Honestly I just feel kind of powerless and hopeless.
Like...maybe I could join some organization, but left wing politics in the west just seems like a joke, either full of socdems or just fractured beyond belief.
One of the "easiest" things I guess I could do is just talk to people I know about politics. But, I honestly don't even know if Americans can be reached at this point. Assuming they can, I still don't know what the best course of action would be. Is it better to just be a super commie and radical to serve as some counterpoint to all their other influences? Or do people arrive at their own conclusions on their own time and I should just subtly plant seeds? One would certainly be safer, both in keeping my relationships intact and not having the government shove me into a van.
It seems futile, I am powerless against the osmosis of our society, even if I plant seeds, it means nothing if no one is there to water them. The one thing I can do on my own means nothing because I am a drop in the bucket of the cultural zeitgeist people are influenced by everyday. And any kind of collective action I could take just seems untenable.
idk I am just rambling
I know the feeling. I guess it's up to all of us to do the best with what we have. Have you considered alternative forms of helping? Basic antifascist work is a fantastic place to start, especially if you are a painfully online person - a good example is to check out the recent posts by Antifascist Cattle Rustler on Medium.
There are also community building exercises you could be doing in your local area - these might not at first look like political actions, but building community solidarity is an amazing place to start and a great place to push those further left; check your local community for community gardens, toy libraries, reading groups, men's sheds - anything that helps those less fortunate or looking for community themselves. This is instrumental in building the foundations for change, and can help you reach those that otherwise won't be reached by theory. Community work is always praxis.
If you're looking for a more explicitly political alternative you can always choose the electorialism path. While they may stand no chance in making it into your local / state / federal elections, there are bound to be some socialist / anarchist / explicitly communist groups in your area. Bolstering these with your support and participation can give you a sense of belonging in the real world, and can help you make real world links to even more ways you could be making change.
If all else fails, just never stop posting. We need to be loud, to be heard, and to show that there is an alternative out there for people. The more people we have sign up here, the less people we have thinking there are only two options in elections, the more conversation in these communities the better everything becomes.
I didn't feel like I had a place, but now I'm getting great fulfilment in helping out with the Chapo School. It takes skills that I have and applies them to strengthening our side.
We're with you comrade, no matter what. Together we can make things happen. I mean, fuck, if you listen to the libs, we've already had a (negative) impact on US elections as Bernie Bros. We wouldn't have been banned from Reddit if we weren't making some sort of noise. We can do things together. Communism is about the strength of us unified and the weakness of the individual. Consider yourself part of the group and we'll work hard to make change together.
Oh hey, that's my article you linked! Thanks for posting it. I just arrived here to do the same, but looks like I need to make some comments before I can make a new post.