PDF of The Sane Society: historicalunderbelly.files.wo... Richard Ryan and Ed Deci work: selfdeterminationtheory.org/r... Patreon: / libertariansocialistrants
Libertarian Socialist Rants nice to see you’re back amigo! I missed your videos man, thanks to you and your videos I fell in love with anarchism or as it is often called synonymously in Spanish “pensamiento libertario” so I very much appreciate your work, they helped me radicalize after almost being completely turned off by the idea of anarchism or the erroneous perceived idea of it and stumbling across ancaps on the way here to being a libsoc.keep up the good work👍🏼 and take care brother🏴
Good heres a large hit. The working people in the Global north are not even a proletariat the are the receiver of super wages because of super imperialism in the GS. The imperialist Global capitalist structure based on monopoly capitalism (in sharp contrast to competitive capitalism) extract surplus in hundreds of billion a year from the Global south and redistributes it in the GN. The "workers" in the GN due to their political rent gets huge amounts of benefit from this. This is sharply reflected in the attitudes of these people manifesting in racism, xenophobia and increased chauvinism which extends itself into economic and foreign policy designed to keep the above process going. While traditional leftist accounts have portrayed this as a false consciousness; in reality though this particular attitude is born because of material conditions of the GN labour aristocracy. This leads to conclusion that any form of syndicallist movement is unable to deliver liberation for the vast . majority of the population only left wing nationalism can through state based development be able to secure enough value for the GS. anarchism while being immensely useful device to examine our social relationships must be relegated to examining structure of mental health, schooling, education and parenting.
Can you clarify something about Anarcho Communism to me? I'm a communist myself but something about Anarchist ideology bothers me (or maybe I'm misunderstanding things). Does Anarchism suggest that communities should be self sufficient and self determined rather than cooperating with other communities in a union for the survival and growth of the society and nation as a whole?
@@slavyanych231 I see so they'd rely on one another. In which case i'm guessing that the broader decision making which affects multiple communities would be done by representatives of those communities reaching an agreement through consensus decision making correct?
God, ever since i've gotten into a switch from marxism-leninism to libertarian socialism and anarcho-communism, the more I discover this kind of quality content and the more I interact with people who align with this political side of the spectrum, I increasingly start to get this soothing sense of belonging to a large community that is willing to take action and support each other; simply because we all believe and stand by the principles of empathy and interdependence... The conceit and the nerve that the conservatives and the far-right have when they call us evil and non-proactive!
Ottantotto I share this exact feeling! So proud to hear and see so many willing to fight to achieve this. Radicals showed me true empathy and solidarity to others which I had not felt before being radicalised. Love and solidarity ❤️✊
After a completely shit first day of school this is a great gift Cameron. Capitalist education truly is torture. You are the great gift of today. Thank you. I sincerely hope you upload more. Much love August.
Really going through a hard time myself and UA-cam is like a comfort food for me. You uploading something fresh feels quite nice. Thanks Cameron, I truly appreciate your work.
Are you in my brain? I try to explain this to my counsellors and psychiatrists. Now I have a fantastic reference. Thank you very much Cameron. SOLIDARITY!
Cameron, I have you to thank for my radicalization, and for the confidence I have when discussing my world view with others. I cannot express how valuable I find your videos/thoughts. Nothing more to add, but genuinely, thank you comrade.
Glad you're making videos again. I've also had a terrible few years MH-wise also from which I seem finally to have emerged over the past few months, which included being sectioned unecessarily (as the doctor who swiftly discharged me agreed) and strongly against my will. I think a radical leftist perspective on some of the factors that contribute to poor MH is necessary, but in the interim I think we also need a broad political struggle against the apalling contempt for the autonomy of those with MH issues both in practice and as enshrined in the MH Act; having a diagnosis under our legal system can quite literally put your liberty at greater peril than being accused of murder. Having been on a psychiatric ward I am personally convinced that sectioning can be justified in some cases, but being locked up against your will is an incredibly distressing and traumatic experience for anyone and it is important that there are stronger safeguards to protect our autonomy.
I usually don't comment on things, but I really do feel like this is the right moment. Mental health and politics is something that really speaks to me at the moment, as I have been fighting the mental health systems a lot recently. I am glad that people such as yourself are bringing up the effects of authoritarianism and capitalism on mental health. In my experience, capitalism and especially psychiatry within capitalism is suppressing people who could easily live fulfilling lives given the appropriate conditions to thrive. It's a very sad situation, considering that people with mental health issues are forced into these institutions by their circumstances. In my eyes, the situation is dire and I greatly appreciate the voices that bring attention to it. I also feel that the optimism regarding what mental health could potentially be in the future is very motivational.
It's so good to have you back. You are probably the reason youtube started recommending actual content to me. I still go back and watch your old stuff.
Great to have you back. I've missed your videos and am glad to know that you're feeling better. You always inspire to do more to help and empower those around me to take action in order to improve their situations'. Thanks again for all of the amazing videos. I've learned such a huge amount from you.
I used that Kristnamurti quote just yesterday in a conversation with my girlfriend. Then today I get the internet back and here it is in your video. Weird but nice!
Hey cameron! Lovely to see another interesting video. Im glad to hear youre feeling better. The whole dismantling vs internalising is something i struggle with plenty too. My old therapist was pushing hard for me to internalise aspects of the dysfunctional relationship with my dad, amongst others, rather than making attempts at changing it for the better so she had to go! I think its a foundational belief amongst liberals, its all wrapped up with an individualistic approach to the world.
Regarding your point on Anti-work politics: I definitely agree that it isn't necessary to automate every single job that could be done by a robot, especially in relation to manual labour. Being someone who enjoys gardening and being active I find manual labour can be quite satisfying. Even more so when I know I'm contributing to something I find important. I just don't want have to do it for 8 or more hours a day while someone is constantly telling me to work faster and harder.
I mean, even if libleft has mental health issues more so than the other ideologies, it shouldn't be stigmatized and made fun of. As a major point you brought up in the video, it's factual mental health has a huge environmental influence. Should be looking to help change the environment(ie wage labor, debt slavery etc) of those people you think are mentally ill than make fun of them. The latter is counter-productive. But yeah, both as someone who studies psychology and who went from employed to self-employed, I can certify in my own life and in my studies, it seems to confirm your arguments here for people being happier when in charge of their work(or at the very least they feel like they're in control even if they aren't). I def was happier, despite making less income, when I was self-employed over when I had an employer, and lots of people I know report the same, and of course psychological theories suggest this too.
