#classconsciosuness
#iambeingexploited.areyou???
- “The wealth of those societies in which the capitalist mode of production prevails, presents itself as “an immense accumulation of commodities,”[1] its unit being a single commodity. Our investigation must therefore begin with the analysis of a commodity.”
Karl Marx, Das Capital -
“In societies where modern conditions of production prevail, all of life presents itself as an immense accumulation of spectacles. Everything that was directly lived has moved away into a representation.
-Guy DeBord, Society of the Spectacle -
“The experience of the society in which modern conditions of information transfer prevail presents itself as an immense accumulation of entropy, it’s unit being undefinable. Our investigation must therefore begin with the rhizomatic information surrounding entropy”
Me, for my manifesto, Design as Collective Love
The identity politics of neo-liberal America aren’t working. The self-effacing values of Gen Z aren’t working. Let’s all acknowledge we are all suffering. Then once we recognize our own suffering, we can acknowledge the suffering of others and make a plan towards the future. We can look at the path of others, pick what we like, exclude what we don’t like, and come up with real solutions towards the future.
First, I will share some statements that may/may not be relatable. Then , as Marx did, I will address hate towards Marxism I have heard many people in my life say. Then I will explain how neo-marxism can provide a solution to the problem, combined with some statements that will hopefully help to bridge towards a wider class consciousness.
Again, this is part of a wider project I’m working on, so if my arguments seem half-baked... they are.
If you’re interested in the politics of cancel culture and studying what went wrong in 2020, check out this video from Slavoj Zizek
Now, we are watching a live streamed genocide, yet I still am posting my beach pictures and photo dumps from family trips and time with my boyfriend. Everyone is going on as normal, even on leftist social media. If I had done this in 2020 I would have been “cancelled”. So what changed?
SECTION ONE// Zeitgeists are Shifting!!!!!
The best way that I can think of to summarize the changing zeitgeist of the United States is through a comparison of the Matrix with the Barbie movie. Sounds weird but hear me out.
In the Matrix, Neo chooses the red pill. He wants to see the world for what it is, acting in a trans allegory that allows Neo to glitch and become a revolutionary. This serves as a pre-9/11 the-dream-of -the-90s- is -alive -in -the- Matrix (Portlandia reference here) sort of cultural symbol of the cyberpunk culture of the 90s. Think the original dreams of the CCRU before Nick Land became fascist. In the Barbie movie, Barbie chooses the stiletto (a reference to the matrix, acting as a blue pill), yet the weird Barbie forces her to choose the Birkenstock, even though she wishes to stay naive and unknowing.
In a way, this shift reflects our changing relationship with intellectualism within American culture. We are stressed, overwhelmed, tired, overstimulated, poor, suffering, yet we are forced to learn the politically correct language of the gentrifying alternative intellectual philosophy bros, even though the majority of us would just rather stay blue pilled as a means of survival.
This opens up a wider discussion on who can afford to be critical. In the United States, predominantly white rich people can afford to be critical, so intellectualism has become linked with them as if it is some fancy white person thing to do to be communist (IT IS NOT!)
Once gen-Z starts to graduate and go into the real world, we are realizing that the rhetoric of 2020 USA doesn’t work in the “real” world and in fact was part of a bubble that didn’t seem to lead to any long term greater good. Fascism is here and it is here now. It’s been here but we just didn’t realize.
SECTION TWO// Down with the Haters, let’s be revolutionary, together.
What is the way forward? How do we unite for a better future?
Let’s look to France and their elections from last year. Macron moved to dissolve the parliament and all guesses would have said the left party would have lost. Instead of conceding to the National Rally (the far right party in France-who used to be Holocaust deniers), the left dissolved everything. They started a new, grassroots party, La Nouvelle Front Populaire, referencing the Marxist party, the Front Populaire. They started a mass campaign and in 3 weeks won the election. They would have determined the Prime Minister, but through a legal loophole, Macron declared the whole thing “undemocratic” and decided the left’s vote wasn’t valid???? Still. A win for the Marxists, for the people.
