank the LORD the founders were well grounded in all aspects of government, and chose a republic based on capitalism.
Somewhat tangential: the current "anti-racist" movement in industry basically ends up being a way to punish young/new white people (especially white men) looking to get into the job market, good schools, internships, etc, while doing very little to those who already have degrees/resumes/employment, and very little to prevent or disrupt generational wealth from "elites". It just prevents any sort of upward mobility. At no point do I see any advocates for DEI talking about how it disproportionately affects new job seekers, it's all merely about the numbers evening out. When 94% of new jobs are going to non-white, when management internships at places like Best Buy specifically stipulate "non-white", you're not fighting privilege, you're just creating privilege -- an 18-year-old white guy from a poor family has the least privilege of all, *de jure*, because of these quota systems. If your perspective is, "sure, let's punish white guys now because their ancestors had privilege" then fine -- but it is *revenge* being sought, not equity, and that revenge is being wrought disproportionately on the young and on the working class, for their audacity to be born with the white skin after the year 2000.
Meanwhile, the Schuabs, the de Rothschilds, the Clintons, the Kennedys, the Trumps, the Bushes... they all keep their wealth going for many generations to come as they pivot to virtue signalling about how "anti-racist" they are.