What is on my mind..
Free flowing writing.
Amazing to me that even the ones behind a revolution, those who talk of fighting for the people - are almost just as fucked as the Imperialists. They all participate in a spectacle, a manipulation - and it's justified, it's "okay" because it's right. Fuck Moral superiority.
- I've never claimed to be a communist/anarchist/socialist (jokingly I have) the ideology is just that. Ideal. But that doesnt mean I like capitalism. It's fucked up, probably the most fucked of them all. But it's part of the problem.. It's not THE problem. Language, letters, words, numbers, all symbols. Not necessarily a bad thing. We need these symbols in order to communicate. But language aside - symbols have become society. Everything has become a representation (once again I'm a Debordian).. If someone interprets us in a way we dislike, we try to set the record straight and express who we REALLY are. Usually this entails leaving out most of the bad and creating a persona. I like to create and if someone wants to construct their own personality that usually is admirable as opposed to someone being what they are told they are.
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Che Guevara and Fidel Castro played so many games and manipulated so many people. While I admire their efforts and their cause. I think they went about it the wrong way. Che' wanted to skip all the "steps" and go straight from Capitalism-Communism. He criticized the Soviets for paying workers extra who chose to work overtime, he believed that people should just work extra because they want too. Because they are loyal to their country and fellow humans. Ideal and possibly could be achieved - but not over night (or in Cuba's sense.. Literally one year, but not communism, rather socialism). Of course in orthodox Marxist theory (correct me is I'm wrong readers who may be Marxists and know far more than I do), the transition is supposed to be natural - the workers would realize their oppression and would confront capitalism. Leninists and Castroists believed in overthrowing capitalism, telling the workers they were oppressed and anyone who should disagree should leave the country or be killed. Once again - thank god for moral superiority.
- Fidel Castro came to America in 1959. Eisenhower would not meet with him (he was too busy on vacation playing golf) and sent him vice president Richard Nixon. Fidel asked for cooperation from the US, but Nixon declined, questioned his authority (Fidel was only 33 and had never held politlca office before) as political figure and hinted that Cuba should follow Puerto Rico's footsteps. Fidel became outraged. But Che has already been so long before him. )Castro met Che in 1955 in Mexico where he and his "July 26th movement" was planning an attack on Batista and Cuba. On Dec 2nd, 1955, they landed upon Cuba w/ only 86 men.. These 86 men would climb through the Sierra Maestra mountains and gain the support of peasants, acquire connections, money and take the weapons from the thugs and military they would run into. They would eventually defeat over 10,000 of Batista's men. By the time they were driving to Havana (oh, and they also acquired some jeeps along the way), Batista had already fled the country w/ his family and a few of his close friends.) Che was heavily into Marx and Lenin when he met Fidel Castro, and Fidels younger brother, Raul was as well.
- Castro was actually known to be anti-communist and wanted to implement a democracy onto Cuba. But it's obvious that he-dare I say, played the roll of puppet for a while after gained power in Cuba. Not saying he is an idiot or didn't have vision. More so that he was trying to work on relations America (not to sy he was pro America, for a while, he criticized America for supporting Batista and his regime which America did. However, when he did meet w/ Nixon, he did bring his most pro-American and anti-communist comrads w/ him), other movements that helped him defeat Batista who were also anti-communist and he was also trying to incorporate ideas from his v. Marxist influenced comrads Che and Raul, and the PSP. However, after a fall of events, including entering economic agreements w/ the Soviets, rising tensions w/ the US and a strong influence from Che, Raul and the PSP. Fidel would finally admit that Cuba was heading for socialism...
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The way Che and Fidel both spoke (or for Fidel; speaks) it seems to be the same brainwashing tactics that other leaders have used... Is propaganda bad? People say it doesnt have to be if it represents the right cause. God knows that Peta uses propaganda left and right and they are for a compassionate cause.. However, my only problem w/ propaganda is once again - only showing one side of the story, usually the use of a slogan, a catch image, strong words, something that can stick in someone's mind.. A representation of the cause.. A cause and a fight and people are so complex. To stand behind one slogan,, "Viva la Revolucian!" is admirable but doesn't it weird anyone else out that such simple words such as those just stated, or labels such as "mormon" "vegan" "feminist" "facist" have come to define a whole individual? Even your name... Your name is a label-albiet a more practical and needed label.
