For those who are shocked and in disbelief at how Harris could have lost to Trump, let me try to explain why I think that people were right to want something better than Harris and how Trump took advantage of this rational instinct to serve his own megalomaniacal needs. In short, it’s just 2016 all over again. Everyone knows and agrees that the status quo is failing (or they just benefit from the status quo, but I don’t want to focus on the privileged class since there’s no surprise why they might support Trump). There are also those who do not consciously know that the system is failing, but they might have an unconscious sense of the things which are wrong without a picture of the whole. They might recognize the issues of the cost of living and inflation crisis, the wage crisis, the housing crisis, the climate crisis, the incarceration crisis, the wars and genocides happening with the direct support of the American government and our taxpayer dollars, etc. What they do not see is that these things are the consequences of the same system: Neoliberalism, the American status quo ideology.
Our two party system is not the solution to the status quo, it is a product of it, and the system by nature will not produce the solution to itself. Nevertheless, people are like “let's vote for the guy who says he'll make things better over the person who promises more of the same,” and then it just makes everything worse. Just as Clinton lost to Trump in 2016, history will show time and time again that the American public will reject a warmongering, status quo, Neoliberal Democrat in favor of a fascist with rizz that positions himself as being meaningfully different. This is because status quo Democrats believe in the system, they do not want it to change. They largely choose to be blind to its flaws while those to the right of them politically understand the system and its flaws but love it because it serves their individual interests. Trump himself is a member of the wealthy elite and benefits greatly from the status quo, and its his own elite class whom he truly serves. But Trump doesn’t openly present this way, and for good reason. Instead, he presents himself as the people's candidate of change, and he won because of it.
This works because the populous knows that their material conditions will not improve under corporatism, American interventionism, capitalism, and individualism, though many would not knowingly identify these as being the greatest forces against their well-being. But, given that this is the status quo ideology of America (Neoliberalism), when an alternative ideology that is objectively worse (Trumpism, which is Fascism) effectively markets itself as being in opposition to the norm and claims that it has the public's best interest at heart (populism), the masses will gravitate towards it even though it will only accelerate the deterioration of their material well-being, as Fascism and Neoliberalism serve many of the same purposes in terms of material impact. In truth, neither ideology benefits from meeting the needs of the people.
It may be hard to accept this. The Neoliberal system we were raised in instilled within us the belief that it is a system which works to serve us. Out of the system's need to develop widespread acceptance in order to guarantee self-preservation, we were not raised to see the need for an alternative. In fact, we were taught that other ideologies are inherently worse, which is why we don't use them (some correctly so, none of us were taught that Fascism is good). But when people begin to realize that the system is failing, they reach for whatever alternative seems the most viable without giving much thought as to what that ideology really is. They just know that what we're doing isn't working, and want they to believe in something else. Currently, this is Fascism, and the blind faith in the exceptional and infallible nature of the American status quo which the system instilled in us made it inconceivable to imagine that it would produce Fascism so easily.
In addition to an unwillingness to reckon with the truth that America has been seduced by Fascism in the form of Trumpism, the masses have actually been convinced that it is Trumpism which will be their savior by manipulation and propaganda. Online and traditional media spaces have deteriorated meaning and truth to an alarming degree (which may not be irreparable now, but will certainly become irreparable as AI improves in its ability to produce false realities in the form of fabricated digital media—videos, images, articles, etc.—that cannot be distinguished from true real world media, which is to say nothing of the exacerbation of climate catastrophe that AI and capitalism at large will continue to accelerate and that the status quo will continue to be the engine of). It’s unsurprising that the demographic of young men skewed so heavily in favor of Trump, these kids are getting their worldviews from right wing influencers online who care less about truth than preying on the insecurities and fears of their demographic. Same goes for older generations who stick to Fox News and other TV news stations. The process of the erosion of truth in the media spaces from which we now inform so much of our worldviews will only serve those who profit from pitting the victimized masses against themselves.
The reality is that neither ideology will improve people's lives meaningfully. If this were true of Neoliberalism, it would have born its fruits by now as it has been the operative ideology of America (and the West at large) at least since the end of WW2, and arguably since the industrial revolution, or indeed even since American independence. And we've seen what fascism does. The only true method to combat the forces of Neoliberalism and Fascism from continuing to impoverish the masses is to return power and agency to those from whom it has been stripped. However, so many Americans have been programmed to demonize any such ideologies and call them Communism, Socialism, etc. They say that these ideologies are inherently anti-American. Which, to be fair, they are inherently in opposition to the status quo, thus they are the solution, but I would not conflate that with being "anti-American" as they are more concerned with the material well-being of the American people than the current system has ever been, and it is the people who are important, not the concept of the American nation state and its position on the world stage (American Hegemony and Imperialism), which is what both Neoliberalism and Fascism serve.