@@MaximC Well, yes, it's better to actually be in control. That's why I said "at the very least", since that's merely an improvement from feeling like you aren't.
Just now seeing this vid. Really good to hear from you again. The world of online discourse needs more of you, it seems like the far left is more divided than ever right now, and it's good to come back to your videos and hear some positive truth to power.
What you're saying makes sense in ways I have never thought they could before. You touch on so many points, and are an inspiration. I can hear that the passion you have for this is real. I wish I was more courageous and could find a way to help solve so many problems. I'll keep watching for a little, something about this is almost hypnotic.
We need you more than ever, friend! With all of the bs that surrounds the anarchist community online, you and anarchopac seem to be the most reliable, reasonable, approachable and easy to digest creators. Always happy to have a new contribution whenever you feel up to it. They never fail to be important. I for one am very poorly adjusted for this world and even though it's a daily struggle I wouldn't have it any other way! But take care of yourself, homie. 👊 As a (long ass) side note: As much as I disagree with much of the mostly "post-left" strain of anti-workism, I do find it important to engage with. Just like I think anarchists should read up on Marx, Stirner, Tucker, Gramsci, especially my dude Negri and a host of other anarchist and Marxist thinkers, despite me not being 100% in agreement with the entirety of their ideas either. Engaging with the works of those that ya don't fully agree with is as, if not more, important than reading the ones ya do, which is why I always suggest my Marxist comrades read Individualist, collectivist, Mutualist, communist and post-left anarchist works. Because hearing other/counter perspectives and critiques can sharpen your own ideas and often alter them in ways that make em far better than they were before. While I feel Bob Black does a lot of hoop jumping to turn labor from "work" to "play", I think that "The Abolishion of Work" is still a solid read with some very good points. As "anti-radical" as it may sound, I personally think that we have extremes and that finding compromises between them, even if it's for short-term use, is very useful and important. I'm no egoist, but I understand that their writings have a lot of value and that many of their critiques hold merit. I'm not the kinda collectivist that thinks all individuals must subordinate themselves to the collective. I see both aspects as greatly important and inextricably linked but each extreme end as way too one-sided and not realistic. Most of my current positions are a synthesis of anarchist theory, Marxist thought and later autonomist ideas (suppose ya could label it autonomist anarchist post-Marxism or some shit lol) and it's just been decades of reading, learning, trying, failing, trying again, failing better, debating and thinking about it all to arrive where I am now and I still routinely find things that will make me fundamentally change a position. I looked at the world, analyzed it the best I could then used reason, a logical thought process, critical thinking, etc to find solutions and was then introduced to anarchist ideas in my early teens and I been at it ever since. Unfortunately, most people don't seem to do that. At least not the internet radicals and social media revolutionaries I see on a daily basis. Not confident we can succeed in much til more people do. ✊✌👊♥A///E
You know, I only decided to call myself an Anarcho-Communist in January of this year, and the first thought I had when deciding that I agreed with these ideals was "No one's saying an Anarchist society will be perfect, just that we're striving to make the best possible society we can." Anarchist societies will have challenges, but the more we try and work towards dealing with those challenges, the better we will be overall.
Absolutely brilliant. We need to think about both the deconstructive and constructive aspects of our politics in all situations. People are generally radicalized by the latter.
Hi Cameron, finally got round to watching some of your videos. Great to see them and that you're reaching a wide audience. Hope you're keeping well. On the point about wages for house work, the goal the idea wasn't about literally charging wages for the housework / emotional labour that goes into supporting new humans growing up. It was taken to as a grotesque reversal of the wage-labour system, and how if it was applied to something as human as familial love / domestic labour it'd be crazy to imagine and evidently unworkable. It also served to expemplify that work is carried out whether it's paid or not, so the worlds in which freely given and unmarketable domestic labour effectively supports the wage-labour system as a whole is what should be consider. The idea that housework and childrearing are useless tasks are often levied at people when it comes to comparing productivity in a society. Like, what is one persons housework vs. that of a factory worker. It's clear that the legitmacy of non-waged work is often called into question because of the fact it lacks a commodified exchange mechanism, namely money, as a way to calculate it's worth... though weird statisticians have tried. All this is what makes care-work, teaching, cleaning etc such a wonky field to work in, feminised labour is so often given freely... so when it finally does come to demanding "wages-for-housework", workers are often having to then compete with people doing it for free. One of the many reasons why feminised labour is such a critical battleground vs. capitalist models of production.
Keep pumping out videos, man. Let us know if you need support or funding. Great content.
