The west consumes so much more than the global south, it needs to stop if we wish not to kill ourselves through climate change, or run out of natural resources essential to run a complex society. The right wing’s answer to this problem is ecofascism. They simply wish to kill the “useless eaters” so their consumption levels don’t have to change. Obviously we shouldn’t do genocide so the best option is communism. An equitable distribution of wealth would solve the issue of malthusianism, but to do that would require us westerners and even people in the global south to a lesser extent to give up their treats.
Personally I can live without cars or animal products, I don’t use those things simply because I don’t like them. But if I could no longer buy funko pops, or craft beers at the local brick walled barcade, or yikes, even get the new Nintendo video game product, is that really a life worth living? Truth is I need my useless plastic shit to live a fulfilling life and I can’t live simply without consuming like an adult going to disneyworld alone. I’m sure everyone owning a tv, smartphone, and computer is unsustainable but we are obviously still gonna produce those things right? Luxury production has to decline significantly but we aren’t gonna completely stop it. Everyone is entitled to a certain amount of treats. But who hands out the treats? I think we should conspire to be the treatkeepers so we don’t have to give up our own treats.
Great bit. Really well formed criticism. "People advocate for degrowth but they fundamentally misunderstand the problem because they base their analysis on flawed bourgeois cultural logic. The reason they can't escape bourgeois forms of analysis, even as well meaning left-liberals, is because they are afraid to lose access to cheap consumer goods. Its a reactionary fear of alienation from the things that alienate us from nature and each other, hence the framing of our dilemma will lead to reactionary conclusions."
We can still make figurines and local specialty beer and even vidya gaems while maintaining a low impact.
Maybe it won't make sense for every last person to have a TV and a PC, but one for every 5 people is probably viable.
I think this is what many people picture in their heads when they imagine communism
Will I still be able to buy as many bananas as I want, any time of year and day that I want, anywhere in the Imperial Core that I want?
I will help organize treat distribution, but you and I are getting the same overall betreatedness as anyone else. Don't worry, there'll be a lot more pleasant places to go and things to do and time to do them in
Wait, so when people on Hexbear mention "treats"... I was supposed to interpret that as meaning, like, "luxury goods post-capitalism", the whole time? Because I'd honestly always assumed that "treat" was just some sort of slang shortening of "treatise", like it was just a silly in-group synonym of "write-up".
...I feel a bit foolish now, because the actual meaning seems obvious in hindsight.
The only treat that I need to live is to hug an enby, and I don't think that's going anywhere under communism, I tell you hwat.
Instead of treats, community and a sense of belonging (to the secret inner treats circle)
I will nuke the cruise ships. I will ignite pyres of funko pops. I will destroy every physical copy of Mario Odyssey 3.
I'm sorry but if my Funko pops cost 1.5x more and are made from sustainable recyclable materials and I can buy them but also look in the mirror at myself without shame then I'm going to cry and shit and piss until they bring capitalism back.
