I don’t usually come to my fellow bears for counseling, but I’m at a bit of a loss:
I was having a conversation with my fellow far-left friend who has become very engaged since 10/7. I must confess a bias as I have been advocating for the Palestinian cause for decades longer (they were simply unaware of Palestine formerly), and we disagree with the impact of posting on platforms such as Instagram which I believe silo leftist activists. We both support revolutionary defeatism in the US and identify as far-leftists. I lean more ancom than my friend as well as Hexbear on average (which is part of the reason I seek my comrades’ advice).
My friend spends 8h+ a day on instagram and tiktok. I did this in the past, but personally I found it entirely ineffectual. I support their efforts but I believe optimal efficiency lies elsewhere for my own actions. I have earnestly tried to validate their efforts despite my experiences - while also not trying not to overly tone-police the communication of my own lessons learned as an activist. At times I felt responsible to do so as their senior - for example, having experienced the surveillance that I have, I would warn them against self-doxxing through actions as some Extinction Rebellion activists have done. I encourage activity more similar to that of Black Blocs where identity is protected for the sake of continued action.
I currently focus my efforts on groups that demonstrate alignment with positive and sustainable human experiences, primarily indigenous communities but also communes and similar groups. I am very aware of climate collapse. My friend is also aware, but mostly through me (which still makes them 99% more aware than the general population). Immediately prior to this conversation they pondered to me whether they should focus on the repeating atrocities less, and more on the ways that the Palestinians might be able to meet their immediate needs such as through agricultural education.
I believe communities that have proven themselves cooperative instead of competitive have shown that they possess what it will take to survive climate change. I count Palestine among these groups. I expressed that I do not wish to support neoliberals and other destructive groups because they will kick the can and cause more damage to the rest of us, and that if I am going to focus my efforts that I cannot focus them on all groups.
My friend did not communicate well (they mostly went silent), but they seemed appalled and very disappointed. From what they did say it seems that I was not being inclusive enough in my efforts for their standards, as best as I can tell. I would prefer to communicate their sentiment directly but honestly it was not clearly expressed.
I tried to draw what I see as a parallel to defuse the situation: We both advocate revolutionary defeatism in the US (my friend even more adamantly than I), and both admit this will cause short-term harm to minority groups that we identify. But we both feel this is damage control because it enables better long-term outcomes for the same groups. My feeling is that by focusing my effort on the sustainable underdog communities, we can create a path for healthy and sustainable cultures to persevere while the exploitative ones reap what they have sown. Letting the neoliberals succumb to the climate destruction they have wrought is, in my mind, similar to letting the US deal with what it has become.
This analogy made some small connection, but my friend soon went fully silent with dismay regardless.
So I ask you, Hexbears: Is there somewhere that I am being unduly insensitive? Am I limiting my revolutionary potential with my approach? Is there a way I can be less isolating with my approach of prioritizing local groups over wider groups? Is it wrong to do so in the first place? Rather than missing the forest for the trees, am I missing the trees for the forest? If I want to become a better leftist with a bigger impact, how can I do so?
My friend shut off before they could provide any substantial feedback. But I can’t rely on only them, just as they can’t rely on only me. Yet as I said, I have failed to build my community. As a substitution, what are your criticisms of my perspective? Is my friend being overly reformist, or am I being overly blackpilled? I have spent hundreds of hours lending my skills to this friend, and have always made myself available to teach them when they asked and to help them when they were in need. Is this time well-spent, or have I overestimated our alignment based on a few issues like Palestinian liberation? I don’t intend to support the good causes any less, but I find that my efforts still prove largely ineffectual and I wonder if I am still wasting time on reformists rather than radicals. I’ve spent a lot of time doing for this friend when I would rather have been teaching for this friend. Perhaps I am resentful because I have no one to do things for me. But they’ve also spent a lot of time telling me their revelations as if I hadn’t already spent hours communicating those same lessons to them, apparently to no avail (including the issue of Palestine prior to 10/7). I’m starting to second-guess whether this relationship should command the same value that I had initially assigned it. I’m hoping to hear that I am being emotionally reactionary, but the truth beats any words of consolation.
