It's sounding like things have settled down a bit for you after this challenging time, which is good to hear. Hoping all continues to go well.
To respond to your question, I think I'd like to hear something from you on your switch from anarchism to Marxism - though you may just be able to direct me to where you've written about it elsewhere. I've been reading some of Paul Cudenec's writings, and note how allergic he is to Marxism - what do you say to his arguments on that subject? All the -isms feel a bit too attached to an ideal to me, but he has assured me in a comment that anarchism is the only way... :)
I like much of Winter Oak and Cudenec's stuff, though I'll admit that the "true anarchism" thing has lately put me off. As a former anarchist, I myself engaged in this kind of argumentation, constantly using the no-true-scotsman trick to redefine an ideal anarchism against really-existing anarchism. Christians do the same thing, though. And so do Marxists. And even capitalists will do this ("there is yet no such thing as true capitalism"). Must be human nature, I suspect.
Incidentally, I send him a copy of Here Be Monsters late last year, but I don't know what he thought of it.
Well, interestingly, a fellow subscriber to your Substack picked me up on the Christian version of that a few months ago on a comment on one of your essays. I was trying to say that US conservative Christians aren't really "Christian" according to my understanding and upbringing... And then when Paul was insisting to me on comments on one of his posts that the anarchists who support the trans narrative or authoritarian public health measures aren't really anarchists, I asked him about said fallacy, but I don't think he was having any of it! Marx himself was very critical of other forms of communisim, as far as I remember. I like to think Jesus would have been critical of many forms of Christianity too, and would have had fun turning over loads of tables in churches.
What I'm also interested in is how capitalism in itself differs from corporate capitalism. I read Brett Scott's Subtack (Altered States of Monetary Consciousness - it's really good!) and have asked him about this but have yet to receive a reply. A friend of mine argues that homesteading is capitalism and is a good thing - it's just the financial markets that make capitalism unhealthy. But doesn't any form of owning the means of production end up eventually with power concentrated exclusively in the hands of the owners? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts, Rhyd. Thanks!
The "no true" problem shows up everywhere, definitely, but it's particularly virulent in political and religious formations, and even more so now with so many figures in each group trying to distinguish themselves.
Homesteading wouldn't qualify as capitalism in my definitions, or really in any definitions I know, since no one else's labor is being employed to increase wealth. Just as a self-employed business owner with no employees isn't a capitalist (in Marxist terms, these were the "petite bourgeoisie"), a homesteading family couldn't be defined as capitalist. The moment they hire others to do the work for them, they'd become both capitalists and not really homesteaders anymore.
And the key I think is that owning isn't the bad part. In fact, the goal of most forms of communism and also anarchism was for workers to own their own means of production, and also to fully control what they produced and what they did with it.
Thanks, that's helpful. There's a lot of confusion around at the moment as to what communism and capitalism really are. I note that conservative thinkers are really spooked by the idea of "owning nothing" being pushed on us, and taking this to imply that what the WEF etc are wanting is communism, or Marxism, though they never really distinguish between the two. It looks a lot more like capitalism to me, but as you can see I struggle to define them too.
When I searched "homesteading" I was informed that it comes under "anarcho-capitalism". Also confusing!
Sorry to hear of your difficulties and I do hope everything takes a better turn soon. I enjoy your writing so It’s a pleasure to be here regardless of occasional pauses. Thanks for your work.
If you’re interested in a question, how far to the gods and muses inform your writing, and more generally poetry and music for other artists ? A neglected poet asks…
It's sounding like things have settled down a bit for you after this challenging time, which is good to hear. Hoping all continues to go well.
To respond to your question, I think I'd like to hear something from you on your switch from anarchism to Marxism - though you may just be able to direct me to where you've written about it elsewhere. I've been reading some of Paul Cudenec's writings, and note how allergic he is to Marxism - what do you say to his arguments on that subject? All the -isms feel a bit too attached to an ideal to me, but he has assured me in a comment that anarchism is the only way... :)
Thanks!
I like much of Winter Oak and Cudenec's stuff, though I'll admit that the "true anarchism" thing has lately put me off. As a former anarchist, I myself engaged in this kind of argumentation, constantly using the no-true-scotsman trick to redefine an ideal anarchism against really-existing anarchism. Christians do the same thing, though. And so do Marxists. And even capitalists will do this ("there is yet no such thing as true capitalism"). Must be human nature, I suspect.
Incidentally, I send him a copy of Here Be Monsters late last year, but I don't know what he thought of it.
Well, interestingly, a fellow subscriber to your Substack picked me up on the Christian version of that a few months ago on a comment on one of your essays. I was trying to say that US conservative Christians aren't really "Christian" according to my understanding and upbringing... And then when Paul was insisting to me on comments on one of his posts that the anarchists who support the trans narrative or authoritarian public health measures aren't really anarchists, I asked him about said fallacy, but I don't think he was having any of it! Marx himself was very critical of other forms of communisim, as far as I remember. I like to think Jesus would have been critical of many forms of Christianity too, and would have had fun turning over loads of tables in churches.
What I'm also interested in is how capitalism in itself differs from corporate capitalism. I read Brett Scott's Subtack (Altered States of Monetary Consciousness - it's really good!) and have asked him about this but have yet to receive a reply. A friend of mine argues that homesteading is capitalism and is a good thing - it's just the financial markets that make capitalism unhealthy. But doesn't any form of owning the means of production end up eventually with power concentrated exclusively in the hands of the owners? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts, Rhyd. Thanks!
The "no true" problem shows up everywhere, definitely, but it's particularly virulent in political and religious formations, and even more so now with so many figures in each group trying to distinguish themselves.
Homesteading wouldn't qualify as capitalism in my definitions, or really in any definitions I know, since no one else's labor is being employed to increase wealth. Just as a self-employed business owner with no employees isn't a capitalist (in Marxist terms, these were the "petite bourgeoisie"), a homesteading family couldn't be defined as capitalist. The moment they hire others to do the work for them, they'd become both capitalists and not really homesteaders anymore.
And the key I think is that owning isn't the bad part. In fact, the goal of most forms of communism and also anarchism was for workers to own their own means of production, and also to fully control what they produced and what they did with it.
Thanks, that's helpful. There's a lot of confusion around at the moment as to what communism and capitalism really are. I note that conservative thinkers are really spooked by the idea of "owning nothing" being pushed on us, and taking this to imply that what the WEF etc are wanting is communism, or Marxism, though they never really distinguish between the two. It looks a lot more like capitalism to me, but as you can see I struggle to define them too.
When I searched "homesteading" I was informed that it comes under "anarcho-capitalism". Also confusing!
Sorry to hear of your difficulties and I do hope everything takes a better turn soon. I enjoy your writing so It’s a pleasure to be here regardless of occasional pauses. Thanks for your work.
If you’re interested in a question, how far to the gods and muses inform your writing, and more generally poetry and music for other artists ? A neglected poet asks…
Thanks! And that would really be a great topic for a future essay... :)
No worries about the absence. As to what I'd like to see, I'm here for your takes on mythology and religion, so more of that is always welcome.
I've a planned weekly series on the gods I truck with coming up. Perhaps that will interest you?
For sure.