planetcon
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| ===== Planetary Consciousness ===== | ===== Planetary Consciousness ===== | ||
| - | THEN : | + | ==== Then ==== |
| For centuries, socialists in capitalist societies struggled with an important yet seldom formalized issue: they had trouble communicating with those they wanted the most to help. | For centuries, socialists in capitalist societies struggled with an important yet seldom formalized issue: they had trouble communicating with those they wanted the most to help. | ||
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| They had arguments, powerful analyses, they could even be right! But they were not convincing. At least not enough to mobilize the masses those analyses were made to defend. | They had arguments, powerful analyses, they could even be right! But they were not convincing. At least not enough to mobilize the masses those analyses were made to defend. | ||
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| When those studying Marx and other anti-capitalist authors and ideologies went to talk to their audience, they faced resistance and incomprehension. People could understand their masters, but not those who wanted them free. | When those studying Marx and other anti-capitalist authors and ideologies went to talk to their audience, they faced resistance and incomprehension. People could understand their masters, but not those who wanted them free. | ||
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| It is hard to imagine a situation more frustrating than this one. The socialists would finally say: they just don’t understand, we tell them they belong to the working class, but they don’t even know! | It is hard to imagine a situation more frustrating than this one. The socialists would finally say: they just don’t understand, we tell them they belong to the working class, but they don’t even know! | ||
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| Their symbols were threatening to the masses, they associated them with the worst illustrations history had provided. Words weren’t enough, people’s relative deprivation wasn’t enough, something seemed to be enough to wake them up. | Their symbols were threatening to the masses, they associated them with the worst illustrations history had provided. Words weren’t enough, people’s relative deprivation wasn’t enough, something seemed to be enough to wake them up. | ||
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| The power to influence the masses was in the hands of the capitalists, they could speak to them to turn them into their largest allies. | The power to influence the masses was in the hands of the capitalists, they could speak to them to turn them into their largest allies. | ||
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| Most people were against capitalism, but they didn’t know it. It was obvious that common sense was different than what the socialists believed to be right. | Most people were against capitalism, but they didn’t know it. It was obvious that common sense was different than what the socialists believed to be right. | ||
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| This mutual incomprehension was what the enemy wanted. They wanted the socialists to be small, speaking a language no one understood, minorities, hidden behind their old symbols. This way, they were clearly no danger to the system. | This mutual incomprehension was what the enemy wanted. They wanted the socialists to be small, speaking a language no one understood, minorities, hidden behind their old symbols. This way, they were clearly no danger to the system. | ||
| + | ==== How ==== | ||
| - | HOW | ||
| Pablo Iglesias, from the Podemos movement in Spain, understood this. He understood that truth didn’t matter, what mattered was finding a way to connect with people, communicate with them in terms they would immediately understand and identity with. | Pablo Iglesias, from the Podemos movement in Spain, understood this. He understood that truth didn’t matter, what mattered was finding a way to connect with people, communicate with them in terms they would immediately understand and identity with. | ||
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| He wasn’t the first person to have understood that. One man has managed to rise the masses at the time of the Soviet war. He didn’t talk to peasants about social classes or dialectic materialism, he just said “bread and peace”. That was what people really needed. | He wasn’t the first person to have understood that. One man has managed to rise the masses at the time of the Soviet war. He didn’t talk to peasants about social classes or dialectic materialism, he just said “bread and peace”. That was what people really needed. | ||
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| At the beginning of the 21st century, this new enlightenment started to spread among the socialists. Therefore, they learned. Their vision of a post-capitalist society was intact, but they changed the words to describe it. They trained, they practiced this new language that was lacking theoretical complexity, but that was universal in the sense that it could reach anyone’s clearer needs. | At the beginning of the 21st century, this new enlightenment started to spread among the socialists. Therefore, they learned. Their vision of a post-capitalist society was intact, but they changed the words to describe it. They trained, they practiced this new language that was lacking theoretical complexity, but that was universal in the sense that it could reach anyone’s clearer needs. | ||
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| It wasn’t necessary to explain that capitalism wasn’t in the 99%’s best interest, that Western democracies were illusions, that’s not what people needed to hear. This new approach of communicating allowed socialists to merge with those they wanted to convince. Theory wasn’t separating them anymore. This created a sense of unity and common interest among the larger population. A real movement began: the billions against the billionaires. | It wasn’t necessary to explain that capitalism wasn’t in the 99%’s best interest, that Western democracies were illusions, that’s not what people needed to hear. This new approach of communicating allowed socialists to merge with those they wanted to convince. Theory wasn’t separating them anymore. This created a sense of unity and common interest among the larger population. A real movement began: the billions against the billionaires. | ||
| - | NOW | + | ==== Now ==== |
| People throughout the world have integrated the two most basic socialist notions: Giving and sharing. Since socialism became globalized, everyone’s well-being has increased and people now have the time and energy to go back to the theories of why socialism is important, and why capitalism can never be installed again. Therefore, the socialist rhetoric isn’t just spilled out out of thoughtless propaganda, people understand our system and can see how it is benefiting society as a whole. | People throughout the world have integrated the two most basic socialist notions: Giving and sharing. Since socialism became globalized, everyone’s well-being has increased and people now have the time and energy to go back to the theories of why socialism is important, and why capitalism can never be installed again. Therefore, the socialist rhetoric isn’t just spilled out out of thoughtless propaganda, people understand our system and can see how it is benefiting society as a whole. | ||
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| There are still some disagreements of course, as no one can wish for a society where everyone agrees on everything and everyone thinks alike. But today, people communicate with honesty because no one as any particular privilege that would advantage them in a discussion. People’s capacities still vary, but as decisions are made collectively, those differences are levelled out and discussion becomes the only way to make things move forward. In the last century, we have learned to create methods to always go back to what is essential, caring about others, leaving no one is a condition of necessity. From that common ground, it is easier to communicate and in the end, no one is left out. Communication is key and it has to be honest and relying on common interests, not empty ideologies. | There are still some disagreements of course, as no one can wish for a society where everyone agrees on everything and everyone thinks alike. But today, people communicate with honesty because no one as any particular privilege that would advantage them in a discussion. People’s capacities still vary, but as decisions are made collectively, those differences are levelled out and discussion becomes the only way to make things move forward. In the last century, we have learned to create methods to always go back to what is essential, caring about others, leaving no one is a condition of necessity. From that common ground, it is easier to communicate and in the end, no one is left out. Communication is key and it has to be honest and relying on common interests, not empty ideologies. | ||
| + | ==== Comments ==== | ||
| //Fred's comment//: Bhaskar Sunkara, publisher of //Jacobin//, posted on his Facebook page about how Bernie Sanders creates slogans that resonate with people: just pick some social good, put "free" front and "for all" at the end and voila - Free healthcare for all! Free education for all! Free childcare for all! Etc. | //Fred's comment//: Bhaskar Sunkara, publisher of //Jacobin//, posted on his Facebook page about how Bernie Sanders creates slogans that resonate with people: just pick some social good, put "free" front and "for all" at the end and voila - Free healthcare for all! Free education for all! Free childcare for all! Etc. | ||
planetcon.txt · Last modified: 2018/11/04 13:24 by admin
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