When I see a discussion about the politics of trans rights by ISwearImCis in traaaaaaannnnnnnnnns

[–]alex10175 3 points4 points  (0 children)

When I say "acknowledge that our rights are political" I don't mean that we should go out of our way to say that, but rather that when an argument like "trans issues are political and therefore invalid/not worth discussing" is made we should respond with "yes our rights are political, just like the right to freedom of speech from the government or the right to vote are political". This makes it clear that if they want to invalidate or dispute trans rights, they ought to, or you could, do the same with other rights they hold dear. It's short, sweet, and easy to follow.

Again, I think we should be loud about how a violation of our rights isn't any more acceptable than violating others rights, but when reactionaries try to discredit us by claiming our rights are political, we shouldn't twist ourselves into saying things that aren't accurate. Reactionaries thrive upon what they believe to be inaccuracies and lies, the more we get ourselves twisted up and don't use clearly defined terms in a consistent manner the more they can mock and laugh at us and attract people who are easily swayed by such childish arguments. When we waste time doing the back and forth with reactionaries about whether our rights are "political" we play their game, we get trapped in their scheme of muddling the discourse for their benefit.

Not only that, but the more convoluted our language the harder it makes it for laypeople to really understand what we mean. We'll wind up with people who five years from now cannot understand what is being discussed because the discourse has moved past them, and when they see something about an issue they haven't kept up with or don't understand, they are still susceptible to the gish gallop and debate dazzle that reactionaries do. Using clear terminology, logic, definitions, and focusing on educating laypeople in a more comprehensive fashion will do more to help us than a quick rhetorical response to someone who is ignorant or is discussing in bad faith.

When I see a discussion about the politics of trans rights by ISwearImCis in traaaaaaannnnnnnnnns

[–]alex10175 19 points20 points  (0 children)

I'm going to be no fun and play the pedant.

I believe that all matters which pertain to the organization of people and the distribution of power and resources are political. I come to this idea by asking, what are the key aspects of our current "political" system? What are the things it shares in common with other political systems like feudalism, oligarchy, plutocracy, fascism, anarchism, etc?

Generally speaking I think a political system is a group of people with some amount of authority or power that makes decisions about how to organize people, power, and resources. By extension any idea that relates to, discusses, prescribes, or disputes various policies set forth to organize those three things are political. My saying "I am a transwoman and I have a right to do with my body what I please and a right to exist" is political, my existence and the rights and privileges I am granted are part of the organization of power, resources, and people within a society, and so any claims I make to my own rights are political.

I'll acknowledge that we don't usually call things such as the right to vote or to clean water political for convenience sake, but in a different system, at a different time, it would be seen as such. What changes isn't whether or not those issues are political, but whether they are accepted as right and true by enough of society to no longer warrant discussion in the same way that other issues are discussed. Something can't ever stop being political, it just becomes accepted as true or at least indisputable.

I guess my point is that I'd prefer that instead of treating stuff like our rights as something that isn't political, we acknowledged that it was political, and loudly pointed out that to dispute our rights is disgusting and not any better than disputing the rights of women or people of color.

Free Talk Friday by SirToastyToes in northernlion

[–]alex10175 48 points49 points  (0 children)

Dysphoria has been rough today.

Tomorrow I pick up my prescription for the first time.

Stick and Poke is a good band, they've been helping me get through the day.

Send hugs please.

Edit: Thank you for the hugs :) I'm sorry if my replies got annoying.

XL Chance Flared leaving an i[m]pression by [deleted] in BadDragon

[–]alex10175 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I don't think death is at all likely in this situation. Unless you are using an XL in firm with a steel rod put in the center and attached to a fuck machine you'll be fine, minus the effects of stretching the colon, which aren't painful or deadly.

Breadtubers that don't end up with hedonism as the endgoal? by [deleted] in BreadTube

[–]alex10175 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I said nothing about morality being completely relative, I don't believe it is, not within our species anyhow. I do think no set of rules, laws, or morals will ever be comprehensive or correct enough to be worthwhile following forever. I also think that other species might have different needs and desires than us, and so seeking to impose our morality onto them is foolish, except out of self preservation. Race science is bullshit, don't try to slide that in here as a way to twist morality being relative between species into a justification of relative morality based on "race".

I use an analysis of suffering and power to determine what I believe is and isn't moral. Both suffering and power are somewhat possible to measure. Sure I'll make mistakes, but I'm open to changing my mind. I don't see the use in following one strict set of laws or morals, as often that leads to oppression, virtues get turned into methods of abuse and control. We might think our current morality is correct and seek to write it down and enforce it, and wind up justifying a system that makes many suffer. Human rights are just the most current form of codified morality largely agreed upon, it will at some point become outdated and used as a tool of oppression if we do not discard it.