4 роки тому+1
As a transsexual man (so, FTM-TS), yes, the recognition of my gender identity from others helps me to best-function in society, but the science of gender identity generally points to neurology (which implies that it's not "freely determined," so much as it's hardwired into the structure of the brain, similar to autism, ADHD, schizophrenia, and other neurodivergent spectra; I didn't "freely determine" that I have ADHD, either, but when I recalled childhood symptoms, and presented adult symptoms to a medical professional, she determined that it _did_ line up with the diagnostic criteria for the ADHD neurological spectrum), and in retrospect, my own case as a transsexual had signs manifest during childhood that, unlike with "tomboy" girls (in fact, I was hardly able to be described as a "tomboy" child, as I was a weird bookish kid who would devour any books about bugs and dinosaurs, talk to animals, and even when playing "beauty parlour" with my younger sister, would loudly insist to my parents that I'm not a girl, I'm a boy, and they're just wrong), and this developed into full-on gender dysphoria (GD) around the onset of puberty. That said, I _don't_ think that the existence of the WPATH standards of care for those seeking medical transitioning is "unnecessary" in its bureaucracy, as the too-often downplayed experiences of "de-transitions" show that more often than not, those who manage to acquire medical transitioning services, such as HRT (hormone replacement therapy), without first having GD, will experience GD when the effects of HRT begin to take effect on the body. As the first principle of practicing medicine is to do no harm (at least not intentionally), and GD is a persistent experience of discomfort and distress associated with being seen and treated as a member of the gender most-associated with one's apparent birth sex, then to supply HRT to someone who admitted that they don't experience GD is to risk that, as a medical professional, that one may be knowingly causing harm. I know there are a lot of uneasy ethical questions in medicine, but I feel like this one ought to be more easy to answer than it is difficult. I genuinely wouldn't wish gender dysphoria on anyone, as just like other neurodivergence spectra, it can take a lot of work for the individual to manage, and while it's good to progress society to become more accepting of those whose neurological gender doesn't line up with their apparent sex observed at birth, it's not as simple as abolition of gender as a part of a society, given that gender identity is ultimately neurological, rather than a mere matter of artifice and performance created to benefit the patriarchy and rather superficial choices of self-expression, as is often positioned by Second Wave radical feminists. Even the social constructs surrounding gender don't make the neurological cause of gender somehow less real, as the societal constructs we live with are, generally speaking, based on fulfillment of a need; languages, being _another_ social construct, came into existence to fulfil the needs of people to communicate with each-other, especially in communication of more complex issues than can be efficiently resolved with utterances and simple gestures. The value of traditional gender roles are certainly being re-examined due to changes in the needs of society, but just like how it's highly inefficient to communicate a recipe without a written, or at least a spoken language, it's inefficient to communicate the needs of transsexuals (and, indeed, the majority of cisgender people) by simply "abolishing the gender system." My needs as a transsexual man (especially given some highly unfortunate pubescent anatomy) simply could not be sufficiently met with a haircut and clothing, without medical transitioning care. Unfortunately, too many apparently non-binary people who advocate "abolition of gender" are also advocating de-medicalisation of transsexual care, which _IS,_ especially given the current systems in place, an "ideal" that would only serve to harm trans people who are most-benefitted by medical care: without a medical diagnosis that would be best served by medical treatment, no State, much less private health care financial services, would see any justification to provide transsexual patients with that medical treatment we seek. The "non-dysphoric non-binary" contingent of the broader trans communities are so myopic and self-centered in their desire to simply choose a mix-and-match of gender-bending traits that they don't even consider the rippling effects of their "anti-medicalisation" stance on gender-affirmative care, and how negatively that will affect those of us who have a neurological condition that we did not choose, and is best served with medical care. The "trans medical system" is only so apparently "bureaucratic" to help those who have the most potential gain, and prevent potentially harming those who _don't_ have persistent symptoms of gender dysphoria which may be alleviated by transitioning. Indeed, "de-medicalisation" of transsexual health care only serves Libertarian Capitalist ends, wherein only those who can afford to access "medical" services that don't need a medical diagnosis will be able to access hormone replacement therapy and gender-reaffirming surgeries. *_We cannot logically provide medical care to each according to one's need, if one is not even being recognised as even HAVING a medical need!_* The current system isn't perfect, and yes, it could stand to be re-evaluated in some ways, but the "gender abolishment" contingent that you describe are ultimately endorsing anti-trans rhetoric, especially the TERF/"gender critical" contingent of the anti-trans crowd (which they ironically claim to abhor), by making a neurological condition out to be nothing more than a mere choice of self-determination. Their de-medicalisation position ultimately has more to do with a philosophical ideal that is much closer to Ayn Rand's antisocial Bizarro Land fan-fic of the Nietzschean Übermensche, than it does with even the most seemingly angst-ridden and defeatist Existentialists (whose poster boy is, let's be honest, Albert "I'm actually an Absurdist" Camus - no matter how much he says he's #NotLikeTheOtherExistentialists), cos at least the latter have largely based their ideas on Marx's material reality, rather than a spoilt rich kid's circular insistence that she's right simply because she's right.
This is an awesome video. Im a psychotherapist and anarchism fundamentally informs the way that i practice. I totally agree with everything you have said here.
I got depressed at my last well-paid STEM job because of how mindbogglingly repetitive and basic it turned out to be. Why ANY organization would employ somebody with a postgraduate education and a drive for creative work just to perform menial tasks and attend to useless meetings and presentations is beyond me. And I am not, by any means, an exception. I have known over the years a ton of scientists and engineers who get depressed, burnout or otherwise quit their jobs because they cannot stand them for another minute. Way to progress!
Shit, there's an indie musician whose LiveJournal I used to read, back in the day, who said something in his journal once that I used to have as a sig quote in my emails, and unfortunately I have to paraphrase, right now: "Work is best engaged when coming from a desire rather than a need," and that sentiment continues to resonate with me. I definitely raise an eyebrow at the term "anti-work," though I do understand where such language comes from. I'm an independent musician, and it is certainly work in that it's the production of goods (songs and instrumental pieces) and performance of services that can be exchanged for payment by those who get value from it, but it's not drudgery, and it's something that I engage with happiness.
Have you read Black Flame: The Revolutionary Class Politics of Anarchism and Syndicalism (Counter-Power vol. 1) ? That's one of my favorite anarchist books.
I very much like how you went about talking about the family, I am a pretty firm believer in the abolition of the nuclear family. I like the politics of the neighborhood, and how it extends the family to the whole neighborhood. Kind of vibes like it takes a village to raise a child, and I think that is a wonderful thing where family isn't defined by an arbitrary thing like genetics. Family is the people we choose to have around, and it shouldn't be defined by the hierarchal family model which is built upon modes of domination, and rigid social structures!
Love the video. Regarding anti-work, though, I always thought of it as a difference between "work" (drudgery for survival's sake) and "labour" (a creative exercise). It never occurred to me that advocates for automation wanted art completely generated by machines, or replacement of personal care with robots. If anything, the dehumanization of capitalism is much more likely to impel this. Regarding families, I agree completely. I'd highly recommend checking out the work of Alfie Kohn for conceptualizing how an anti-authoritarian familial structure could work alongside a politics of the neighbourhood at the "mezzo" level.
I think that your interpretation of what people mean when they say 'abolish x' might not match what people generally mean when they say it. i generally think they tend to mean 're-imagine x so that it serves us, and loosen prescribed nature of social roles'. Besides the miscommunications around how people use terms like 'abolish' i think that many groups that appear to contradict, like gender abolisionists, and those that want hundreds of genders, often want the same thing, the removal of institutions that determine our social roles with no considerations for self determination.