The time is now to come together. As a generation we must end “cancel culture”, end terms like “performative reading”, “political correctness”, “trauma dumping”, and “faux-intellectuals”. These terms are distractions that take away from class consciousness and divide us even further. What ever happened to love and community?
If you want some new terms, keep an eye out for my book-zine-whatever, coming out soon...
Please, let’s love people for who they are. Since I am me, let’s take me for example. I am a nerd, I love philosophy, I love learning, and I also love teaching. I want to get a Masters or pHd and become a professor and teach design, theory, and language at a University. This is my passion and what helps me feel that my life could have meaning. Yet for most of my life, people have seen me as niche, as pretentious, as fun to be around until I am a bit too weird for them. They see me as obnoxious and holier than thou and a gatekeeper. Why can’t they just accept me for who I am- that I love learning, I love teaching, I love school, and this is my passion?
SECTION THREE// Would a “gatekeeper" want to teach you what they know?“Printed Matter works to distribute and promote artists’ books to bring an increased visibility and appreciation to the field. The range of publications stocked at the shop is a testament to our broad and all-inclusive understanding of the medium.“ -Printed Matter’s website
Once I took a friend to Printed Matter and she later made fun of me, saying, “Erin took me to the most pretentious book store the other day”. Then everyone laughed at me and that was that.
Is Printed Matter particularly accesible? Not really… If Printed Matter wants a publishing revolution, they are surely not doing so in an “of the people” way. But it is a way for artists to publish, to work in the margins, to create and find community? Yes! Is their mission to try their best to be accesible? Yes!
We must focus on the good intentions instead of the bad.
The statement “Erin took me to the most pretentious bookstore” fosters a culture of haters. It fosters a culture where people are scared to be artists, to like what they like, to be a little niche, to resist conformity. What “cultures” (rape culture, colonialism, etc.) are about is silence. Acceptance, love, and collective action is about being tactfully loud. If you’re wrong, if you make a generalization, if you make a mis-step… THAT IS OK. We will treat each other as humans and teach each other how to improve. If the left wants to get its act together, it better come together. Now. And yes, it’s possible. (Remember the whole French grassroots coalition?)
To my fellow Get Z-ers, please zoom out and realize that your calls of performative activism and hate on men for getting into writing are actually part of a wider wave of anti-intellectualism that is being lead by the Trump administration and the billionaires that walk alongside him.
If everything was performative and all male writers were just trying to impress women, who would be our teachers? If all philosophical concepts were buzzwords what would lead us towards a better future?
Anti-intellectualism is a symptom of fascism and it is everywhere, not just in Trump’s philosophy but in the mainstream culture. There’s a crucial balance here. Being smart doesn’t have to mean being lofty, confusing, or verbose. It can be as simple as sharing your ideas and encouraging others around you. It is not an easy time to be an intellectual… but is it ever?
Byeeeee.
Erin
PS: Couple quick action items for you, if you’re like ok cool.... so what’s the application of this? Well here you go. Here is the application! These are things that I have done so I know you can do them too.
- Get informed. Go to a local mutual aid hub. If you’re in Raleigh, check out RUMAH (https://www.raleighmutualaid.info)
- If you’re in the United States, check out the PSL and see if they have a group near you (https://pslweb.org)
- Read philosophy!!! If you want to get into some epic revolutionary stuff they don’t (typically) teach in school, learn about the year of revolutions (1960) in Africa. Franz Fanon discusses some super cool REAL solutions to colonialism and even discusses the problems and advantages of intellectuals. (https://monoskop.org/images/6/6b/Fanon_Frantz_The_Wretched_of_the_Earth_1963.pdf)
- Go to protests!!! Collective action and being together creates community, whether you think it matters or not.
Depends on who you are and what you want to do but there are always ways to get involved. There are always ways to be revolutionary and fight for change!!