What is needed now is a widespread collectivization of the masses in an effort to meet each other's needs in community without reliance on the state or the free market. The people must come together to meet their own needs and demand unceasingly any compromise the system will begrudgingly allow. The mission from here on out is to make it known to the system that we will no longer accept its self-serving agenda to our continued detriment. Even had Harris won, this would only have provided peace of mind for many while the daily material conditions of the people continue to deteriorate. Trump winning makes our system no less at fault, but it may awaken people to the need for a better system. Let this moment radicalize you rather than lead you to despair. The system isn’t broken, it is working exactly as designed, and it must be dismantled. Let's care for each other, y'all.
Nov 6, 2024
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This is so well said. I have already seen these election results push people to realize that the hyper-individualistic American consumer culture is fruitless and holds nothing for us except shallow mollification and continued disappointment. Most of us in this country have been conditioned to have the mindset of securing our own safety and success in a competitive world, while not worrying about our neighbor's safety. Or a lot of us DO worry about others, but are unwilling to put ourselves on the line or extend ourselves in a real, meaningful way to help them. I know I've absolutely been guilty of the second, and I think it's a tendency we all have to get over in the coming presidency. We've known there have been problems for a long time, but mobilizing people to really do anything about it in large numbers is very difficult, since people understandably naturally prefer comfort and are already exhausted by the system itself. People will vote for or be complacent with whoever promises them personal security, or validates their illusion of personal security. It's going to be a very difficult shift in habits to come up with new solutions ourselves instead of waiting on elected officials, but I am glad that a lot of us are realizing how necessary it is. I think it's definitely intimidating to internalize that we have to be part of the solution. But the more of us that realize this at once, the less daunting it is. It gets easier when we share the responsibility of helping each other!! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your words on this.
i think this made me feel better…any reading recs that share a similar sentiment or just in general?
lil_legs Slow Down by Kohei Saito is a great book to start with if any of this resonated
"what is needed is widespread collectivization of the masses in an effort to meet each other's needs in community without reliance on the state or the free market."
A beautiful (and immensely challenging) vision. One that is resilient and independent of the national leadership or overall political direction.
What's the first step?
mattshawsome the first step is overcoming division in service of fostering communities of care. activating the latent potential and agency we all possess in service of communion and mutuality
mattshawsome I think the first step is to think small. It is not your or my responsibility to save the world, just to make it better.
Volunteer and help feed one family, help one person get healthcare, help one person to not become homeless.
Rinse and repeat. Easier said than done, I grant you. It will require dedication that I personally have never had.
bee1000 if you’re thinking in these terms you have that personality I’d say. you just gotta walk the talk as ves you can
have never seen someone describe this issue as aptly as you have. now the real question is, how does one convince someone something's wrong and push them to take action (i.e. collectivization of the masses) when they don't see the issue to begin with or more importantly, when they feel things are impossible to fix? (i'm mainly asking out of curiosity as i don't have a solution myself)
verygoodvalentina you demonstrably show up and contribute to systems of care which meet their immediate material needs. learn skills that make you more self-reliant, use them to the benefit of others, share them freely, awaken people to their own potential and implement agency in service of communion
Related Recs
Dear New York Times,
I’m addressing this open letter to you to ask one simple question: Why won’t you interview Dr. Jill Stein and Butch Ware?Â
As we are witnessing in real-time the death of journalism along with a live-streamed targeted massacre of journalists themselves, I am concerned about the selective election coverage by your institution. In the most anti-democratic presidential race in the history of the US, we are being led to believe that we have only two options:
A delusional narcissist who is only interested in self-gain above all else and at any cost, and who has taken control of the Republican Party to firmly claim it as the conservative American right wing party, fueling his fascist agenda with racism and hate.
