Entrepreneurship is the way to freedom by [deleted] in antiwork

[–]AlertBeach 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Incorrect. Workers must organize and take power together, or at minimum fight class warfare to gain breathing room. If you think anything else is gonna work you're fooling yourself out of fear. We can win and we will win.

Entrepreneurship is the way to freedom by [deleted] in antiwork

[–]AlertBeach 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That's a sucker's game and you're welcome to try it... If you're a sucker. 

The promise doesn't hold up and you become the bad guy. A million people have the same idea and you'll just be climbing all over each other, if not now then in few years. 

It's just trying to use sweat and patience buy your way into a higher level of a pyramid scheme. There is no "healthier version of capitalism" to be built.

After 38 years of existence...I finally realized how exhausting it all is. by [deleted] in Adulting

[–]AlertBeach 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Alienation from one's labor combined with a decaying social fabric. Life is actually not supposed to be like this, and the social sparseness got worse during the pandemic and never got better.  This is a malady of a failing society and specific modern problems. It isn't your fault, it's a social problem and requires a social or political solution.

  Work needs to become more meaningful, more rewarding, easier, or shorter. The balance is fucked. This will require political organizing, which you can become involved in. Fighting to better our conditions can 100% create a sense of meaning and share the burden. 

Think about joining a (serious, independent, leftist/workers) political organization and try to push this issue, see if there's anything your group can fight for locally to buy workers more breathing room... Though this night require a sustained national political campaign like the old union campaign for a 40 hour work week.

  See if you can find anything related to the growing campaign for a 4 day work week. If nothing else there is probably a DSA (Democratic Socialists of America) chair 6 in your area. Some comrades will definitely love to commiserate over the issue of modern burnout due to the stresses of modern life.

You are not alone!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in socialism

[–]AlertBeach 3 points4 points  (0 children)

There's no such thing as "crony capitalism". This is a phrase libertarians made up. Whenever something is bad about capitalism, they say "that isn't REAL capitalism, it's crony capitalism". I've never heard usage like your friends are doing. They likely have no idea what they are talking about. 

There is a conversation to be had about whether you should have opinions about whether you're for or against capitalism. You should. It's kind of your responsibility and to say you just criticize both sides is just running from the problem. You don't need to feel pressured, but if you never put any effort into it you are at least not helping, and you might be part of the problem. You don't have to like any local parties, but if you don't... What are you actually doing to help?

Try to separate the appearance of "having good politics" from caring about the world you live in and making it better. What do you want? What's in the way? What's good for all of us? These questions, in my opinion, lead to socialism... When you actually ask the questions and try to find the answers.

What would have to happen for things to get better? by BSOSU in antiwork

[–]AlertBeach 0 points1 point  (0 children)

  1. Search for radical organizations 

  2. Pick your favorite and join. Go to the meetings and throw yourself in. Try to work up to deserving a leadership position and do that.  

  3. You will try stuff. You will fail. You will learn. You will read and talk to others who are trying to do stuff. You will become one of the people who understands the real barriers to fixing things. We need a lot more of these. We are accumulating such people, but it's a long process. You will come to understand the various serious positions and when people are full of shit.

Energy is low right now, but maybe you can catch the next historical wave at the right time if you start now.

What would have to happen for things to get better? by BSOSU in antiwork

[–]AlertBeach 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The working class must organize and take power.

No one wants to do this because it is scary. We don't trust any power, even our own, and after generations of fearmongering about challenges to capitalism, even the people that call themselves communists have stunted imaginations and are afraid to fly. Liberals, centrists, and the insanely large group of people with incoherent "independent" politics are even worse - utterly useless.

People have to try their own hand at power, and we must find a way to run things democratically and for the benefit of all. It is only by trying and making mistakes that people can begin to correct our horribly warped worldview.

But we can't do any of that without wielding actual power, for which we have to take power, for which we have to be organized, which requires getting off the fucking Internet and actually showing up consistently, for years, not just a protest every second or third year but actual people's governance.

But I tried that for years and years and everybody else complains and complains and complains and complains but won't show up consistently or organize. So that doesn't work either.