I don’t usually come to my fellow bears for counseling, but I’m at a bit of a loss:
I was having a conversation with my fellow far-left friend who has become very engaged since 10/7. I must confess a bias as I have been advocating for the Palestinian cause for decades longer (they were simply unaware of Palestine formerly), and we disagree with the impact of posting on platforms such as Instagram which I believe silo leftist activists. We both support revolutionary defeatism in the US and identify as far-leftists. I lean more ancom than my friend as well as Hexbear on average (which is part of the reason I seek my comrades’ advice).
My friend spends 8h+ a day on instagram and tiktok. I did this in the past, but personally I found it entirely ineffectual. I support their efforts but I believe optimal efficiency lies elsewhere for my own actions. I have earnestly tried to validate their efforts despite my experiences - while also not trying not to overly tone-police the communication of my own lessons learned as an activist. At times I felt responsible to do so as their senior - for example, having experienced the surveillance that I have, I would warn them against self-doxxing through actions as some Extinction Rebellion activists have done. I encourage activity more similar to that of Black Blocs where identity is protected for the sake of continued action.
I currently focus my efforts on groups that demonstrate alignment with positive and sustainable human experiences, primarily indigenous communities but also communes and similar groups. I am very aware of climate collapse. My friend is also aware, but mostly through me (which still makes them 99% more aware than the general population). Immediately prior to this conversation they pondered to me whether they should focus on the repeating atrocities less, and more on the ways that the Palestinians might be able to meet their immediate needs such as through agricultural education.
I believe communities that have proven themselves cooperative instead of competitive have shown that they possess what it will take to survive climate change. I count Palestine among these groups. I expressed that I do not wish to support neoliberals and other destructive groups because they will kick the can and cause more damage to the rest of us, and that if I am going to focus my efforts that I cannot focus them on all groups.
My friend did not communicate well (they mostly went silent), but they seemed appalled and very disappointed. From what they did say it seems that I was not being inclusive enough in my efforts for their standards, as best as I can tell. I would prefer to communicate their sentiment directly but honestly it was not clearly expressed.
I tried to draw what I see as a parallel to defuse the situation: We both advocate revolutionary defeatism in the US (my friend even more adamantly than I), and both admit this will cause short-term harm to minority groups that we identify. But we both feel this is damage control because it enables better long-term outcomes for the same groups. My feeling is that by focusing my effort on the sustainable underdog communities, we can create a path for healthy and sustainable cultures to persevere while the exploitative ones reap what they have sown. Letting the neoliberals succumb to the climate destruction they have wrought is, in my mind, similar to letting the US deal with what it has become.
This analogy made some small connection, but my friend soon went fully silent with dismay regardless.
So I ask you, Hexbears: Is there somewhere that I am being unduly insensitive? Am I limiting my revolutionary potential with my approach? Is there a way I can be less isolating with my approach of prioritizing local groups over wider groups? Is it wrong to do so in the first place? Rather than missing the forest for the trees, am I missing the trees for the forest? If I want to become a better leftist with a bigger impact, how can I do so?
My friend shut off before they could provide any substantial feedback. But I can’t rely on only them, just as they can’t rely on only me. Yet as I said, I have failed to build my community. As a substitution, what are your criticisms of my perspective? Is my friend being overly reformist, or am I being overly blackpilled? I have spent hundreds of hours lending my skills to this friend, and have always made myself available to teach them when they asked and to help them when they were in need. Is this time well-spent, or have I overestimated our alignment based on a few issues like Palestinian liberation? I don’t intend to support the good causes any less, but I find that my efforts still prove largely ineffectual and I wonder if I am still wasting time on reformists rather than radicals. I’ve spent a lot of time doing for this friend when I would rather have been teaching for this friend. Perhaps I am resentful because I have no one to do things for me. But they’ve also spent a lot of time telling me their revelations as if I hadn’t already spent hours communicating those same lessons to them, apparently to no avail (including the issue of Palestine prior to 10/7). I’m starting to second-guess whether this relationship should command the same value that I had initially assigned it. I’m hoping to hear that I am being emotionally reactionary, but the truth beats any words of consolation.