Missing those days of the old subreddit when I was just getting engaged in lefty politics. That sub was so uplifting. So many detailed analyses that I wish I saved. So many hilarious posts that always filled me with joy. Before I found the old sub I thought leftists were humorless assholes but r/cth really brought me along and cemented myself as a leftist.
I can’t exactly pin what’s different here but the whole vibe is off. I really wish it could capture the spirit of the old place but I’m not so sure. I know I’m not the most prolific poster but I’ve given this place 6-7 months and I’m not certain whether I want to continue or not. I’ll admit, I got caught up in the GME hype. Maybe because I seriously thought my life would materially improve at least slightly. I’m done with that stocks shit for right now. The split that happened on the site as a result of it was pretty bad. I really hope we can all do better, especially at lashing out at each other.
If you’re from the old sub who’s been along for the ride I thank you from the bottom of my heart. My life is much richer thanks to you all of you.
I have a conspiracy theory I’ll share here: I think there are a lot of dishonest agents here with the purpose of dividing the left. Whenever I see doom posting about Biden or especially AOC or the squad, I suspect someone is being paid to be here or we are signal boosting their agenda for free. I enjoy the revolutionary left ideas and history, and I’m mad that Bernie isn’t president now. But I also recognize that this is the first time in my adult life that Democrats can pass legislation without needing Republican votes. (The 3 weeks in august of 2009 don’t count.) And most Democrats are furious at them for being divisive as well. So I’m actually optimistic about Biden. And history shows I should be. FDR wasn’t a leftist either. But a coalition of leftists groups, Including CPUSA, got the new deal to his desk and he signed it.
Meanwhile here, anytime I post stuff like this, I get downvoted and I’m piled on with negative, pessimistic posts. And it just feels dumb. The cth sub didn’t feel dumb.
It seems to me that this atmosphere of "paranoiac assumptions" is actually shared by a lot of members, even those who disagree with you. Like, have you considered there might be genuine leftist members here that disagree with your optimism for Biden but will react like you: perceiving you are a "dishonest agent here with the purpose of dividing the left"? (I'm not saying they're right, not saying you are, just saying this is indeed a lot of distrust and suspicion within all of us - always assuming bad faith from people disagreeing with you can be very destructive).
When I talk about "paranoiac assumptions" I'm not saying that these are never justified fears. Just saying they can take many form, and are the result of many things. The left being diverse and loving dialectic so much it can't stop infighting is not new. Actual dishonest agents dividing it further is not new neither. The left reacting to external threat by looking for internal enemies is not new. Social media obviously did not help. This independent platform being a much thicker filter bubble than a sub on reddit ever was does not help either.
I think you hit the nail on the head. Maybe we're infiltrated. Maybe not. Either way, the bigger issue is probably that we're suspicious of each other, and it makes sense to be given what happened on Reddit. I think there is also a cultural shift thats changed our place in the current moment.
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