Not all anti work advocates are coming from an automation angle. There are those with an anti civ background who may combine anti work anarchism with a critique of production for it's own sake. And in situationist thought there is the idea of removing the distinction between work and play, with the aim of liberating everyday activity. I believe this necessarily means degrowth and the end of commodity production. In this way work abolition and ecology follow one another. When I talk about anti work I mean taking control of my own work. But this also means the deescalation of current levels of production and removing the division of labour where possible. And when I say work I mean work as we know it. I'm optimistic about what I could be doing in a world without work, I'm not interested in a different type of work. And work done by robots is still work. I also reserve the right to be lazy anyway always enjoy your videos
Hey everybody! I'm interested in people's personal experiences within different Left communities (online or in-person) - Anarcho-Communism, Market Anarchism/Mutualism, Libertarian Marxism, Left Communism, Trotskyism, Marxism-Leninism, Stalinism/Tank Communism, or other). I'm interested in the communities themselves and your experiences with them, not their associated theoretical work. Anything willing to share their experiences would be much appreciated! Thank you.
As a therapist who works at a psychiatric hospital...i think most communist (either anarchists or marxists etc) when they look at the mental health issue emphasize mostly on the affective side of mental health, depression, anxiety and the likes, and less on the psychotic side and ita effect on the person who suffers from it, and his family, friends and environment. Some issues in mental health can be dealt with the changing of how we treat mental patients, no argue about it, but when you work and treat some patients you have to use some 'force' and 'oppression' to help them, some of which they ask for themselves. This is in no way a support for the current Psychiatric system which suffers from a lot of stigma even whithin it by the people who work there, and the measures of authority need to change drastically, but i think most peoplr dont really have the chance to work with some of the people who suffer chronic mental illness or disorders to fully understand why things work the way they do. I mostly work with patients who murdered their loved ones or neighbors when they were under a paranoid delusion, some of them may attack me as their therapist if their mental state is deteriorating. So even in an anarchist society we do need some force used to care for people. But i think when the force is used intentionally in a kind and nurturing environment, and not as a part of an oppressive and violent society as we have today the results can be better.
The emotional breakdown I mention in this video was a psychotic one brought about because I couldn't cope with the exercise of force. I think you can justify it if they ask for it themselves, but I have a deep distrust in the psychiatric system because of what happened to me. Just my opinion, you're welcome to disagree.
I get what you're saying though about how anarchists when talking about mental health will focus on the typical things of depression and anxiety. I suppose I'm sympathetic even as someone who has experienced psychosis because I feel like learning to manage those problems can stop them from becoming psychotic in nature. I fell into a depressive psychosis not only because I couldn't cope with the exercise of force but I also have had to deal with feelings of loneliness for several years, and once I was hospitalised it all became too much because I thought, 'this is something I can't talk about, because what reason do I have to trust these people who have taken control of my life away from me?' etc. I had a lot of very important grievances and I bottled up my feelings about it to try to please people and seem happy, and I went totally crazy trying to do that.
@@ElectricUnicycleCrew i hear you and i was talking in general and not specific to your case. I heard about more than one incidents of psychiatry institutionalization causing deeper stress and even psychotic and ptsd episodes instead of helping the person.
@@ElectricUnicycleCrew what you say here is exactly the part i do agree about the problems in psychiatric system. This is a force we dont need and is wrong and hurtful to most patients. It makes those who want treatment to avoid the help because it migjt hurt them even more. My case is for the future, in what occasions we may need to use some force. Again im against the force used in most cases in paychoatric hospitals today.
How can one make positive, systemic reform to the family unit’s culture without imposing heierarchy? The family itself is a heierarchy, so what would be the point of anarchism applying reform to the family unit, rationalizing that family would then achieve its function of unconditional love, instead of abolishing family structure due to its potential for oppression?
Here I am periodically checking the comments for little hits of dopamine. Hurrah.
Libertarian Socialist Rants nice to see you’re back amigo! I missed your videos man, thanks to you and your videos I fell in love with anarchism or as it is often called synonymously in Spanish “pensamiento libertario” so I very much appreciate your work, they helped me radicalize after almost being completely turned off by the idea of anarchism or the erroneous perceived idea of it and stumbling across ancaps on the way here to being a libsoc.keep up the good work👍🏼 and take care brother🏴
here have a good dopamine hit comrade this one's on me, loved your video thanks for sharing Anti Capitalist principles in a creative palatable way!
Any chance of seeing anymore anarchist commentaries in the future? Love your work
Man we missed you! Thanks for what u r doing, have a nice day!
Good heres a large hit.
The working people in the Global north are not even a proletariat the are the receiver of super wages because of super imperialism in the GS. The imperialist Global capitalist structure based on monopoly capitalism (in sharp contrast to competitive capitalism) extract surplus in hundreds of billion a year from the Global south and redistributes it in the GN. The "workers" in the GN due to their political rent gets huge amounts of benefit from this.
This is sharply reflected in the attitudes of these people manifesting in racism, xenophobia and increased chauvinism which extends itself into economic and foreign policy designed to keep the above process going. While traditional leftist accounts have portrayed this as a false consciousness; in reality though this particular attitude is born because of material conditions of the GN labour aristocracy.
This leads to conclusion that any form of syndicallist movement is unable to deliver liberation for the vast . majority of the population only left wing nationalism can through state based development be able to secure enough value for the GS. anarchism while being immensely useful device to examine our social relationships must be relegated to examining structure of mental health, schooling, education and parenting.
Nice to see you back.Your channel was the reason i became an anarchist
Same here!
Can you clarify something about Anarcho Communism to me? I'm a communist myself but something about Anarchist ideology bothers me (or maybe I'm misunderstanding things). Does Anarchism suggest that communities should be self sufficient and self determined rather than cooperating with other communities in a union for the survival and growth of the society and nation as a whole?
Communities are interdependent instead of independent.
@@slavyanych231 I see so they'd rely on one another. In which case i'm guessing that the broader decision making which affects multiple communities would be done by representatives of those communities reaching an agreement through consensus decision making correct?
Yep, communities send recallable delegates for broader decision making
God, ever since i've gotten into a switch from marxism-leninism to libertarian socialism and anarcho-communism, the more I discover this kind of quality content and the more I interact with people who align with this political side of the spectrum, I increasingly start to get this soothing sense of belonging to a large community that is willing to take action and support each other; simply because we all believe and stand by the principles of empathy and interdependence... The conceit and the nerve that the conservatives and the far-right have when they call us evil and non-proactive!
