<![CDATA["I can't endorse radical political change because the disruption would harm too many people."]]>"I can't endorse radical political change because the disruption would harm too many people."

Do you SEE the world we are in? Do you SEE how bad things are now & how much worse they are likely to get in the NEAR future?

More people slip below the poverty line, unable to feed themselves & their families, unable to access healthcare, abused by a system they are too poor to resist.

Immigrants (& those who would defend them) are abducted & imprisoned.

When is that disruption going to be enough?

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/topic/8256cb78-ad9a-44ad-861d-5357df5092b3/i-can-t-endorse-radical-political-change-because-the-disruption-would-harm-too-many-people.RSS for NodeSun, 12 Jul 2026 15:56:59 GMTTue, 23 Jun 2026 16:20:34 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to "I can't endorse radical political change because the disruption would harm too many people." on Wed, 24 Jun 2026 06:25:49 GMT]]>@kentpitman wrote:
«What MIGHT shake their world view is if money does not buy something they're used to it buying»

Fifty years ago, in the lyrics of a song called Bastille Day, Neil Peart wrote:
"Power isn't all that money buys."
Of course, revolutions tend to eat their own children, but that isn't what might stop a revolution.

@artemis

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://ieji.de/users/vnikolov/statuses/116803656037622416https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://ieji.de/users/vnikolov/statuses/116803656037622416Wed, 24 Jun 2026 06:25:49 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "I can't endorse radical political change because the disruption would harm too many people." on Wed, 24 Jun 2026 05:27:42 GMT]]>@artemis When is that disruption going to be enough? When it extends to disrupting the social life of the mega-rich.

The mega-rich assume that of course bad things befall others, that this is the reason to be rich. Some bad things will always happen, but money signals virtue, and purchases a meritorious right to be the one allowed to buy their way out.

Tales of great woe do not impress them but rather reminds them that they did the right thing in clawing to the top and then claiming that it was hard work or contribution that got them there. This lets them rest. And the propagation of this myth, that money measures virtue is then pushed on others as a way of saying not-so-gently, if you lack money, you lack virtue, worth, and contribution.

But in any case, tales of woe do not surprise or shake their world view, they confirm their world view. They did not need to be told these things. They assumed these things. They are not prompted to think differently by mounting pain, they are ever more confident that their original analysis was correct.

What MIGHT shake their world view is if money does not buy something they're used to it buying, whether it's a tangible object, a service, entry to a country, or just the adoring respect of the public. These things don't seem as dire to most of us as the death and suffering of others, but only because we're not seeing things from their point of view.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://climatejustice.social/users/kentpitman/statuses/116803427555236051https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://climatejustice.social/users/kentpitman/statuses/116803427555236051Wed, 24 Jun 2026 05:27:42 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "I can't endorse radical political change because the disruption would harm too many people." on Wed, 24 Jun 2026 05:22:26 GMT]]>@artemis@dice.camp while I understand the sentiment, you have to understand that most people (including you, according to most sociologists and psychoanalysis) are not motivated by the best interest of others.

If there's even a chance that you could have something that others don't, chances are you're inclined towards a system that has haves and have-nots rather than haves with no have-nots. This is not true in every situation, of course, but we are by default wired towards this system. I think there's a physiological component to this, something like survival of the fittest hard-wired into our brains.

So, I don't think this framing is convincing to non-leftists. Of course we recognize that this system could be beneficial. But, here's food for thought. I'm not trying to be patronizing, I just want to take your 100% true comment and consider an alternative framing:

Something FDR did was, in a single fell swoop, provided public services AND well paying jobs for people. The TVA brought electricity and water to tons of people, and employed a ton of people. Such social programs benefited the individual and were widely popular because, I mean, c'mon. "What if you could bring life saving technology and precious clean water to thousands of people, and get paid for it?"

The sweeter the juice, the sweeter the squeeze, I guess.