Or
An appointed “nominee” injected into the race by a failing candidacy and platform, who is relentlessly supportive of a fascist and genocidal American ally, while establishing the Democrats as the centrist party, gaining support from and platforming the policies of moderate Republicans, and alienating the entire left wing of the country’s electorate.Â
Within the past couple of months the Green Party has been more successful than ever in maintaining and amplifying a relevant voice for a coalition of progressive viewpoints and parties, despite the concerted effort from the Democratic Party to silence them (going so far as fighting in the courts to exclude Stein and Ware from ballots) while spreading targeted misinformation about the party and their platform. The anti-democratic nature of the Democratic Party’s strategy is underlined by their hypocritical insistence that they are the party saving and upholding democracy.Â
By choosing not to cover this story, journalists and media institutions allow the false narratives created by bad actors to circulate unchecked. The decision to invite JD Vance onto The Interview, for example, illustrates a willingness of The New York Times to platform and fact-check a member of the Republican Party (a party that has been fact-checked by your institution thoroughly).Â
As the election draws nearer, American voters are being told by media institutions that their choices are limited to two candidates with very similar platforms and policies. The reality is that alternatives exist, and may be this country’s only path to avoid a full descent into a militarized nation governed by austerity and authoritarianism. Journalism is an essential tool of citizen empowerment in a truly democratic society, and yet The New York Times—our nation’s paper of record—appears to be abdicating its responsibility to seek the truth and help people understand the world.
So again I must ask: Why won’t you interview Dr. Jill Stein and Butch Ware?
Thank you for taking the time to read my letter. I hope you will consider a democratic approach to covering the 2024 election.
Sincerely,
Marcus McDonald
Oct 22, 2024
đź”™
We love looking backwards to try to get in touch with ourselves, our history, traditional ways of doing things. I think this is a noble pursuit but the pace of cycling through eras in the trend cycle for example has grown increasingly rapid to the point that it feels like we’re endlessly regurgitating everything all at once, without context.
Rediscovering the past can look like going back to pre-industrial ways of living which is a beautiful thing to strive toward. In a lot of ways, we’ve also abandoned a lot of traditional ways of doing things in favor of methods that are easier, faster, and simpler, not necessarily better.
On the other hand, one of the three essential elements to fascism identified by Jason Stanley is invoking a mythic past to manufacture nostalgia for a more traditional, patriarchal, and racially pure past, which is I think what we’re seeing with a lot of people who romanticize 1950s Americana as some kind of utopian traditional society.
Carl Sagan said:
“In general, human societies are not innovative. They are hierarchical and ritualistic. Suggestions for change are greeted with suspicion: they imply an unpleasant future variation in ritual and hierarchy: an exchange of one set of rituals for another, or perhaps for a less structured society with fewer rituals. And yet there are times when societies must change.”
“As a consequence of the enormous social and technological changes of the last few centuries, the world is not working well. We do not live in traditional and static societies. But our government, in resisting change, act as if we did. Unless we destroy ourselves utterly, the future belongs to those societies that, while not ignoring the reptilian and mammalian parts of our being, enable the characteristically human components of our nature to flourish; to those societies that encourage diversity rather than conformity; to those societies willing to invest resources in a variety of social, political, economic and cultural experiments, and prepared to sacrifice short-term advantage for long-term benefit; to those societies that treat new ideas as delicate, fragile and immensely valuable pathways to the future.”
So I think we need forward-thinking transformational change, though it may not be as comfortable as nostalgia…
Jan 15, 2025
đź—ł
Our fuckass head Conservative Pollievre seems to be losing popularity after publicly siding with old man Musk but that’s based on my media intake/ algorithm. The Liberals want to bring in a banker as their new rep cause Trudeau shit the bed as acting moderate Premier. I see what they’re trying to do but they’re also trying to redirect popular discourse away from the fact that our economy is fucked cause a handful of billionaires basically own the country - not cause we aren’t capping international students (??). Then there’s the NDP which is actually trying to do something for working class people but they’re so scared to give them their vote cause they’re too busy fighting off the Conservative majority with their Liberal votes… It’s a never ending cycle of garbage bro our government is so incredibly performative and moderate I feel like I’m going crazy. I know there’s a current wave of far right conservative governments sweeping across the globe and people are being thrown into a moral panic but theres still hope! Your vote matters and a moderate government won’t fix anything. Band aid solutions won’t address structural issues. Recenter real working class people in government philosophy, be empathetic, care!