---
Personally I am an optimist, but as for as a whole of society - I do hold v. much hope (now the Nietzchean in me is talking - if those can exist). If I wanted to live a selfish existence I would be satisified because I am "enlightened" and know how to live my life without being a miserable degenerate (notice sarcasm). But with that mentality I am only falling into the moral superiority bullshit which I despise, and not to mention, for some reason I care. Whether or not anyone wants to believe that or not, this isn't about proving myself to anyone who finds me to be the scum of the earth.. All I know is that I don't understand why if most people just want to live their own lives.. how things have become so fucked up! People say "easy Jen: Greed, power etc." no no no you cant just rumberstamp it like that. Because society has so much more to it than that. This shit is complex and we have just created this spectacle full of symbols and ideas that one wants to see and wishes things were that way. It's not just capitalism, the people on top etc. Society as well creates what it wants to believe, the people on the bottom reach to an idea they want to achieve - sometimes that is healthy other times it is not. I hear some say, "turn a negative experience into a positive one" which I think is a damaging ideology. I see it as a form of denial. I watched a movie the other day, based on a true story and the movie had no "feel good" aspects to it. The protagonist has a shitty life, a shitty death and never "wins". For some over-the-top optimist to say the above phrase is highly naive. We need to realize that things in life are awful and quit living in denial. Especially here in Utah County... Personally? I'm lucky enough to have access to the internet, to be able to attend college, to be able to own the books I do, to be able to be as aware as I am. I'm not here to say how horrible my life is because it is not. What is horrible is the spectacle that has been created here as well as in many other cultures. Created out of denial and to escape guilt. It doesn't take a genius to know that many of our material and tangible pleasures in life come to us in @ the expense of others... Others who do not have the option to be aware. The option to fight for a cause. The option to even care... To think - I've become this way out of a "hobby."
So that is that. I'm going to Pride tomorrow w/ two of the greatest girls ever, xlabrysx and reflexorozy. If I were feeling festive, I'd wear a rainbow wig - create a "fun" spectacle showing that I'm down for the cause eh?
PS - to xshaunxctx, I agree w/ your latest post. Which is why I had to go vegetarian (currently making my way to veganism). Especially since I thought chickens were so damn neat. I just felt hypocritical and ass backwards for claiming compassion for animals yet eating them for dinner.. However, that isn't to put down those who ARE compassionate to animals yet still continue to eat meat.. Anything that alleviates suffering is a step. I'd rather have someone who ate meat, yet who rescued animals from shelters and took care of them as opposed to someone who ate meat and stuck firecrackers up cats' asses for entertainment.. I think the latter is far more fucked up.
Amazing to me that even the ones behind a revolution, those who talk of fighting for the people - are almost just as fucked as the Imperialists. They all participate in a spectacle, a manipulation - and it's justified, it's "okay" because it's right. Fuck Moral superiority.
- I've never claimed to be a communist/anarchist/socialist (jokingly I have) the ideology is just that. Ideal. But that doesnt mean I like capitalism. It's fucked up, probably the most fucked of them all. But it's part of the problem.. It's not THE problem. Language, letters, words, numbers, all symbols. Not necessarily a bad thing. We need these symbols in order to communicate. But language aside - symbols have become society. Everything has become a representation (once again I'm a Debordian).. If someone interprets us in a way we dislike, we try to set the record straight and express who we REALLY are. Usually this entails leaving out most of the bad and creating a persona. I like to create and if someone wants to construct their own personality that usually is admirable as opposed to someone being what they are told they are.
---
Che Guevara and Fidel Castro played so many games and manipulated so many people. While I admire their efforts and their cause. I think they went about it the wrong way. Che' wanted to skip all the "steps" and go straight from Capitalism-Communism. He criticized the Soviets for paying workers extra who chose to work overtime, he believed that people should just work extra because they want too. Because they are loyal to their country and fellow humans. Ideal and possibly could be achieved - but not over night (or in Cuba's sense.. Literally one year, but not communism, rather socialism). Of course in orthodox Marxist theory (correct me is I'm wrong readers who may be Marxists and know far more than I do), the transition is supposed to be natural - the workers would realize their oppression and would confront capitalism. Leninists and Castroists believed in overthrowing capitalism, telling the workers they were oppressed and anyone who should disagree should leave the country or be killed. Once again - thank god for moral superiority.
- Fidel Castro came to America in 1959. Eisenhower would not meet with him (he was too busy on vacation playing golf) and sent him vice president Richard Nixon. Fidel asked for cooperation from the US, but Nixon declined, questioned his authority (Fidel was only 33 and had never held politlca office before) as political figure and hinted that Cuba should follow Puerto Rico's footsteps. Fidel became outraged. But Che has already been so long before him. )Castro met Che in 1955 in Mexico where he and his "July 26th movement" was planning an attack on Batista and Cuba. On Dec 2nd, 1955, they landed upon Cuba w/ only 86 men.. These 86 men would climb through the Sierra Maestra mountains and gain the support of peasants, acquire connections, money and take the weapons from the thugs and military they would run into. They would eventually defeat over 10,000 of Batista's men. By the time they were driving to Havana (oh, and they also acquired some jeeps along the way), Batista had already fled the country w/ his family and a few of his close friends.) Che was heavily into Marx and Lenin when he met Fidel Castro, and Fidels younger brother, Raul was as well.
