Yet few can identify it, let alone envision a less alienating world - mainly because the Left has failed to convey an accessible language of oppression... & liberation. 1/29
We feel like a feather floating in the wind, with each new direction at the whim of some external force.
Alienation feels like the decisions that affect our lives are made FOR us, not BY us. 2/29
And finally, what institutional changes can we make to have a more fulfilling & less alienating society? 3/29
I.e. consciousness includes the ability to make decisions for ourselves. 4/29
Taking away our ability to apply our consciousness to the decisions that affect our lives is an oppressive feeling of *alienation*. 5/29
77% say money in politics is a major problem & that there should be limits on the amount of money spent on campaigns 8/29
And these feelings are NOT unfounded. 9/29
NONE. 10/29
In effect, they essentially work together to curtail democracy. 11/29
MOST people see the political system as a corrupt & alienating circus-show that doesn’t represent their voice AT ALL regardless of whether or not they vote. 12/29
Capitalism requires approximately 80 to 85% of workers, the working class, to have little to no say in any decisions at work – literally alienating us from our craft. 13/29
Why? Because top-down authoritarian capitalist workplaces are alienating & oppressive. 14/29
For a theoretical framework for understanding alienation within society, please see this thread 16/29
1 Alienation is PERVASIVE
2 Alienation is caused by anti-democratic societal institutions that prevent us from applying our consciousness, engaging with, & having a fair say in the decisions that affect us.
3 Alienation permeates every sphere of our society 17/29
We need our institutions to reflect more engaging & participatory democratic structures such that people have a say in decisions to the degree they are affected.
Detailed here: 18/29
We need engaging & participatory democracy in ALL our societal institutions. 19/29
But EVEN among left spaces, there are far too few talking about INSTITUTIONAL problems & institutional SOLUTIONS in an accessible way. 22/29
They blame everything (immigrants, POC, deep state, etc.) but the TRUE source of people's pain, suffering & alienation:
*the very system that benefits them at the expense of everyone else*. 23/29
What we desperately need is a modern, accessible alternative of societal institutions that reflect our shared values: 25/29
Okay. So, what would a fair, equitable, engaging & participatory democratic polity look like? 26/29
participatoryeconomics.info
Considering how pervasive alienation is, & peoples’ inherent desire to want to have a fair say in the decisions that affect their lives, alienation unifies the powerless against the 1%. 29/29
Beyond Distrust: How Americans View Their Government:
Perceptions of elected officials and the role of money in politics by Pew Research
pewresearch.org/politics/2015/…
upworthy.com/20-years-of-da…
scholar.princeton.edu/sites/default/…