Feb 14, 2025
Top Recs from @royallmonarch
đź“´
I consume a lot of music regularly, and a huge part of keeping a fresh diet of new listens going is having enough sources of recommendations that aren’t an algorithm that either 1) reinforces your existing listening patterns, keeping you stagnant in your tastes, or 2) platforms whoever paid enough to push their product to the top, serving you something that may not inherently be of inferior quality, but may not align with your tastes, may not be exciting beyond just being a new release, and realigns your current listening habits to be more in line with what the average user on the platform is also listening to — which socially might have benefits but which creates a homogeneity of consumption that can become bland since you’re listening to something really just because it’s the next product on the assembly line to have its public moment and not because anything about the music actually captured your attention. the current landscape of streaming is designed to keep you at an all you can eat buffet where you take what’s served to you, and as a result a lot of us have forgotten how to look at a menu and order.
so what does taking a more active role in your own music curation look like? for me, it’s meant not using streaming as a primary listening platform. I mostly use my local Apple Music library on my phone that I curate with the vestigial iTunes Library framework that’s still a part of Apple Music on my laptop. probably going to find an alternative soon since apple seems to be cutting integration progressively. I like this method because it forces me to choose what to sync to the limited storage space I have, forcing me to take inventory of what I actually listen to and what I can offload. the files I get are mostly from Bandcamp or Soulseek depending on whether it’s available for purchase or entirely unavailable online (as is the case for a lot of electronic music that was on vinyl only, which is where soulseek comes in clutch). I also have freedom here to change the ID3 tags to better sort and organize, rate, change track info, and track my own listening data.
Bandcamp and other music purchasing platforms are great because 1) it reshapes my relationship to music away from consumerism and back towards curation. I have to pay actual money for this thing now if I want to use it, so i’m forced to consider its value (usually i’ll stream a release first to gauge my interest). 2) having to spend money helps me to course out my meals so to speak, as i’ll buy a few releases i’ve accumulated in my cart over the month and cash out on Bandcamp Friday when 100% of my money is actually getting to the artist (TOMORROW IS BANDCAMP FRIDAY BTW!!!), and between purchases I can actually chew and savor and digest my last orders, they don’t get swept up in the deluge of new releases. my plate is full until i’m done and then I order more. also for the times of the year like now when new music isn’t coming out as regularly I take time to find older music that I would normally overlook while keeping up with new drops. currently very into early 80s/late 70s music with early digital production, kinda stuff that would evolve into synthpop and dance music.
so how do you know what to order? for me, I’m getting recs through trusted curation platforms. whether it’s bandcamp daily, y’all lovely folks here on PI.FYI, friends, or most importantly musicians who I follow on socials that share their tastes through posts, stories, playlists on steaming, interviews, etc. I like this last one especially because it’s kind of like a musical game of telephone. if I like an artist and they share their interests and influences it’s like every layer in this process is stretching my palate further from the sound that I was originally interested in and into a new territory that has some shared DNA but would never have been recommended to me by an algo because there’s no shared category or label between them, only the musical influence and interpretation of it made by the artist. as an example, I was a huge Skrillex stan, he signed KOAN Sound to his label, they collab with Asa who collabs with Sorrow, Sorrow takes huge influence from Burial, Burial makes some ambient adjacent stuff and takes huge influence from 90s rave music and drum and bass and 2000s rnb, now i’m listening to Brandy - All in Me, William Basinski, Aphex Twin, none on whom would get recommended by Spotify to me from Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites.
LAST thing i’ll say — because in yappin about this i’m realizing how actually passionate about this subject I am: MAKE LISTS! playlists are cool, but they can flatten your music into vague categories of “vibes” and “aesthetics” and encourage picking one-off songs from artists that you never form an active audience relationship with. I make a practice of making my own year end lists of top 25 albums (plus some honorable recs and top individual songs) and keeping them in a notes doc that I regularly update and rearrange over the course of the year. this forces me to consider the actual relationship i’m forming with what i’ve ordered for myself. did I like it in the moment but it didn’t have staying power? is it slowly growing on me? it also encourages taking albums as a whole. maybe I liked one or two tracks a lot but the rest wasn't resonating. that’s ok! maybe I rank it lower but now i’ve actually taken time to consider it, it’s in my library, and maybe (quite a few cases for me) something I ranked like bottom 5 albums becomes a retroactive favorite from that year as my tastes evolve. also 25 albums to take with me from each year is really more than you'd think, i struggle sometimes to even find 25 that I formed a true connection with. I think the biggest thing the itunes era ruined that led into now is the single-ification of music, the ability to separate the hits from the deep cuts. albums are meant to be taken as a whole, and then once you've really sat with the whole you can find what actually stuck. even then I like to keep the whole around because soooo often i’ll write off a track that yeeeears later I come to love. trust the artist, they made it like they did for a reason.
