#leftist theory

[m-12-7-jo]

"Anytime you seek help from the police, you're inviting them into your community and putting people who are already vulnerable into dangerous situations.

But we can build trusted networks of mutual aid that allow us to better handle conflicts ourselves and move towards forms of transformative justice [...]."

"Don't feel obligated to defend property – especially corporate "private" property. [...] ask yourself if anyone is being hurt or endangered by property "theft" or damage. If the answer is no, then let it be."

"If something of yours is stolen and you need to file a report for insurance or othe purposes, consider going to the police station instead of bringing cops into your community."

"If you observe someone exhibiting behavior that seems "odd" to you, don't assume that they are publicly intoxicated. Ask if they are OK, if they have a medical condition, and if they need assistance."

"If you see someone pulled over with car trouble, stop and ask if they need help or if you can call a tow truck for them."

"Keep a contact list of community resources like suicide hotlines. [...] people with mental illness are sixteen times more likely to be killed by cops than those without mental health challenges."

"Check your impulse to call the police on someone you believe looks or is acting 'suspicious'. Is their race, gender, ethnicity, class, or housing situation influencing your choice?"

"[...] create a culture of taking care of each other and not unwittingly putting people in harm's way." As in, encourage others to avoid inviting police into community and public spaces, including rallies and demonstrations.

"If your neighbor is having a party and the noise is bothering you, go over and talk to them. Getting to know your neighbors [...] is a good way to make asking them to quiet down a little less uncomfortable."

"If you see someone peeing in public, just look away!"

"Hold and attend de-escalation, conflict resolution, first aid, volunteer medic, and self-defense workshops in you neighborhood, school, workplace, or community organization."

"Don't report graffiti and other street art[tists]. If you see work that includes fascist or hate speech, paint over it yourself or with friends."

"Remember, you can support friends and neighbors who are being victimized by abusers by offering them a place to stay, a ride to a safe location, or to watch their children. Utilize community resources like safe houses and hotlines." (You could also offer to store money for them in a safe location if they need that)

Source: 12 Things to Do Intead of Calling The Cops.

#leftist theory #things we can do #community organizing #advice #safety tips #police violence #tags to get the notes out #my notes.

[decolonize-the-left]

"Now, you might not feel like you can do much now, but that's just because, well, you're not a tree yet. You just have to give yourself some time. You're still a seed."

"Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness."

you matter and knowing you is life-changing

make sure the things you change are changed for the better

You aren't the only one trying to make the world a better place, even if it feels that way sometimes.

Caring about yourself and community is a revolutionary act in a world that wants to exploit your hyper-independence

yeah the world sucks right now but You don't have to

#is anyone tired of the depressive apathy of leftists #time for the ✨ Inspired Era ✨ #be the change you want to see and etc. #community care #mutual aid #direct action #leftist #socialist #anarchist #leftist theory #leftist meme #decol is making posts inspired by vibes again

[anarchywoofwoof]

#noam chomsky #leftist theory #anarchist #anarchism #anarchy #antiwork #fuck capitalism

[raggedyfink]

Tbh I think the fast fashion conversation should involve poor ppl but not in any way in the form of shaming but more like: “you are being taken advantage of by large corporations that have women and children enslaved to make crappy clothes in excessive amounts that have literal lead that will damage ur body in serious ways that ur pressured to buy via influencers that form a parasocial relationship with you and don’t care about you to overconsume them in large amounts that won’t last and have to be thrown away at some point and all that ends up fucking the environment. Plus, the cycle of consumerism is damaging to ur finances to keep u in poverty and mental health of always wanting more but never satisfied.”

I am saying right now you don’t need to throw out fast fashion items you currently own, if they fall apart, they can be repurposed. I am also saying I’ve been guilty of shopping fast fashion but am also making a commitment to eliminate fast fashion purchases and mindset in my life. The root cause of these fast fashion corpos to keep doing what they do is purely based on you buying from them and you, the consumer in this capitalist world, have the power to change that. Obviously there’s little you can do to avoid big oil or buying things made with prison labor without serious direct action but the fashion industry is one that is by design meant to be maintained by mindless consumerism and overconsumption.