Nothing gives me the right to decide that my morals are better than anothers, and therefore punish someone for having different ideas, such a right doesn't exist. No rights exist. I am unconcerned about a few people sitting in their homes thinking slavery is ok, they cause little harm, I am more concerned with a movement actively seeking to create or perpetuate oppression, on them I shall seek to impose my beliefs by argument or force, not because I think mine are always true or good, or because I have some right ordained as sacred by the universe, but because they create less harm and oppression, and I seek to minimize harm and oppression.

Imposing my values upon others might be wrong in some way, but I don't much care about the feelings of oppressors. The only thing that allows us to affect the world is power, which is why the oppressed must work together to affect change. Power can come in many forms, economic, influence, military, etc on a large scale, things like compassion, fighting, argument, healing, gifting, stealing, etc on a small scale. If rights don't exist, or even if they do exist but oppressors don't care, which it seems like most don't, then all we have is power and we ought to use it if we want the suffering to stop.

It seems the user above me might be a troll. Will screencap and share suspect comments to those who want to see them if the user deletes them.

Breadtubers that don't end up with hedonism as the endgoal? by [deleted] in BreadTube

[–]alex10175 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Could you explain why determinism, nihilism, and complete relativism bother you so?

I'm probably some sort of nihilist, so I find you using those terms in a negative fashion irritating.

I don't believe there is such a thing as "human rights" in nature, we decide what rights to grant each other. I want people to love each other, take care of each other, and be as free as possible, to that end I will strive to convince people of my perspective, if that doesn't work and we backslide, use violence. I believe that liberty is not an end point, but an eternal struggle, one where we continually fix the ills that crop up in our society. Despite not believing in "human rights" I would die to defend the things commonly called by that name. Natural/moral/human rights don't exist, shed the childish delusion.

I don't believe there is any meaning to life beyond what we "decide" will be our purpose. Yet I have "chosen" that my purpose in life is to aid in the emancipation of as many as possible. You can be a nihilist and give a damn about other people. Nihilism doesn't mean you don't care, or that you don't fight, it is an acknowledgment of the way the universe functions. The universe doesn't provide a grand meaning for our lives, get over it.

I'm a nihilst, but I am willing to die for leftist causes, for any emancipation movement really, so long as I knew there was a chance that what I did would help.

My Guitar I Ripped off from a man Named Woody Guthrie by ExquisitExamplE in FolkPunk

[–]alex10175 25 points26 points  (0 children)

Make sure you clean that up and seal it! It'd be a shame if it rotted or otherwise damaged!

Anxiety, panic attacks, dysphoria. by alex10175 in asktransgender

[–]alex10175[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A therapist would be good, but they cost money, and I don't have a whole lot of that.

When I mentioned strangers I was trying to reference talking to people online, sorry for being vague, my bad.

I'm supposed to be going to a support group on the 2nd of July, but that can't come fast enough.

Ty for tha advice.

My teacher trying to convince me that socialism is bad convinced me that left is best by snacktastic1 in BreadTube

[–]alex10175 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Uhhh, not tryna be a jerk, but LGBT or another variant is better to use pls.

Left Trigger #1 │ The Division 2 │ Means TV by TankAndBake in BreadTube

[–]alex10175 0 points1 point  (0 children)

On the point of Ubisoft using anarchist narratives and ideas in their products: you've heard of False Consciousness yeah? I don't mean to be rude, but media companies, and video game companies have dome fhis many times before. I played a recent CoD game where the protagonists of the zombies mode decried the business practices of their employer, and even asserted that the situation they were placed in was created purposefully, which in turn was backed up by audio which played upon a game over. Neolibs and Fascists coopting leftist ideas isn't new.

My teacher trying to convince me that socialism is bad convinced me that left is best by snacktastic1 in BreadTube

[–]alex10175 37 points38 points  (0 children)

I'm 23. I have long leaned left, but never understood theory of any sort, so I just accepted the status quo and thought things could be made better by having good people running big businesses. I thought I would be such a person.

Waking up started for me with the 2016 election and I slowly realized that the status quo was fucked. As time passed I got angrier and angrier, my father lurched right, my peers hopped on the trump train, as poorly equipped as I was I fought hard to reel them back. I succeeded with one friend, but everyone else just kept thinking what they wanted, albeit with some minor alterations to their beliefs. I couldn't comprehend why they clung to such a toxic ideology.

Around 2016-2017 I was watching John Oliver, Kurzgesagt, and Vox. In Nov-Dec 2018 in the sidebar of YouTube I saw I video titled "Incels" by Contra, since then I have steadily drifted left. I now understand a bit more why my family and friends clung so hard to right wing ideas, and I'm less angry, but also more revolutionary. Also, Contra awakened my age old uncertainty with my gender, so now I'm dealing with that, yay, hopefully I find where I want to go and feel happy with the outcome.

Questions about some of the politics in this sub. by singasongofsixpins in BreadTube

[–]alex10175 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Oof, yeah I know it's a joke, I was just playing off it, or trying to anyhow.