• @lugal
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    27 months ago

    Nobody said it’s only about redistributing money. We are talking about a 4 panel meme that says “Rich people are the problem”. It’s not a manifesto stating that redistribution will solve all our problems. It’s a meme saying rich people are the problem. They are the ruling class. Not everything utterance has to have the solution. Sometimes it’s enough to state the problem.

    I’m full into solving the housing problem by occupying empty houses and self-organized groups around the concept of mutual aid. We need to abolish money and the state and patriarchy but sometimes it’s ok to “just” say “rich people are the problem”. This doesn’t imply that it’s the only one and that the solution is easy. It isn’t.

    • @saltesc@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      Rich people are the by-product of social inequality. The actual problem. Correcting these things would naturally dissolve the power of money since it devalues its place in society as it is less needed for basic social survival.

      But in there lies the true issue. If no longer money—an artificial measure of tracking what is valuable in society—what is the next thing the same people will want to control? Our history is riddled with it. That’s the tricky part of we abolish money and it does sound awful nice like you say. Gold, water, people, currency, oil… It’s always something. But leftism looks to ensure things like this are avoided, not being side-tracked by trying to cure the symptoms. If you are a leftist, people wih absurd control of something (money in this case) are an indicatior equality has been neglected and there’s work to do. Step 1, look at what’s making them have so much control and start on all of those things. It’s not money. Money’s not even valuable to many of the left.

      I see this comic and I don’t see leftism at all. I see someone upset about finance and doesn’t know what to do but blame a specific symptom of inequality impacting them. That’s not going to do anything and it’s not “left”. It indicates a value and focus for money that may even see them do the exact same thing if they amassed some, since it’s so important to them than much other else in the complexities of society, especially the actual problems causing it.

      My triggering issue is it says “this is left” and “this is right” without sensing the irony. The money part is just…so primitive I couldn’t help myself. We see things on spectrums with many points peppered across for just a single individual. What upsets me is this primative two camp idea driving “Whatever I don’t like must be right/left” without actually understanding what these things are. It’s very clear of a naturally divisive society which is a breeding ground for social inequality. It smells distinctly US where almost many things (and historically so) are a really strong competition of one side versus another. Trying to drag leftism into that is actually opposing to its fundamental ideas. Neglecting the spectrum entirely is straight up regressive of social maturity and stability.

      I don’t think many people on Lemmy actually know what they are except unhappy, and they are looking for comfort and hope in a home. But the principle ideas of leftism do not conduct itself this way, lest it never succeed in progression.

      Edit: Also, I appreciate you sticking with me this far :) It’s okay if I’ve been exhausting enough now though. Exchanging thoughts and ideas is super fulfilling and we always get better for it, even if we don’t think anything’s sticking.