If you notice Zoran's framing of things, it always begins and ends with "hey, we're going to give YOU a better deal" and then he literally does. Every time.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://shork.nerdmusic.net/notes/anv6xwv0990200vchttps://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://shork.nerdmusic.net/notes/anv6xwv0990200vcWed, 24 Jun 2026 05:22:26 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "I can't endorse radical political change because the disruption would harm too many people." on Wed, 24 Jun 2026 05:14:13 GMT]]>@c0debabe

@artemis

In case you enjoy audiobooks, this work and some of Sharp's other books are available for free on Librivox

https://librivox.app/book/8656

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://zirk.us/users/StingrayBadger/statuses/116803374517660333https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://zirk.us/users/StingrayBadger/statuses/116803374517660333Wed, 24 Jun 2026 05:14:13 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "I can't endorse radical political change because the disruption would harm too many people." on Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:08:01 GMT]]>Artemis The “people” who would be harmed are the ones with giant bank accounts and investment portfolios, and the “harm” they’d experience is having smaller bank accounts and investment portfolios. These are the only ones that the ownership class see as people.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://wanderingadventure.party/post/812https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://wanderingadventure.party/post/812Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:08:01 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "I can't endorse radical political change because the disruption would harm too many people." on Tue, 23 Jun 2026 22:11:08 GMT]]>@artemis
💯

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://autistics.life/users/JeremyMallin/statuses/116801710857175587https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://autistics.life/users/JeremyMallin/statuses/116801710857175587Tue, 23 Jun 2026 22:11:08 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "I can't endorse radical political change because the disruption would harm too many people." on Tue, 23 Jun 2026 21:07:32 GMT]]>@mpark @artemis Love thy neighbors, but be ready to scourge the money lenders from the temple.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/hal_pomeranz/statuses/116801460793694535https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/hal_pomeranz/statuses/116801460793694535Tue, 23 Jun 2026 21:07:32 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "I can't endorse radical political change because the disruption would harm too many people." on Tue, 23 Jun 2026 19:36:52 GMT]]>@burnitdown @artemis

Oh I know. He really did the practical demonstration of not speaking out, and when he finally did, the response damn near killed him, as it had so many others, Nazi and innocent alike.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://dju.social/users/eswag/statuses/116801104269815454https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://dju.social/users/eswag/statuses/116801104269815454Tue, 23 Jun 2026 19:36:52 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "I can't endorse radical political change because the disruption would harm too many people." on Tue, 23 Jun 2026 19:13:38 GMT]]>@eswag @artemis

yes, he does, because he joined the nazis believing that would save him. that's not an opinion, that's what he really did.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://beige.party/users/burnitdown/statuses/116801012912630348https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://beige.party/users/burnitdown/statuses/116801012912630348Tue, 23 Jun 2026 19:13:38 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "I can't endorse radical political change because the disruption would harm too many people." on Tue, 23 Jun 2026 18:24:22 GMT]]>@burnitdown @artemis

I read it as he knows this from experience.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://dju.social/users/eswag/statuses/116800819229798799https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://dju.social/users/eswag/statuses/116800819229798799Tue, 23 Jun 2026 18:24:22 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "I can't endorse radical political change because the disruption would harm too many people." on Tue, 23 Jun 2026 18:17:34 GMT]]>@artemis I still hate everything happening but I have a much better understanding of what is at play and what needs to be done.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://masto.hackers.town/users/c0debabe/statuses/116800792435414354https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://masto.hackers.town/users/c0debabe/statuses/116800792435414354Tue, 23 Jun 2026 18:17:34 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "I can't endorse radical political change because the disruption would harm too many people." on Tue, 23 Jun 2026 18:14:50 GMT]]>@c0debabe
Ooh. Added to my "to read" list!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://dice.camp/users/artemis/statuses/116800781719314782https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://dice.camp/users/artemis/statuses/116800781719314782Tue, 23 Jun 2026 18:14:50 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "I can't endorse radical political change because the disruption would harm too many people." on Tue, 23 Jun 2026 18:11:12 GMT]]>@artemis

If I could make everyone in the USA read something right now, it would be "From dictatorship to democracy" by Gene Sharp

He talks about this in that essay

(it's an essay published as a novella)

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://masto.hackers.town/users/c0debabe/statuses/116800767400768822https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://masto.hackers.town/users/c0debabe/statuses/116800767400768822Tue, 23 Jun 2026 18:11:12 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "I can't endorse radical political change because the disruption would harm too many people." on Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:40:16 GMT]]>@coolcalmcollected @artemis Also "insane" is a label they have historically used to justify psychiatric incarceration as a way to bypass the justice system and the human rights the courts often impose.

Which is why I find the sudden expansion of involuntary "care" being pushed in all provinces in Canada right now so incredibly concerning (am "Canadian").

