On Political Idealism in Our Time
Most of my friends on the left are idealists. They believe that if they support and elect the right people, we will have a just, egalitarian, and ecologically sound society. They have purity tests to decide on acceptable candidates. They blame the Democrats for being weak, or for being too corporate. They either think they can win at electoral politics merely by voting, or they think that the current system of global capitalism will be overthrown in a glorious revolution.
They can’t see that no matter whom they elect, none of those things will come to pass. The purist of hearts, if elected, would hurl themselves against a powerful and ancient system, only to be corrupted in turn, or destroyed.
I am not an idealist. There will be no revolution and if there were, we would die in droves. The streets would run red with our blood, not the blood of the ruling class. Yes, we can march, for now. But, to the ones pulling the strings, destroying the planet and beggaring our children, this is a small annoyance, nothing more. We are insects to them.
They have always been with us, the parasitic aristocrats. They have run this country at other times, but perhaps never as completely as they do now. They hated the new deal, and the rise of civil rights. They are old school, and much better at statecraft than those who believe as we do.
They have planned long and well for this day. And they have won. At least for now.
For those who say the two parties are the same. that is not true. The Democratic Party is full of principled men and women who always prove to be ineffective at creating any real and lasting change. They have, over the last decades, managed to reign in the worst policies of the Republicans, a wholly owned subsidiary of the global capitalist class.
But they too believe in things like free trade being necessary to democracy and that privatization is good for everyone, and that we should show our good faith through compromise. They can’t see that this is tantamount to negotiating with terrorists. They believe these things because they want to be reasonable, and because these things are common wisdom. What they can’t see is that the common wisdom is merely a set of right-wing capitalist talking points. It is like a fish not seeing the water it swims in.
We can’t win because they have set the agenda. Because they have framed the debate. Because they have seized the narrative and corrupted it. And they have done this so thoroughly that their philosophy seems like common sense to most people.
You may think me a cynic, but I am not. Seeing clearly is not cynicism. No, I have very little hope for an immediate good end to this story. In time, the earth and her patterns will put a stop to it, but that will not help the 99.9 percent of humanity seeking relief from this psychopathic enterprise.
What then shall we do, if neither peaceful protest, armed revolt, or faith in the laws will do any good? For me it is simple. Be good. Do good where you can. Vote, of course, but don’t expect that to do much but fend off the worst. Act locally and prepare to be self-sufficient. Grow food, and share. Live with grace, and walk in beauty, the beauty found in everyday things. Love your family, your friends, your home, and your natural surroundings.
These are great forces, the turning of the great wheel. As Gandalf told Frodo, we do not get to choose our time, only how we acquit ourselves living in it. Love is a great force too. This is what I choose, as I have the power to do so. As do we all.
Originally published at https://lifebeyondcapitalism.com on June 12, 2018.
