So I got in an argument a few days ago with some real hardline pro labor leftist and it basically devolved into wild strawmen from the guy. Now, these strawmen aren't that uncommon from this camp given my ideology, I've heard them before, and also heard them used against Yang in the past, so I want to discuss some of them.
Q: What do I think of unions?
Mixed but mostly positive, actually. In the debate in question, I recognized they would never give us what I want, a world without work, because unions tend to ideologically define themselves by their labor, and see a world in which jobs are automated as bad because they would give away their leverage and relevance. So in a sense, they're luddites, they seek to preserve work, and tend to buy into a lot of the nonsense dignity of work type sentiments I've been taking potshots at recently. As such, I consider myself fair weather allies with them.
Don't get me wrong, they do a lot of stuff I like, but they will always be somewhat limited and I don't see them as the end all be all of fixing capitalism or achieving my ideological goals. They're work reformists, not abolitionists. Hence why I sometimes take potshots at people.
Q: What do I think of socialism?
Even more fair weathered. I ain't opposed to market socialism, but nor do I think it's the end all be all of everything. Economic democracy is nice, but I dont just want work with democratic leadership, I want to NOT BE FORCED TO WORK! Also, most forms of socialism are too dangerous to be tried, and any time they have been tried, it ended badly, do I'd prefer not to. I'd prefer to reform capitalism, and consider myself a human centered capitalist.
Q: Why do you consider yourself a capitalist? Capitalism is the problem
Unlike leftists, I have a nuanced view. Capitalism, specifically markets, have done a lot of good. The problem comes from forced labor and how the markets are stacked against workers. There are ways to fix that including unions and socialism, but I still see them as band aids. I don't see the problem with capitalism itself. My own analysis is slightly different from Marx and the like. The problem is forced labor leading to rigged markets.
And yes, property ownership is somewhat of a problem. I dont think owning the means of production is really the end all be all of everything, but people having no way to provide for themselves due to a rigid property rights system forcing people to work is a problem. And my own ideas are about redistributing wealth and income in such a way to ensure everyone has their needs met and can enter the market as a free agent.
Q: So do you oppose other means of fixing the labor market other than UBI?
No, I support all of the above. I just recognize without UBI and other universal safety nets guaranteeing freedom as the power to say no, that you're dealing with band aids.
Q: Why do you sometimes denigrate workers?
Well, I'll put it this way. I don't like to denigrate and crap on workers. There's nothing wrong with being a worker. Most people are forced to work. What I hate are the weirdo do gooders who think work is so great they everyone needs to be forced to work for their own good. I hate people who take pride in their own enslavement and insist i need to be made a slave too. I hate people who attack me for not wanting to waste my life working.
What brought this on wasn't just previous comments I made recently, but also the argument that triggered this post itself. The user in question was saying snarky crap like "I'm sorry you didn't enjoy your time in McDonalds" and "the problem with not working is you have too much time to think", to which i responded that the dude was basically in a cult and that the problem with workers is they don't have time to think enough.
And I stand by that. Most people who work have their mindsets, identities, and worldviews defined by their work. Work takes up so much time it dulls the human mind, taking away the ability to think about other things and see a world without work. It's literally indoctrination. It's like being raised in a religion and not understanding anything outside of it.
Now, I won't attack workers just for being workers. But if you throw down with me and spout brainwashed garbage at me trying to either lecture me about how I dont get it because I don't work, or insist that I need to be made to work, I'm gonna throw down with you. You get what you give.
And I personally have a major problem with this stockholm syndrome type crap a lot of work loving leftists have. No, my mind isnt corrupted by capitalism and if only we had another system we would understand work can be great, work under capitalism is what work is, a dehumanizing process for the sake of making goods and services for others to consume. I understand what work is better than any leftist. And I just have a different perspective in which I want to not be forced to participate in it.
Conclusion: I just have ideological differences with "the left"
Worldview defines everything. I was thinking of making a separate post about this, but Kyle Kulinski had a clip yesterday about how we should take into account trajectory in looking at peoples' eccentric views that seem to represent a shift away from the left.
But for me, everything is worldview. Worldviews are the ideas that are behind the ideas. They are the set of philosophical assumptions that define how we view the world. If you want to understand how a person thinks, you need to understand their worldview on a metaphysical level.
For a lot of leftists, worldviews like marxism or postmodernism (social justice politics) are paramount. For me, they're just a spice I sometimes add to my perspective to improve it, without letting them define my perspective. And that's the thing. I'm not a leftist. My ideology is based on secular humanism, which is more liberal/progressive in orientation, and I tend to have a very well developed worldview that allows me to see the world in certain ways. And I just dont agree with leftists. This doesn't make me bad, it just means I come from a slightly different philosophical tradition that is sometimes parallel to a lot of left wing ideas, but at the same time, is also quite different from them. I'm cut from a different cloth. You can disagree with it, but I am what I am and stand by my conclusions. Dont assume you can lecture me or talk down to me because I'm not as leftist as thou. I don't want to be as leftist as thou. Because leftism is a spice that sometimes adds flavor to a worldview, but it shouldn't be one's entire worldview, and I cant help but feel like most leftists are limited in their thinking. They havent had the luxury of building up their entire perspective from scratch and let others do their thinking for them. And then they take pride in the fact saying I think too much. I stand by my views by saying they think too little.
I understand leftism on a basic level. Leftists dont understand me. They just start attacking me for having nuanced perspectives that sometimes betray their core ideological beliefs, and think I'm all bad because of that. It's their prerogative to think so, but I just see the world differently, and it's not a bad thing. If anything, it's a good thing, and wish everyone would undergo the same kind of existential crisis and rebuilding of one's entire worldview so they can be masters of their own perspective, rather than just basing their views off of someone else's. It's liberating. Embrace nihilism, see where you go from there. And that's how you leave Plato's Cave.
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