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://zeroes.ca/users/PacificNic/statuses/116800645783094151https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://zeroes.ca/users/PacificNic/statuses/116800645783094151Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:40:16 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "I can't endorse radical political change because the disruption would harm too many people." on Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:33:49 GMT]]>@burnitdown @artemis "anarchists and communists disrupt my comfortable illusion that the current state of things is basically okay"

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://wetdry.world/users/matildalove/statuses/116800620452154573https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://wetdry.world/users/matildalove/statuses/116800620452154573Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:33:49 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "I can't endorse radical political change because the disruption would harm too many people." on Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:25:34 GMT]]>@coolcalmcollected @artemis True, but that label will be applied to everyone no matter what, eventually. Starting a community garden is lower stakes for many people than other options and food security is absolutely an imperative.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://zeroes.ca/users/PacificNic/statuses/116800587996556474https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://zeroes.ca/users/PacificNic/statuses/116800587996556474Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:25:34 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "I can't endorse radical political change because the disruption would harm too many people." on Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:23:12 GMT]]>@artemis So ...love thy neighbor, but be ready to flip some tables?

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mathstodon.xyz/users/mpark/statuses/116800578663994319https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mathstodon.xyz/users/mpark/statuses/116800578663994319Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:23:12 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "I can't endorse radical political change because the disruption would harm too many people." on Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:21:17 GMT]]>@burnoutqueen @artemis of course not, but lifestyle change is necessary and hard and the easier we make it - by doing it ourselves now and by building the structures to make it easier for more people as we build more political power - the more likely we are to have any larger political change succeed in a more popular and lasting way.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://sfba.social/users/thesquirrelfish/statuses/116800571124054930https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://sfba.social/users/thesquirrelfish/statuses/116800571124054930Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:21:17 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "I can't endorse radical political change because the disruption would harm too many people." on Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:17:39 GMT]]>(Sometimes I write threads like these & start to see parallels to the sayings of the Jesus character in the Gospels & think "wow. I was soaking in revolutionary concepts & had no fucking idea.")

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://dice.camp/users/artemis/statuses/116800556831939049https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://dice.camp/users/artemis/statuses/116800556831939049Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:17:39 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "I can't endorse radical political change because the disruption would harm too many people." on Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:17:02 GMT]]>@artemis

This thread!! 🔥 🔥

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://climatejustice.social/users/RhinosWorryMe/statuses/116800554450324350https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://climatejustice.social/users/RhinosWorryMe/statuses/116800554450324350Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:17:02 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "I can't endorse radical political change because the disruption would harm too many people." on Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:16:37 GMT]]>@PacificNic

you don't have to be a "soldier" or "criminal". the state labels you as one to justify its brutal persecution of you as propaganda to the rest of society

@artemis

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/ap/users/115982855104445836/statuses/116800552778890056https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/ap/users/115982855104445836/statuses/116800552778890056Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:16:37 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "I can't endorse radical political change because the disruption would harm too many people." on Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:13:35 GMT]]>The answers lie outside the system.

We can work on them now.

But don't be surprised when your good work is met with hostility.

Creating alternative ways of meeting each other's needs is an attack on the existing system. Capitalists won't take that lying down.

The revolution isn't all about fighting, but they will fight us every step of the way.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://dice.camp/users/artemis/statuses/116800540889156634https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://dice.camp/users/artemis/statuses/116800540889156634Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:13:35 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "I can't endorse radical political change because the disruption would harm too many people." on Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:09:57 GMT]]>They will disrupt us. They will try to destroy our ability to help each other.

The world we want to build is not compatible with the tyranny of wealthy oligarchs, & they will not hesitate to command their footsoldiers to violently oppose us.

They create suffering & deprivation intentionally. They will not leave us alone while we work to alleviate them. They will criminalize our efforts, justifying extreme violence.

So...do you want to defend a status quo maintained by state violence?

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://dice.camp/users/artemis/statuses/116800526560212741https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://dice.camp/users/artemis/statuses/116800526560212741Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:09:57 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "I can't endorse radical political change because the disruption would harm too many people." on Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:08:48 GMT]]>@thesquirrelfish @artemis

Lifestyle changes alone cannot break the iron alliance of the state and the corporations, or underdeveloped infrastructure, or the political autocracy in the US

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://todon.nl/users/burnoutqueen/statuses/116800522088225152https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://todon.nl/users/burnoutqueen/statuses/116800522088225152Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:08:48 GMT