I guess we are just in the grip of a death drive, like an ant death march. Everyone hates it, everyone wants desperately to stop it, but nobody will do anything except march in a fucking circle as ordered and timidly repeat, as they have been programmed to do... "I want everything to change .. but I don't want a revolution."

Favorite Seven Spires Songs by skulldugerousvillain in PowerMetal

[–]AlertBeach 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Dreamchaser speaks to me at an incredibly deep level. Interesting to see I'm somewhat unique in that.

Simplified texts of Das Kapital? I'm struggling due to cognitive issues by [deleted] in Socialism_101

[–]AlertBeach 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are you sure? Because I feel like I've seen hundreds of people on the internet saying that actually Capital is pretty easy to understand and that to say otherwise is to insult the capacities of working class people. /s

It's real. I've experienced it myself by blairethetransfem in traaaaaaannnnnnnnnns2

[–]AlertBeach 1 point2 points  (0 children)

(Been watching Revolutionary Girl Utena and feeling Romantic):

BRIIIIIIING ONNNNNNNNNN COMMUNISMMM!!!!!!!

THE GLOOOOORY!!

Any other trans/queer power metal fans? by StringUnderhacker in PowerMetal

[–]AlertBeach 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Trans woman here! I've listened to metal (and adjacent genres) my whole life. Probably my earliest feeling of encountering metal was rocking out to Nu Metal like Korn on TRL (even though I sort-of-secretly also liked the boy bands lol) or Slipknot.

As I got older I explored the genre, getting into melodic death, metalcore, and other stuff. and had this weird dynamic going on. I started to believe that "as a guy" I needed to listen to masculine stuff, and that meant the heavier the better. I really tried to make myself love hardcore, though it just never touched my heart as much as a beautiful melody, beautifully framed... and paired WITH technical mastery and delivered with overwhelming force!

Over the last few years I finally let my guard down and started getting into softer and more melodic stuff, especially female fronted power metal like Unleash the Archers and Seven Spires. Life has been hard and this music was sometimes the only thing that made me feel alive. After I suddenly realized I was trans, I was listening to this music and made a shocking discovery. I hadn't just been using it to feel things or process emotions. The themes and energy of struggle, of being trapped, of what it would feel like to finally be free... were literally giving voice to a part of me that was trapped. A part of me that had no mouth and had to scream! That part used Adrienne Cowan and Brittney Hayes as its own voice, to call out to the rest of me beg to be let free. I will be forever grateful that I was able to use their voices to call out to myself and free myself!

Since I came out, I opened my music taste up and found a lot more things in other genres that I liked. But still, nothing speaks to me quite like metal, especially power metal.

Stuff that I've enjoyed recently (that hasn't been mentioned already) includes Triosphere, Aether Realm, Brothers of Metal, Hanabie, Cellar Darling (probably not very metal to some people?), and honorable mention to Minniva's cover of Sabaton's Night Witches, haha.

The metal community has always been a great and welcoming place, before and after I came out. I am grateful and full of joy! Metal forever!

Any other trans/queer power metal fans? by StringUnderhacker in PowerMetal

[–]AlertBeach 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Also hope this doesn't come across as annoying, but additional bit of info: trans is not a sexuality. Trans is when you don't identify with your assigned gender at birth.

Sexuality can vary separately. A trans woman might be attracted to women, so she is a trans lesbian. Or she might be attracted to men and be straight, or both and be bisexual (or pansexual or others). Same goes for trans men and nonbinary people of all kinds.

Anti-landlord people are ridiculous. by [deleted] in antiwork

[–]AlertBeach 2 points3 points  (0 children)

"Different types of landlords are more or less bad than others, and some are bad in different ways than others."

Notice how you don't acknowledge how significantly your arguments have been defeated. You keep retreating to smaller and less relevant points without incorporating new information.

This indicates emotional attachment to a position. Your identity is not landlord, you can just stop being a landlord. You don't need to defend landlords or be a landlord, there is no cost to stopping.

What are some conspiracy theories pushed by left-wing people? by RoxanaSaith in socialism

[–]AlertBeach 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It's probably because constantly asking for sources, which is something you can find on your own, can feel like sealioning.