If you are poor, please do whatever within ur means to avoid fast fashion, whether it’s buying from thrift stores other than goodwill and just buying less clothes and focusing on more important things in ur life. A better tomorrow is still possible if you allow it.

#mine #gothgoth #deathrock #punk fashion #sustainable fashion #sustainability #trad goth #goth fashion #slow fashion #fuck fast fashion #punk #goth #anarcho punk #anarchism #anarchy #anarchist art #anarchist #anarchopunk #anarchofeminism #leftist theory #punk culture #goth culture #punk rock #counterculture #boycott divest sanction #boycott #working class #diy or die #diy #diy culture

[chronicallycouchbound]

Legality ≠ morality

#abolition #abolitionist #acab1312 #acab #abolish the police #abolish the state #abolish police #abolish ice #abolish prisons #abolish family policing #leftist theory #leftist #abolish landlords #abolish capitalism #abolish the supreme court #1312 #human rights #incarcerated people #incarceration #cripple punk #cripplepunk #chronically couchbound #fuck 12

[cock-holliday]

The full spectrum of anarchist theory

#anarchy #anarchism #leftist theory

[morepeachyogurt]

Freedom is acquired by conquest, not by gift. It must be pursued constantly and responsibly. Freedom is not an ideal located outside of man; nor is it an idea which becomes myth. It is rather the indispensable condition for the quest for human completion.

pedagogy of the oppressed by paulo freire

#pedagogy of the oppressed #paulo freire #pedagogy of the oppressed by paulo freire #palestine #free palestine #oppression #liberation #freedom #quotes #philosophy #leftist #leftist theory

[khalidistan]

claude von riegan fe3h required reading list. the UN charter declares that you can no longer talk or write about claude if you have not read every book here. finally. world peace

some notes in no particular order: everything but namesake is nonfiction. this list is non-exhaustive. robeson and kwame ture I've listened to their speeches/essays but not their books. if you HAVE to pick only 1-2 please read saïd and puar.

most of these readings are available on my mega asian-american reading list gdrive and if there are some you wanna read on here that arent in there lmk and I can upload a link for you.

I accidentally forgot black skin white masks by fanon :( but I have wretched on there so there's at least that. happy reading

fun fact the background is a grayscale version of orientalism's book cover

#claude von riegan #claude fe3h #fire emblem three houses #fe3h #khalid text #critical race theory #queer studies #gender studies #leftist theory #south asian studies #middle eastern studies #I like. don't know what else to tag this as idk have fun

[guavagyal]

I want to use my degree to make leftist subliminal messages in the US

#my thoughts #leftism #anarchism #socialism #communism #anarchist #socialist #communist #leftist theory #anarchist theory #socialist theory #communist theory #subliminals #leftist #tiktok #subliminal messages

[companionplanting]

being a system with leftist politics is just hearing leftist theories being debated between alters all day in the background

-🍂

#snails 🍂 #companion_planting #and the one centrist sometimes speaks up #did system #actually did #actually osdd #actuallydid #leftist #leftisim #leftism #communism #socialism #far left #leftist theory #light hearted #funny #functional multiplicity

[evergreen-collections]

y'all gen question why does bourgeoisie have the negative connotation it does and why is it of rich people? isn't its literal translation just middle class?

