Why I Carry On...

Torgun and "World in Common" Friends,

Maybe we should change the name of the discussion group/initiative to "World in Despair", or maybe "World in Common Despair". Maybe that would attract the attention that we need to bring to the human condition and the cause of socialism. Almost everyone is living in despair, yet most would attribute it to their personal situation.

To the extent to which Capitalism and the ascription to it is the cause of so much unhappiness is beyond measure, but more importantly probably beyond repair. The former is inevitable, as Capitalism is such a dominant paradigm and has been for centuries, replacing feudalism and slavery as the oppressive force of a ruling "class". The reality that the damage caused by Capitalism is beyond repair is reflected everywhere we look.

I don't know the situation of others on this list, but I have been put in a situation where all my time is my own (an early retirement, if you will). I have had a lot of time to study and contemplate the world and the economic situation. Most people have to spend their entire lives niche-seeking and niche-living within the status quo. Their own brand of despair is thus intricately tied to their personal predicament and the soulless existence that they probably had to adopt to adapt to a soulless Capitalism.

Like all rationalists, for me it is a constant battle against hopelessness. That is why I join discussion groups like "World in Common". It is an exercise in felicity, finding common cause with others who have similar and diverse perceptions and perspectives, but a common wish to make the world a better place. It is almost like a religion.

What Jim wrote about contributing to the consciousness and eventual triumph of socialism certainly requires a great amount of faith. We believe in what we are doing, and feel good about moving those agendas forward.

A friend said "keep doing what you're doing, although you think that you are not making a difference, you never know, maybe you are having a positive impact on others and are just not getting the feedback on it". Let's keep trying as long as we have the time and the outlet, I'm so far past the motivation of looking for another job. It has reached the point of impossibility for me. There is not a good fit between my values, my integrity, my interests, my skills, etc. and the niches offered by the Capitalist system. For what it is worth, the structural unemployment problem within Capitalism is growing at an accelerating rate, so there is will be more of a pool of potential ascribers to the World in Common message, though it is doubtful that we will ever logistically be able to reach those millions, those billions. Even if we could, what would we tell them? It is not necessary for us to resolve that question, but if the world were approaching unity and communicating about a "world in common", we would be a very long way closer to our goals.


Mike Morin