Literally just go outside and write ACAB on something. Dumpster dive something. Slack off at work. Map your neighborhood's security cameras. Delete your Instagram. Write a political prisoner. Start a garden. Drop acid. Give a homeless lady some hand-warmers. Put "out of service" signs on parking meters. Pick one and do it right now.

These aren't revolutionary acts, these are the calisthenics you do so you'll be in shape for the revolution.

    • Nagarjuna [he/him]
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      4 years ago

      A lot of "adventurist" activities can be useful in a couple of ways. The first is as the impetus for future action. For example, people involved in the Mai '68 uprising characterized the initial barricades as "the actions of a handful of madmen." The actions of these mad men were the catalyst for an uprising that ended up involving labor unions and communist parties. I think in the US BLM is a good example of the same effect.

      The second way is as a "Technology of Self" to borrow Mark Fischer's terminology. Something you do not to engage in class struggle, but to break out of capitalist subjectivity, and start to build cultures more conducive to communism. Passivity in the face of the commodification of urban space (parking meters) is an aspect of capitalist subjectivity and fucking with them is a way to break out of that.

  • Spartacus [none/use name]
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    4 years ago

    😕 😕 😕

    uhhh is this an irony? cuz, like, only a couple of those things can be considered anything close to doing politics...

    • hogposting [he/him,comrade/them]
      ·
      4 years ago

      It's the right type of energy, but yeah, we should be a bit more focused than "dumpster dive or something, idk."

      One of the big reasons people stick with the type of politics that do so little for them is that other options aren't apparent and/or don't seem feasible. We have to come up with good alternatives that have a real chance at addressing big issues.

    • Nagarjuna [he/him]
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      4 years ago

      nah, just an incredibly broad view of politics.

      • Spartacus [none/use name]
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        4 years ago

        so broad as to be liberal tbh. and i don't mean that as an insult.

        there's very little class analysis or class struggle involved in these things. some are cool things to do (don't get me wrong), but dropping acid/deleting instagram/dumpster diving/gardening is just individual consumption

  • JayTwo [any]
    ·
    4 years ago

    So... instead of:

    Get a lawyer
    Hit the gym
    Delete Facebook

    It's:

    Take some acid
    Graffiti the walls
    Delete Instagram

    Umm...k...

    I mean, joining an org can be good.
    Doing things like mutual aid, reading groups, union support, and direct action that hopefully is a bit more focused and strategic than just tagging "fuck 12" everywhere.

    • Nagarjuna [he/him]
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      4 years ago

      You absolutely should also join an org or at least work on long term projects with other people. These are exercises to get you to think of yourself as an actor rather than consumer, not a replacement for organizing.

  • abc [he/him, comrade/them]
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    4 years ago

    Slack off at work

    Okay I'm already doing this as much as possible and I'm pretty sure I'm gonna get fired in December lol

  • Chomsky [comrade/them]
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    4 years ago

    Let's not fetishize spontaneity please. Read theory, get organized and join an organization.

    • hogposting [he/him,comrade/them]
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      4 years ago

      That sounds like it would just fuck people over. You park, you don't pay because there's a sign, then you get a ticket anyway because the sign was fake. Want to challenge your ticket? That'll be a day off work and you might not win.

      • PlantsRcool [any]
        ·
        4 years ago

        Yeah this was my first thought. You could always actually make it out of order, but now your vandalizing government property and are taking a a significantly bigger risk for something that is ultimately pretty petty

    • Nagarjuna [he/him]
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      4 years ago

      https://www.abcf.net/prisoner-info/

      Folks like Marius Mason, Jeremy Hamond, Leonard Peltier etc.

  • gay [any]
    ·
    4 years ago

    Delete your Instagram?

    • Nagarjuna [he/him]
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      4 years ago

      Yeah, it's a dopamine slot machine that also spies on you. It's just an easy way to refuse.

      • gay [any]
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        4 years ago

        Then where do you take your dating apps conversations when they get promising? They see you're a real person, you don't give them your phone number… is this a volcel police moment?

        • hogposting [he/him,comrade/them]
          ·
          4 years ago

          They see you’re a real person, you don’t give them your phone number

          Why not give them your phone number? You can always block them if they turn out to be weird, and it's a great way of saying "I'm a real person."

          • gay [any]
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            4 years ago

            Idk, zoomer shit I guess. Also I mentioned that on Instagram you get a small glimpse of a person's life like what friends they have, what they like to do, if they have a job or go to school, etc.

            Instagram is still not real life and all of that.

        • Nagarjuna [he/him]
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          4 years ago

          Hmm, that's a good point. I've met all my partners through activism or weird intentional communities, so I can't speak to that. Get a tindr burnr?

          • gay [any]
            ·
            4 years ago

            That doesn't solve the "is this a catfish" problem. I guess WhatsApp lets you post stories and make videocalls… but you can't see what type of friends they have (if any, because weirdos on dating apps) and at that point you're still using a Facebook product. I think volcelism wins this one :deeper-sadness:

      • Nagarjuna [he/him]
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        4 years ago

        Also neat, but harder to do in 5 minutes.

  • eduardog3000 [he/him]
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    4 years ago

    Slack off at work.

    Damn, I've been doing praxis and I didn't even know it.