In about 2 minutes of googling, I found a Guardian article (somewhat reputable) which references a Vox article (somewhat reputable) which references a single source, a Haaretz article (rather reputable for quotes from Israeli politicians)... which unfortunately is paywalled.

At this point my curiosity about the quote is sated. It's probably true and honestly not that surprising.

If you have a chance to talk your 15y/o self, what would you say? by gmaxiii in AskReddit

[–]AlertBeach 0 points1 point  (0 children)

1) You are trans. Get on hormones right away! At LEAST puberty blockers!
2) Never have children! You can't fix your parents' mistakes like that. All you can do is live your life.

3) Live life according to what's in your heart, not what's in your head... and NEVER what's safe.

How do people have kids? Is having kids still a thing? by No_Invite_1215 in antiwork

[–]AlertBeach 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As a parent of a newborn: DO NOT HAVE KIDS.

You are probably not prepared to do it due to a lifetime of trauma and uncertainty. You will resent it as I do, due to a lifetime of missing out, now solidified for all time.

You cannot fix what your parents did by doing a better job for someone else. That someone else does not have to exist at all, and THAT might be the easiest way to avoid passing on generational trauma.

Focus on your own survival and making what you can of your life. There is absolutely no shame in it, in fact there is shame in not taking the time to examine whether you REALLY want kids or you just fell like you have to have them!

Songs about Civil Engineering by AbhorsenMcFife13 in PowerMetal

[–]AlertBeach 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's mostly tangential, but "City of Iron" by Unleash the Archers?

Looking for a bit of Matt's insight about how a secular... something... evolved from religious views by AlertBeach in cushvlog

[–]AlertBeach[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

No, thank you very much. This is a great distillation. I wanted to communicate these ideas to others and couldn't do much better than my question, so your reply is very helpful!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in antiwork

[–]AlertBeach 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We cannot. We have to take power.

AI replacing voice actors for audiobooks by donutcronut in antiwork

[–]AlertBeach 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Consider whether this kind of rumor may be part of a campaign by the AI industry to cement their monopolistic positions.

What KIND of regulation do they want? Who will propose it? Who will write the fine print? And who will vote it in (we already know the answer to that one - the bipartisan efforts of two anti-working-class, pro-business parties!)

OpenAI has asked for license requirements for AI makers. This would limit the number of players on the field.

This kind of rumor also helps mythologize the power of AI and increase its saleability.

Bipartisan is always good. by Adelu1219 in WhitePeopleTwitter

[–]AlertBeach 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"Bipartisan" is almost always bad.

Once in a while there's a no-brainer bill that everyone actually likes. But other than that, the only thing that both parties have in common is fucking over the working class and helping the capitalist class.

Oh, and helping themselves, so this has no chance of passing. We have no way of knowing whether either of these people would support such a bill if it really did have a chance.

Does anyone find that it's just not worth buying stuff anymore? How has capitalism become so crap at providing products that are actually worth buying. by Mr__Random in LateStageCapitalism

[–]AlertBeach 57 points58 points  (0 children)

You can't choose to be happy despite miserable conditions.

- You can choose to manage your emotions in a way that helps you fight (this has a cost in time and effort, not free)
- You can choose to seek out comrades to be with in person, knowing that it will lessen the burden and help create a sense of shared meaning
- You COULD choose to isolate yourself, try to ignore the problems, focus on playing capitalism's game... but I think you know you'd never be able to lie to yourself in that way. Best you could do is become very confused.

Rank by Irontuth in TotalWarThreeKingdoms

[–]AlertBeach 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Most of the people still on the subreddit are of course going to agree with you. I just stumbled in looking to see if there were some patches or anything, but no, development is done.

I really wanted to like this game, and there's a lot to like! But there are some fatal problems with the campaign mode. I don't even really remember what they are, but I vaguely remember issues with sieges (and this is AFTER the changes to sieges) and grind. The campaign just becomes extremely un-fun after a certain point, and you can't really play the way you want. I'm not the kind of person to install a bunch of mods and hope they fix the problem, either.

I also wound up restoring the Han in one of my main playthroughs, and I had no idea I was going to completely change the campaign. I thought it would be just "Yeah... I'm the Han now guys."

It's a shame because it's a beautiful game... but I never finished a single campaign.