I'm not a libtheo, I'm agnostic, but I do have some christian roots and find some of the things attributed to Jesus to be good advice, and this quote I think is the best of all. Its good advice for just like... life in general. But I also wanted to comment on its relevance to our disagreements with liberals on geopolitics.
When we bring up the problems in the west, we're accused of Whataboutism, but what we're trying to do is remind these people that you have problems on your home turf, focus on that before worrying about problems you dont even have much power to influence at all. Unless you're literally Russian, and I haven't run into anyone in the Fediverse who is, don't worry about Russia's problems. Worry about whatever the problems in your home country are. Worry about the things your country are doing, both domestically and overseas. If you are American, worry about America's domestic problems and America's foreign policy problems. I think this is ESPECIALLY important for the propaganda issue. I have no idea why these liberals are more afraid of Russian or Chinese influence than they are against the propaganda coming from the places that they live in. The government that actually has power over their lives.
To be clear, I'm not against Socialist internationalism, I think its good. But I think focusing on the home turf is the right thing to take.
I realize this is kind of a slapdash post and not perfect. I'm sure holes could be poked in it even from people on my side. But I think in a general sense its good advice and central to what our disagreements with liberals on geopolitics are.
This is why I don't fight with folks about china good or bad.
I don't care, until china starts exporting its politics and its impacts my sphere, it may as well be the plot of a movie I'm watching for all the agency I have in it
There are much more important things for me to focus on given that
unlike a movie that you're watching, China is unfolding governed by the same material laws you and your local community are and studying it can provide a great degree of benefit, even if you don't agree with or like their particular socialist experiment
This is more useful for stuff that is more established history, but there is still value in the study of modern world events in parts of the world that you are isolated from
Seems logical to me that it would be easier to support socialist internationalism once you've worked to create more socialists in your area by engaging in the issues impacting where you live.
Whataboutism is indeed incredibly stupid, but what my post is trying to do is explain WHY its stupid in these discussions. If the lense I chose to do that with is offputting to you, I'm sorry. But regardless of its connection to Christianity I think its an incredibly effective quote that applies here very well.
Sorry when i say "you" in my post I'm speaking to the hypothetical liberal reading this thread and not autismdragon
Ah ok, that makes sense. I do have autism in my name after all.