aaannyyyywayy TLDR: get recs organically, be more active in deciding your listening patterns, fr*cken pay artists yall, trust the artist embrace the album, really consider what you consume
Feb 29, 2024
🤝
i’m not gonna go into the state of politics in this country, frankly I enjoy that this site has been a politics free space for the most part. with that being said, resigning to despair and the feeling of powerlessness serves only the status quo. inaction is not the solution, nor is waiting for the government to be what you want it to be. politics over: here’s the rec
be the change you want to see
as much of a cliche as this saying is, i’ve grown to believe in it with my full being as i’ve gotten older. for the things you have control over, for the practical needs that you can meet within your community, for the little things you can do every day to ease someone’s burden or generally be a pleasant interaction in someone’s life: bring to the world what you feel it lacks.
where you live there are likely already communities that are arising to support each other and call for change. seek those out if that’s a motivating notion for you. participate as much as you are able and as little as you please, every bit counts. being a visible and tangible example of how the agency we all have can create something better will motivate others to find their voice. a lot of people feel like you, but even a few in action is better than multitudes in despair.
community is so key, and the world we live in has created a situation where isolation is the default so that individuals are forced to rely on the market or the state to meet their needs. how much better would it be to have neighbors and friends as a support network, mutually exchanging their time and resources to strengthen the communtiy and invest in relationships that benefit the whole. the moment we all realize that we can do for each other what the world tells us we need to do ourselves, the stronger we will be and the more we can come together and enact real change from the bottom up, rather than being divided in pleading for a top down approach.
this may sound revolutionary because we have become so detached from community that we cannot envision the changes in our model of living that would have to be made, but it’s sooo not that deep, and it feels more like investing in the good in others than sacrificing personal comforts. it can look like:
- shopping at a local business vs a corporate chain, get to know the staff, get to know your fellow patrons
- spending time with friends, there doesn't need to be a reason or occasion. make meals together, drive together to go do something, maybe literally just be in each others presence as you do daily life, share each others sacred presence amidst the mundane
- give things you don’t need to a friend who does, exchange clothes, exchange favors, share knowledge and resources, lend a skill or a craft, donate things if you don’t know someone who can use it, exchange things and experiences without the need for monetary incentive
- create things together, make art together, share and exchange media, try things for the joy of experiencing them without the need to be “good” at it,
- grieve together, worry together, talk out negative feelings, commiserate, support, encourage, motivate, share your accomplishments, celebrate together
- get to know your neighbors, why is everyone in isolation while in such proximity?
- get off that damn phone if it makes you feel bad, you wont miss out, the world happens outside of it, unlearn FOMO
- enjoy nature, go on walks, get outside, sweat and run and jump and see the sky
- remind yourself that life is about what happens right now, don’t be concerned with what could be or what was if you are unable to affect it in the present.
- go to a concert at a small venue for an artist you’ve never heard of, bring friends, don’t preclude experience for the perceived necessity of entertainment
- unlearn grindset, but also unlearn bainrot. don’t fester in your down time. rest can be active, activity can be restorative. your time is precious and you will meet your need for purpose and direction by literally choosing to pursue a “meaningless” hobby in even what little time you may have vs scrolling and taking psychic damage.
- learn to enjoy the abundance of freely available joy in this world, we have been tricked to believe that money is the sole provider of a happy life
idk i’m just becoming mindful of what brings me life in this world and so much of it is available to me solely by seeking it out instead of idleness in my free time under the guise of “rest.” so much if it comes from seeing the divine in others and creating bonds and relationships and support networks. so much of it comes from enjoying beauty and art, and moderating and savoring that experience vs endless consumption and media gluttony.
the world through a screen is bleak, the world in front of your eyes can be beautiful, the system is broken but you and everyone you know has some untapped agency. anyway imma get off my soapbox, go catch a firefly or sit around a campfire with the homies. you’ll be glad you did.
Jun 29, 2024
🚪
not because you met someone or anything but because you take psychic damage every time you doom swipe on there and you probably never liked being on there in the first place and why does everyone seem to have a wack helen keller take and feel the need to put that on their profile like it’s cute??
time to do it the old fashioned way and mix and mingle at the sock hop or however our grandparents did it. after all, you just being around and living life is gonna be a better pitch for why someone should date you than those same 5 photos and your two-truths-and-a-lie prompt.
Feb 22, 2024