Ottantotto I share this exact feeling! So proud to hear and see so many willing to fight to achieve this. Radicals showed me true empathy and solidarity to others which I had not felt before being radicalised.
Love and solidarity ❤️✊
Hell yeah, gimme that classic LSR style! Good video, very thought provoking!
So good to have you back Cameron. Much love from Texas
After a completely shit first day of school this is a great gift Cameron. Capitalist education truly is torture. You are the great gift of today. Thank you. I sincerely hope you upload more. Much love August.
You should go to government school if you dont like your private school.
@@iCanSeeWhatMostCant I go to government school but it's hard cuz it's a huge school. I almost went to a private school and hated the idea of it.
@@industrialalliance9905 But here's the thing... public school is socialist, private school is capitalist.
@Mr Bubble wise words
@@iCanSeeWhatMostCant Capitalism and Socialism are modes of productuction, not private vs government.
Really going through a hard time myself and UA-cam is like a comfort food for me. You uploading something fresh feels quite nice. Thanks Cameron, I truly appreciate your work.
Thanks, take care of yourself
Are you in my brain? I try to explain this to my counsellors and psychiatrists. Now I have a fantastic reference. Thank you very much Cameron. SOLIDARITY!
Do you live in the U.S.? Communist revolutions tend to be lead by 3 men, if you're in America I want you to be 1 of ours?
I love you, comrade. Thanks for pushing on
Cameron, I have you to thank for my radicalization, and for the confidence I have when discussing my world view with others. I cannot express how valuable I find your videos/thoughts. Nothing more to add, but genuinely, thank you comrade.
Great video comrade. You were the reason I got into anarchism and stopped heading more into the right. Keep up the good work.
It's really nice when you have channels like this and Gutian that remind me that Breadtube is a good place to be. Thanks for being awesome.
I liked the tone of this one. It made me optimistic.
Yes! That is exactly what I'm going for. *offers internet hug*
Glad to see you're still kicking around, LSR. Thanks for the informative and interesting video and I hope you're doing well.
Welcome back!
I hope you're doing better these days
It's very nice to see you back :) I hope you're doing well. Great video as usual, too. :)
Love the use of Fromm here! He's like the Marxist opposite of Derrida - clear and full of interesting ideas, but so few people know about him.
So you're saying Derrida is unclear and full of boring ideas?
Mendl's Patisserie yes
His thesis on nationalism as collective narcissm is particularly relevant to our times.
@@AJ-gd9tl Maybe you guys just don't understand him
@@fallowfieldoutwest thats what they all say. Same with Lacan.
Very glad to have you back!
I found your videos when I was a teenager and they helped me become an anarchist. Keep up the good work!
Great to see you back, this was a great video!
HE'S BACK, LADIES, GENTLEMEN, THOSE IN BETWEEN AND OUTSIDE! THE ORIGINAL ANCOM. LOVE YOU, CAM!
Yesterday I rewatched your video on capitalism and mental health, how uncanny is this!?!? Glad to see you're still making videos
Worth the wait. Be well, good sir.
Glad you're making videos again. I've also had a terrible few years MH-wise also from which I seem finally to have emerged over the past few months, which included being sectioned unecessarily (as the doctor who swiftly discharged me agreed) and strongly against my will. I think a radical leftist perspective on some of the factors that contribute to poor MH is necessary, but in the interim I think we also need a broad political struggle against the apalling contempt for the autonomy of those with MH issues both in practice and as enshrined in the MH Act; having a diagnosis under our legal system can quite literally put your liberty at greater peril than being accused of murder. Having been on a psychiatric ward I am personally convinced that sectioning can be justified in some cases, but being locked up against your will is an incredibly distressing and traumatic experience for anyone and it is important that there are stronger safeguards to protect our autonomy.
Feeling the solidarity with this
This video was such a relief. Love your stuff. Great to see you back!
Gosh I miss your videos! Always so insightful.
I usually don't comment on things, but I really do feel like this is the right moment. Mental health and politics is something that really speaks to me at the moment, as I have been fighting the mental health systems a lot recently.
I am glad that people such as yourself are bringing up the effects of authoritarianism and capitalism on mental health. In my experience, capitalism and especially psychiatry within capitalism is suppressing people who could easily live fulfilling lives given the appropriate conditions to thrive. It's a very sad situation, considering that people with mental health issues are forced into these institutions by their circumstances.
In my eyes, the situation is dire and I greatly appreciate the voices that bring attention to it. I also feel that the optimism regarding what mental health could potentially be in the future is very motivational.
It's so good to have you back. You are probably the reason youtube started recommending actual content to me. I still go back and watch your old stuff.
Great to have you back. I've missed your videos and am glad to know that you're feeling better. You always inspire to do more to help and empower those around me to take action in order to improve their situations'. Thanks again for all of the amazing videos. I've learned such a huge amount from you.
Good to see another video, top work.
Cameron is back!
Great video! I absolutely loved it!
Thank you for your work comrade!
Great video, and great that your'e back!
I'm so happy to see you back, LSR. I hope things are getting better for you and that you're in a good place.
I used that Kristnamurti quote just yesterday in a conversation with my girlfriend. Then today I get the internet back and here it is in your video. Weird but nice!
Glad to see you back, I hope you can keep caring for yourself and giving us your perspective, as it is a much needed one I feel.
Great to see you back again! Awesome video!
welcome back comrade! I hope you've been doing well and it's seriously nice seeing an upload from you~~ !!
Hey cameron! Lovely to see another interesting video. Im glad to hear youre feeling better.
The whole dismantling vs internalising is something i struggle with plenty too. My old therapist was pushing hard for me to internalise aspects of the dysfunctional relationship with my dad, amongst others, rather than making attempts at changing it for the better so she had to go!
I think its a foundational belief amongst liberals, its all wrapped up with an individualistic approach to the world.
Cite the research you spoke about. Chinese communes tryed to abolish family hierachy you might get some useful information from researching that.