I've always been confused on this but didn't wanna seem stupid asking

#leftism #anti capitalism #leftist theory #anarchocommunism #anarcho syndicalism

[willtheweirdrat]

does sharing recommendations about gigantic leftist essays count as yaoi or

#its a whole fucking love language to me btw #leftism #leftist #socialism #leftist theory #leftist memes #wills mumbles

[anarchywoofwoof]

Hi this is so dumb what are tankies, specifically

let me preface this by saying that this is not dumb. not asking questions when you don't understand something is dumb and i'm proud of you for being inquisitive, anon.

so in a nutshell... 'tankies'—it's slang in leftist circles for folks who get all hot and bothered for authoritarian regimes that claim to be communist, like stalin's soviet union or mao's china. these were governments that, yeah, talked a big game about socialism and the working class but ended up crushing a lot of the freedoms and rights that are pretty essential to true socialism, and definitely to anarchy.

keep in mind: the word "tankie" has absolutely nothing to do with the left-right axis, but with the authoritarian-antiauthoritarian axis.

when i, as someone who identifies as a leftist anarchist, refer to someone as a tankie, it's because they are *as left as me*, but too authoritarian to be safe for me, after a whole century of authoritarian communist regimes persecuting anarchists.

from an anarchist pov, which is all about getting rid of unjust hierarchies and giving power back to the individual, the whole tankie mindset and way of thinking is counterproductive. anarchism is about flat structures, deconstructing unjust and unfair systems, and definitely no secret police or labor camps, which were a huge part of the stalinist-era soviet and chinese maoist playbook.

supporting governments that use force and repression to control their people kinda goes against the whole ethos of fighting for a fairer, freer society. it's kind of like cheering for the underdog and then also celebrating when the underdog becomes the bully once they've got power. it trades one form of oppression for another, which is exactly what anarchists and most reasonably informed socialists wanna avoid.

it's important to understand the past to build a better future, and the history of these authoritarian regimes show that concentrated power is risky business. what starts with the promise of equality often ends up with just a new set of gods and masters. freedom and respect for individual rights are obviously vital to the anarchist viewpoint and tankies generally espouse views directly in contrast to these beliefs.

#borking back #communism #anarchism #anarchist #anarchy #leftist theory

[saintrouge]

#studyblr #literature #motivation #university #langblr #theory #studyblr politics #art history #leftist theory #sociology #anthropology #paris #bookshop #travel #french langblr #mine

[chronicallycouchbound]

What’s So Wrong With Having Heroes?

When I was a little kid, I wanted to be a doctor or a veterinarian. I wanted to help heal. And even as a small child, it felt like my calling.

Most kids dream of becoming a hero. The firefighters, the builders, the astronauts. The one’s who get medals and standing ovations. There’s many very monetarily successful movies and comics about all the superheroes we dream of. The people we want to save us. At one point, I thought I could be a hero. I wanted to be.

Being a hero wasn’t an issue for me though. People started to notice acts of kindness in me, and when they held that in high regard, I did too. I did everything I could to help others. It came naturally.

I bandaged my siblings and pets and strangers up. I gave advice like a wise old man, my aunt thanked me for helping her to leave her abusive husband when I was 8. I saved two people from drowning when I was 10. I talked friends out of suicide a dozen times. I became a street medic. I have saved dozens of lives, often under extraordinary circumstances. By definition, I fit the one for ‘hero’.

And I have so many issues with it. This isn’t a humble brag.

I genuinely think that we, as a society, put certain people on pedestals that shouldn’t be. I don’t think anyone should be. The hierarchy of heroes is inequitable and unrealistic. I think we should do the right thing because it’s the right thing, not to win an award or a badge of honor.

I see headlines all the time that are just ‘hero firefighter does their job!’. They’re paid to do this, of course they’re going to do it. As an abolitionist, I see cops hailed as heroes, usually for doing the objectively right thing, and it seems to magically erase the realities of what they do, the systemic harm they perpetuate. It’s the entirety of the ‘there’s some good cops’ narrative. And it causes great detriment to our communities because it makes it seem like the police do more good than bad.

Society particularly loves to paint white, cishet, abled, rich, educated, affluent men as heroes. The ones who can save us. Our hero.

