Every time we chat, and the discussion turns towards capitalism, she’s the one who without any hesitation just says we should kill them all. Now, though, it’s gone further to torture. And she names names. In addition to people like Bezos and Musk, she includes Ben Shapiro, Andrew Tate and others.

I say we should force them to work and maybe learn the error of their ways (After the revolution of course. During it many of these fucks will die and I’ll be glad).

Her current jobs is extremely horrible. She’s being massively overworked, verbally abused and, of course, underpaid. So I get her frustration. But it’s also scary. I don’t want her to get in any trouble.

I don’t know if I should be gently turning her away from imagining a slow and painful torture of capitalists or not. Am I being a lib or is she too extreme?

  • aaaaaaadjsf [he/him, comrade/them]
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    edit-2
    1 year ago

    It's not really about that I think. As Mandela said, “Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.”. At the end of the day the only person being harmed by her revenge fantasies is herself and her mind. The chances that any of these people will actually face any consequencs at this moment in time is very slim. It is just a big waste of energy to construct these kinds of thoughts when 1% of communism hasn't even been built yet.

    I understand fully why people want to hurt those who have hurt them and others, and my people have those feelings. But you can't live life angry at the world 24/7, that is its own mental prison.

    I also struggled with this a lot and am trying to follow my own advice here. I also get really pissed at the state of the world and have dark thoughts. When I first heard about Mandela's speeches and thoughts on resentment and bitterness as a young kid/teenager, I thought he was talking crap to be quite honest. But as I've gotten a little older, I find what he said to me more and more true.

    • MerryChristmas [any]
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      1 year ago

      Agreed. What some people don't seem to recognize is that it's not about empathy for them. You're not letting go of the resentment out of compassion - it just isn't sustainable to be this angry all the time. It eats into other parts of your life and hinders your ability to take care of yourself, which in turn makes you less effective in your activism and less prepared should a serious movement ever develop.

      Maybe this isn't true for everyone, but I'm angry about this sort of thing all the time and that is what has happened. I'm working on it, too.

      • Frank [he/him, he/him]
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        1 year ago

        So much this. I don't want to spare them because I love them. I'm not a Christian. I don't want them tortured because I have compassion for those who wish to see them tortured, because I think they would only be harmed by seeing that desire realized.

      • Frank [he/him, he/him]
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        edit-2
        1 year ago

        "From hell's heart I stab at thee. For hate's sake I spit my last breath at thee" is my favorite quotation from literature and keeps me going when everything inside me wants to curl up and die. Obviously Ahab shouldn't have devoted his life to punishing a whale, but I appreciate his commitment to the bit.

        I should note that I have never read Moby Dick and always picture Ricardo Montablan reciting it as Khan lays dying at the end of that Star trek movie.

    • Frank [he/him, he/him]
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      1 year ago

      Mandela is a good example. He walked the walk, engaged in a violent struggle, was captured and subjected to horrible imprisonment, but emerged to become the leader of a peaceful draw down of the conflict. Thank you for bringing him up, I never would have thought of that.

      • aaaaaaadjsf [he/him, comrade/them]
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        1 year ago

        Yeah a lot of what he said is very insightful. Reading "a long walk to freedom" from a socialist perspective is eye opening.

        I'm South African, so it's the first thing that came to mind actually. As I said I used to disagree with what he said on certain topics, but I recognise the value of what he was trying to say now.

          • aaaaaaadjsf [he/him, comrade/them]
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            edit-2
            1 year ago

            Yeah it's his autobiography. A lot of libs and conservatives read it and completely miss the point.

            It's not theory or anything, but it's a good book.