Regarding your point on Anti-work politics: I definitely agree that it isn't necessary to automate every single job that could be done by a robot, especially in relation to manual labour. Being someone who enjoys gardening and being active I find manual labour can be quite satisfying. Even more so when I know I'm contributing to something I find important. I just don't want have to do it for 8 or more hours a day while someone is constantly telling me to work faster and harder.
its been so long since you made a video like this, that ive started getting withdrawals
Welcome back man, love your videos :)
He's BACK!!!!
I mean, even if libleft has mental health issues more so than the other ideologies, it shouldn't be stigmatized and made fun of. As a major point you brought up in the video, it's factual mental health has a huge environmental influence. Should be looking to help change the environment(ie wage labor, debt slavery etc) of those people you think are mentally ill than make fun of them. The latter is counter-productive.
But yeah, both as someone who studies psychology and who went from employed to self-employed, I can certify in my own life and in my studies, it seems to confirm your arguments here for people being happier when in charge of their work(or at the very least they feel like they're in control even if they aren't). I def was happier, despite making less income, when I was self-employed over when I had an employer, and lots of people I know report the same, and of course psychological theories suggest this too.
@@MaximC Well, yes, it's better to actually be in control. That's why I said "at the very least", since that's merely an improvement from feeling like you aren't.
Just started reading Capitalist Realism and LSR comes out with a baller video about these topics. Thank you Cameron.
I'm happy that you're back c:
Just now seeing this vid. Really good to hear from you again. The world of online discourse needs more of you, it seems like the far left is more divided than ever right now, and it's good to come back to your videos and hear some positive truth to power.
Quality, as always.
What you're saying makes sense in ways I have never thought they could before. You touch on so many points, and are an inspiration. I can hear that the passion you have for this is real. I wish I was more courageous and could find a way to help solve so many problems. I'll keep watching for a little, something about this is almost hypnotic.
Love this so much, thank you.
You seized the means of my 🖤
The father of breadtube/lefttube
Please those words are corrupted by liberals
I'm glad you're back
We need you more than ever, friend! With all of the bs that surrounds the anarchist community online, you and anarchopac seem to be the most reliable, reasonable, approachable and easy to digest creators. Always happy to have a new contribution whenever you feel up to it. They never fail to be important. I for one am very poorly adjusted for this world and even though it's a daily struggle I wouldn't have it any other way! But take care of yourself, homie. 👊
As a (long ass) side note: As much as I disagree with much of the mostly "post-left" strain of anti-workism, I do find it important to engage with. Just like I think anarchists should read up on Marx, Stirner, Tucker, Gramsci, especially my dude Negri and a host of other anarchist and Marxist thinkers, despite me not being 100% in agreement with the entirety of their ideas either.
Engaging with the works of those that ya don't fully agree with is as, if not more, important than reading the ones ya do, which is why I always suggest my Marxist comrades read Individualist, collectivist, Mutualist, communist and post-left anarchist works. Because hearing other/counter perspectives and critiques can sharpen your own ideas and often alter them in ways that make em far better than they were before.
While I feel Bob Black does a lot of hoop jumping to turn labor from "work" to "play", I think that "The Abolishion of Work" is still a solid read with some very good points. As "anti-radical" as it may sound, I personally think that we have extremes and that finding compromises between them, even if it's for short-term use, is very useful and important. I'm no egoist, but I understand that their writings have a lot of value and that many of their critiques hold merit. I'm not the kinda collectivist that thinks all individuals must subordinate themselves to the collective. I see both aspects as greatly important and inextricably linked but each extreme end as way too one-sided and not realistic. Most of my current positions are a synthesis of anarchist theory, Marxist thought and later autonomist ideas (suppose ya could label it autonomist anarchist post-Marxism or some shit lol) and it's just been decades of reading, learning, trying, failing, trying again, failing better, debating and thinking about it all to arrive where I am now and I still routinely find things that will make me fundamentally change a position. I looked at the world, analyzed it the best I could then used reason, a logical thought process, critical thinking, etc to find solutions and was then introduced to anarchist ideas in my early teens and I been at it ever since. Unfortunately, most people don't seem to do that. At least not the internet radicals and social media revolutionaries I see on a daily basis. Not confident we can succeed in much til more people do.
✊✌👊♥A///E
You know, I only decided to call myself an Anarcho-Communist in January of this year, and the first thought I had when deciding that I agreed with these ideals was "No one's saying an Anarchist society will be perfect, just that we're striving to make the best possible society we can."
Anarchist societies will have challenges, but the more we try and work towards dealing with those challenges, the better we will be overall.
The best thing I've done for my mental health, was quitting working - both from wage labor and from doing all the chores at home for my (ex) boyfriend
The OG boy is back.
The King is back
No kings!
*Comrade
Brilliant video, especially concerning solving your problems by focusing externally, considering your situation and you needs.
He's back, yay!
Absolutely brilliant. We need to think about both the deconstructive and constructive aspects of our politics in all situations. People are generally radicalized by the latter.
Hi Cameron, finally got round to watching some of your videos. Great to see them and that you're reaching a wide audience. Hope you're keeping well.
On the point about wages for house work, the goal the idea wasn't about literally charging wages for the housework / emotional labour that goes into supporting new humans growing up. It was taken to as a grotesque reversal of the wage-labour system, and how if it was applied to something as human as familial love / domestic labour it'd be crazy to imagine and evidently unworkable. It also served to expemplify that work is carried out whether it's paid or not, so the worlds in which freely given and unmarketable domestic labour effectively supports the wage-labour system as a whole is what should be consider.
The idea that housework and childrearing are useless tasks are often levied at people when it comes to comparing productivity in a society. Like, what is one persons housework vs. that of a factory worker. It's clear that the legitmacy of non-waged work is often called into question because of the fact it lacks a commodified exchange mechanism, namely money, as a way to calculate it's worth... though weird statisticians have tried.
All this is what makes care-work, teaching, cleaning etc such a wonky field to work in, feminised labour is so often given freely... so when it finally does come to demanding "wages-for-housework", workers are often having to then compete with people doing it for free. One of the many reasons why feminised labour is such a critical battleground vs. capitalist models of production.
Welcome back Comrade :)
Keep pumping out videos, man. Let us know if you need support or funding. Great content.
