Politics and the Political

The Illusion of Political Engagement

Morning Comrades.

It is Tuesday lunch at the time of writing and realistically, we will not know the results of the US presidential election for another few days, again, ballot boxes and such. I had to reel myself in a little from the feverish psychosis that they have induced and that are not culminating until Thursday I presume and with that wanted to reiterate a few core truths and talk about politics and the political. Importantly, the following is not only true but illustrates a way we have to work regardless of who the capitalist class chooses to be the face of our oppression.

Irrespective of where you lie or identify as politically, in whatever country you are reading this from, everything, genuinely everything is political and thus becomes politics. As brutal as it may sounds, this doesn’t change if you choose to be a-political or like myself, eschews bourgeois parliamentary politics and works outside the capitalist class’ arena of politics. Thus, irrespective of who “wins” tomorrow, we are set to “loose”, as no politician on the ballot is allowed to be there without the consent of the capitalist class and that means, no matter, what, you and I will continue to be robbed, of everything. This is the core reality of what existence in the free world means, we are getting robbed of everything and as soon as you speak out, you’ll be gone. Forget all the “rights” and “feels”, all of those commodified identities that too many people still hold to close to their consumerist existence are based on the wealth you and I create, and again, no matter who wins, you’ll get robbed, just as your parents and grandparents have. As always, everything starts with understanding of “enough is enough”.

We have to reiterate the importance and distinction between “voting” and politics, specifically, the political. No matter who is chosen by the capitalists to sell us their oppression, our work remains the same, and takes place everyday at all and every given moment. To clarify the distinction before we get into the nitty gritty of it all:

Politics refers to the activities, processes, and institutions through which societies organize and exercise power, make decisions, and resolve conflicts. It involves governance and the distribution of resources, authority, and privileges. Politics is inherently tied to the mechanisms by which groups, whether they be states, communities, or organizations, attempt to manage collective life and address shared issues. This encompasses the ways in which power is sought, negotiated, and implemented, and how different interests are balanced within society.

The Political denotes a broader, more abstract concept related to the fundamental question of power and conflict in society. It concerns the distinction between what is considered political and non-political and is often framed as the struggle over the organization of social life and the recognition of what counts as a legitimate political issue. The political highlights the antagonistic dimensions of human coexistence, focusing on the way identities, norms, and social orders are contested and constructed through these conflicts. It explores the foundational divides, often concerning power and sovereignty, that underlie any political community.

The phrase "everything is political, and the political is everything" captures the all-encompassing reach of politics in contemporary society, and below we are going to dissect it in a way that allows us to see the necessary revolutionary we have to do.