Morning Comrades.
Thank you for all the congratulations and emails over the last few days. That was incredibly nice and certainly helped brighten my last few days up. As I am sure you can well imagine the magnitude and breadth of this title involve a number of complex emotions, more so than realities to be honest and I am definitely still rolling with most of them.
I have been thinking a lot of value, work and purpose these last few days, and whilst I am definitely chewing on a bigger bone in regards to class an how it relates and impacts us each individually, something to be dealt with on here over the next few days to be sure, I wanted to focus on something else: purpose.
There are seemingly infinite layers to the word and its meaning in our cultures. Class, and its psychological and material realities impact it in addition to a number of subsequent identifiers: sex, race, religion and so forth. Whilst those categories all have and will continue to deserve study in on themselves, as well as their interconnection - because they exist and again, in on themselves carry metaphysical and material realities - I am going to try to untangle my own thoughts in regards to purpose, as it pertains to myself and most likely to you, the reader.
With every milestone in ones path the most immediate, and logical1 thought that occurs: Ok, what now? What are you going to do with this? Truthfully, at this point I cannot say that my own milestone falls into this category at this point in my life. Of course, fatigue and over-saturation of the subject at this point causes a natural aversion thereof, that might wane over time but I am in shape to think along those lines yet. Nevertheless, as written about last week, the question remains, in a larger context ( i.e. what is the meaning of or rather to life ) and in a smaller, more immediate - what now?
Take for example this newsletter. Every now and then I look at the numbers here, mostly out of curiosity. At this point this email reaches well over 8000 people per dispatch, which is mad. This however then also puts the work into sharp contrast at this end. If I have the privilege to reach that many people, 3 times a week then I better make what I write absolutely worth it. I do think that outreach, be it with one person or 10’000 has to serve the purpose of helping - be it through listening, encouragement, even possibly advice2 and the same goes for this place.
I no longer see the point in doing what I did a few years ago, first over on IG and then here - reacting with literal outrage at the wrong doings of the 1% and their masters. Yes, keeping tabs on the bastards is hugely important, similar to keeping tabs on cops and fascists / racists in your neighborhood as part of the larger anti-fascist work- yet at this point: we know that they are all truly psychopathic, evil and hell bent on the destruction of us and the planet. We got that part. What, however, comes after that? Again, the question of purpose is asked and funnily enough the purpose has always been clear and has always been irrespective of whatever academic degree I may have had or will continue to have.
As someone that aims to fight the injustices inherent in our existence and has found guidance in the analysis of Marxian theory, in addition to generations of historical examples of praxis, it’s always been clear and if anything has just gotten clearer.
Analysis’ and debates without material consequences are nothing but a honey trap of the existing power structures to maintain their power.
It’s all fair and square to figure out who is who and who is doing what that opposes your right for self-determination but it is hugely important to remember that those in power3, simply allow you to study this, never to consequentially act on the analysis. Take for example our respective governments. At this point it is beyond clear to even the most moderate of readers here, that inherently, their existence threatens your freedom and well-being. Ok, cool, now what? Logically, if someone or a structure threatens your well being you do something about. You ask questions, you organize power in yourself or / and numbers and aim to change and ideally avert this threat.
I don’t want to list the number or comrades that have tried just that over the last 100 years let alone start a list of them that have been killed, jailed or simply disappeared. Power never allows genuine challengers and with the system that we exist in, they have created the narrative that any challenge to the systems power can morally, and legally be removed. Which of course it is not, but here we are. The consequential logic then is, what to do? What is the point or rather purpose of knowing?
As so often mentioned and talked about here before: creating / joining power structures that exist and operate outside of the reactionary reality of the nightmare we call life. What is the point of thinking / believing you are a Marxist / Communist / Socialist / Anarchist if you are not doing anything that either directly or indirectly challenges “power” by leading by example? What is the point of calling oneself an “activist”4 if you aren't out there, talking to your neighbours and colleagues about challenging power? What is the point of studying if you are not going to educate?
Educate. Good point that. I have a little experience in that and again, it is vital to remember that any school, no matter at what level exists because we, the people, have pressured the rich to create them. To them, education is still one of the most dangerous realities and threats to their existence because an educated worker will always ask why, and their ‘why’s’ are always answered in exclusive language and nonsensical arguments of history and more importantly, always enforced by brute force. It is no coincidence that in the heart of this capitalist empire, education as a structure is one of most contested structures by the 1%, one used for control, indoctrination and crowd control.
I am not at the stage where I can truthfully say I am successfully building alternative educational structures to empower people but a few facts are becoming clearer. One, academia as I have experienced it is not the place for fostering empowerment, and similarly to the reformist tendencies amongst some people in regards to our governments, I consider it wasted energy. However, maybe that’s a purpose inherent after this journey.
Each according to their ability with each according to their needs.
Thank you for your time, attention and interest as always comrades.
Shine A Light.
The world needs it.
Yours,
V.
not so much logical for all, to be fair. I believe finding and deriving purpose from logic stems from a class issue as well. For example, as a working class person, all actions have to be justified in the sense that they are economical, quests for pleasure as they appear to be, feel to be luxuries of the bourgeoisie, when said quests are financed irrespective of their success or failure by inherent money. Personally, I used to logically justify my 6 year journey towards this PhD with a number of net positive results, money, security, acknowledgement and so on - yet, these all seem to be smoke mirrors at this point. TBC.
advice is a sketchy thing in my opinion. Whilst often asked for I do think giving advice is predominately an ego-based projection of self-service to justify ones own past mistakes and I shy away from it, mostly.
make absolutely no mistake, “power” and those that wield it are working daily to extract profit from your existence, by any means necessary.
yikes. I dislike this term purely due to the performative bullshit social media nonsense. They exist in real life too, and my personal experience has always been negative and my only suggestion is to stay as far away from anyone that calls themselves an “activist”. utmost cringe.