As a transsexual man (so, FTM-TS), yes, the recognition of my gender identity from others helps me to best-function in society, but the science of gender identity generally points to neurology (which implies that it's not "freely determined," so much as it's hardwired into the structure of the brain, similar to autism, ADHD, schizophrenia, and other neurodivergent spectra; I didn't "freely determine" that I have ADHD, either, but when I recalled childhood symptoms, and presented adult symptoms to a medical professional, she determined that it _did_ line up with the diagnostic criteria for the ADHD neurological spectrum), and in retrospect, my own case as a transsexual had signs manifest during childhood that, unlike with "tomboy" girls (in fact, I was hardly able to be described as a "tomboy" child, as I was a weird bookish kid who would devour any books about bugs and dinosaurs, talk to animals, and even when playing "beauty parlour" with my younger sister, would loudly insist to my parents that I'm not a girl, I'm a boy, and they're just wrong), and this developed into full-on gender dysphoria (GD) around the onset of puberty. That said, I _don't_ think that the existence of the WPATH standards of care for those seeking medical transitioning is "unnecessary" in its bureaucracy, as the too-often downplayed experiences of "de-transitions" show that more often than not, those who manage to acquire medical transitioning services, such as HRT (hormone replacement therapy), without first having GD, will experience GD when the effects of HRT begin to take effect on the body. As the first principle of practicing medicine is to do no harm (at least not intentionally), and GD is a persistent experience of discomfort and distress associated with being seen and treated as a member of the gender most-associated with one's apparent birth sex, then to supply HRT to someone who admitted that they don't experience GD is to risk that, as a medical professional, that one may be knowingly causing harm.
I know there are a lot of uneasy ethical questions in medicine, but I feel like this one ought to be more easy to answer than it is difficult. I genuinely wouldn't wish gender dysphoria on anyone, as just like other neurodivergence spectra, it can take a lot of work for the individual to manage, and while it's good to progress society to become more accepting of those whose neurological gender doesn't line up with their apparent sex observed at birth, it's not as simple as abolition of gender as a part of a society, given that gender identity is ultimately neurological, rather than a mere matter of artifice and performance created to benefit the patriarchy and rather superficial choices of self-expression, as is often positioned by Second Wave radical feminists. Even the social constructs surrounding gender don't make the neurological cause of gender somehow less real, as the societal constructs we live with are, generally speaking, based on fulfillment of a need; languages, being _another_ social construct, came into existence to fulfil the needs of people to communicate with each-other, especially in communication of more complex issues than can be efficiently resolved with utterances and simple gestures. The value of traditional gender roles are certainly being re-examined due to changes in the needs of society, but just like how it's highly inefficient to communicate a recipe without a written, or at least a spoken language, it's inefficient to communicate the needs of transsexuals (and, indeed, the majority of cisgender people) by simply "abolishing the gender system." My needs as a transsexual man (especially given some highly unfortunate pubescent anatomy) simply could not be sufficiently met with a haircut and clothing, without medical transitioning care. Unfortunately, too many apparently non-binary people who advocate "abolition of gender" are also advocating de-medicalisation of transsexual care, which _IS,_ especially given the current systems in place, an "ideal" that would only serve to harm trans people who are most-benefitted by medical care: without a medical diagnosis that would be best served by medical treatment, no State, much less private health care financial services, would see any justification to provide transsexual patients with that medical treatment we seek. The "non-dysphoric non-binary" contingent of the broader trans communities are so myopic and self-centered in their desire to simply choose a mix-and-match of gender-bending traits that they don't even consider the rippling effects of their "anti-medicalisation" stance on gender-affirmative care, and how negatively that will affect those of us who have a neurological condition that we did not choose, and is best served with medical care.
The "trans medical system" is only so apparently "bureaucratic" to help those who have the most potential gain, and prevent potentially harming those who _don't_ have persistent symptoms of gender dysphoria which may be alleviated by transitioning. Indeed, "de-medicalisation" of transsexual health care only serves Libertarian Capitalist ends, wherein only those who can afford to access "medical" services that don't need a medical diagnosis will be able to access hormone replacement therapy and gender-reaffirming surgeries. *_We cannot logically provide medical care to each according to one's need, if one is not even being recognised as even HAVING a medical need!_* The current system isn't perfect, and yes, it could stand to be re-evaluated in some ways, but the "gender abolishment" contingent that you describe are ultimately endorsing anti-trans rhetoric, especially the TERF/"gender critical" contingent of the anti-trans crowd (which they ironically claim to abhor), by making a neurological condition out to be nothing more than a mere choice of self-determination. Their de-medicalisation position ultimately has more to do with a philosophical ideal that is much closer to Ayn Rand's antisocial Bizarro Land fan-fic of the Nietzschean Übermensche, than it does with even the most seemingly angst-ridden and defeatist Existentialists (whose poster boy is, let's be honest, Albert "I'm actually an Absurdist" Camus - no matter how much he says he's #NotLikeTheOtherExistentialists), cos at least the latter have largely based their ideas on Marx's material reality, rather than a spoilt rich kid's circular insistence that she's right simply because she's right.
This is an awesome video. Im a psychotherapist and anarchism fundamentally informs the way that i practice. I totally agree with everything you have said here.
I got depressed at my last well-paid STEM job because of how mindbogglingly repetitive and basic it turned out to be.
Why ANY organization would employ somebody with a postgraduate education and a drive for creative work just to perform menial tasks and attend to useless meetings and presentations is beyond me.
And I am not, by any means, an exception. I have known over the years a ton of scientists and engineers who get depressed, burnout or otherwise quit their jobs because they cannot stand them for another minute.
Way to progress!
Why is your channel not bigger this is great stuff.
What's this? A new LSR vid after ages of silence? 👀
Me likes.
Mind blowing comparisons 👍🏾
Shit, there's an indie musician whose LiveJournal I used to read, back in the day, who said something in his journal once that I used to have as a sig quote in my emails, and unfortunately I have to paraphrase, right now: "Work is best engaged when coming from a desire rather than a need," and that sentiment continues to resonate with me. I definitely raise an eyebrow at the term "anti-work," though I do understand where such language comes from.
I'm an independent musician, and it is certainly work in that it's the production of goods (songs and instrumental pieces) and performance of services that can be exchanged for payment by those who get value from it, but it's not drudgery, and it's something that I engage with happiness.
Our comrade is back!!
