I know everyone and their mom is talking about "It Could Happen Here" by Robert Evans recently but damn that podcast has never been more relevant. The videos from Portland yesterday are definitely a wake-up call for me to stop being a little bitch. That's not the point of the post though, I just wanted everyone's thoughts on our situation. Here's what's happening in America right now:
*Massive record breaking wildfires *There's about to be 2 hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico *Crop shortages and failures *Coronavirus *Mass unemployment *Apocalyptic eviction crisis *Waves of protests and/or brawls *Possible election crisis?
All of this is happening while the federal government is completely broken. Congress hasn't gotten shit done and then they went on break of course. It seems to me that not only does Congress not care but they don't seem to genuinely think things are as bad as they actually are. I don't want to get ahead of myself, but could we be closer to the end of America than many think?
I don't know but I will say that every revolution I've read about involved the extreme incompetence of the ruling class
Biggest difference is that the ruling regime has a large support base in the US right now. 40% of people support Donald Trump even in these insane conditions, and honestly probably another 50% fully supports the Democrats. You need a situation where there is no Bourgeois opposition, and the ruling regime is deeply unpopular. That paired with dire material conditions is the recipe for Revolution. We aren't really anywhere near that yet.
Ask any normal person this question and they'll look at you like you have a third eye. Everyone is so engrossed in their own lives, between working 60 hours a week and trying to keep everything else together. Thinking about this shit is a waste, a childish obsession to them. And it's not hard to see how it seems that way to them, having energy/perspective to think about shit not obviously directly related to their daily lives would be a privilege.
I dunno, I guess I buy the docile American meme. No one fucking cares unless they're weirdos that read too much news. And no one will unless their daily routines are dramatically interrupted, and that probably won't happen.
I mean you're not wrong in the sense that I am childish and read too much news lol. However, I think you're wrong when writing off "normal people" as being 100% docile and oblivious. A lot of people are suffering right now and I've talked to quite a few "normal people" who don't think the idea that the US is crumbling is insane. I do realize that that is anecdotal though.
But does the general population have to know the US is collapsing for it to collapse? The problems plaguing the system right now are so deep and fundamental I'm not sure anyone can do too much about it anyway.
Maybe, but I think the meme of the American public being 100% docile is incorrect. When the George Floyd protests happened there were massive demonstrations in my city and their aren't even any major political organizations here.
Not that the left would be a major factor in a Second Civil War right now, but I think it shows that the bourgeoisies grip on the people isn't as strong as we might think.
You're right that the protests tapered out, but I'm sorry, they were never going to be a sustained campaign when there was little large scale organization and it was during a pandemic. I think we need to view the protests for what they were and prepare for next time instead of being overly-cynical.
But I don't bring it up to say we're one the eve of revolution or anything because we simply are not. However, I think we are somewhat close to the collapse of the liberal state which is what my post was about. I genuinely do not know where we go from here and I don't think many in the government know either. We've been in a massive capitalist crisis for well over a decade and shit right now is getting far worse.
Now I'm also aware that leftists for centuries have said the end of the capitalist order is near, but I genuinely think this time IS different and could be fatal. Even if the US survives this current crisis I think it will leave some pretty big cracks.
No
Nothing good will ever happen in america. This idiot country will soldier on until the ocean swallows it because no one gives enough of a shit about other people to fight for anything
As a non-american who likes to think 100 generations ahead, idgaf what y'all do, just get a semi-competent government that will at least do some bare-minimum carbon emissions mitigation ahahah