And yet we ignore the people who are saving lives left and right, like people who use drugs who Narcan their friends. Or trans youth who stay up all night with their suicidal friends. Or the street medics who set up civilian ambulances for their under-served and neglected communities.

No one’s giving them medals.

Beyond that, people aren’t checking in on heroes. I’ve heard “you’re incredible!” and “thank you” a million times, but rarely do people genuinely check in on me after I’ve rescued someone.

And I usually need it. I’m at my worst mentally and usually physically after a rescue. It often takes months or years to process those events— they are traumatic for the rescuer too. Especially those of us without formal training or those of us who have attempted to rescue someone and lost them. We’re left to drift among all of these confusing and conflicting emotions, sometimes never understanding why.

The worst thing I hear: “I could NEVER do what you did”. It breaks me apart every time.

I don’t want to be doing this alone. I don’t want to have to save people over and over. I can’t save everyone.

I have to repeat that last one like a mantra sometimes.

I can’t save everyone. And so often, I still try to. I jump in without thinking. I throw myself into danger and worry about myself last, or, never. And it usually ends with me being seriously injured.

When I’d bandage up my siblings and pets it was after our parents hit us. I stepped in front of them as often as I could. I swallowed so much water while trying to save someone from drowning because they kept pulling me under that I puked. My 20-something-year-old boyfriend I dated when I was 16 stabbed me with the knife I had just talked him out of cutting himself with. He went on to keep caving my face in and choking me until I was blue. And of course, I’ve been seriously injured dozens of times during rescues. My body physically hurts so much afterwards, let alone the emotional toll.

I have to wonder: What would happen if I didn’t step in? Would it be so bad?

But of course, my brain always answers with a thousand of the worst case scenarios— or, just with what happened anyways. Sometimes people die no matter how much you try to fight to save them. And that has to just be what it is.

I think sometimes people live, and that just has to be what it is too.

But when we ascribe people as heroes, the message we send is that some people are heroes, some people aren’t. And I feel so strongly that this isn’t true. I believe that everyone has the capacity to help others, and so often, they do so in seemingly insignificant ways, and their deeds are not recognized.

Small acts of kindness are never small.

Life saving happens in everyday, ordinary ways. Sometimes what has saved my life has been something the other person will never remember or know. The Christmas cards from the elementary schoolers sent to the homeless shelter I lived at. The partners and friends who sat with me until I was safe on my own. My friends who held my hand as my heart beat dangerously fast, their presence being all I could feel, replacing the tightness in my chest. My cat cuddling me, purring until she snores. Strangers holding doors, strangers carrying my groceries, strangers checking on me. The dozens of items from my Amazon wishlists that have kept me alive.

I wish I could say how thankful I am to the community that’s kept me alive. How every time they’ve called me a hero, it’s because they made me possible. That they’re a hero just as much as I am.

I read ‘Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (And The Next)’ by Dean Spade recently. In it, Dean describes “leader-less and leader-full” movements. It’s exactly what we need in the world. Hero-less and hero-full communities. We don’t need a select few— we need communities and societies structured around giving care. We need it to be standard, not extraordinary.

Personal responsibility can lead to community responsibility. We could have thriving, beautiful communities where we all care for each other so fully that no one single person is a savior, because we are all uplifted equitably.

I urge everyone I know to be more like the heroes they uplift. To think about what values they hold in high regard in others and to apply them to their own actions. To be what they already are, and acknowledge it.

You’re included.

#heroes #chronically couchbound #tw #hero #abolitionist #savior complex #white savior #white saviour complex #personal essay #leftist #anarchist theory #leftist theory #mutual aid #mutual aid networks #community care #feminist theory #inspiration #inspirational #inspiring heroes #everyday heroes #liberationist #equity

[wreckitremy]

"Despots, kings, and emperors have always employed the ruse of throwing a scrap of food to the people to gain time to snatch up the whip"

The Conquest of Bread

#the conquest of bread #peter kropotkin #leftist theory #september 2023