Hey, you’re back ! 🏴
Have you read Black Flame: The Revolutionary Class Politics of Anarchism and Syndicalism (Counter-Power vol. 1) ?
That's one of my favorite anarchist books.
I very much like how you went about talking about the family, I am a pretty firm believer in the abolition of the nuclear family. I like the politics of the neighborhood, and how it extends the family to the whole neighborhood. Kind of vibes like it takes a village to raise a child, and I think that is a wonderful thing where family isn't defined by an arbitrary thing like genetics. Family is the people we choose to have around, and it shouldn't be defined by the hierarchal family model which is built upon modes of domination, and rigid social structures!
It's hostile territory. Adapt enough that you can survive and navigate. Then build your own territory.
Hostile territory indeed
Welcome back comrade
Great vid, there needs to be more awareness of how the system is waging a form of psychological oppression as well.
solidarity ✊
Excellent video, thanks
_Spread the bread, comrade!_
Did you somehow read my soul and distill it into something comprehensible?
Awesome video!
Love the video. Regarding anti-work, though, I always thought of it as a difference between "work" (drudgery for survival's sake) and "labour" (a creative exercise). It never occurred to me that advocates for automation wanted art completely generated by machines, or replacement of personal care with robots. If anything, the dehumanization of capitalism is much more likely to impel this.
Regarding families, I agree completely. I'd highly recommend checking out the work of Alfie Kohn for conceptualizing how an anti-authoritarian familial structure could work alongside a politics of the neighbourhood at the "mezzo" level.
"You must first bring balance to yourself before you bring balance to the world."
I understood the message of the clip in a much profound level for the Elevate - Brain training app comercial I sae before it.
Unrelated to the video, are protests where the organizers obtain a permit not considered direct action?
Viva la revolution!
im an algo holic addicting to the rithm
no xxx_swagmaster420_xxx? :(
also, thanks, i really needed this video right now cameron
leaving a comment because I can
I think that your interpretation of what people mean when they say 'abolish x' might not match what people generally mean when they say it. i generally think they tend to mean 're-imagine x so that it serves us, and loosen prescribed nature of social roles'. Besides the miscommunications around how people use terms like 'abolish' i think that many groups that appear to contradict, like gender abolisionists, and those that want hundreds of genders, often want the same thing, the removal of institutions that determine our social roles with no considerations for self determination.
Good stuff
Not all anti work advocates are coming from an automation angle. There are those with an anti civ background who may combine anti work anarchism with a critique of production for it's own sake. And in situationist thought there is the idea of removing the distinction between work and play, with the aim of liberating everyday activity. I believe this necessarily means degrowth and the end of commodity production. In this way work abolition and ecology follow one another.
When I talk about anti work I mean taking control of my own work. But this also means the deescalation of current levels of production and removing the division of labour where possible. And when I say work I mean work as we know it. I'm optimistic about what I could be doing in a world without work, I'm not interested in a different type of work. And work done by robots is still work. I also reserve the right to be lazy
anyway always enjoy your videos
9:00 YES! RHETORIC IS IMPORTANT.
yeah, i agree.
Most Postanarchists don't use is/should distinction for philosophical reasons.
Cool!
Hey everybody! I'm interested in people's personal experiences within different Left communities (online or in-person) - Anarcho-Communism, Market Anarchism/Mutualism, Libertarian Marxism, Left Communism, Trotskyism, Marxism-Leninism, Stalinism/Tank Communism, or other).
I'm interested in the communities themselves and your experiences with them, not their associated theoretical work.
Anything willing to share their experiences would be much appreciated! Thank you.
As a therapist who works at a psychiatric hospital...i think most communist (either anarchists or marxists etc) when they look at the mental health issue emphasize mostly on the affective side of mental health, depression, anxiety and the likes, and less on the psychotic side and ita effect on the person who suffers from it, and his family, friends and environment. Some issues in mental health can be dealt with the changing of how we treat mental patients, no argue about it, but when you work and treat some patients you have to use some 'force' and 'oppression' to help them, some of which they ask for themselves. This is in no way a support for the current Psychiatric system which suffers from a lot of stigma even whithin it by the people who work there, and the measures of authority need to change drastically, but i think most peoplr dont really have the chance to work with some of the people who suffer chronic mental illness or disorders to fully understand why things work the way they do. I mostly work with patients who murdered their loved ones or neighbors when they were under a paranoid delusion, some of them may attack me as their therapist if their mental state is deteriorating. So even in an anarchist society we do need some force used to care for people. But i think when the force is used intentionally in a kind and nurturing environment, and not as a part of an oppressive and violent society as we have today the results can be better.
The emotional breakdown I mention in this video was a psychotic one brought about because I couldn't cope with the exercise of force. I think you can justify it if they ask for it themselves, but I have a deep distrust in the psychiatric system because of what happened to me. Just my opinion, you're welcome to disagree.
I get what you're saying though about how anarchists when talking about mental health will focus on the typical things of depression and anxiety. I suppose I'm sympathetic even as someone who has experienced psychosis because I feel like learning to manage those problems can stop them from becoming psychotic in nature. I fell into a depressive psychosis not only because I couldn't cope with the exercise of force but I also have had to deal with feelings of loneliness for several years, and once I was hospitalised it all became too much because I thought, 'this is something I can't talk about, because what reason do I have to trust these people who have taken control of my life away from me?' etc. I had a lot of very important grievances and I bottled up my feelings about it to try to please people and seem happy, and I went totally crazy trying to do that.
@@ElectricUnicycleCrew i hear you and i was talking in general and not specific to your case. I heard about more than one incidents of psychiatry institutionalization causing deeper stress and even psychotic and ptsd episodes instead of helping the person.
@@ElectricUnicycleCrew what you say here is exactly the part i do agree about the problems in psychiatric system. This is a force we dont need and is wrong and hurtful to most patients. It makes those who want treatment to avoid the help because it migjt hurt them even more.
My case is for the future, in what occasions we may need to use some force. Again im against the force used in most cases in paychoatric hospitals today.
How can one make positive, systemic reform to the family unit’s culture without imposing heierarchy? The family itself is a heierarchy, so what would be the point of anarchism applying reform to the family unit, rationalizing that family would then achieve its function of unconditional love, instead of abolishing family structure due to its potential for oppression?