i read accounts like that one and see the extent to which they aren’t really engaged in anything that you could call politics and think about the extent to which puritan apocalypticism has really stamped itself onto the american psyche
Replies
"all or nothing" ideaologism, so to speak?
nov 20, 2023, 6:48 pm • 2 1 • view
not quite. more of a preoccupation with changing the immortal soul coupled with an either implicit or explicit view that political salvation will take the form of some great uncovering that fundamentally overturns the old order
nov 20, 2023, 6:52 pm • 59 4 • view
Ah, the presumption that in the end, everyone will all come to their senses via *gestures hands in the air*
nov 20, 2023, 6:53 pm • 5 0 • view
It may be a jaded sentiment but the self-centeredness of most would mean any approach has to come in such a way that each individual who changes their mind has to feel like they came to it on their own/
nov 20, 2023, 7:07 pm • 1 0 • view
*insert Inception sound here*
nov 20, 2023, 7:07 pm • 0 0 • view
Step 1 get underpants Step 2 Step 3 HUGE PROFITS!!
nov 20, 2023, 7:07 pm • 0 0 • view
The "force the vote" mentality: we will show people how corrupt/venal/etc. their leaders are and they will have no choice but to rise up en masse to pick more enlightened, moral leadership
nov 20, 2023, 7:08 pm • 2 0 • view
A move that just has millions of individuals waiting for someone else to take the first swing
nov 20, 2023, 7:09 pm • 1 0 • view
puritan apocalypticism - good description
nov 20, 2023, 6:44 pm • 13 0 • view
Marx: famously only concerned with who was righteous and who was a sinner, and not considerations of material conditions.
nov 20, 2023, 6:44 pm • 33 0 • view
Marx did have an apocalyptic streak. "Tis the final conflict" as the Internationale says
nov 20, 2023, 6:51 pm • 6 0 • view
bingo
nov 20, 2023, 6:55 pm • 5 0 • view
good god, yes
nov 20, 2023, 11:49 pm • 2 0 • view
I don’t think the person is even American
nov 20, 2023, 7:00 pm • 0 0 • view
more like the great awokening amirite? sorry
nov 21, 2023, 2:32 pm • 0 0 • view
And by american, we mean The Hillbilly Republic.
nov 21, 2023, 5:49 pm • 0 0 • view
yet you participate in society, curious!
nov 20, 2023, 7:09 pm • 9 0 • view
its not even that! "yet your ancestors almost 200 years ago participated in society"
nov 20, 2023, 7:12 pm • 24 0 • view
Jesus, we're either the people who "prove" slavery wasn't that bad or we're responsible for genocide, despite the bulk of us not having shown up here until long after that was underway. Kind of tired of my father's people being used to prop up asshole arguments.
nov 20, 2023, 8:12 pm • 0 0 • view
Being Irish-American is genocide apologia.
nov 20, 2023, 7:15 pm • 4 0 • view
Love watching the "religion is the opiate of the masses" crew re-invent original sin
nov 20, 2023, 7:19 pm • 9 0 • view
There are actually some left-evangelicals who explicitly draw on that connection! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America... (also, "religion is the opiate of the masses" isn't necessarily a criticism of religion; opiates are just what were available for painkillers at the time)
nov 20, 2023, 7:28 pm • 1 0 • view
Unrelated but I just checked your profile and I stayed in your area when I was working for Bernie in 2020, Concord is lovely!
nov 20, 2023, 7:31 pm • 1 0 • view
Ah, we may have met, then, as I was also involved with the Bernie 2020 campaign! The Concord office was within walking distance from where I live!
nov 20, 2023, 7:38 pm • 1 0 • view
It’s not even original sin, because it isn’t clear there is any amount of self-flagellation or public castigation that is sufficient to purge the eternal blemish of being a descendant of white immigrants in a colonized land.
nov 20, 2023, 7:21 pm • 5 0 • view
Oh but yes! There is but one path to redemption, embracing the one true saviour of humanity, ****** Then you will be rewarded after the revolution in accordance with your faith! (Fill in the **** with Marx, Trotsky, Mao, or whichever sect is personally followed by that disciple)
nov 20, 2023, 7:24 pm • 1 0 • view
Original sin just requires a quick dunk in the water to wash away (terms and conditions apply, etc.).
nov 20, 2023, 7:22 pm • 3 0 • view
But in many Protestant faiths it’s all a matter of predestination and no absolution in the earthly realm will change things. Not good works. Lovely folk the Puritans.
nov 20, 2023, 7:46 pm • 1 0 • view
See now that's an appealing offer. Gotta hand it to the Catholics, you don't last 2000 years without a good grasp of human nature lol
nov 20, 2023, 7:25 pm • 0 0 • view
All kidding aside, the Catholic doctrine that nothing is unforgivable and nobody is beyond redemption is one of their best ideas. It’s something I’ve held onto even after abandoning pretty much everything else.
nov 20, 2023, 7:31 pm • 2 0 • view
There is some really great stuff in there for sure! I'm fully lapsed at this point but I do think I got a few good things out of my Catholic youth.
nov 20, 2023, 7:32 pm • 0 0 • view
Two best things about Catholicism: 1. You are no better than anyone else, everyone sucks in some way at some point. 2. If you're truly sorry and try to make amends God will forgive you. Truly fosters the belief of like, "I have to try to be better and not look down on people who fuck up."
nov 20, 2023, 7:37 pm • 1 0 • view
And if I had to list the bad things it would all the child rape.
nov 20, 2023, 7:38 pm • 1 0 • view
salvation lottery
nov 20, 2023, 7:01 pm • 0 0 • view
They’re mostly people too young for their frontal lobes to be anywhere near fully cooked who recently discovered edgy politics and think it makes them cool.
nov 20, 2023, 7:58 pm • 1 0 • view
where white guilt meets "No True Scotsman" feels like a succinct summary of where the US left often eats itself
nov 20, 2023, 6:53 pm • 7 1 • view
"i read accounts like that one" I think I've found the problem.
nov 20, 2023, 8:15 pm • 0 0 • view