- Castro was actually known to be anti-communist and wanted to implement a democracy onto Cuba. But it's obvious that he-dare I say, played the roll of puppet for a while after gained power in Cuba. Not saying he is an idiot or didn't have vision. More so that he was trying to work on relations America (not to sy he was pro America, for a while, he criticized America for supporting Batista and his regime which America did. However, when he did meet w/ Nixon, he did bring his most pro-American and anti-communist comrads w/ him), other movements that helped him defeat Batista who were also anti-communist and he was also trying to incorporate ideas from his v. Marxist influenced comrads Che and Raul, and the PSP. However, after a fall of events, including entering economic agreements w/ the Soviets, rising tensions w/ the US and a strong influence from Che, Raul and the PSP. Fidel would finally admit that Cuba was heading for socialism...
---
The way Che and Fidel both spoke (or for Fidel; speaks) it seems to be the same brainwashing tactics that other leaders have used... Is propaganda bad? People say it doesnt have to be if it represents the right cause. God knows that Peta uses propaganda left and right and they are for a compassionate cause.. However, my only problem w/ propaganda is once again - only showing one side of the story, usually the use of a slogan, a catch image, strong words, something that can stick in someone's mind.. A representation of the cause.. A cause and a fight and people are so complex. To stand behind one slogan,, "Viva la Revolucian!" is admirable but doesn't it weird anyone else out that such simple words such as those just stated, or labels such as "mormon" "vegan" "feminist" "facist" have come to define a whole individual? Even your name... Your name is a label-albiet a more practical and needed label.
---
Personally I am an optimist, but as for as a whole of society - I do hold v. much hope (now the Nietzchean in me is talking - if those can exist). If I wanted to live a selfish existence I would be satisified because I am "enlightened" and know how to live my life without being a miserable degenerate (notice sarcasm). But with that mentality I am only falling into the moral superiority bullshit which I despise, and not to mention, for some reason I care. Whether or not anyone wants to believe that or not, this isn't about proving myself to anyone who finds me to be the scum of the earth.. All I know is that I don't understand why if most people just want to live their own lives.. how things have become so fucked up! People say "easy Jen: Greed, power etc." no no no you cant just rumberstamp it like that. Because society has so much more to it than that. This shit is complex and we have just created this spectacle full of symbols and ideas that one wants to see and wishes things were that way. It's not just capitalism, the people on top etc. Society as well creates what it wants to believe, the people on the bottom reach to an idea they want to achieve - sometimes that is healthy other times it is not. I hear some say, "turn a negative experience into a positive one" which I think is a damaging ideology. I see it as a form of denial. I watched a movie the other day, based on a true story and the movie had no "feel good" aspects to it. The protagonist has a shitty life, a shitty death and never "wins". For some over-the-top optimist to say the above phrase is highly naive. We need to realize that things in life are awful and quit living in denial. Especially here in Utah County... Personally? I'm lucky enough to have access to the internet, to be able to attend college, to be able to own the books I do, to be able to be as aware as I am. I'm not here to say how horrible my life is because it is not. What is horrible is the spectacle that has been created here as well as in many other cultures. Created out of denial and to escape guilt. It doesn't take a genius to know that many of our material and tangible pleasures in life come to us in @ the expense of others... Others who do not have the option to be aware. The option to fight for a cause. The option to even care... To think - I've become this way out of a "hobby."
So that is that. I'm going to Pride tomorrow w/ two of the greatest girls ever, xlabrysx and reflexorozy. If I were feeling festive, I'd wear a rainbow wig - create a "fun" spectacle showing that I'm down for the cause eh?
PS - to xshaunxctx, I agree w/ your latest post. Which is why I had to go vegetarian (currently making my way to veganism). Especially since I thought chickens were so damn neat. I just felt hypocritical and ass backwards for claiming compassion for animals yet eating them for dinner.. However, that isn't to put down those who ARE compassionate to animals yet still continue to eat meat.. Anything that alleviates suffering is a step. I'd rather have someone who ate meat, yet who rescued animals from shelters and took care of them as opposed to someone who ate meat and stuck firecrackers up cats' asses for entertainment.. I think the latter is far more fucked up.