Unfortunately, and this is the sad truth of being a communist; it is rare we live to see anything close to the world we imagine. Do not let this discourage you, because in some ways you already live in a world that could only have been dreamed of by the communists and socialists of the last generation. And if you assemble a broad enough coalition, untie as many knots as possible, and actually improve the majority of people’s material circumstances, you’ll get a generation, maybe two if you’re lucky, to actually build something that lasts. Structures and systems that give people purpose and function, as well as provide utilities and important services. And I shouldn’t say “you”, it’s more likely to be those who come after you that get that chance.

        And then maybe the next generation after that gets complacent, or greedy, and some bureaucrat thinks they are a genius for bringing in private enterprise to help turn the spigot and maximize efficiency of the hose. And of course, while this is all happening, those further down the hose are again becoming increasingly detached from how a hose works. And all this just seems terrible and pointless and stupid. Until you consider that is just the nature of a dialectic. And hey, maybe this next time around, there are fewer knots to hem and haw over. Maybe this time, people aren’t starting from such a thirsty place.  More important and more likely than anything else, maybe this next time around, more people remember where you have to go to get more water out of a hose. Because in the absence of light, it is the stories we tell each other that help us find our way in the dark.

Thanks to all the chapos who read this far. My body and mind are ready for critique. I think privilege is under represented in this metaphor to a certain extent but I think it’s possible to fix that and I’m open to whatever else people get out of reading this, good or bad. Thanks again! o7