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Hey nostr:nprofile1qqstm84k2lp9knmvmf5gw88zvfvar7duvfpqfplryfystdn55ug2gksprfmhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wd68yurvv438xtnrdaksz9thwden5te0wahhgtnwdaehgu3wwpshyareqyg8wumn8ghj7mn0wd68ytnhd9hx2j8uly5, I was listening to you and nostr:nprofile1qqsp4lsvwn3aw7zwh2f6tcl6249xa6cpj2x3yuu6azaysvncdqywxmgprpmhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuumwdae8gtnnda3kjctvq9n8wumn8ghj7enfd36x2u3wdehhxarj9emkjmn99ah8qatzx9e8gmr3vdsnsu3kv96hjcthx4hr26pnds6ngv3jv3kngumj0y6kg7nxv4jngd3exen8zefcwvm8zem4v34hxdmydf6xvuelvfex7ctyvdshxapaw3e82egpzpmhxue69uhkummnw3ezuamfdejs5mzk3a on nostr:nprofile1qqsvfr3f7p95stxqrjslnmuvsmhcxxxqt8swjdfjx5tz7zq0yms5cygpzemhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuurjd9kkzmpwdejhgqg4waehxw309ajkgetw9ehx7um5wghxcctwvsq32amnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwd4hhxarj9ec82css0rm9g's pod.

You mentioned that you dove pretty deep on Marx prior to finding bitcoin.

I have read very little Marx directly, but I defaulted to the left early in life as well. (having gone through public school in CA)

Bitcoiners on average have a canniption if someone says Marx had some valid opinions.

My personal philosophy is that everyone has valid opinions. "Nobody is smart enough to be wrong all the time." - Ken Wiber

Ignoring opinions from people we disagree with is a representation of philosophical weakness in my opinion. Often stemming from (valid) fears.

The safer we become from communism/authoritarianism the more willing I feel to consider what my blind spots are.

Two questions I'd love to get into if you're interested:

1. How would you say Marx's theory differs from current day implementations of the left.

2. What valid opinions did he have and what could be learned from them?

Erik Cason 11mo ago

Jeez, this is like a really really big question that demands like 200 pages of historic context to really get into and parse out. Marxism today is a highly mutilated version of its own assertions starting as early as the communist manifesto, as Marxism was originally an application of scientific socialism; a theory that came long before Marx. Today we have some form of Stalinist-Maoist ideologies divorced from the classic ideas that were first put forward as scientific socialism.

As to the second question, I think it’s obvious that the consolidation of capitalism into the hands of a few and their relationship to the state and regulatory regime has been hugely damaging to humanity on a whole and that needs to be checked in someway.

This is where and why I side with anarchism, which was allied with the socialist up until the second international where Bakunin broke with Marx over the use of the state to create a communist society.

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Discussion

Sourcenode 11mo ago

Interesting thanks man 🤙

I wasn't familiar with Bakunin, but I realize that taking the means of production by force and then magically distributing it to the people is insanely unrealistic.

The main idea I have appreciated from Marx is this concept about the commodification of our desires. The way commercials try to sell us on crap we don't need by displaying a happy family for example. (I believe Marx wrote on advertising specifically, but I haven't read him directly so it could have been a contemporary)

Erik Cason 11mo ago

The division between young Marx thought (alienation) and older (materialism) both have important distinctions as well.

Imho anarchism recognizes many of the criticisms of capitalism, but addresses them in a way that doesn’t lead to insanity or totalitarianism. This is why anarchism was such a failure of political theory in the 20th century it just didn’t have the tools to actualize itself. However we do now have those tools, just very few recognize their political nature.

Sourcenode 11mo ago

Nice, I love that.

Most of the anarchist literature I've read has been in the ancap vein, with the exception of Bookchin, Chomsky, and Graeber who are all too far left for my taste.

On the flip side, the transactional nature of ancap ideology seems totally soulless to me. For example, Rothbard siding against farmers in favor of the banks reposessing their land left an awful taste in my mouth.

Can you think of any particular books or authors worth checking out that provide a decent balance?

. 11mo ago

You may find Guy Debord "Society of the Spectacle" an interesting take on modern commodification. The Situationist perspective is a modern Hegelian critique of the soulessness of capitalism and a challenge to the Stalinist state vs daily choices of a council.

Sourcenode 11mo ago

Nice, thanks for the recommendation. I will give that a read.

Erik Cason 11mo ago

Guy is the strategist that I think bridges the gap between classic and modern understanding of these concepts in many ways.

Erik Cason 11mo ago

I had a good response that got ate from me not having a good connection, But Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, Peter Kropotkin, and rudolf rocker all have interesting takes

Sourcenode 11mo ago

Nice, three new names for me. I will check them out.

This is the renaissance 🤙

Erik Cason 11mo ago

Yeah I don’t really dig contemporary anarchist, as the ideology is all messed up imho.

I have not read these in a while, but Rudolf Rocker, Peter kropotkin, and Pierre-Joseph Proudhon all influenced my thoughts on this division between anarchism and communism.